FROM SATE REP JIM LYONS Boston, MA -“This is the most disgraceful example,” said Representative Jim Lyons, “of those who break the rules being subsidized by decent, hard-working, taxpaying families – families who follow the rules.” Rep. Lyons, an Andover Republican, was referring to news reports exposing some of the taxpayer-funded benefits provided to the […]
WILL BE CHARGED WITH METHUEN BANK ROBBERY OTHER CHARGES TO FOLLOW By: Tom Duggan – April 23,, 1013 (7:44pm) A multi-jurisdictional task force made up of local law enforcement in the Merrimack Valley and the Boston Office of the FBI captured the Merrimack Valley Bandit on Tuesday. According to photos the bandit is responsible […]
IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2013-09 It’s sad but true. Following major disasters and tragedies, scam artists impersonate charities to steal money or get private information from well-intentioned taxpayers. Fraudulent schemes involve solicitations by phone, social media, email or in-person. Scam artists use a variety of tactics. Some operate bogus charities that contact people by […]
By: D.J. Bettencourt – APril 2013 The Mercatus Center, on the campus of George Mason University, is billed as an “education research and outreach center” and does something incredibly rare for an institution within higher education. It thinks seriously about freedom and how states can protect and expand it. Not ironically, Mercatus takes its […]
By: State Senator Katy O’Connor Ives – April 2013 As the legislative session heads into the spring, there are a series of important issues facing the Commonwealth. I’m highlighting transportation funding and child safety in this column. As always, I welcome your thoughts on these and other issues. Trains, roads and taxes Beacon Hill […]
By Dani Langevin – April 2013 Why do some people “fear” having a gay child? Most don’t really think they will. Most people assume that their children will be heterosexual, but when the topic is breached, I’ve heard many parents confess that they would be very uncomfortable or unhappy if they had a gay […]
By Mark Behan – April 18, 2013 “So, Noelia Figuereo, you’ve just won two national titles. What are you going to do next?” If Figuereo had been the Super Bowl MVP, rather than a junior college track star at the time, she may have responded: “I’m going to Disneyland!” But real life is not something […]
PAYING ATTENTION WITH TOM DUGGAN By: Tom Duggan – April 2013 Private citizen Richard D’Agostino applied for the open city solicitor’s job in Methuen among eleven other candidates. He was by far the most qualified for the position as he was one of the last two finalists before political shenanigans derailed his chances of employment […]
By: Tom Duggan – April 203 North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor worked in post-receivership Chelsea for six years. He told The Valley Patriot it was a great learning experience. You have worked in cities and towns, which do you prefer, which do you see as functioning better? “After six years, I became the […]
“The help we give to Lawrence will not be an infusion of capital it will be getting at some management changes.” Deval Patrick January, 2010 “My goal is to decentralize” Jeff Riley 2011 By: Tom Duggan – April 16, 2013 When State Receiver Jeff Riley took over the failing Lawrence Public Schools more than two years ago, he promised to decrease the […]
By: Tracey Zysk – April 2013 Puppy season, puppy season, puppy season – everyone loves puppy season! How can you not? These cute, adorable, fluff balls that snuggle up with you, are just so precious. But there is a lot more to being an owner to one of these cuties. That’s something we all […]
By Helen Mooradkanian – April 2013 The “island hopping” strategy in the Pacific had proved successful as the Marines secured one island after another in their advance toward the Japanese mainland: Roi and Namur in the Marshall Islands (February 1944), Los Negros (March 1944), Wake Island (May 1944), Saipan and Guam (July 1944), and Tinian […]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4wgEVi_9LM] By: Tom Duggan – April 14, 2013 The Merrimack Valley Bandit struck again twice this weekend. The first robbery occurred at a TD Bank North in Dracut on Saturday evening. The second robbery occurred Sunday night at the Rt 110 Convenience Store on Merrimack Street in Methuen. “He was brandishing a […]
$10,000 Reward Offered for Information Leading to Arrest Banks robbed in Lawrence, Methuen, Dracut and Groveland BOSTON – A task force of Massachusetts law enforcement agencies is seeking the public’s assistance to identify a bank robber allegedly responsible for seven armed bank robberies in northeastern Massachusetts since February. The “Merrimack Valley Bandit” is considered […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL – APRIL 2013 Lawrence City Councilor Dan Rivera is running for mayor against incumbent Willie Lantigua. We find that odd. For the last two and a half years, Lawrence City Councilor At-Large, Dan Rivera has approved nearly every hack appointment made by the embattled Mayor Lantigua. His approvals included the now indicted […]