PAYING ATTENTION! ~ My Pics for the 2014 Election

PAYING ATTENTION! ~ My Pics for the 2014 Election

  By: Tom Duggan, November 3, 2014 While The Valley Patriot newspaper has a policy against endorsing candidates, each member of our editorial board is free to endorse or make public who we are voting for. Here are my personal picks for the 2014 election season and why.  Governor Charlie Baker, Republican As a right […]

14th Essex District State Rep. Race Candidate Profile: North Andover Selectman Rosemary Smedile

14th Essex District State Rep. Race Candidate Profile: North Andover Selectman Rosemary Smedile

By: Ralph Wilbur – October, 2014 Rosemary Smedile is running for state representative from the 14th District including parts of North Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and Bradford. Rosemary graduated from Boston College with honors. Married 33 years with three children, she is a small business owner and has served the North Andover community for 5 years […]

Distorting the Record, Political Deceptions – Valley Patriot Columnist Apologizes to Rep. Campbell, The Truth on the Gas and Sales Tax

Distorting the Record, Political Deceptions – Valley Patriot Columnist Apologizes to Rep. Campbell, The Truth on the Gas and Sales Tax

Political Deceptions Valley Patriot columnist and member of the Methuen School Committee, DJ Deeb wrote in his column this month that voters should choose Republican candidates in the upcoming state elections. Deeb listed a number of reasons to make his case, but is now issuing a public apology to Democrat State Representative Linda Dean Campbell […]

Merrimack Street Business Owners Give Mayor an Earful Over Proposed Changes to Street, Parking

Merrimack Street Business Owners Give Mayor an Earful Over Proposed Changes to Street, Parking

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 […]

TOM DUGGAN’S NOTEBOOK – SEPTEMBER 2014 – Primary Election Reflections and Tomaselli Sisters, MORE!

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 […]

Artie T is an Inspiration to us ALL

Artie T is an Inspiration to us ALL

  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 […]

Methuen Chief on Drug Epidemic in The Valley

Methuen Chief on Drug Epidemic in The Valley

This is part III of our series on Law Enforcement in Massachusetts from our interview with Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon. Solomon appeared on Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan’s radio program (Paying Attention!) last month to talk about the city’s new “shooter detection system” being used in the Methuen Schools as well as the “militarization of […]

Tom Duggan’s Notebook – August 2014

Tom Duggan’s Notebook – August 2014

SALISBURY FREE CASH? – Why would Town Manager Neil Harrington and Sewer Commissioner/Selectmen transfer $460,000 from the Sewer Enterprise Fund (SEF) – and name it “free cash” when it absolutely is not free cash? On May 19th voters spoke up at Town Meeting saying Salisbury had special “Step 3” Federal Grant conditions in order to […]

Thoughts from Councilor #5 ~ Methuen City Councilor Dan Grayton

Thoughts from Councilor #5 ~ Methuen City Councilor Dan Grayton

  Greetings Valley Patriots! It is my pleasure to begin to provide an article each month geared towards those of you with a eye trained on Methuen and its politics. Look forward to brief articles touching on several topics like Council votes and other decisions and events affecting those who live here. Enjoy. Uber ambulance […]

PODCAST – State Rep. Candidate Oscar Camargo & Lt. Gov Candidate Mike Lake on the Paying Attention! Radio Program (8-9-14)

PODCAST – State Rep. Candidate Oscar Camargo & Lt. Gov Candidate Mike Lake on the Paying Attention! Radio Program (8-9-14)

Paying Attention is hosted by Tom Duggan, Co-host Paul Murano and is produced by Chris Poublon. Paying Attention and airs on 980WCAP in Lowell on Saturday’s from 10am to noon.  Today Tom and Paul’s guest were State Rep. candidate Oscar Camargo who is seeking to unseat incumbent State Rep. Diana DiZoglio in the 14th Essex […]

Mayor Rivera, Treasurer Grossman, Senators and Reps. Endorse Marcos Devers for Reelection

Mayor Rivera, Treasurer Grossman, Senators and Reps. Endorse Marcos Devers for Reelection

Full Video below VIDEO|PHOTOS By: Tom Duggan – June 19, 2014 Lawrence State Representative Marcos Devers, a Democrat, held his official reelection kickoff Thursday night as Salvatore’s Restaurant at Sal’s Riveralk with a cast of who’s who in attendance supporting the two term representative. Candidate for governor Steve Grossman was on hand to support Devers […]

Tom Duggan’s Notebook – May, 2104

MA DEMOCRATS PATHETIC LACK OF LEADERSHIP Massachusetts is a one party state. Democrats hold every executive elected state office from Governor all the way down to State Auditor. Democrats also control both the State Senate and the House of Representatives. Yet with 133 children missing from DCF care (the Department of Children and Families), with […]

Podcast of Paying Attention with Tom Duggan – Slavery, Sexism, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera and more (May 17, 2014)

Podcast of Paying Attention with Tom Duggan – Slavery, Sexism, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera and more (May 17, 2014)

Paying Attention is produced by Chris Poublon and airs on 980WCAP in Lowell CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOUR 1 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOUR 2  Today Tom and Paul talk about: sexism and fake accusations of sexism that really are the result of women with low self esteem, the “school girls” who were kidnapped by […]

MA Communities Unite to Combat Heroin Epidemic

MA Communities Unite to Combat Heroin Epidemic

By: Christine Morabito – March 2014 Because of its proximity to Interstates 495, 95 and 93, the Merrimack Valley has been uniquely impacted by a shocking increase in heroin and prescription drug abuse. The drugs are reportedly entering Massachusetts by way of New York City and the Texas border. Making matters worse, the now inexpensive heroin […]