Methuen’s Residency Enforcement Policy

  By: Ken Willette – February, 2010 The Methuen School Committee votes every year at a public meeting against offering a school choice program within the district. Therefore, it is critically important to review and strengthen the current district policy relative to investigating, identifying and removing any out-of-district student not presently authorized to attend our […]

Lawrence Exchange Club Honors Fire, Police, EMT’s

Lawrence, Andover North Andover Heroes Honored By: Tom Duggan – Febrary, 2010 The Lawrence Exchange Club held their annual Police, Firefighter and EMT of the year awards last night honoring first responders in the valley. Police and Fire Chiefs from Lawrence, Andover and North Andover were allowed to present each honoree with a plaque and explain to […]

Get your Sex on!

Stay At Home Dads By: Pete Baylies – February, 2010   Another source of tension for at-home dads and their working partners is lack of intimacy. While you may have thought that with the new arrangement there would be less craziness in your lives, it can still be exhausting for both of you. This on […]

Congress Struggles to Create Jobs … Right!

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX By: Dr. Charles Ormsby – February, 2010 It always amazes me how our Congress seemingly struggles to accomplish something as simple as “creating jobs.” Actually there is no need to create jobs. There are many more jobs than people. For example, just walk around your house. Are there no jobs to […]

Getting ready for future challenges

  By: Joe Mendonca – February, 2010 The City Manager has begun to reorganize city government. The first change was to replace the Building Commissioner as the beginning of restoring integrity to the City’s Inspectional Services. The Manager appointed Rosemary Cashman (former Tyngsboro Town Administrator) as Interim Building Commissioner while a search is conducted for […]

Valley Patriot of the Month: Robert “Bob” Ahern

Hero in Our Midst   By: Terry Crow Mercier – Fbruary, 2010 A hero is often considered to be someone in the forefront of a scenario and highly visible to a large audience. I want to tell you about a more behind the scenes kind of hero– the type of hero that so often goes […]

Dan Cotnoir, Valley Patriot of the Month

Hero in Our Midst, Sgt. Dan Cotnoir, U.S. Marines Ordnance Maintenance Company, 4th Maintenance Battalion, Devens, MA   By: Tom Duggan In 2005, Sergeant Daniel Cotnoir of Lawrence was named Marine of the Year by the Marine Corps Times for his outstanding bravery and service to the United States.    Sgt. Dan Cotnoir began his military […]

Challenges Ahead for Methuen

Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi Looks Ahead By: Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi – 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 […]

A meeting with Senatorial Candidate Scott Brown

  By: Randall Miller- January, 2010 I recently had the pleasure of spending an evening with WBZ News Radio’s Dan Rea. Arriving early, I was pleasantly surprised to find State Senator (and U.S. Senate hopeful) Scott Brown (R) waiting outside of the production booth. I spent the better part of the next hour chatting with […]

Challenges ahead for Methuen

  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. […]

Lawrence City Council refuses to set tax rate, sticks freshmen councilors with budget mess

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 […]