Happy New Year! My prayer for all of you who read this column is that you will experience in 2019 the unconditional, never changing, overwhelming power of the Love of God! You see folks, God is for you and not against you. No matter what situation you find yourself in as you read this, God’s […]
By: Cindy Annis, Jan. 2019 Ok.! We’re back! I hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas, and a Happy New Year!! Let’s get back to Paul. The band Wings was formed in 1971. The group had no choice but to be great to follow the Beatles. That same year, in September, their daughter was born. Stella […]
By: Bill Cushing – Jan. 2019 It’s that time of year again. That time when all TV people start thinking about the best shows that they watched over the past year. As usual, it was tough to leave some shows off the list, but here are my picks for the best TV had to […]
By: Rep. Linda Dean Campbell ~ Jan. 2019 During the 2017-2018 legislative session, my colleagues and I worked together in a bipartisan way to address pressing issues facing Massachusetts residents, from the opioid epidemic to economic development to natural gas infrastructure safety. The State Legislature passed major laws to strengthen our communities and improve both […]
By: John Cuddy – Jan. 2019 Dracut’s Robert Belleau is one of the many US Military Veterans in the Merrimack Valley of French Canadian heritage. He joined the new US Air Force, (formed out of the US Army Air Corps shortly after World War II) partly out of patriotism, and partly, (his words) to avoid […]
EDITOR’S NOTE – This month, Methuen resident Diana DiZoglio was sworn in as a State Senator in Boston, replacing Senator Katy Ives of Newburyport. Ives chose not to run for reelection last year to spend more time with her family. We want to thank Senator Ives for her six years in the senate and for […]
By: Rich Russell – January, 2019 On December 20, 2018, as Mayor Dan Rivera was having his annual Christmas party, a tragic event happened. The Lawrence Police Department ENCRYPTED all of their radio traffic including their routine dispatch transmissions. A new radio system was part of the City’s Capital Improvement Program. The upgrade was mentioned […]
By: Ken Willette – January, 2019 I think following some trolls on social media can be hazardous to your mental health. There, I said it, are you triggered now? Instead of focusing on the major problems in our society, many of these so-called social justice warriors are concentrating their energies on the proverbial trees rather […]
By: Dj Deeb – January , 2019 At its December Business Meeting, members of the Methuen School Committee voted unanimously to adopt a $100 student parking fee effective during the 2019-2020 school year. Unfortunately, I was one of those votes and after analyzing the issue further I regret my decision. I have placed a Motion […]
It’s no secret that print media industry is dying. It seems that almost every month we hear of another newspaper going out of business as more people get their news on-line, and with freedom of the press – and journalism itself – under constant attack. As The Valley Patriot approaches our 15th anniversary (in March […]
By: Marlene Bistany – Dec.2018 METHUEN – This is a story that should never need writing. It’s a story about apathy, irresponsibility, and disrespect. It’s a story about the bitter treatment of animals and the inadequate systems that fail in its due diligence to the community. But most of all, it’s a story about a pure […]
By: Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Dec. 2018 Governor Baker recently signed into law a bill filed by Senator Harriette Chandler and myself that will enhance non-partisan civics education in our public schools. This legislation exposes students to the founding documents of our country, the fundamentals of our legal system, the roles and responsibilities of […]
By DJ Deeb – Dec. 2018 Earlier this year (in the February, March, and April 2018 Valley Patriot editions) I outlined many suggestions for cuts in spending for the City of Methuen. Last year, the City filled 13 non-civil service municipal positions, hired 10 new firefighters and 3 reserve firefighters, hired 3 new police officers […]
By: Abby Junkvorian – Dec. 2018 Six months. That is how long the residents of the City of Methuen have been subjected to the ongoing struggles of the Police salaries. The discourse seemingly appears to be endless as the year comes to a close; with no solution in sight. Methuen residents, like myself, are becoming […]
By: Bharani Padmaabhan – Dec. 2018 Federal agencies including SAMHSA and the DEA released data for years documenting that overdose deaths were due to illegally-imported fentanyl and Heroin®. Despite the wide availability of real data, Charlie Baker and Marylou Sudders chose to defame, demonize and destroy patients who suffered chronic pain from various bad medical […]