By: Karin Rhoton – June, 2012 Somehow the rhetoric never changes, even though the calendar does. Another year has gone by and still the taxpayers of Massachusetts continue to fund pet projects of politicians instead of funding services and programs for the communities in which they live. Still the taxpayers have not seen the […]
By: Peter Larocque – June, 2012 I would like to respond to an Editorial entitled, “Bake Sale Band Flap” that was published in the Eagle-Tribune on 5/13/2012. Towards the end of the editorial, the writer makes a conclusion concerning the crux of the matter, “when Legislators hand off their power to control the fine […]
By: Ken Willette – June, 2012 I have observed with great dissatisfaction political decisions being considered or enacted by our local leadership in Methuen. With each questionable decision, I have come to the same conclusions: when are real government reforms going to be implemented and how much will these recent actions to augment the […]
Massachusetts Officials Have No Plan to Fix Lawrence Schools and No Exit Plan or Timetable to Leave By: Tom Duggan – June, 2012 Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Mitch Chester stood on a stage at the South Lawrence East School last month flanked by Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua, City Councilor Dan Rivera, State Representative Paul Adams, Maura […]
Free Dental for all LPS Students and their Families By: Tom Duggan, July, 2012 LAWRENCE – With the Lawrence Public School under the complete control of the State Department of Education there are a lot of changes coming to the school system, and a lot more money being spent.Where we are – State Commissioner […]
Will not commit to quitting council or stepping down as council President if he wins By: Valley Patriot Staff – May, 2012 Lawrence City Council President Frank Moran is a candidate for State Representative in the 17th Essex District. The newly created rep. district was created by the state legislature last year as a […]
Summer Job Training Program in Methuen By; Tom Duggan – May, 2012 Methuen School Superintendent Judy Scannell has reinstituted a jobs training program for graduating students who are not attending college after they get their diploma. Scannell says the “Pathways” jobs program is funded by a federal grant and was in place “for about ten years […]
By: Diana DiZoglio, Valley Patriot Reporter – April, 2012 On April 3, Methuen, MA/Salem, NH Rotary hosted their second annual Celebration of Achievement Banquet at Merrimack Valley Golf Club. President Elect Trudy Lawler call it the “signature event” which “recognizes teachers, students and awards scholarships”. “It’s something that we work toward all year long”, she […]
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX SIMPLE MATH Only 25 percent of Lawrence’s eighth grade students, based on MCAS test results, are proficient in mathematics. The percentage of proficient students increases to only 27 percent in tenth grade (winter 2011), but this can hardly be considered progress since there are roughly 12 percent fewer students remaining to […]
By: Peter Larocque – April, 2012 The response to an article in March’s Boston Magazine entitled, “Lawrence, MA: City of the Damned” by city politicians and community activist young and old has me scratching my head. I do understand some of their reasoning, but in the end it is just more of the same, […]
By: Ronnie Ford – April, 2012 Central Catholic High School introduces their first Spanish American Hall of Fame recipient. His name is Jonathan Cruz. Jonathan stands at six feet seven inches. And believe me when I tell you, the size of his body isn’t even close to the size of his class and personality. Not […]
By: Peter Larocque – March, 2012 The way the Massachusetts Law that allowed Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester to Takeover Lawrence’s Public Schools is being implemented could be Unconstitutional! According to this law, the Commissioner shall appoint a Receiver to a School District that has been declared chronically underperforming by the State Board of Elementary and […]
By: Diana DiZoglio, March, 2012 Methuen native Jaime Bellavance Coelho is running the Boston Marathon for children’s literacy. ReadBoston is a children’s literacy non-profit that raises money for after school reading programs to support inner city schools. The money she is raising will go toward the Storymobile program, which will distribute free books to kids […]
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 […]
Diana Fay Dizoglio – January, 2012 With heavy hearts people from all across Massachusetts honored four firefighters who lost their lives this holiday season. Among these brave fathers, husbands, brothers and sons was firefighter Robert George of Methuen who unexpectedly passed away just a few days before Christmas. Robert or “Robby” as his close […]