State Rep. Estela Reyes 10-23 First, I want to say how happy I am that my good friend, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan is recovering from a near death experience that kept him in the hospital for over a month. I truly appreciate his friendship and the fact that he gives members of the community […]
Aug. 4, 2023 [updated] The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has ruled that fired Methuen police Captain Greg Gallant must be returned to duty and given three years back pay after being illegally fired by Methuen Mayor Neil Perry. FULL RULING HERE Gallant v. Methuen, CS-22-388 Gallant was officially fired on June 9, 2022 after being put […]
This scholarship at our annual BASH was started last year by Dave Garofalo of the Studio 21 Podcast Cafe in Salem, N.H. for a student going into media or communications. Because we did not have a Methuen High School student on our scholarship program Tom Duggan got permission from Dave to designate this scholarship […]
STATE PRIMARIES WILL DECIDE SEVERAL RACES Several races for State Representative in the Merrimack Valley will be decided in the September 6th primary as there are no Republicans running (so far) in those races. In the newly carved Lawrence/Methuen district it will be Methuen City Councilor Jim McCarty – who has no job and lives […]
The Valley Patriot BASH Scholarship and Award night supporters donated $3,775 to Briana Tratchenberg of Methuen. Flanked by her family, Methuen School Committee member Jana Zanni Pesce and Methuen City Councilor Eunice Zeigler, and former councilor Ryan Hamilton, Tratchenberg was presented a check by Valley Patriot publisher, Tom Duggan. The scholarship was started this year […]
12/23/20 Methuen Mayor Neil Perry has put Police Chief Joe Solmon and Captain Greg Gallant on leave after a scathing report was released today by the The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding the passing of the controversial 2017 Police Superior Officers’ Contract. In the 153 page report the Inspector General cites a “a […]
Jan. 2020 Methuen Councilor Jim McCarty will get pulled over by State Troopers for speeding on Route 213 and blame it on a conspiracy by former Methuen Mayor Sharon Pollard and Police Chief Joe Solomon. Newly elected member of the Gr. Lawrence Technical School Committee, Stephani Infante will continue to appropriate white culture by whitening […]
THANK YOU JEN KANNAN I want to personally thank Methuen City Council Chairman Jen Kannan for her decades of service to this community. Whether you supported Jen or not in this mayoral election, she has given of herself to the city of Methuen and the Merrimack Valley and made a lot of people’s lives better […]
VOTE NOVEMBER 5th IN LOCAL ELECTIONS – HERE’S WHY ITS IMPORTANT November 5th is Election Day for cities in the Merrimack Valley. In Methuen and Haverhill voters get to decide who their mayor will be for the next two years. In Lawrence, Mayor Dan Rivera has two years left in his term and cannot […]
Every two years, Methuen voters elect a mayor to represent the city’s municipal government as it’s CEO. The mayor is in charge of all hiring, firing, promotions and demotions for the City of Methuen. The mayor is also in charge of signing all private contracts and enforcing the city ordinances set forth by the city […]
Fellow Committee Member Says DiZoglio Should Resign Last month, we learned at an open meeting that whistle-blower Ian Gosselin – the business manager of the Methuen Public Schools – told School Committee member Nick DiZoglio in early 2018 that school finances were out of whack and that the budget numbers were fake. DiZoglio didn’t inform […]
July, 2019 Given the enormous conflicts and controversies that have gone on in Methuen over the last two years, you might think that the people of Methuen have had enough. But a quick look at the number of people running for city offices this year shows that they really haven’t, and that’s tragic. The City […]
NOW THAT WAS A BASH!!! Each year the Valley Patriot celebrates our anniversary with a charity BASH scholarship and award night. This year we raised and gave away almost $10,000 in scholarships to local students, raised money for Veterans Northeast Outreach in Haverhill, and were able to give out 8 different awards to community heroes. […]
REPORT: Four Councilors Benefited from Police Contract Vote The state Inspector General’s Office (IG) is an independent state agency that conducts investigations of government agencies and makes recommendations when wrongdoing is found. The IG investigated the process of the City of Methuen’s superior officer’s contract approval that has long been the subject of dispute. The […]
Feb. 2019 The Inspector General’s report on the approval of the Methuen Superior Officers’ contract was scathing and eye opening to those who have not been paying attention to Methuen politics. The report is harsh with criticism of former Mayor Zanni, current Mayor Jajuga, the previous city council, and others. It detailed how the former […]