By: Christine Morabito – August, 2013 In the words of the late Woody Guthrie, “Some men rob you with a six-gun – others rob you with a fountain pen.” The most powerful politicians in Massachusetts don’t work for us — they work for the labor unions. Our lawmakers sold their souls to organized labor, and […]
By: Tom Duggan – August 7, 2013 OTHER METHUEN STORIES Former State Senator James Jajuga is running for Methuen City Council At Large (city wide). Jajuga is a Vietnam Era Veteran, was a member of the Massachusetts State Police, is former Public Safety Commissioner and is the former […]
By: Tom Duggan – July 30, 2013 (OTHER METHUEN STORIES) Methuen At-Large City Councilor Mike Condon told The Valley Patriot today in an exclusive interview that he is not seeking reelection as a city councilor this year and is retiring from politics for good. Condon said that after the death of his father Edward A […]
By: Tom Duggan – July 28, 2013 (other Methuen Stories) Former School Committeeman George Kazanjian says he wants to represent the people of the West End on the city council so he can find waste and needles spending in the city budget. Kazanjian spoke with the Valley Patriot the day after his former colleague on […]
By: Tom Duggan – July 27, 2013 Methuen School Committeeman Evan Chaisson says he is dropping out of the West End City Council Race and endorsing former councilor and school committeeman Ken Willette and incumbent Councilor Sean Fountain to fill the two seats up for election in November. Also a candidate in that race is […]
By: Stephanie M. Davis – July, 2013 The FY2014 budget ball now sits in Governor Deval Patrick’s court. Having been finalized and reported out of its legislative conference committee on June 30th, the governor has 10 days to approve or veto it either partially or entirely or to amend it in portions. A veto can […]
By: Tom Duggan – July 18, 2013 Lawrence Firefighter and community activist Manuel “Juan” Gonzalez launched his official campaign kickoff for Mayor Thursday night before a packed room of about 100 people at the Firefighter’s Relief In. Flanked by former Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan, Lawrence City Councilor Marc LaPlante (District “F”), and Mount Vernon Neighborhood Association […]
By Alex Talcott – July, 2013 In a recent Huckabee show appearance, former U.S. Senator, presidential candidate, and Fox News contributor Rick Santorum defended a new job as CEO of a family-friendly movie studio. To host Huckabee, Santorum warned (the Left? the Right? Huckabee himself?) that the enterprise precludes a 2016 run no more than […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL July, 2013 At issue was Attorney Richard D’Agostino, who was applying to replace McQuillan as city solicitor after the council voted not to renew McQuillan’s contract. While D’Agostino was being questioned at a public hearing, McQuillan was feeding questions and damaging information to Councilor Atkinson in an attempt to stop D’Agostino from […]
By: Tom Duggan – July 17, 2013 With Jeanne Pappalardo leaving the city council because of term limits this year, three people are seeking to fill two seats on the city council representing Methuen’s West End. Incumbent Councilor Sean Fountain, School Committeeman George Kazanjian and Methuen’s most outspoken member of the school committee Evan Chaisson […]
By Tom Duggan – July, 2013 Always outspoken and often controversial, the West District Councilor has had her share of political scuffles over the last six years, but even those who had an adversarial relationship with Pappalardo say they respect her even though they were on opposite sides of most political battles. “Jeanne Pappalardo is […]
The 2011-12 state election cycle saw typical political action committee activity in Massachusetts, even with the addition of independent expenditure PACs, according to a study published by OCPF that examines campaign finance activity by PACs. PACs reported making $2,637,514 in direct contributions to state and county candidates in 2011-12, a period that did not include […]
By: Tom Duggan – June, 2013 In the last few months, the American people have had to endure story after story in the news about the Obama administration’s abuse of power and violations of civil liberties. Though I rarely write about national politics or the President, I think it is important for our Valley Patriot […]
By: Paul Murano – June, 2013 In considering the great left/right divide of contemporary culture it’s important to ponder beneath the surface on the reasons why. There is much debate in the media on surface political issues, yet it is rare to hear discussion on why there are two poles of thought, and why different […]
By: Tom Duggan – June 2013 The DiAdamo and DiAdamo Law Firm has been paid millions of dollars over the last ten years representing the City of Lawrence on worker’s compensation claims, rental payments made to the DiAdamos for the Lawrence School Department Central Offices on Essex Street, payments made for their representation of the […]