By Selectman Joe D’Amore – March, 2014 On February 25th the State’s wire services released a report that a committee known as the Tax Fairness Commission appointed by the Massachusetts legislature is expected to make recommendation for a graduated taxed to levy an increasing burden on high wage earners and supposedly a lesser burden on […]
By Lawrence “Lonnie” Brennan – March 2014 First, for the disclaimer: I very much like Georgetown Selectman Phil Trapani and I certainly very much like Georgetown Selectman Steve Smith. They are both great guys, and I very much like to chat with them at various events as they are both very intelligent and generally good […]
By: Peter Larocque – March, 2014 The most frequently asked question that I receive when the topic of The Valley Patriot newspaper comes up is why do you write for The Valley Patriot? The quick answer is, I want to and Tom lets me. But there is more, another reason is that when I send […]
People frequently ask me, “What is the ‘secret’ of your success?” While I could never boil down to one single reason, I have made no secret of the fact that teamwork is the biggest reason this little engine continues to defy the odds, chugging uphill, every single month. Our readers provide the majority of our […]
The team at the Andover Inn was honored with the Charitable Excellence award during Waterford Hotel Group’s recent Annual Leadership Conference and Awards Celebration, held at the Marriott Hartford Downtown in Hartford, CT. The Inn was also recognized during the conference with a Core Value award for sustained success. The 2-day conference, attended by Waterford […]
By: Jeff Katz – March, 2014 As a kid growing up in Philadelphia I used to write letters to celebrities and community leaders. I know some other kids were collecting baseball cards but this letter writing was my thing…what can I say, I was that kid. I received all sorts of autographed photos but the […]
By: Al Getler, Former Publisher of The Eagle~Tribune March, 2014 Tom Duggan has not exactly been kind to me over the years in his newspaper. Strangely enough, I defend Tom’s right to his opinions about me and anyone else he chooses to write about in The Valley Patriot. One of the many things that make […]
By: Tom Duggan|March 25, 2014 Long time North Andover Selectman Don Stewart topped the ticket in Tuesday’s race to fill two seats on the Board of Selectmen. Stewart placed first with 846 votes, while incumbent Selectman Tracey Watson placed second with 794 votes, leaving the newcomer Adam Sapienza the odd man out with only 520 […]
The Ironworkers Union Local 7 PAC has made a $20,000 payment to the state’s general fund to resolve several campaign finance violations, including the failure to disclose more than $124,000 in contributions from 2011 to 2013, according to a disposition agreement between OCPF and the PAC. OCPF’s review also determined that the PAC did […]
Lawrence Teachers Union Reaches Contract Accord with City Collective Bargaining Agreement Awaits Member Ratification LAWRENCE – The negotiating committee of the Lawrence Teachers Union and Receiver Jeffrey C. Riley announced today they have reached a tentative agreement on a contract for the teachers of the Lawrence Public Schools. Negotiated to recognize teachers as valued professionals with […]
Valley Patriot Editorial March, 2014 – As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we are happy to announce some exciting additions to our Valley Patriot lineup, starting with former Eagle Tribune publisher Al Getler. Yes, that’s what we said … Al Getler. Given that publisher Tom Duggan has been somewhat abrasive in his criticism of Getler’s […]
The Sicilian Project will be announcing the winner of its trip for two to Sicily drawing Wednesday, March 19th at Borelli’s Deli in Methuen. The Sicilian Project is the brain child of attorney Alfred Zappala, a former Methuen and Lawrence resident who after a trip to his ancestral land of Sicily recognized the dire need […]
Reliable Roofing and Sheet Metal, a Framingham-based company, made a $45,000 payment to the state’s general fund to settle campaign finance matters concerning prohibited corporate campaign contributions to Martin Walsh’s Boston mayoral committee and disguising the true source of those funds, according to a disposition agreement between company president and owner James O’Donovan and OCPF. […]
Methuen City Councilor Sean Fountain has submitted a letter to the editor asking for your support of his candidate for Essex County Sheriff Jerry Robito. Fountain is a member of the North Andover Fire Department and has a political reputation as being strong on public safety. The Sheriff’s race is not Here’s Fountain’s Letter. It […]