By: Bill Manzi, Methuen Mayor – January, 2010 This week I will have the honor of being sworn in for my third term as Methuen’s Mayor. Much has been accomplished over the past four years, but so much more remains, with the challenges facing Methuen as great as any that we have ever faced. […]
Mayor Manzi Attacks Tribune for “misleading reporting” By: Tom Duggan – January, 2010 The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has certified the City of Methuen’s tax rate as voted on by the city council last week. Mayor Bill Manzi told the Valley Patriot that he was excited to be able to send out the property […]
By: Lawrence, “Lonnie” Brennan – January, 2010 They say that every path has a few puddles, and for many, 2009 was a washout. The year began with Gov. Deval ‘Together-We-Can’ Patrick’s foot pushed flat against the spending pedal. Fresh off another round of finding taxpayer funded jobs for his friends and neighbors, the ‘Gov.’ […]
By: Robert O’Koniewski, Esq. – January, 2010 As we go to print, the City of Lawrence stands on the threshold of history. On Monday, January 4, Lawrence state representative William Lantigua was sworn in as the city’s first elected mayor of Hispanic descent. As a newly elected mayor, however, Mr. Lantigua is now […]
Blanchette Pats himself on the back while purposely trying to create budget deficit, state takeover By: Tom Duggan, December, 2009 Under the leadership of Council President Patrick Blanchette, the Lawrence City Council spent the last two years taking “symbolic” budget votes, blaming the Sullivan administration for their own inaction, and refusing to pass […]
PAYING ATTENTION with Tom Duggan – November, 2009 Few people can really understand the magnitude of the changes that are about to occur in the City of Lawrence with the election of State Representative Willie Lantigua (da chief). Not only did Willie win an overwhelming victory on Election Day, but almost every one of […]
By: Robert O’Koniewski – November, 2009 The votes are in and Lawrence finally has met demographic expectations to attain its first popularly elected mayor of Hispanic descent. We will not use the trite adjective of “historic” to describe State Representative William Lantigua’s victory over District E City Councilor David Abdoo, as that has really […]
By: Tom Duggan – July, 2009 Documents obtained by The Valley Patriot last month revealed that operators at the City of Lawrence’s brand new $26 million water treatment facility failed to test the city’s drinking water for a bacteria called E.coli from July 2008 to February 2009. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) […]
By: Tom Duggan – July, 2009 An investigation by the Massachusetts office of Campaign and Political Finance may not have issued their report yet on which elected officials benefited from campaign material printed in the Lawrence Public Schools I’m gong to tell you who they right now. At least three members of the Lawrence School Committee (Morris, Larocque and Mejia) benefited from literature printed […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL Look up in the sky! It’s a bird … It’s a plane … May, 2009 No … it’s Representive David Torrisi (DNorth Andover) coming to rescue the beleaguered taxpayers and business owners of the Merrimack Valley. Joining Rep. Torrisi, in voting against an increase in the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25% was Representative. Linda […]
The Cause, The Cure, and The Obstacles to Recovery Part I By: Charles Ormsby – May, 2009 TANSTAAFL: “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!” – Anonymous When economic decisions are based on political considerations and not on rational economic calculations, wealth is squandered and the economic piper must be paid. It is […]
Haverhill to receive $282,000; Methuen $79,000 Posted: March 05, 2009 Congresswoman Niki Tsongas announced today that the City of Lawrence will receive approximately $3,500,000 as funding begins to be released from the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funding will help create jobs locally through the construction and restoration of public […]
Slated to Bring 2,000 New Jobs to Lawrence By: Tom Duggan February 2, 2009 The Lawrence Historical Commission voted Tuesday evening to approve the demolition of two buildings on Merrimack Street in Lawrence owned by Sal Lupol of Salvatore’s Restaurant, at Sal’s Riverwalk Properties, making way for a multi-million dollar development at the site […]
Israel Reyes at the center of lawsuit over allegations on May Street By: Paula Porten December, 2008 Former Lawrence City Councilor and candidate for Mayor, Israel Reyes, is wrangled in a lawsuit involving May Street Partners, LLC, Reyes Group, Inc. and several properties on May Street in Lawrence. May Street Partners owns the […]
Fired Attorney’s Firm Member Made Millions on Taxpayers Valley Patriot Staff – November, 2008 Former Lawrence city hall worker Andrea Traficanti will be back in court next month seeking permanent and total disability benefits after filing a new claim with the Department of Industrial Accidents. Her claim now is that she is permanently and […]