PODCAST INTERVIEW HERE Nov. 2023 Last month, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena appointed former law enforcement officer William Castro to be the acting police chief. Castro was DePena’s chief of staff and immediately came under fire from city councilors and city council candidates for being a “political appointment”. One candidate even posted on Facebook that […]
By: Santiago Reyes Cruz, Jr. Fresh out of the hospital from a life-threatening illness, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan was presented with one of the most prestigious awards in the Merrimack Valley last month, the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center’s Overcoming Obstacles Award Most people may know that Tom is a homeless advocate; he feeds them, […]
For the second year in a row, Mayor Brian A. DePeña and City Councilors chose not to increase property taxes by the allowable Proposition 2.5 limitation, therefore, assuring the lowest split tax rates since 2007 and the third lowest in over two decades. The proposed FY2024 Residential Tax Rate is $9.28; this is a decrease […]
By: State Rep. Estela Reyes – Nov. 2023 First, I want to congratulate Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan who received an “Overcoming Obstacles” award from the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center last month. Given what Tom has been through, just in the last year alone, he has certainly earned this award. I also want to […]
By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino Dear Residents of Methuen and Lawrence, It is with a heart full of pride that I recount a recent moment of honor and duty. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Methuen’s finest—Ryan Campbell, Adam Marino, Kyle Sheehy, and Liam Sheehy—at their graduation in Stow, Massachusetts, I witnessed the embodiment of courage […]
The Crucial Need to Increase the Dropout Age State Senator Pavel Payano – Nov. 2023 As a State Senator, my commitment to improving education in Massachusetts is unwavering. Senate bill 341, “An Act Relative to Dropout Prevention and Student Recovery,” a pivotal piece of legislation, which I sponsored, aims at reshaping the educational landscape for […]
PDF of the Valley Patriot, November, 2023
Here are my endorsements in the 2023 Lawrence Elections LAWRENCE CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE (Elect three): Most of the time in an At-Large election, it’s hard to find three good candidates. I usually support one or two and then struggle with coming up with a third to endorse. Not so this year, as there are actually […]
LAWRENCE — Last month, the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center, Inc., hosted approximately 200 people at their 5th-annual Overcoming Obstacles Gala at Salvatore’s Italian Restaurant in Lawrence. I first want to thank Michael Agricola and Phillip Wood, (owners of Salvatore’s) for donating their food and space for this event. The gala raised approximately $50,000 to […]
By: Valley Patriot Staff (10-23) As most of you know by now, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan is home and recovering from a near death illness that took the expertise, skills, and a few medical miracles from the teams of doctors and medical professionals who struggled for more than 10 days to keep Duggan alive. […]
By: Tom Duggan – Nov. 2023 Last month, the Lawrence City Council voted 8-1 in favor of allowing weekly homeless dinners to continue at the Buckley Garage on Common Street. The dinners are sponsored by a local non-profit called The Movement Family (or TMF) every Wednesday evening at 9pm. The dinners took place for two […]
By: State Senator Pavel Payano 10-23 In a landmark achievement of bipartisan cooperation, the Massachusetts Legislature has reached a historic compromise on a comprehensive tax relief package, and I am proud to have cast my vote in favor of it. This extraordinary effort was a true compromise between Democrats and Republicans and between the Senate and […]
By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino 10-23 Dear Friends and Neighbors of Methuen and Lawrence, a few years back, when the halls of Suffolk University Law School were my daily walk, a fervent dream took root. I envisioned a community where everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, was afforded the same opportunities and treated with […]
State Rep. Estela Reyes 10-23 First, I want to say how happy I am that my good friend, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan is recovering from a near death experience that kept him in the hospital for over a month. I truly appreciate his friendship and the fact that he gives members of the community […]
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Melvin Antonio Perez Medina, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a […]