HEROES AND BOZOS OF 2015 ~ FROM TOM DUGGAN’S NOTEBOOK (Dec. 2015)

HEROES AND BOZOS OF 2015 ~ FROM TOM DUGGAN’S NOTEBOOK (Dec. 2015)

HEROES – REP. DIANA DIZOGLIO (Methuen) and STATE SENATOR KATY IVES (Newburyport). Both DiZoglio and Ives worked tirelessly to get my public records bill a fair hearing in sub committees, made sure they were voted out of those committees favorably, held strong on penalties for law breakers, and then forced a full vote in the […]

More than 300 Needy Children Wake up to Find Christmas Presents Thanks to Methuen Police, Fire & Teen Volunteers at Debbie’s Treasure Chest

More than 300 Needy Children Wake up to Find Christmas Presents Thanks to Methuen Police, Fire & Teen Volunteers at Debbie’s Treasure Chest

By Tom Duggan – 12-26-15 Hundreds of needy and underprivileged children in Methuen were shocked yesterday morning to find a present under their Christmas trees, thanks to the efforts of the Methuen Police, Fire, and the volunteers at Debbies Treasure Chest, which is headquartered in Lawrence.  Methuen Officers Derek Licata and Mike Blanchette, as well […]

News from the Reservation ~ Kathy Runge

News from the Reservation ~ Kathy Runge

By: Kathy Runge – December, 2015 Merry Christmas and greetings from Apache territory! In a pre-election article published at editorialweek.com, Jose Alfonso Garica’s website, South Lawrence was referred to as Apache territory. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be offensive to Apaches, Anglos, or both. This man works for the school department. It’s been […]

It’s a Busy Time for Methuen Schools

It’s a Busy Time for Methuen Schools

By: D.J. Deeb – December, 2015 November and December are traditionally busy months for school districts. This year too is no exception and there are several things to report on this month in the paragraphs that follow: The City Elections, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship, MHS Band Disney Trip, and the PSATs in Methuen. First […]

Woman Calls Methuen Police to Complain Salem Police Trying to Pull her Over ~ Arrested on Fugitive Warrant

Woman Calls Methuen Police to Complain Salem Police Trying to Pull her Over ~ Arrested on Fugitive Warrant

Tom Duggan -12.20.15|4:40PM METHUEN – Methuen police were dispatched to an odd call Sunday when a woman dialed 911 on her cell phone to complain that a Salem NH police cruiser was trying to pull her over. According to police communications, the woman was asking for Methuen police to stop the Salem police, from stopping […]

The Mess That is the Recall against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera ~ Court Challenges, Threats of a Restraining Order, Mayor Claims Forgeries

The Mess That is the Recall against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera ~ Court Challenges, Threats of a Restraining Order, Mayor Claims Forgeries

By: Tom Duggan – 12-16-15 Laborer’s Union President Mike Gagliardi says that supporters of the failed recall petition against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera will be in court to file a law suit against the city if 1,500 signatures that were disqualified are not counted as valid. Gagliardi also says recall supporters will be asking for a […]

With Funding Cuts Daybreak Homeless Shelter Still Trying to Help Those Most in Need

With Funding Cuts Daybreak Homeless Shelter  Still Trying to Help Those Most in Need

By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 2015 Serving more than 1,500 meals per month and having room to shelter only 50 people per night, the Daybreak Homeless Shelter in Lawrence is in severe need of additional funding as well as a new facility. According to Psychological Center CEO, Carina Pappalardo, the Daybreak Shelter serves 1,600 homeless […]

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Awards $49,187 to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Awards $49,187 to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley

Healthy Eating for Successful Living program funds mark first Harvard Pilgrim Foundation grant to support new focus on healthy aging   LAWRENCE –  Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation today announced it has awarded $49,187 to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Healthy Living Center of Excellence in Lawrence, Mass. This is the Foundation’s first […]

Recall Petition #1 Falls Short Against Rivera, Mayor Says He will Investigate Forgeries and Fraud, Call Out Opponents

Recall Petition #1 Falls Short Against Rivera, Mayor Says He will Investigate Forgeries and Fraud, Call Out Opponents

By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 11, 2015 The recall efforts against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera was dealt a critical blow Friday as recall supporters fell 655 signatures short of the 5,645 required to trigger a special election to throw Rivera out of office. This is only one of two recall efforts to unseat Rivera. Both recalls are being […]

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (Dec. 2015) – Recall Against Lawrence Mayor Rivera Must Fail

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (Dec. 2015) – Recall Against Lawrence Mayor Rivera Must Fail

In November of 2013, (then) Lawrence City Councilor Dan Rivera defeated incumbent Mayor Willie Lantigua by 84 votes. After a recount was conducted, and Rivera was again declared the winner, Mayor Lantigua told The Valley Patriot that he would be coming back to run against Rep. Marcos Devers and then, working full time to recall […]

Lawrence Mayor Says He was “Deceived” on Polartec Closing, Layoffs Come One Day Before Anniversary of Historic Mill Fire

Lawrence Mayor Says He was “Deceived” on Polartec Closing, Layoffs Come One Day Before Anniversary of Historic Mill Fire

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera says he has been “deceived” in the closing of Polartec on Broadway in Lawrence. The mayor released a statement late on Thursday saying that when he met with the company over their purchasing a similar business in Tennessee. Rivera says he was assured when they made that purchase that the Lawrence […]

Two Lawrence Men Charged in Identity Theft Fraud Scheme, Had More Than 800 Names and SS#’s

Two Lawrence Men Charged in Identity Theft Fraud Scheme, Had More Than 800 Names and SS#’s

BOSTON – Two Lawrence men were charged in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme to file fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities. Furvio Flete-Garcia, 42, and Juan Santiago, 36, nationals of the Dominican Republic, were indicted on conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government property, access device […]

Salisbury Marina Owner Fined $14,380 for Failure to Prepare Safety Measures Prior to Excavation, Construction Activities  

Salisbury Marina Owner Fined $14,380 for Failure to Prepare Safety Measures Prior to Excavation, Construction Activities  

BOSTON -The owner of a Salisbury marina property, has been fined $14,380 by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP),  for failure to take necessary safety measures prior to initiating construction activities on the site at 179 Bridge Street. The property is owned by the commercial realty firm BM, LLC, and has an Activity and […]

FEDS ARREST LAWRENCE MAN FOR RECEIVING $146K IN STOLEN TAX REFUND CHECKS

FEDS ARREST LAWRENCE MAN FOR RECEIVING  $146K IN STOLEN TAX REFUND CHECKS

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was arrested today on charges that he received stolen U.S. Treasury checks.  Rolfi Espinal, 49, was indicted on 24 counts of receipt of stolen public money and ­­two counts of making false statements.   The indictment alleges that from approximately September to December 2011, Espinal accepted fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks totaling […]