Tom Duggan’s Notebook ~ August, 2018

VOTE SEPT. 4TH, DAY AFTER LABOR DAY… IT’S IMPORTANT!
Secretary of State Bill Galvin has scheduled this year’s state primary elections for the day after Labor Day when a lot of people are not even back from summer vacation. That means a very low turnout is expected and as anyone who has ever studied elections knows, a low turnout almost always favors incumbents and insiders because those who vote in low turnout primaries are what we call “super voters”. Super voters are those people (like you) who vote in every single election and are usually the people most responsible for the officials who are already in office. As a side note, guess who is on the ballot this year? That’s right, Bill Galvin has a “progressive” primary opponent who is challenging him looking to take over our election systems. Whoever you vote for make sure you put September 4th on your calendar and get out and vote!

LAWRENCE FIRE CHIEF SCHOOLS BOSTON MEDIA ON GUNS
During the massive 3 alarm fire on Prospect Street in Lawrence last month (see photos on page 16) Fire Chief Moriarty was interviewed by a reporter from channel 7 news …. who, as a side note looks like he was 12 years old. So, the 12-year-old asked the fire chief about the explosions heard inside the building that made him evacuate his firefighters. The explosions were from ammunition in the home, the chief explained. “So, obviously that was illegal ammunition, I assume?” the 12 year old asked him. With a befuddled look on his face, Chief Moriarty looked at him and said … “Uh… no. Why would I assume that? I have ammunition in my house and it’s not illegal.”

And that my friends is the only way to push back against the anti-gun media propaganda… at the local level. Great job Chief Moriarty, I was very proud of Lawrence for the way they handled that fire and even more proud of the way you handled the clueless Boston reporters.
Class dismissed.
DIZOGLIO SAYS SHE WAS NOT ON BOARD WITH CAMPBELL PLAN AND DIDN’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT
State Representative Linda Dean Campbell tried to broker a deal for the Methuen City Council to borrow TEN Million dollars to address their $4M budget shortfall. She addressed the city council telling them that the “entire delegation” was on board with the ten million borrowing plan. She also said she cleared it with the governor and “consulted” with Mayor Jajuga before presenting it. But, when State Rep. Diana DiZoglio showed up and addressed the council she made it clear that not only did she disagree with the $10M Campbell/Jajuga plan, she didn’t even know about it. DiZoglio says she believes that Methuen needs a financial control board not the lower level of state oversight that Campbell and Jajuga were pushing.

CNN’S ACOSTA CRIES BECAUSE OF CROWDS CHANT “CNN SUCKS”
At every Donald Trump rally over the last two years, crowds have chanted “CNN SUCKS” pointing to the CNN crew and taunting them for their blatant lies and fake news about Donald Trump every day. Until recently, it was something CNN and their Democrat Party on-air activists have ignored. But, last month CNN’s Jim Acosta – who used to work for the Obama administration and is one of the most unprofessional “journalists” on TV – started complaining on the air claiming that the president calling them fake news and “the enemy of the people” was making him fear for his safety. He took to the airwaves after the most recent incident to once again misrepresent what Trump has said whining that journalists should “take to the streets” to protest the Trump’s claim that “the news media is the enemy of the people”.

But, you see, this is why Trump supporters hate CNN and chant CNN sucks Jimmy boy! Because the president NEVER said the “news media” was the enemy of the people as you wrongly report every day. He has consistently said the “FAKE NEWS” was the enemy of the people, and they are. But, it’s interesting that if Acosta hears “Fake news” and then interprets that to mean “the news media” maybe it’s because Acosta knows deep down that CNN and most of the mainstream “news media” are fake. After all, I don’t think they teach you how to be an on air activist for the Democrat Party in Journalism school. I’m pretty sure they teach how to be objective and just report the facts of what happened at the event you are covering.

FEDERAL PROTECTION FOR JOURNALISTS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
With President Trump continuing his push-back against fake journalists who present their opinions as news on TV every day, the anti-Trump “news” media is pushing even harder against Trump using their fellow Democrats in Congress. Now, Democrat Congressman Eric Stallwell has introduced a bill called the Federal Journalism Protection Act seeking to make it a federal crime to assault or intimidate members of the news media while they are performing their jobs. Seriously. You can’t make it up. These self-important liberal demagogues really think they are more important than you are! Anyone who follows me when I go live on Facebook in Lawrence may remember last New Year’s Eve when a guy punched me in the face for filming a car accident on Lowell and Hampshire Street. He was mad because he didn’t want the world to see that his unconscious friend in the car was not out-cold because of the accident, but because he had overdosed on heroin while they were driving. Should that guy who assaulted me be subject to federal prison time? I think not, and I’m a journalist. Journalists do not deserve federal protections from criticism or assault, especially given how many fake journalists there are in this industry.

As a side, it’s not even a federal crime to assault or even murder a police officer or firefighter in the commission of doing their jobs. These “journalists” actually think they are more heroic and more important than those who are running towards gunfire while the rest of us (including “journalists”) are running away. They are so drunk on their own sense of self-importance that they have their fellow democrats in congress trying to make them a “protected class” when in reality most of them have no class at all.

NORTH ANDOVER FARMER’S MARKET – Thanks to Lowell Five and the North Andover Downtown Merchant’s Association we have a great Farmer’s Market on First and Main Street every Sunday from 10am to 2pm. Local farmers from the Merrimac Valley and some from as far away as Maine and Vermont come to North Andover with their produce and other food products for an incredibly reasonable price. Make sure you come down and check them out!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY… IS “DIVERSITY” ALWAYS GOOD?
We hear people say it and then repeat it as if it’s true, but have you ever really given any thought to the idea that “diversity” for the sake of diversity alone is inherently a good thing? Democrat politicians, educators, and even members of the “news” media shove down our throats the idea that we need to be more “diverse” in our communities, at work, in sports etc. and we are all expected to nod in obedient agreement for fear of being called racist or xenophobic. This recently came up in New Hampshire where the governor decided to bow to political correctness and put together a commission on how to “diversify” his state. Of course, there’s no evidence or even proof that diversity itself is a good thing for everyone. Just ask the Indians how diversity worked out for them when a new crop of white people from Western Europe “diversified” the American continent. Was diversity good for them? And why is it that we always hear the same diversity crowd touting how “immigration” is always a good thing when those same liberal demagogues continuously complain about the “immigrants” who came here and “committed genocide” against the Indians in the 1600s and 1700s. This is why it’s important to “pay attention” to the things we are told to believe by our public education system or the news media. Most often the ideas they are shoving down our throats are in direct contradiction to everything else they say they believe. What’s lost today is our ability to critically think and question authority, especially when everyone at every level is telling us the same thing.

SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM THEIR FAMMMMILIES!
Every democrat running for congress in the 3rd district – including my candidate Juana Matias – has taken a hard stand against Donald Trump “separating children from their families” at the border when illegal aliens are caught sneaking into the country. Matias even called President Trump “Cruel” and “Inhumane” and went so far as to call Trump “sadistic” as if he purposely ripped children from the arms of their parents to punish them for coming into this country illegally. Other congressional candidates took the same tact crying that Trump was mean and evil because ICE put the illegal aliens caught at the border into prison cells and took the children and put them in separate facilities as if “separating children from their families” was the most horrific thing anyone could ever do, bar none. Of course this is nothing but grandstanding. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this, when thousands of unaccompanied minors were streaming across the Mexican border under the Obama administration were these same democrat politicians advocating that we send them back to Mexico to the “arms of their families”?? Was Barbara L’Italien or Dan Koh or Juana Matias crying on Twitter or CNN saying Obama was “sadistic” for letting these kids stay in American instead of sending them back to “the loving arms of their families”? Of course not. Because this is not and has never been about children, or making sure children are in “the arms of their families” it’s about flooding the U.S. with illegals to replace white, middle class voters who are leaving the Democrat Party in droves. Remember that the next time a democrat whines about Trump “ripping children from the arms of their families”. Just sayin’.

FIORENTINI SAYS HAVERHILL IS SAFE – SO, HERE’S A CHALLENGE
So, In the wake of rampant violence and gang activity in Haverhill, Mayor James Fiorentini has taken to Facebook and Twitter with a short video to try and reassure Haverhill residents that “Haverhill is safe”. Is it now, Jimmy boy? He touts statistics that are compiled in secret that supposedly show crime is down in his city, but how can we even begin to trust Fiorentini’s word on this matter when the mayor purposely conceals police radio calls from the public? That’s right, Haverhill is the only police department in the state that doesn’t have a public scanner frequency for their regular radio calls for police service. So, here’s a challenge for Jim Fiorentini. If Haverhill is so safe, why don’t you prove it with something more than bogus statistics by opening up your police scanner to the public like every single other police department in the state. Why won’t you let the public hear for themselves what’s really going on in the streets of Haverhill? We all know he won’t do that because Haverhill is NOT safe, in fact Haverhill is less safe than Lawrence. With state and federal law enforcement flooding Lawrence on a daily basis the majority of gangs, drug dealers, and illegal gun dealers have fled the city and set up shop in Haverhill.

VELOZ AUTO GROUP HERE TO HELP YOU GET INTO A USED CAR
Our pal Franklin Veloz of Veloz Auto Group on Mass Ave. in North Andover (on the Lawrence line) is an expert on helping people with bad credit, no credit, or spotty credit, get an auto loan and purchase a pre-owned car. “Sometimes people think they can’t get a car loan because they haven’t worked at their job for a long time or have spotty credit so they don’t even try. If they come see me at Veloz Auto Group I can almost always help them get into a pre-owned car,” Franklin says. He also said if you go down and tell him you learned about Veloz from the Valley Patriot he will go out of his way to take care of you. I have already sent two people to buy a car at Veloz and they were both stunned how easy it was to get into a pre-owned car.

CAMPAGNONE ENDORSES TWO CANDIDATES IN THE SAME RACE
While we love Joyce Campagnone it seems she has endorsed two different candidates for congress in the 3rd congressional district. A photo on Facebook shows Campagnone at an endorsement rally with Mayor Jajuga endorsing Dan Koh for congress in Methuen Square. But day’s later Campagnone was listed on a Barbara L’Italien campaign press release stating that she, Councilor James McCarty and Councilor George Kazanjian were endorsing her in the 3rd congressional race. So, which is it Joyce? Who are we supposed to vote for for congress? Koh or L’Italien. I say if you aren’t sure just vote for both.

CLEAN RIVER PROJECT 2018 SEASON UPDATES
The Clean River Project submitted a proposal last year to the Massachusetts Environmental Protection grant program. This was a bid to clean all the homeless encampments along the river in downtown Lowell as well as tree damn relocation and removal where possible. This grant has been awarded and Clean River Project is preparing to get started soon. Also, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust is an environmental grant program totally funded by the sale and purchase of specialty plates in Massachusetts. Please consider purchasing one to fund this great organization that helps keep Massachusetts the beautiful state it is.

Once again, Clean River Project’s partnership with the cities of Lawrence and Chelmsford have been renewed for the 2018 season and they have been actively setting booms and cleaning them on a regular basis. Not so much for the City of Methuen, however. Some of their recent clean ups have been done with the Boy Scouts of America, Unitas, Rick Green for Congress campaign, Girl Scouts of America and the office staff for Congressman Seth Moulton to name but a few. If you have a community service requirement for HR or graduation or a court ordered number of hours, PLEASE reach out and contact Clean River Project.

Clean River Project is still running a fund-raising campaign for the boat skimmer they would like to bring here to the Merrimack Valley. Check out their Facebook page for details. 40 Friends challenge. Fill out the poster, bring us the funds, pick a date for the Ghostbusters car at a personal event or book a boat tour for up to 12 people. It’s that easy!

KATY CAREDEO SELECTED AS ASSOCIATE OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY – Kathy Caredeo, RN, director of Cardiovascular Services and Ambulatory Procedures at Lawrence General Hospital, was recently selected as an Associate of the American College of Cardiology (AACC). This designation is one of the most distinguished offered by the American College of Cardiology, honoring those with advanced training and education who are experts in their field and hold national certifications in their specialty.

Successful candidates for the AACC designation must hold national board certification, have completed continuing education in cardiovascular medicine, and demonstrated a commitment to professional development with the American College of Cardiology. The designation emphasizes the importance of thinking about the cardiovascular care experience in a holistic, team-based way.
A resident of Salem, NH, Caredeo has been employed at Lawrence General since 1984 and has played an important leadership role in the development of the hospital’s highly successful cardiac program.

CARDIOLOGIST DR. MUKHERJEE TO RECEIVE SANTAGATI AWARD
For hundreds of heart patients in the Merrimack Valley, the name Dr. Sunit Mukherjee evokes smiles and expressions of affection. The longtime North Andover resident has been a fixture at Lawrence General Hospital for 22 years. The administration recognizes Dr. Mukherjee for his significant leadership in the development of the hospital’s highly successful cardiac program. On September 29, 2018, Dr. Mukherjee will receive the 2018 Santagati Award for Visionary Leadership.

Early in his career, Dr. Mukherjee spent much of his time performing diagnostic cardiac catheterizations—a procedure that threads a long, thin catheter through the femoral artery to the heart. In July 2008, Lawrence General’s Cardiac Cath Lab performed its first interventional catheterization, diagnosing and treating blocked arteries during the same procedure, which has saved countless lives over past decade. Dr. Mukherjee was instrumental in laying the groundwork for this major new service offering in the Merrimack Valley. In the years since, the hospital gained accreditation in interventional catheterization, chest pain management and congestive heart failure care—the only cardiovascular center in the region to attain these accreditations.

CIRCLES OF WISDOM RELOCATES TO METHUEN
After over 20 years in downtown Andover, Circles of Wisdom is relocating to a bigger space at 386 Merrimack Street, Suite 1-A in Methuen. Circles of Wisdom serves the spiritual needs of the community, with a retail space that features books, crystals, incense, gemstone jewelry and more. They also sponsor seminars with speakers both local and national. And they have a well-respected variety of intuitive readers and healers offering sessions on a daily basis. With this move, the business is more than doubling its size. The new space features a seminar room for larger events and a bright, sunny sales floor. Owners and staff are committed to creating a welcoming environment for anyone looking to explore spirituality, alternative healing, and better ways of living in this world.

Circles of Wisdom invites the community to celebrate our grand opening with festivities on Saturday, September 8 including a psychic fair and other activities. (978) 474-8010 www.circlesofwisdom.com

FROM CNN BREAKING NEWS!!! WOMAN DISAGREES WITH HUSBAND!
Is there a couple or family alive on this planet where everyone always agrees with everyone else on every topic? Does your wife or husband always vote for the same person you do? Or agree with everything you say? Surely your children must always nod in obedience every time you tell them something, right? This is the world that the major cable news and newspaper “journalists live in but it sure isn’t the world the rest of us live in. I refer, of course to CNN’s “STUNNING” “Breaking news” that President Trump’s daughter (GASP!) disagrees with him on something. It was a major part of all CNN’s opinion shows (disguised as news) as “Stunning!” “troublesome for the president”, a sign that Trump “doesn’t even have the support of his family”. All of that effort to take something mundane and average to try and justify their 24-7 fake news about what is happening in Washington DC.

Days after the “BREAKING NEWS” about Trump’s daughter disagreeing with him became yet another “BREAKING NEWS” that Trump’s WIFE disagrees with him on something. Again two days of panel discussions where they are “stunned” and predicting this is going to have even more dire consequences for the President. If you want to know why so many Americans believe that CNN is “FAKE NEWS” you can look no further than their own coverage of things that really don’t mean anything to your life, your children’s education, your job, or your retirement fund. You know… things that are “news”.

Fact is the fake news media like CNN and NBC is not only exhibited in the way they take the innocuous and turn it into scandals of major significance, it’s also which stories are a priority to them and which they completely ignore. When someone’s wife disagreeing with them is a scandal of significant proportion to the “journalists” but not a shooting of a police officer, or a missing child, or a major flood, they are no longer presenting news, they are campaigning for a political view … presented as “news”. And that my friends is what any real journalist would call “Fake news”.

HAVERHILL MAN GETS 8 1/3 YEARS FOR FENTANYL & HEROIN CONSPIRACY – BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced last week in federal court in Boston for his role in an opioid trafficking conspiracy involving the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone across Massachusetts and Florida.

Jesus Gonzalez, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 100 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In April 2018, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute over 100 grams of heroin and/or 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Gonzalez was arrested in June 2016 for his role in a widespread conspiracy involving heroin, fentanyl, and opioid pill trafficking, as well as money laundering offenses in Massachusetts and Florida. From at least 2014, Gonzalez obtained heroin and fentanyl from sources in Massachusetts and conspired with others to distribute the narcotics, including approximately 230 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl in November 2015. Gonzalez also participated in a conspiracy to obtain oxycodone pills from Florida, have them shipped to Massachusetts, and then distributed. Finally, Gonzalez participated in a conspiracy to launder and conceal the proceeds of the sale of narcotics by using funnel bank accounts to send money to Florida.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Delany De-Leon Colon, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Biddeford (Maine), Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Manchester (N.H.), Methuen, Millis, Natick, Stoughton, and Waltham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini and Craig Estes of Lelling’s Office prosecuted the case.