Fired Attorney’s Firm Member Made Millions on Taxpayers Valley Patriot Staff – November, 2008 Former Lawrence city hall worker Andrea Traficanti will be back in court next month seeking permanent and total disability benefits after filing a new claim with the Department of Industrial Accidents. Her claim now is that she is permanently and […]
By: Tom Duggan – May, 2008 July 29, 2008 — Following Police Chief John Romero’s issuing of the School Resource Officer (SRO) report detailing an increase in arrests in the District, Superintendent Wilfredo T. Laboy has issued a statement disputing the data in the report: The Lawrence Public Schools constantly monitors data pertaining to […]
Valley Patriot Editorial July, 2008 America’s most important freedom has finally been affirmed. In a brilliant and scholarly decision prepared by Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by Justices Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, the U. S. Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment guarantees “the individual right to possess and carry weapons.” Scalia explored the issue […]
Elected officials sending secret messages to each other during public meetings may be illegal Tom Duggan – July, 2008 Last week, Lowell City Councilor and former Lowell Mayor Rita Mercier filed a motion requesting that the council ban the use of cell phones and other electronic devices during council meetings. The motion was filed, Mercier […]
By a vote of 6-3, the City council tonight voted for the Mayor’s parking plan, the fourth plan which has been presented to them. Unlike previous plans, this parking plan did not recommend charging for parking in the downtown. Voting for the plan were Councilors Hart, Hall, Daley-O’Brien, Scatamacchia, McGonagle, and Quimby. Voting no were […]
By: Lonnie Brennan, Georgetown Selectman A trial is now being heard in Essex Superior Court in Lawrence against Georgetown Country Club owner Peter Wojtkun, who is facing several counts of fraud, misleading, deceptive and coercive business practices, and physical assault according to court documents obtained by The Valley Patriot. The complaint was filed by […]
By: Tom Duggan – April 2008 NORTH ANDOVER – Several North Andover Middle School students are being investigated by the North Andover police for personal profiles posted on the America On Line Internet service threatening to harm fellow students and naming at least one teacher and a classmate the student pledges to “kill.” These threats […]
Valley Patriot Editorial March, 2008 What started off as a paperwork dispute between the Department of Justice and Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon has resulted in (among other things), other officers accused of being paid for work they did not do. The fact is, the U.S. Department of Justice has never questioned whether or not […]
Claims Mayor’s actions against him are retaliatory and invokes protections under federal and state whistleblower laws Supporters of Methuen Police Chief Joe Solmon – February 18, 2008 METHUEN, MA – Whistleblower (noun): An employee, former employee, or member of an organization, especially a business or government agency, who reports misconduct to people or entities […]
February, 2008 On Thursday, January 24, 2008, a jury of eight citizens rendered a unanimous verdict in favor of Joseph Solomon and Joseph Alaimo in the United States District Court in Boston in the lawsuit brought by Maurice Lariviere. Each of Mr. Lariviere’s five remaining counts was rejected unanimously by the jury after they heard […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EXCLUSIVE! By: Tom Duggan – January, 2008 The North Andover School Committee is suing their former acting Superintendent Richard Bergeron for illegally giving himself a $4,484.34 raise without school committee approval. A complaint filed in Lawrence District Court claims that Bergeron ordered a payroll clerk to put the additional money in […]
Says he will not resign from Lawrence School Committee by Tom Duggan, posted 1/9/08 BOSTON, – January 9, 2008 – Elected Lawrence School Committeeman James Stokes was arraigned in Federal Court in Boston today after being arrested at Top Donut on Winthrop Avenue by Lawrence Police and Federal Agents. Lawrence Police took Stokes […]
City Clerk’s Internet Porn, Harassment Cost City Thousands By: Tom Duggan – January, 2008 Lawrence’s former assistant city clerk, Jennifer Padellaro, settled her workers’ compensation claims as well as her federal lawsuit against the City of Lawrence last month for $610,000. A settlement conference (called a lump sum conference) took place at the Industrial Accident […]
Tom Duggan – December, 2007 In 1995, a devastating fire ripped through the Malden Mills factory on Broadway in Methuen. Firefighters and police officers responded to the emergency from allover the Commonwealth. As the out-of-town public safety officials began to arrive at the scene, chaos ensued as it became nearly impossible to coordinate […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL November, 2007 Governor Deval Patrick recently stirred up controversy when he stated on a Boston radio program that he is interested in getting rid of police details on state and local construction sites and replacing them with civilian flagmen. If Governor Patrick were to issue an executive order, then only state […]