By: DJ Deeb – May, 2016 The debate over Common Core has been heating up over the past several months, especially with the Presidential and Congressional Elections looming. The purpose of this article is to explain the origins of Common Core, summarize the standards, and offer suggestions on how to stop Common Core from being […]
By: Al Kaprielian – May, 2016 After seeing some warm April days with temperatures in the 70’s to low 80’s, our weather has turned noticeably cooler as we moved into May. In this article we will be explaining why, and also some other weather features that can occur during the spring months. This past […]
CONCORD, N.H. – Suzan Harbinson, a 52-year-old resident of Goffstown, New Hampshire, and an owner of ATA Martial Arts of Southern New Hampshire, LLC, in Bedford, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for stealing more than $1 million, announced. Harbinson worked as a part-time bookkeeper for Henry’s Collision Center in Manchester from January […]
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/House/H4333 5-23-16 On Monday, a joint conference committee of the Massachusetts legislature negotiated and reached a final deal on a new public records reform bill for the first time in 40 years. CHANGES TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW If signed by Governor Baker, the new law, (Final BillH4333) , would allow judges to award legal costs and attorney […]
By: Duncan Burns – May, 2016 Right now, when it comes to labor issues, all eyes are currently on The Verizon Strike, which affects many municipalities across The Merrimack Valley. Many will question the union’s motives, as the tactic of going on strike is usually in order to strong-arm a company into submission and usually […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL For years, the false media narrative has been that the Tea Party controls the Republican Party and is made up of a bunch of “extremists” who could turn violent any minute. They are mocked and linked to the Republican Party on TV dramas like Law and Order, and are portrayed as bigots […]
By: Cindy Annis – April, 2016 The next artist in the groove comes from Chicago, Illinois. In 1967, students of DePaul University, Walter Parazaider, Terry Kath, Danny Seraphine, James Pankow, and Lee Longnane got together to start a group with Robert Lamm from Roosevelt University called The Big Thing. The famous Peter Cetera joined the […]
By: Bill Cushing – April, 2016 Showtime’s newest drama, Billions, is a fastly-paced series that centers on the battle between charismatic hedge fund kingpin Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and “win at all costs” U.S. attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) who is obsessed with bringing down Axelrod and his firm, Axe Capital, for insider trading. […]
By: Dr. Bharani Padmanabhan – April, 2016 John Ehrlichman authorized breaking into Dr. Fielding’s office on September 3rd, 1971, to steal Daniel Ellsberg’s medical chart. In those days, medical charts were confidential and access strictly controlled. Any break-in was physical and impossible to miss. Even if the government did steal your private chart, at least […]
By: State Re. Linda Dean Campbell – April, 2016 Recently, we saw the bipartisan approval by the Massachusetts House of a bill to fund local municipal road and bridge repair. Additionally, Governor Baker has requested more money for local bridge repair, which will require an additional appropriation. As a member of the Committee on Ways […]
Innovation to allow non-attendee participation at Town Meeting expanded. Continuing what he calls “the historic initiative of the past two years”, North Andover Town Moderator Mark DiSalvo will be allowing questions at Town Meeting to be asked by citizens electronically. In the first year of the program residents were given an opportunity to post questions but were […]
By; Al Kaprelian – April, 2016 Lately, we have seen a lot of wind in the Merrimack Valley and Southern NH. Winds are caused by differences in air pressure. When we are located between a high pressure system and a low pressure system, there is a large difference in air pressure between the high and […]
By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – April, 2016 Recently, the State Senate unanimously, and in a bipartisan fashion, passed a bill I filed to protect consumers from unknowingly entering a credit contract and to limit instances of fraud resulting from the mailing of unsolicited and often predatory loans. Every day, residents across Massachusetts find what […]
By: Amy Berard In a 2016 memo, Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester explains, “We ask principals and test proctors to handle refusals with sensitivity. Students should not be pressured to take the test, nor should they be punished for not taking the test.” You read that correctly. You can refuse standardized testing for your child. […]
Each year The Valley Patriot gives awards in three categories to people who volunteer, contribute, or pitch in during the many special projects and charities the newspaper is involved with throughout the year. The three categories of awards are: The Valley Patriot Goodwill Ambassador Award, The Valley Patriot President’s Award, and The Valley Patriot Editor’s […]