The Valley Patriot newspaper hosted a debate for the Democratic Candidates for Essex County Sheriff at North Andover High School on Thursday, August 18, 2016. The candidates are: Michael Marks, Paul Russell, Jerry Robito, Kevin Coppinger, and Ed O’Reilly. The debate moderators were: Tom Duggan, Valley Patriot Publisher, Christine Morabito and Jerry Flynn. The […]
By: John MacDonald – August, 2016 On Wednesday, July 20th I was honored that my friend, Valley Patriot publisher, Tom Duggan, asked me to speak at the Pro Police Rally at Methuen High School. Tom had mentioned my involvement with Veterans Assisting Veterans (VAV), which is a 501 C3 nonprofit, 100% volunteer organization that helps […]
By: Paul Murano, Aug. 2016 When I was growing up I saw Democrats and Republicans switch values on the important cultural issues defining what it means to be human. Democrats were pro-life and supported natural marriage while Republicans were liberal on cultural issues. This changed when Rockefeller Republicanism evolved into Reaganism, and secular humanism was […]
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) today announced his intention to file legislation creating the crime of using the Internet and other communication channels to propagate so-called ‘kill lists’. The Tarr bill creates penalties for anyone who attempts to induce, tempt, command, or entice another person to take action in a conspiracy to commit a […]
By: John MacDonald – July, 2016 The reality of UMass Lowell and its significant impact on the City of Lowell has hit hard lately. UMass Lowell recently purchased Perkins Park Residences and Lofts for a reported $61.5 million dollars , a purchase that has infuriated much of the residents in Lowell, the City of Lowell […]
By: DJ Deeb – July, 2016 June proved to be a volatile month for both the City of Methuen budget and the Methuen Public Schools budget. Even though Mayor Steve Zanni proposed increasing the city budget by 6.25%, he initially proposed level-funding the schools. Faced with nearly $3 Million in new Federal Special Education mandates, […]
Free English classes for adult English language learners, who want to further their education or employment opportunities, will be offered at Northern Essex Community college beginning in September. This 16-week program is for English language learners who would like to explore careers in health care, technology, engineering, or advanced manufacturing. The goal of the program […]
All eyes were on the sky as a plane circled overhead at the LARE Institute graduation celebration on June 16th. Students started snapping pictures of the message it was carrying, “Congrats 2016 LARE Grads! #WOW!Magic!” That was the kickoff for the celebration. Students were fitted for caps and gowns, lined up in order of their programs […]
MAYOR SAYS VOWS HE WILL NOT SUPPORT A PROP. 2 1/2 OVERRIDE June 15, 2016 – With Methuen Mayor Zanni proposing a 1% increase in the school budget, Superintendent of Schools Judy Scannell is threatening to make staffing cuts saying the increase is not enough. Superintendent Scannell says the 1% increase will result in eliminating four police […]
By: D.J. Deeb – June, 2016 May has proven to be a very busy month for the Methuen School Committee as it almost always is. There have been several workshops on the budget (which is still a work in progress), awards ceremonies, teacher recognition, and pro-active planning for the year ahead. First off, Congratulations to […]
By: Tom Duggan – 6-12-16 There is a war brewing in Methuen over Mayor Zanni’s proposed city budget, which School Committeeman Nick DiZoglio says “shortchanges our students” and “is a disgrace in a community like Methuen.” While Mayor Zanni proposes an increase in the school budget, not a decrease, DiZoglio called the budget measure a “cut” for the […]
By: Sandra Stotsky – June, 2016 There has been a long, slow decline in the reading level of American high school graduates. Our kids are not reading much at the secondary level, and what they do read may not develop college-level reading and vocabulary skills. Perhaps Bay State English teachers should consider research evidence as […]
This is part II of our sit down interview with State Senator Barbara L’Italien concerning her trip to Israel late last year. Since part I of our interview in March, Senator L’Italien and the other Senators who visited Israel have come under fire by anti-Semitic, hate groups disguised as “peace” organizations but actually support Palestinian […]
By: DJ Deeb – May, 2016 The debate over Common Core has been heating up over the past several months, especially with the Presidential and Congressional Elections looming. The purpose of this article is to explain the origins of Common Core, summarize the standards, and offer suggestions on how to stop Common Core from being […]
By: Tom Duggan – May 25, 2016 The Valley Patriot has learned that Andover High School has changed their longstanding policy and tradition of crowning a king and queen of the prom, replacing them with what they are now calling the “prom court”. The 2016 graduating class at Andover High had their prom two weeks ago, […]