PODCAST INTERVIEW HERE Nov. 2023 Last month, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena appointed former law enforcement officer William Castro to be the acting police chief. Castro was DePena’s chief of staff and immediately came under fire from city councilors and city council candidates for being a “political appointment”. One candidate even posted on Facebook that […]
By: Philippe Thibault – Nov. 2023 Maybe it is the crisp air, the smell of fallen leaves, the sound of a crackling fire, the long shadows on midafternoon walks, or the plastic Santa Clauses that have been in stores since Labor Day, but this time of year brings out philanthropic qualities of goodwill that we […]
By: Santiago Reyes Cruz, Jr. Fresh out of the hospital from a life-threatening illness, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan was presented with one of the most prestigious awards in the Merrimack Valley last month, the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center’s Overcoming Obstacles Award Most people may know that Tom is a homeless advocate; he feeds them, […]
For the second year in a row, Mayor Brian A. DePeña and City Councilors chose not to increase property taxes by the allowable Proposition 2.5 limitation, therefore, assuring the lowest split tax rates since 2007 and the third lowest in over two decades. The proposed FY2024 Residential Tax Rate is $9.28; this is a decrease […]
By: Brian Genest – Nov. 2023 ‘Tis the season to count your blessings and there are plenty of reasons to be grateful in Dracut. Strong town government is at the top of the list. Things have been going well in Dracut and it’s not by accident. It’s because the right people have been in charge […]
By: State Rep. Estela Reyes – Nov. 2023 First, I want to congratulate Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan who received an “Overcoming Obstacles” award from the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center last month. Given what Tom has been through, just in the last year alone, he has certainly earned this award. I also want to […]
By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino Dear Residents of Methuen and Lawrence, It is with a heart full of pride that I recount a recent moment of honor and duty. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Methuen’s finest—Ryan Campbell, Adam Marino, Kyle Sheehy, and Liam Sheehy—at their graduation in Stow, Massachusetts, I witnessed the embodiment of courage […]
The Crucial Need to Increase the Dropout Age State Senator Pavel Payano – Nov. 2023 As a State Senator, my commitment to improving education in Massachusetts is unwavering. Senate bill 341, “An Act Relative to Dropout Prevention and Student Recovery,” a pivotal piece of legislation, which I sponsored, aims at reshaping the educational landscape for […]
By: Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio – Nov. 2023 Hello Valley Patriot readers, Serving as Massachusetts State Auditor doesn’t just mean reviewing finances. A big part of my role, as I often speak about with folks across the state, is reviewing the performance and efficacy of the Commonwealth’s agencies and entities. A great example of […]
Nov. 2023 Emails obtained by The Valley Patriot reveal that a number of voters in Rowley had their ballots discarded and uncounted in last November’s election where Kristin Kassner (D-Hamilton) won the 2nd Essex State Representative seat by one vote over Lenny Mirra (R-Georgetown). Minutes taken during the recount in that race reveal that […]
By: John Cuddy – Nov. 2023 Hailing from the long-gone Boston neighborhood, once known as the West End, Methuen’s James Fiorello graduated from Boston’s Mechanic Arts High School with the class of 1941. He then enrolled at Fitchburg State College, with the intent on becoming a teacher. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December […]
Here are my endorsements in the 2023 Lawrence Elections LAWRENCE CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE (Elect three): Most of the time in an At-Large election, it’s hard to find three good candidates. I usually support one or two and then struggle with coming up with a third to endorse. Not so this year, as there are actually […]
By: Philippe Thibault 10-23 All communities serviced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and those communities adjacent to this public transit provider will be required to create zoning supporting the production of housing. A total of one hundred and seventy-seven communities in eastern Massachusetts are required to comply. Boston is exempt from the regulation. […]
10-23 Kane has the jitters and is having trouble concentrating because he can’t decide what he should do on his “to do list.” His energy increases in the fall due to the cooler weather. He has been worrying about which of the things on his schedule he should tackle first. This inability to concentrate resulted […]