By: Anne Knowles – March, 2012 Andover is one of the best known towns in Massachusetts. It offers great schools, a well managed town and residents from all corners of the world that make this town their home. Andover has an exciting history going back in time to the first settlers around 1634 and […]
March, 2012 The Boston Celtics and the Mass State Lottery presented North Andover high school student Nathan Richards, (17) with a “Heroes Among Us” award at the March 4th Celtics game. Richards, an Easter Seals youth leader, was honored for starting a disability awareness program at North Andover Middle School. He also has testified on Beacon Hill […]
Helen Mooradkanian – March, 2012 Colonel Kris Mineau, USAF (Ret.), of North Reading, flew 100 combat missions into North Vietnam in 1966 as fighter pilot in the supersonic F-4C Phantom II. Capable of speed Mach 2.23, more than twice the speed of sound, the Phantom was key to downing the Soviet MiG-21s used by the […]
By: Connie Benedetto – February, 2012 Dwight Brewington, a native of Lynn, MA, was born partially deaf. Yet, from a young age, after realizing his love and passion for basketball, he had to overcome people’s perceptions of his handicap and prove that he can compete at a high level. After high school, Brewington played […]
By: Selectman Tracy Watson – November, 2011 On Tuesday November 15th North Andover will be conducting a Special Town Meeting. Among the articles on the warrant is Article 9 (Local Options Meal Tax). This article would add an additional .75% tax on top of the current 6.25% tax bringing the overall tax on food […]
By:Tracey Zysk – October, 2011 On September 24, 2011 I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Karen Smith of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition at the New England Pet Expo in Wilmington MA. When I stopped at Karen’s booth, which was well decorated and nicely organized, but more importantly, it was more informative than I ever […]
By: Cathy Richards – October, 2011 Fall is here!! This is my favorite time of year, as it is for many of you. Dracut started this fall with two spectacular events that are worth reviewing and appreciating as a reflection of the kind of community she is proud to be. The first noteworthy event was […]
Cyber Safety for Seniors By: Celeste Begley – October, 2011 October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it an excellent time to talk with your aging loved one about staying safe while online. According to the FBI’s Scams & Safety Web page, seniors are highly targeted by scammers of all kinds because they are […]
By: Gerry Nutter – October, 2011 The City of Lowell operates under the Plan E form of Government. That forms calls for the City Council to be the presiding body, hire a City Manager to run the day to day activity and have an Auditor and the City Clerk as the only other two […]
By: Lawrence “Lonnie” Brennan -September, 2011 As we head into an important fiscal year, with the first of what has been promised to be several tax-overrides recently approved, we note that we’re a bit behind in posting taxpayer expenditures. Specifically, the top 40 taxpayer supported earners of 2010. (The Valley Patriot had previously posted […]
By: State Senator Steve Baddour – September, 2011 For nearly a year, it was difficult to escape the media coverage surrounding the disappearance and death of two year old Caylee Anthony. Tens of thousands followed the ensuing trial which, as we all know, resulted in a not-guilty verdict for her mother, Casey Anthony. Regardless […]
By: Diana Fay DZoglio – September, 2011 METHUEN – Has anyone spoken to our local high school students lately about the upcoming local elections? I have, and am writing to express my deepest concern about the apparent lack of knowledge and understanding about local government amongst the future leaders of our communities. In […]
By: Ronnie Ford – June, 2011 Naomi Klien’s “The Shock Doctrine” is a New York Times best seller. It is a scary book explaining the many machinations and illegal activities that has contributed to our topsy-turvy economy today. The manuscript pointed out documented happenings that point to profit at all costs, inclusive of which is […]
By: Tom Duggan – June, 2011 Local U.S. Marine recruiters in The Valley got their first look at the latest batch of recruits last month at Ft. Devans Army Base in Massachusetts. The new recruits, called “poolees” (recruits yet to attend basic training) were put through preliminary training to get them ready for the extensive […]
By: Jamison Tomasek – June, 2011 I noticed from Facebook the number of people that grew up in Lawrence and settled in the Merrimack Valley is very high. While this might not just be a Lawrence thing, it seems particularly pronounced here. The Lawrence Diaspora (migration) doesn’t seem like a random scattering. Almost everyone who […]