Good grades were something Valeryn Polanco, 18, had always worked hard to earn. So when those grades started sliding her senior year at Methuen High School, leaving her in danger of not graduating on time, Valeryn sought out an opportunity to turn things around. She, along with nine of her classmates, enrolled in the Senior […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – 9-14 In my recent visits on and to the Merrimack River, I was impressed with the water quality. It is still amazing to me how far we have come from those years when the smell of the Merrimack River reminded us of how polluted it really was. I […]
By: Dan Grayton – September, 2014 30,000. That number is a conservative estimate of how many sheets of paper the Methuen City Council will use this year alone. A vast majority of those sheets are used in the making of the “packets” that councilors, including myself, receive in preparation of each council meeting. This is […]
By: DJ Deeb – September, 2014 As the 2014-2015 school year approaches, exciting changes are taking place in Methuen Public Schools. Members of the Methuen School Committee have been working hard over the summer with Superintendent Judy Scannell and Mayor Steve Zanni to ensure that our schools are prepared to service Methuen students and provide […]
September, 2104 In Ferguson, MO a white police officer shot a black man named Michael Brown six times, killing him after a confrontation that resulted from Brown’s strong arm robbery of a cigar store. With no other evidence available, many among the black population of Ferguson took to the streets to loot, riot and commit […]
By: D.J. Bettencourt – August, 2014 Few states have endured a longer drought of electing a Republican governor than New Hampshire. In fact, that dry spell is unrivaled even in deeply liberal New England. New Hampshire has not elected a Republican to the corner office in a decade, and only once in the past 18 […]
LARE Institute offering free Customer Service Certification training and assessment for qualified Lawrence residents, as made possible through Santander Foundation grant. Opportunity is knocking at the doors of Lawrence residents looking to get back to work or advance in their careers. LARE Institute, a branch of American Training, is now offering National Professional Certifications in […]
By: Attorney Timothy Stark – August, 2014 For this week’s column, I thought I would discuss some specific Massachusetts laws that make an involuntary termination from employment unlawful in Massachusetts. Please keep in mind, however, that as a general rule, Massachusetts is an employment at will state. Therefore many involuntary terminations, even though unfair, are […]
By. Dr. Frank MacMillan – August, 2014 Health care consolidation is a bad deal for Massachusetts’s consumers. Over the past two decades, our hospitals, physicians, and health plans have been concentrating market power to a degree that is unprecedented, and this trend has been stimulated and accelerated by government intervention. This has led to monopoly […]
By: Jerry Valley – August, 2014 When you think about it, we are all receiving suggestions just about everyday from our friends, co-workers, neighbors etc. People give us suggestions about a great restaurant, a great movie or a great sale somewhere etc. Then, we decide whether to respond and take action or not. The point […]
By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – August, 2014 July is one of the busiest months in the legislature because the legislative session comes to a close on July 31, 2014. As such, the Senate acted on a number of notable pieces of legislation. S. 2337 An Act Relative to Unsolicited Loans This bill was one […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – August, 2014 This session produced many important pieces of legislation: On-line voter registration and challenges to Citizens United that require a listing of the top contributors to Political Action Committees (PACs) on TV ads. This will help us sort through some smoke in this coming election; Increased legal […]
By: Gary Mannion – August, 2014 Webster’s dictionary defines a patriot as one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests. The Moran family was such a family; one of the many families, over the years, that has shown its support for its country. Born and raised on Willow St. in […]
Greetings Valley Patriots! It is my pleasure to begin to provide an article each month geared towards those of you with a eye trained on Methuen and its politics. Look forward to brief articles touching on several topics like Council votes and other decisions and events affecting those who live here. Enjoy. Uber ambulance […]
By: Markl Lipman – August, 2014 The recent events and conflict in Gaza have caused great stress and polarization around the world. Although the best in the great majority of us has risen to the top in protests for peace across the globe; the worst in a few, blinded by the ideology of racism and […]