The long-time Executive Director & CEO of the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc., plans to retire and will be succeeded by Lawrence’s Vilma Martinez-Dominguez. Evelyn Friedman, Executive Director & CEO, has announced plans to retire in July, and the GLCAC Board of Directors has selected Martinez-Dominguez, the current Chief Operating Officer (COO), to […]
By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino As a state representative, I am deeply dedicated to fighting for equity in my community. Equity is not just about treating everyone the same, but it is about addressing the systemic barriers and inequalities that prevent certain groups from having the same opportunities for success. The difference between equality and […]
02-23 Last week during the frigid -11 degree weather that lasted for three days, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena and his homeless coordinator Kelly Birchall put together a plan to help the homeless and other Lawrence residents who had no heat. First, Mayor DePena mobilized the police and fire departments to visit all of the homeless […]
01-23 Remember last year – when the Methuen City Council was attacking Police Chief Joe Solomon on a daily basis, feeding information to the Boston media claiming the police department was “too top heavy”? Remember when they cut millions out of the police budget and laid off patrolmen and demoted superior officers because the […]
By: Brian Genest – 01-23 Here we go again: Cue the violins for Dracut’s self-proclaimed victim, Phil Thibault. This time, he’s lamenting because he was rejected by the Board of Selectmen for the newly created at-large seat on the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee—and he’s blaming everyone but himself, just like he always does. Meanwhile, the […]
The Journal of Jasper Jonathan Pierce by Ann Rinaldi Scholastic Inc., NY Bookmarkers: 5 of 5 Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction Ann Rinaldi, award winning historical writer, has done it again. This book is about a trip, an adventure and the lives that changed the world. Two brothers, Jonathan and Tom, journey to America in […]
By: Kane 01-23 Kane would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, even though the horn party favor was absolutely terrifying. The other thing Kane found daunting was pressure to figure out a New Year’s Resolution. Exactly who thought up this tradition? How did it all start? A December 21st, 2020, Article on the […]
01-23 LAWRENCE – As a home health aide for 29 years at Tufts Medicine Care at Home, Lillian Silva supports her patients by assisting with their personal care and other daily living activities. On her days off, the dedicated caregiver extends her compassionate caring to the wider community as a volunteer with Lasagna Love. Founded […]
Tom Duggan: 1/23 Since the needless COVID lockdowns our Valley Patriot restaurant reviewers have found that many of the places we used to love are no longer providing good food or good service, or both. So, we just don’t go anymore. However, we have also found that some restaurants we used to dislike, have stepped […]
1-26-23 FULL REPORT The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has issued a scathing report on the hiring of former Methun City Councilor Sean Fountain as a permanent intermittent police officer without the proper certification. Fountain, while chairman of the Methuen City Council, was hired as an interim police officer due to a special piece of legislation […]
1-25-23 Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque was put on leave today by Mayor Brian DePena and placed Capt. McCarthy in charge of the department while an administrative investigation continues into the way the department is run. Sources tell the Valley Patriot that the Chief was not initially put on leave, but that he had intimidated […]
By: Tom Duggan – 1/23 Last month, there was a scheduled vote before the Lawrence City Council (December 6th) that would have replaced the name of the park at South Lawrence’s Five Corners from “Stockton Park” to “Twomey Park (where the fountain was located on South Union St.).” The proposal was sponsored by Councilor […]
By: State Rep. Adrianne Ramos – 01-23 On January 4th, I took the oath of office to serve as your state representative of the new 14th Essex District. As I embark on this endeavor, I wanted to take a moment to re-introduce myself and to let you know what this means to me. I plan […]
PDF of the January 2023 Valley Patriot