Valley Patriot Editorial March, 2008 What started off as a paperwork dispute between the Department of Justice and Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon has resulted in (among other things), other officers accused of being paid for work they did not do. The fact is, the U.S. Department of Justice has never questioned whether or not […]
PAYING ATTENTION! with TOM DUGGAN By: Tom Duggan – February, 2008 LAWRENCE, MA – Last month I wrote about the $610,000 lawsuit settled by the City of Lawrence with former Assistant City Clerk Jenniffer Padellaro. (Blanchette was Absolutely Right on Padellaro Lawsuit) Padellaro had been on worker’s compensation after leaving the position because she was exposed […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL February,2008 Last month the Exchange Club of Lawrence honored police officers, firefighters and an EMT workers for their service to the communities of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. Among those honored were Lawrence Police Officer Michael Magnan who received one of the Exchange Club’s “Police Officer of the Year Awards” for saving […]
Asks Community to stand with our Veterans by Wilfredo Laboy, posted 1/10/08 During a period in which the City of Lawrence and the Lawrence Public Schools have made significant steps towards ongoing improvement, we are saddened and outraged by such morally and ethically unacceptable conduct by James Stokes. In November’s School Committee elections, […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL January, 2008 It’s time for Congress to get slapped upside the head. Our irresponsible and corrupt legislators in Washington have attached almost 12,000 earmarks to the latest defense appropriations and omnibus spending bills. We have yet to total the cost of these, but in FY06 the cost of earmarks totaled over $63 billion […]
By: Lonnie Brennan -December, 2007 GEORGETOWN – Quietly, peacefully, a former naval seaman makes his way to a local coffee shop. He takes his seat on a short stool at a curved counter, smiles to a familiar server, shares quips and views on the past day’s events and the morning papers. As he sips his […]
Sandy Gleed This Monday’s special town meeting demonstrated far more about the shortcomings of municipal government than it did about the average citizen’s desire to exert control over wireless communications. The wireless article sparked very legitimate concerns about: * our town’s failure to monitor current cell tower permits * our town’s […]
By: George Vozeolos – December, 2012 With another Special Town Meeting taking place last month, I would like to make it clear what I am trying to do and why. First the why. Our existing town charter was adopted over 22 years ago and North Andover has grown considerably. Like an old sweater, we […]
By: Ralph Wilbur – December, 2007 In the late 1960’s, North Andover was one of the first communities to wholeheartedly adopt the then current fad for “open classroom” teaching. A new high school was constructed without internal partitioning walls and the result was noise, constant distractions and educational bedlam. Generations of North Andover […]
Tom Duggan – December, 2007 Last month, my 7th grade daughter at the North Andover Middle School came home from school and said that she learned in her Spanish class how the leader of Venezuela (Hugo Chavez) was a “good guy” for giving cheap oil to poor people here in the US. She also said […]
PLANNING FOR YOUR FUTURE By: Michael Sweeney (December, 2007) Lawrence Planning Director “Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.” -President Abraham Lincoln Good call there by President Lincoln. Unfortunately, under the weak-armed rule of Patrick Blanchette, truth has been replaced in the city council chambers by slander and personal attacks. The truth is […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL December, 2007 There is a rush to judgment by the media and our government, both Democrats and Republicans, reacting to Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf’s declaration of emergency and suspension of their constitution. Everyone now waving the flag of democracy says this is the anti-democratic conduct of a dictator, and should be stopped […]
By: Kathleen Corey Rahme – November, 2007 METHUEN – The Massachusetts Women Veterans’ Network named Methuen resident, Sara Payne Hayden the Woman’s Veteran of the Year at a special ceremony in the State House in Boston this month. It was a privilege to nominate her for this honor and according to Heidi Kruckenberg the coordinator for […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL November, 2007 Governor Deval Patrick recently stirred up controversy when he stated on a Boston radio program that he is interested in getting rid of police details on state and local construction sites and replacing them with civilian flagmen. If Governor Patrick were to issue an executive order, then only state […]
October 10,2007 Election season is in full swing here in the Valley with a special congressional election in the 5th district this month and the general municipal elections in November. Few people, however, seem to care. During the Lawrence primaries last month, only 12% of registered voters bothered to brave the 80 degree weather and […]