February 18, 2015, Lawrence, MA- Last week, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the City of Lawrence’s credit rating to A3 from Baa1. This rating upgrade is the first time Lawrence has received an “A” level rating from Moody’s since 1986. The rating upgrade with a stable outlook validates the city’s financial recovery and will directly impact […]
By: Katy Runge – January, 2015 Happy New Year to all of The Valley Patriot readers! If you missed the City Council meeting of December 16 you should watch it on YouTube (Channel: LawrenceCityCouncil), because it was a gem. Public safety loans were denied, a vote of no confidence in the mayor was attempted and confusion […]
With all of the problems facing the City of Lawrence, the city council is focusing their efforts on protecting political hacks in city hall and attacking Mayor Dan Rivera. Last month, the council considered a vote of “no confidence” in Mayor Rivera claiming he is playing politics with his firing of Lantigua appointees. The narrative […]
BOZO OF THE YEAR – LENNY DEGNAN – It takes a lot to get bozo of the year but Lenny Degnan, (former Chief of Staff for Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua) has managed to do just that. Degnan was convicted of fraud and corruption earlier this year as the result of his role […]
By: Kathy Runge – December, 2014 The election has come and gone, the employee residency requirement has been discussed ad nauseam by the council with more to come, and we’ve had more senseless deaths of young people in Lawrence. The residents of Lawrence can breathe a sigh of relief that William Lantigua isn’t on the […]
By: Oscar Camargo – December, 2014 Whether you like it or not, the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in South Lawrence is moving. The lifeblood of one community will be diverted to another with the hope that it’ll be revitalized. The goal, as envisioned by Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, is to promote economic development in […]
DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN TO HOUR 1 DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN TO HOUR 2 State Rep. Lenny Mirra and Phil DeCologero filled in for Paul Murano who took the day off. Topics: The Mancave in Woburn, Lawrence City Council out of Cotrol, Massachusetts Politics and MORE> Paying Attention is hosted by Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan. Tom’s, […]
CHANNEL 5 DEBATE – Of all the debates this political season, Channel 5’s debate between Charlie Baker and Martha Coakley was by far the worst. It was so awful and apparently biased that I actually had to go back and watch it twice. It was like a train wreck you can’t look away from. […]
By: DJ Beauregard, Satirist November, 2014 In the days following this year’s elections, former Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua has been preparing to take the oath of office as Lawrence’s new State Representative in January. He lost to Marcos Devers by over 400 votes but is looking forward to enacting his agenda on Beacon Hill. “I […]
DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN TO HOUR 1 DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN TO HOUR 2 Today Tom and Paul talked about how incompetent the American media is and the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, victims advocate Laurie Myers called in to talk about rape allegations. Tom and Paul also talked about immigration and President Obama’s immigration announcement […]
By: Kathy Runge – October, 2014 Once upon a time, a city council suspended the rules and had a redo vote on the proposed residency requirement. They waited and waited until they had a meeting with the right councilors in attendance. Finally it passed. Since the mayor wouldn’t sign the measure, it had little chance […]
By: Tom Duggan – October, 2014 While many believe former Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua is now a bad memory never to return, the fact is the man who ruled Lawrence with an iron fist is now positioned as the front-runner in a three way race for his old seat in the Massachusetts House of […]
By:Tom Duggan – September 30, 2014 Business owners and residents on Merrimack Street in Lawrence across from Sal’s Riverwalk gave Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera and state officials an earful today as the Mayor proposed changes to the street. The meeting was called by State Representative Diana DiZoglio who was approached by business owner Eli Haddad […]
BOSTON PRESS FAKES POLL NUMBERS IN TIERNEY RACE I declare shenanigans! Before the September 9th primary elections in MA the Boston Globe and the Boston media was so desperate to inflate congressional candidate Seth Moulten’s numbers against John Tierney that they released a bogus poll a week before the election showing Tierney at 47% and […]
By: Tom Duggan – September, 2014 It was like a drama from a Hollywood movie. The “good” Arthur T. Demoulas vs. the “evil” Arthur S. Demoulas is how the scenario played in the news and on social media. The evil cousin, consumed with greed, profit, and the bottom line tries to take over a […]