State Finally Honors Families Who Also Sacrificed Sometimes government gets something exactly right. In Massachusetts last month Governor Healey signed legislation creating Massachusetts’ new “Blue Star Family” license plate, giving the spouses, parents, children, siblings, and grandchildren of police officers killed in the line of duty a permanent way to honor their loved ones. The […]
By John Cuddy – 8-26 This morning the Valley Patriot had coffee and donuts with Vietnam Veteran, Lawrence resident, and current Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) “Queen City” Chapter 2, Dan Tirone. We met at the DAV Chapter 2 Headquarters on 112A East Haverhill Street in Lawrence, Massachusetts joined by key members […]
Kevin Bernard Donahue US Navy Seabees-Retired 7-26 As the United States commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the story of Samuel James Barnett of Lawrence, Massachusetts reminds us that the promises of 1776 have been defended by generations of ordinary Americans called to extraordinary service. Born in Lawrence in 1895 to hardworking […]
By: John Cuddy 6-26 Over Memorial Day weekend this year, on May 25th, 2026, Mary (Tesoro) Simpson celebrated her birthday, surrounded by family and friends, at the Nevins Nursing Home. A World War II US Navy Veteran, she turned 106 last month, celebrating the occasion with family and friends. Growing up in Lawrence, at her […]
Lowell Firefighters and Citizens Respond to a Proposed Reduction in Firefighters. As Kane sits in front of the Pine Street Fire House, he thinks about how the Fire Department and City Government came together to save the job positions of six firefighters. Kane is very happy that the fire house that serves the citizens […]
New Veteran Drop-In Center Available LAWRENCE — Veteran Pathways of New England is expanding its footprint across the Merrimack Valley with the opening of a new Veteran Drop-In Center in Lawrence, creating a centralized location where Veterans can access support services, resources, and connections to housing, benefits, wellness programs, and food assistance. The new […]
By: John Cuddy 5-26 US Air Force Veteran, Tim Crawley grew up in North Lawrence. He attended Holy Trinity Church and Holy Trinity elementary school. Tim graduated from Central Catholic High School with the Class of 1978. Besides being a Veteran, he is the great nephew of Medal of Honor Recipient Patrick Francis Bresnahan. In […]
FINAL REPORT ON THE VALLEY PATRIOT’S 22nd ANNIVERSARY BASH! 2026 SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE It was a packed house at the Lawrence Elks Club last week as the Valley Patriot newspaper’s charity team kicked their yearly event into high gear honoring veterans, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants in the community while also raising money for […]
By: John Cuddy 4-26 While home in Massachusetts for a family wedding, I took a six-hour walk, warmly dressed, through historic Boston, on a Monday morning in two-degree weather this February. Nearing the end of my walk, after passing the Irish Famine Memorial, I stopped into the New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV). […]
KANE’S KORNER As Memorial Day approaches, Kane remembers that it serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our veterans. While driving around town, he often finds himself reflecting on the squares and street signs that bear the names of these brave individuals. Who were they before their service? What lives were […]
By: John Cuddy 3-26 On Tuesday February 24th, our editor’s birthday, your Valley Patriot hero reporter caught up with Kyle Wayne Culotta, a 51-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran. Kyle is currently residing with friends in Massachusetts while looking for a permanent home. He was detained in a Commonwealth of Massachusetts jail for over four months […]
By: John Cuddy 2-26 “I didn’t do much… a member of our Nation’s Silent Generation speaks…” When asked, Lawrence residents usually describe where they are from, by their neighborhood’s “nickname,” Carletonville, Clover Hill, Back Bay, or Prospect Hill. Others will give you their Parish, Holy Rosary, Holy Trinity, St Peter and St Paul, or St […]
MIDDLETON, Mass. — Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department (ECSD) recently welcomed correctional leaders and community partners from across the country for a two-day peer exchange on treating opioid use disorder in correctional settings. The event highlighted how Essex County has become a “national model” with its unique and innovative program […]
Chris Dery, the Veteran Service Officer (VSO) for Tyngsboro and soon for Dracut, lays out his role as a town VSO and some of the challenges he faces as the two town VSOs are soon combined in a single district. Chris is an experienced and well-respected VSO that has carved out an impressive local reputation […]
By: John Cuddy 1-26 Newburyport’s Jacob Joseph and his brother John Spencer Joseph, both served in Vietnam with the US Army, John as a draftee, serving in country as a military dog handler, Jacob who enlisted, served with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (“Blackhorse”), whose unit motto is “Allons” (Let’s Go). The Valley Patriot caught […]