January, 2005 Even if we accept that everything Judy Brito says is true, Lawrence Mayor Mike Sullivan is absolutely right when he says that most firefighters in the city of Lawrence are honest, decent, hard-working individuals. They are the men and women who go out and respond to the cries for help from innocent victims […]
Lisa Beamer was recently interviewed on Good Morning America. If you remember, she is the wife of Todd Beamer who said, “Let’s Roll!” and helped take down the plane that was heading for Washington, DC on that terrible morning of 9/11. She said it’s the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as […]
By: Kathleen Corey Rahme – January, 2005 With the holiday upon us, the giving spirit is apparent. But some of us give of ourselves on a regular basis and it is not reserved for a special time of year. It is the gift of oneself that is the greatest gift. I am thinking specifically of […]
By: Dr. Charles Ormsby – January, 2005 A boyhood attraction to trains, electronic gadgets, and Morse code earned Jeremiah (Jerry) Sullivan a ticket to see Europe by air. Actually, it was numerous tickets; they were for a B-17, and the reception wasn’t very friendly. Jerry was born and grew up in Lawrence. He graduated from […]
By: Lawrence City Council President, Patrick Blanchette – December 2004 Unfortunately the City of Lawrence is dealing with tough financial problems this year. When I was first elected to the Lawrence City Council (over five years ago,) the annual operating budget was roughly $170 million, with a contingency reserve account of $3 million. The […]
By: Jim Cassidy – December, 2004 Late at night, as I gaze out the front window, with the snow softly falling and the holiday lights starting to appear on the surrounding houses, my thoughts often drift back to former times when we were much younger and Christmas was — and still is — a […]
By: North Andover Selectmen Wedy Wakeman December 2004 Fans of big government and the big taxes that fund it like sneaky taxes. Taxes that can be set or raised quietly, with-out the con-sent of voters, fall into this category. Fees are often nothing more than sneaky taxes. And the best kind of sneaky tax, of […]
By: Hanna -December, 2004 Valley Patriot kid reporter Hanna interviews local celebrities and politicians each month. This month Hanna interviewed Haverhill School Committeeman Scott Wood. What do you think about calculators in the elementary schools? Does Haverhill use them? Haverhill does have them for their classrooms, However they are not used very often. Do […]
Kudos to Selectman Wendy Wakeman for defending free speech in North Andover. Wakeman supports an open door policy for political candidates who wish to campaign at the North Andover Senior Center. A belated three cheers for The Town of Methuen Council on aging as well as the Councils on Aging in Lawrence and Haverhill […]
By: Methuen City Council President, Billy Manzi – December, 2004 With Methuen’s City Council prepared to set a “tax rate” at the December 6th meeting, it was an opportune time to discuss the process, tax classification, and general budgetary matters. While the Mayor’s recommendations were not yet available at press time, Methuen’s budget does […]
By: Kathleen Corey Rahme – December, 2004 Who are those individuals who have answered the Call to Serve? Do we know our veterans? If you watch MCTV, Methuen Community Access Television, Channel 22 Call to Serve, a show dedicated to recording the oral histories of World War II veterans you would recognize some of them […]
By: Dr. Charles Ormsby – December 2004 Meeting North Andover resident George Henderson for the first time, you wouldn’t guess what he did during his first three years after college. Born in 1921, he graduated from St. Michaels College in 1942, approximately six months after Pearl Harbor. George immediately signed up for duty in […]
By: Paula Porten & Tom Duggan – December 2004 For the last two years, residents of Lawrence have been calling the construction of a $110 million high school “The Big Dig of Lawrence,” because of its price tag. For months, School Committeeman Amy McGovern and Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy have been questioning the quality of work […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL December, 2004 State Representative Barbara L’Italien has consistently supported two public policies that violate the teachings and core doctrine of the Catholic Church, abortion and gay marriage. Last month, while staunchly defending her right to espouse these anti-Catholic positions, she publicly attacked pro-life activists who were holding a sign that read […]
What does being mayor have to do with education? The mayor of Methuen is chairman of the School Committee. It’s not like that in every city, but it is in Methuen. The Superintendent of Schools runs the day to day operations, but, the School Committee is responsible for the budget, which is the money we […]