September, 2004 One of the major problems with the Lawrence City Charter is that there’s no accountability clause when any mayor simply refuses to follow or enforce the law. This has been a problem since 1986 when the city charter first went into affect. Since then, the frustration of Lawrence residents and City Councilors […]
By: Hartley Pleshaw – September, 2004 You probably don’t realize it, but if you live in Lawrence, you live in a place which should be as hallowed as Lexington and Concord, Gettysburg or Normandy. If you have an ancestor who worked in the Lawrence mills in the early part of the 20th Century, you […]
SENIOR MOMENTS WITH JAMES CASSIDY Disabled Vets Fight Injuries, Red Tape September 2004 As we remember the anniversary of 9/11, the most devastating attack on American soil, all Americans must also be constantly reminded of this: since the Civil War, veterans who have fought and defended this country’s liberties and freedoms have been assured that […]
By: Tom Duggan – September 2004 NORTH ANDOVER – Children attending the Brooks School summer camp this year were encouraged to get “married” during carnival day where a mock marriage booth was set up for children to “marry” each other. According to several children who attended the day camp and two sets of parents […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL August, 2004 A brand new, multi-million dollar transportation center has broken ground in the City of Lawrence near the North Andover line. That’s the good news. The bad news, however, is that the new facility has been named in “honor” of former Lawrence State Senator, Patricia McGovern. She was not only a […]
PAYING ATTENTION! WITH TOM DUGGAN By: Tom Duggan -August, 2005 What do you do when you are a State Representative and a campaign contributor violates his liquor license (by letting people drink outside) at a political party? Well, if you are Willie Lantigua and you’ve made your name in politics by race baiting, […]
By: Hanna, Age 10 – October, 2004 What is the difference between a teacher, a principal and a superintendent? Teachers work most directly with the students in the classroom. Principals run the schools and are in charge of everyone in the school building. Superintendents are in charge of all the schools. We make sure that […]
By: Tom Duggan – August, 2004 LAWRENCE – Two years ago the Lawrence City Council agreed to grant a small portion of land at the Veterans Memorial Stadium for construction of a new Lawrence High School. At the time, the Council was assured that no more land would be needed and if there were any […]
Some People Never Learn PAYING ATTENTION WITH TOM DUGGAN By: Tom Duggan – July, 2004 Former North Andover School Committeeman Diane Huster still doesn’t get it. After being thrown off the School Committee two years ago by the voters, Huster continues to engage in the very same personal attacks and viscous political tactics that […]
Lawrence School Committee uses State Tax Dollars on Cell Phones…for Themselves By: Tom Duggan – July, 2004 LAWRENCE- In the first three parts of this series, The Valley Patriot reported that Lawrence School Committee members had: 1) wasted thousands of dollars on lavish meals at the One Mill Street restaurant at state taxpayers’ […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL May, 2004 “Wheels of Justice” is an organization made up of individuals who disguise themselves as an advocates of “peace” and love for all. They were recruited to speak to two sophomore classes at North Andover High School by history teacher Barry Humphreys, who didn’t clear it with Superintendent Harry Harutunian […]
By: Tom Duggan – May, 2004 While other communities in the Merrimack Valley are counting every penny and making difficult cuts to services and personnel, foregoing luxuries like out-of-state travel, and appealing to the state for more funding, the Lawrence School Committee appears not to have similar concerns. Last month, while no other superintendent […]
PAYING ATTENTION WITH TOM DUGGAN By: Tom Duggan – May, 2004 Recent headlines in Merrimack Valley newspapers have proven that the sacred cow ideologies of public education espoused by liberals are in fact, myths. Myth #1 Money equals education: Most people have bought into the myth that spending more money on education results in […]
Lawrence School Committee is All Talk, No Action Tom Duggan (April, 2004) Last month The Valley Patriot exposed an exclusive news story about former (and one current) Lawrence School Committee members misusing education dollars to feast at the most expensive restaurant in the area, One Mill Street. Of course, there were the usual denials as […]
Tom Duggan 03-08-04 For the past three years members of the Lawrence School Committee have been billing the taxpayers for plush dining at the city’s most expensive restaurant: One Mill Street. Then School Committeemen Noah Shannon, Pedro Arce, Suzanne Piscitello, Nancy Kennedy and current member George Gonzalez all dined with Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy and his […]