VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL January, 2005 The attitude is pervasive. When North Andover was considering a $4 million override several years ago, a Finance Committee member publicly stated, “Our number one objective is to NOT cut any jobs.” Really? We thought that public safety and education might come in first? While that story is now old, […]
January, 2005 Looking back at some news stories of 2004 worthy of mention, there was the story about the Air Force locating a nuclear bomb they had “lost” back in 1958 when two jet planes, one of which was carrying the bomb, collided in midair. The pilot jettisoned it before bailing out, but the […]
January, 2005 Somewhere, in that vast horror of newspapers, magazines and books I call my apartment (“A library that vomited,” as I once described it to a friend), is my most valued possession. It doesn’t look or seem like much: an 8 X 10 white index card—no decorations, no fancy printing. Just a white index […]
By Hanna, Age 10 – January, 2005 What is your day like? My day is almost identical to your day; it is very structured. I wake up at six o’clock every morning. I get the kids ready to go and then I drive three of them to school. And then I check into the office […]
By: Hartley Pleshaw – January, 2005 If American radio can be said to have had a post-World War II Golden Age, it manifested itself in Boston from the mid-1960’s to December 9th, 2004. It was the age of Jerry Williams, Charles Laquidara, Danny Schechter, Eddie Andelman and Gene Burns, among others. These talents, and others like […]
Lisa Beamer was recently interviewed on Good Morning America. If you remember, she is the wife of Todd Beamer who said, “Let’s Roll!” and helped take down the plane that was heading for Washington, DC on that terrible morning of 9/11. She said it’s the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as […]
By: Craig Floyd – January, 2005 WASHINGTON – As of December 23, 154 law enforcement officers across the nation were killed in the line of duty during 2004. This is the third year in a row that the number has been well below the decade-long average of 164 annual law enforcement deaths. According to the […]
By: Lawrence City Council President, Patrick Blanchette – December 2004 Unfortunately the City of Lawrence is dealing with tough financial problems this year. When I was first elected to the Lawrence City Council (over five years ago,) the annual operating budget was roughly $170 million, with a contingency reserve account of $3 million. The […]
By: Jim Cassidy – December, 2004 Late at night, as I gaze out the front window, with the snow softly falling and the holiday lights starting to appear on the surrounding houses, my thoughts often drift back to former times when we were much younger and Christmas was — and still is — a […]
By: North Andover Selectmen Wedy Wakeman December 2004 Fans of big government and the big taxes that fund it like sneaky taxes. Taxes that can be set or raised quietly, with-out the con-sent of voters, fall into this category. Fees are often nothing more than sneaky taxes. And the best kind of sneaky tax, of […]
By: Hanna -December, 2004 Valley Patriot kid reporter Hanna interviews local celebrities and politicians each month. This month Hanna interviewed Haverhill School Committeeman Scott Wood. What do you think about calculators in the elementary schools? Does Haverhill use them? Haverhill does have them for their classrooms, However they are not used very often. Do […]
By: Mark Palermo – December 2004 Have you gotten your flu shot yet? I’ve never gotten one and never will- for two reasons. First, I think they are a crock of bull, and secondly, I don’t trust the people who manufacture and promote them. As a result, I almost never get colds or flu […]
By: Hartley Pleshaw – December, 2004 Columbus Day, 1967, was a very important day in my life. It was the day that I learned, for the first time, about life’s disappointments, and how reality can shatter dreams. It was the day I learned that there was no Santa Claus, no Never- Never Land, no […]
By: Methuen City Council President, Billy Manzi – December, 2004 With Methuen’s City Council prepared to set a “tax rate” at the December 6th meeting, it was an opportune time to discuss the process, tax classification, and general budgetary matters. While the Mayor’s recommendations were not yet available at press time, Methuen’s budget does […]
By: Kathleen Corey Rahme – December, 2004 Who are those individuals who have answered the Call to Serve? Do we know our veterans? If you watch MCTV, Methuen Community Access Television, Channel 22 Call to Serve, a show dedicated to recording the oral histories of World War II veterans you would recognize some of them […]