Lawrence Mayor’s Homeless Plan Saved Lives in Brutal Cold ~ VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (02-23)

Lawrence Mayor’s Homeless Plan Saved Lives in Brutal Cold  ~ VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (02-23)

02-23 Last week during the frigid -11 degree weather that lasted for three days, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena and his homeless coordinator Kelly Birchall put together a plan to help the homeless and other Lawrence residents who had no heat. First, Mayor DePena mobilized the police and fire departments to visit all of the homeless […]

Methuen Council Flip Flops on “Top Heavy Police Department” ~ PAYING ATTENTION! with TOM DUGGAN

Methuen Council Flip Flops on “Top Heavy Police Department” ~ PAYING ATTENTION! with TOM DUGGAN

  01-23 Remember last year – when the Methuen City Council was attacking Police Chief Joe Solomon on a daily basis, feeding information to the Boston media claiming the police department was “too top heavy”? Remember when they cut millions out of the police budget and laid off patrolmen and demoted superior officers because the […]

Fighting for Working Class Families in Lawrence, Methuen, and Haverhill

Fighting for Working Class Families in Lawrence, Methuen, and Haverhill

By: State Senator Pavel Payano – 01-23 I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the communities of Lawrence, Methuen, and Haverhill as the State Senator for the First Essex District. In the Senate Chamber, I am in seat number 13- the seat my predecessor, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, held. Diana was a fierce […]

A Black Eye On Dracut

A Black Eye On Dracut

By: Philippe Thibault – 01-23 There are milestones and benchmarks that people inevitably use to measure the growth, stagnation and decline of a community. While most would stive to foster growth by raising standards, three members of the Dracut Board of Selectman have taken the approach to removal standards for themselves and thus be held […]

Conflict of Interest Torpedoes Thibault in Dracut ~ EYE ON DRACUT

Conflict of Interest Torpedoes Thibault in Dracut ~ EYE ON DRACUT

By: Brian Genest – 01-23 Here we go again: Cue the violins for Dracut’s self-proclaimed victim, Phil Thibault. This time, he’s lamenting because he was rejected by the Board of Selectmen for the newly created at-large seat on the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee—and he’s blaming everyone but himself, just like he always does. Meanwhile, the […]

Lawrence Native Art Jacobs, US Army Silver Star and Three Purple Hearts ~ VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH, HERO IN OUR MIDST

Lawrence Native Art Jacobs, US Army Silver Star and Three Purple Hearts ~ VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH, HERO IN OUR MIDST

By: John Cuddy – 01-23 Little did I know that my previous story about US Army Medic Steve Bird from Groveland, and his brave efforts to treat the wounded on the battlefields of Vietnam in 1968, would lead me to this feature about Art Jacobs, who was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and grew up in […]

The Lasagna Lady ~ Home Health Aide Lillian Silva Delivers Different Kind of Caring

The Lasagna Lady ~ Home Health Aide Lillian Silva Delivers Different Kind of Caring

01-23 LAWRENCE – As a home health aide for 29 years at Tufts Medicine Care at Home, Lillian Silva supports her patients by assisting with their personal care and other daily living activities. On her days off, the dedicated caregiver extends her compassionate caring to the wider community as a volunteer with Lasagna Love. Founded […]

Continuing to Fight for Working Families in the Auditor’s Office ~ IN YOUR CORNER with AUDITOR Dizoglio

Continuing to Fight for Working Families in the Auditor’s Office ~ IN YOUR CORNER with AUDITOR Dizoglio

By: State Auditor Diana DiZoglio – 1-23 Hello Valley Patriot Readers, It has been a true honor and pleasure serving the great people of the Merrimack Valley in the Massachusetts Legislature. Every day, I’ve walked out my door in the morning determined to make meaningful progress and change that helps people at home. This public […]

My Plans for the 2023 Legislative Session ~ State Rep. Francisco Paulino

My Plans for the 2023 Legislative Session ~ State Rep. Francisco Paulino

By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino – 1-23 On January 4, 2023, I was sworn to serve as a State Representative for the District 16th Essex. For me the privilege to serve our community is a responsibility that I take very seriously. Last November and before the general elections I travelled to Washington DC to receive […]

2023’s Best Restaurants in The Valley – Tom Duggan’s Notebook (1-23)

2023’s Best Restaurants in The Valley – Tom Duggan’s Notebook  (1-23)

Tom Duggan: 1/23 Since the needless COVID lockdowns our Valley Patriot restaurant reviewers have found that many of the places we used to love are no longer providing good food or good service, or both. So, we just don’t go anymore. However, we have also found that some restaurants we used to dislike, have stepped […]

Civil Service Commission Issues Report on Former Methuen Chief Solomon’s Role in Illegal Hiring of Sean Fountain

Civil Service Commission Issues Report on Former Methuen Chief Solomon’s Role in Illegal Hiring of Sean Fountain

1-26-23 FULL REPORT The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has issued a scathing report on the hiring of former Methun City Councilor Sean Fountain as a permanent intermittent police officer without the proper certification. Fountain, while chairman of the Methuen City Council, was hired as an interim police officer due to a special piece of legislation […]

Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque Put on Leave for Intimidating Officers Who Are Cooperating with Investigation

Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque Put on Leave for Intimidating Officers Who Are Cooperating with Investigation

1-25-23 Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque was put on leave today by Mayor Brian DePena and placed Capt. McCarthy in charge of the department while an administrative investigation continues into the way the department is run. Sources tell the Valley Patriot that the Chief was not initially put on leave, but that he had intimidated […]