By: Tom Duggan – January, 2005 LAWRENCE – Wild nights of cocaine parties and binge drinking were not isolated to the Lawrence 911 Emergency Call Center at the Bodwell Street Fire Station (Fire Alarm), according to former civilian dispatcher Judy Brito. Brito showed up at the front door of The Valley Patriot just days […]
January, 2005 Even if we accept that everything Judy Brito says is true, Lawrence Mayor Mike Sullivan is absolutely right when he says that most firefighters in the city of Lawrence are honest, decent, hard-working individuals. They are the men and women who go out and respond to the cries for help from innocent victims […]
By: Dr. Charles Ormsby – December, 2004 I became hooked on politics in High School in the early ‘60s. My favorite bumper sticker was in support of Communist China. It read: “Admit Red China to the U.N. – Give Them Our Seat”. I’d suggest such a trade today, but I think every despotic regime is […]
By: Paula Porten & Tom Duggan – December 2004 For the last two years, residents of Lawrence have been calling the construction of a $110 million high school “The Big Dig of Lawrence,” because of its price tag. For months, School Committeeman Amy McGovern and Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy have been questioning the quality of work […]
Hey People! It’s Just A News Story! October, 2004 Last month The Valley Patriot ran a front page news story about Brooks School Summer Camp in North Andover conducting mock marriage ceremonies between same-sex kids (some as young as five years old). Some people were clearly offended and outraged by the headline, “Brooks Marries Same […]
By: Tom Duggan – September, 2004 LAWRENCE – After more than thirty years of neglect and empty promises by elected officials, the Veterans Memorial Stadium has finally become a priority for government leaders in the city. In an unusual display of cooperation, Mayor Michael Sullivan and the Lawrence City Council worked out a $30 million capital […]
By: Tom Duggan – September 2004 NORTH ANDOVER – Children attending the Brooks School summer camp this year were encouraged to get “married” during carnival day where a mock marriage booth was set up for children to “marry” each other. According to several children who attended the day camp and two sets of parents […]
By: Rod D. Martin – August, 2004 In a report which might alternately be termed “stunning” or “terrifying”, United Nations weapons inspectors confirmed last week not merely that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but that he smuggled them out of his country, before, during and after the war. Late last week, the UN Monitoring, […]
By: Tom Duggan – August, 2004 LAWRENCE – Two years ago the Lawrence City Council agreed to grant a small portion of land at the Veterans Memorial Stadium for construction of a new Lawrence High School. At the time, the Council was assured that no more land would be needed and if there were any […]
Just Who or What is Meditrol Inc.? By: Tom Duggan (originally published in 2003, tommyduggan.com) The only people who seem to care about the answer to that question are the politicians and the men and women of the Lawrence Police Department. Meditrol Inc., is a billing and management company that contracts with the City […]
By: Tom Duggan – January 2002 Originally published in Rumbo Lawrence Mayor Mike Sullivan has always said that he believes voters should show identification before casting their ballot. As Interim Mayor, Marcos Devers believed in the concept of voter ID cards that he fought on behalf of the city in court to implement such a […]
By: Tom Duggan – August, 2001 Originally published on line on www.tomyduggan.com Mayoral candidate Mike Sullivan held a fund raiser last week at the Lawrence British Club on Cambridge Street. Almost every political hack in the city was in attendance. City workers from almost every department in city hall packed the club in order show […]
By: Tom Duggan – Published in Rumbo 6/1/99 Lawrence Mayor Patty Dowling has admitted that she does not read city contracts. She said that she does not sign the contracts but has someone (she doesn’t know who) rubber stamps the contracts for approval. When the Mayor was asked by Lawyers for Mae Gaskins why the […]