By: Dani Langevin – December, 2015 I used to love my career. I was proud to be an educator. I woke up every day looking forward to the curriculum I taught, the students I got to inspire, and the colleagues with whom I collaborated. For 20 years I knew I was making a difference in […]
By: Senator Kathleen Ives Dec. 2015 The Massachusetts Senate recently completed the first year of a two-year legislative session by sending to the governor’s desk legislation for increased penalties for trafficking fentanyl, and five bills related to veterans. To further address the health crisis of opiate abuse in the Commonwealth, the legislature passed House Bill […]
By: John MacDonald – Dec. 2015 The question of whether or not Donald Trump will prevail as the Republican nominee for president or has a chance to run for president and win is extremely disturbing to the establishment in both parties. Trump has been bombastic, controversial, knee jerk, overly sensitive and unscripted. Everything a traditional […]
By: Linda Dean Campbell – Dec. 2015 Before Thanksgiving, the Massachusetts House passed two important pieces of legislation. One of these bills will make significant changes to our antiquated public records law. The other will lift the cap on solar energy production to take advantage of existing solar projects and expiring federal tax credits. Both […]
HEROES – REP. DIANA DIZOGLIO (Methuen) and STATE SENATOR KATY IVES (Newburyport). Both DiZoglio and Ives worked tirelessly to get my public records bill a fair hearing in sub committees, made sure they were voted out of those committees favorably, held strong on penalties for law breakers, and then forced a full vote in the […]
By: Kathy Runge – December, 2015 Merry Christmas and greetings from Apache territory! In a pre-election article published at editorialweek.com, Jose Alfonso Garica’s website, South Lawrence was referred to as Apache territory. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be offensive to Apaches, Anglos, or both. This man works for the school department. It’s been […]
By: D.J. Deeb – December, 2015 November and December are traditionally busy months for school districts. This year too is no exception and there are several things to report on this month in the paragraphs that follow: The City Elections, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship, MHS Band Disney Trip, and the PSATs in Methuen. First […]
By: Bill Cushing – December, 2015 With its imaginative storytelling and top-notch acting, HBO’s The Leftovers went from being a strange, frustrating albeit entertaining show in its first season, to one of the best dramas on television in its second. The Leftovers was created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perotta and the first season was […]
By: Ana DeBernardo – December, 2015 The sound of vehicles honking their horns at jaywalkers jolts me from my sleep. The smell of exhaust already suffocates me, barely letting me catch my first breath of the morning. It’s another frigid day in December, and I don’t have a coat or socks, or even shoes without holes. […]
By Christine Morabito – December 2015 What we have is a problem of energy inequality. In terms of energy costs, Massachusetts residents pay the highest prices in the nation – three to four times as much per kilowatt hour for electricity. We are so accustomed to paying this exorbitant amount, that we rarely question it. The […]
By: Jeff Katz – Dec. 2015 I have been privileged over the years to meet many notable folks including celebrities from the entertainment world, athletes and elected officials. One man I met about seventeen years ago however, touched me in a different way. He was not a professional athlete, but he had a passion […]
By: Weatherman Al Kaprielian – Dec. 2015 We are now in meteorological winter, which began on December 1st and runs through February 28, 2016. December, January and February are considered meteorological winter. Most of November saw temperatures above normal. This past November will rank as the ninth warmest November for Boston since weather records began […]
By: Rick Bellanti – Dec. 2015 When I was approached to write a monthly wellness column, I knew that my first article was going to be about daily water intake. It’s one of the most important ingredients for your health and wellness and also the easiest to do and keep track of. Water makes up […]
In November of 2013, (then) Lawrence City Councilor Dan Rivera defeated incumbent Mayor Willie Lantigua by 84 votes. After a recount was conducted, and Rivera was again declared the winner, Mayor Lantigua told The Valley Patriot that he would be coming back to run against Rep. Marcos Devers and then, working full time to recall […]
By: Kathy Runge – November, 2015 The election has come and gone and the good news is, I should have no scarcity of material for the foreseeable future. The bad news is that Brian DePena was top vote getter in the Councilor at-Large race. Mr. DePena, I will be thrilled if you prove me wrong. […]