WHO’S IN AND WHO’S OUT IN CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE RACES Candidates wishing to have their names appear on the September ballot for municipal elections had until close of business on Tuesday to turn in the required number of signatures. The Lawrence City Council is made up of nine members. Six members of the […]
By: Tom Duggan – August 4, 2015 In order for any candidate for public office to have their name appear on the ballot at election time, they must get nomination signatures by voters in their respective districts. Voters in each city in Massachusetts will hold primary elections in September and final elections in November of […]
By: John MacDonald – July, 2015 The closer we get to the Presidential election of 2016 it seems the issues that divide us are growing even deeper. Both Democrats and Republicans are running towards embracing divisive issues rather than leading us towards the issues that can unify us and that we all have in common. […]
By: Alex Talcott – July, 2015 READ PART I I’ve heard you allude to the possibility that Edward Snowden had an above-top-secret security clearance. Any comments on the theory or practice of security clearances? Well I hold a security clearance myself. …We have the best system in place right now to try to preserve our […]
By: John MacDonald – July, 2015 As summer is upon us in Lowell the hard work of those seeking elected office really begins. The hot summer days for these candidates will be filled with door knocking, long conversations and attending summer parties where Lowellians gather. Discussions for City Council candidates will be centered on the […]
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By: Kathy Runge, July, 2015 The City Council, led by Council President Maldonado, a.k.a. Lawrence’s Ambassador to the UN, has been busy in the last month. The FY16 budget got approved with Maldonado providing the only dissenting vote. He proposed a series of potential cuts and argued for them while acting as president of the […]
July 28, 2015 The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission has fined Methuen City Councilor Joyce Campagnone, $1,000 civil penalty for the violation of conflict of interest laws and was ordered to pay restitution to the City of Methuen in the amount of $4,000. Campagnone, a Methuen City Councilor, is also a full-time paid employee of the Greater Lawrence […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL July, 2015 Those who work in the “news” industry are obsessed with promoting lies and half-truths to destroy political candidates they do not like, instead of just doing their jobs and reporting the news. Last month, Donald Trump became the latest to fall victim to the liars in the “news” media, as […]
By Alex Talcott – June, 2015 Dover, New Hampshire’s McConnell Center is named for the late Air Force Captain Joseph C. McConnell, a local credited with shooting down 16 enemy aircraft during the Korean War before dying in a test flight. I met there with Cold War era Army intelligence veteran Jim Gilmore, who also […]
By: Kathy Runge – June, 2015 Myra Ortiz, Candidate for District A Councilor I recently spoke with Myra Ortiz, who will be running against incumbent Sandy Almonte. Myra has made Lawrence her home for 15 years and currently represents District A on the School Committee. Although the school system is under receivership, Ms. Ortiz has […]
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Independent Expenditure “Super” PACs and other independent groups spent $20.4 million in the 2014 election, according to an OCPF review of disclosure reports filed by those entities. It was the first statewide election in Massachusetts in which Super PACs played a role. The total in 2014 is twice the amount spent by independent entities in […]
By: Tom Duggan – May 18, 2015 North Andover voters rejected a measure at Annual Town Meeting Tuesday night, that would have allowed 16 and 17 year-olds the right to vote in local elections, at Town Meeting, and even run for local office. Had the Warrant Article passed at Town Meeting, the question would have gone […]
At North Andover’s Annual Town meeting on May 19th, we urge the voters of North Andover to reject a proposal that would lower the town voting age to 16. Such a move would not only harm the town, but it would also set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the state. Sixteen and […]