Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington is The Poster Boy for Why We Need a New Public Records Law

Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington is The Poster Boy for Why We Need a New Public Records Law

  NEIL HARRINGTON IS THE POSTER BOY When I started this journey to reform our state’s public records law five years ago I had no idea that the Town of Salisbury would feature so prominently in my motivations to add stiff penalties for officials who refuse to turn over public documents. Yet, here we are. […]

Salisbury Selectman Henry Richenburg Fined $2,500 for Conflict of Interest Law Violations 

Salisbury Selectman Henry Richenburg Fined $2,500 for Conflict of Interest Law Violations 

The State Ethics Commission has fined Salisbury Selectman Henry Richenburg, who admitted violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by his actions as Selectman in connection with the Board of Selectman’s (BOS’s) consideration and approval of an application for a license to operate a poultry business submitted by Richenburg’s son-in-law.  Richenburg has paid a $2,500 civil […]

More Salisbury Residents Say They Paid Sewer Betterment “Fraud”

More Salisbury Residents Say They Paid Sewer Betterment “Fraud”

By: Tom Duggan – December, 2014 SALISBURY, MA – For the last year and a half The Valley Patriot has been investigating the way the Town of Salisbury charges rate payers for construction projects – sewer betterments, sewer user fees, water fees, taxes on property, and exactly how much tax and at what rate payers were […]

Economic Development, Revitalization in Salisbury: Environmental Affairs Undersecretary Visits the Beach

Economic Development, Revitalization in Salisbury:  Environmental Affairs Undersecretary Visits the Beach

  IN YOUR CORNER WITH KATY IVES By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives October, 2014 I recently invited Undersecretary of Environmental Affairs, Martin Suuberg, to join me and Representative Michael Costello to visit Salisbury Beach and learn about ongoing and potential revitalization opportunities at Salisbury Beach Center. Town Manager Neil Harrington, Chairman of the Board of […]

Town of Salisbury Spends $100K on Tomaselli Debacle – Refuses to Release Documents Showing Claimed $100K Legal Costs

Town of Salisbury Spends $100K on Tomaselli Debacle –  Refuses to Release Documents Showing Claimed $100K Legal Costs

On May 1st The Valley Patriot requested of the Town of Salisbury to produce “documents showing the legal cost and all other costs for the town’s multiple lawsuits and legal issues with the Tomaselli sisters from 2005 to present…”.  On May 13th, the town responded three days past the ten day requirement set forth by […]

Salisbury Continues Telling $80 Million Lie to Bankruptcy Court

By: Gracemarie and Joyce Tomaselli How many new buyers, realtors, attorneys and judges know the legal meaning of “impose – levy – assess”? Read this, because when you don’t understand the difference, you could be tricked to believe that you owe(d) an assessment/betterment bill that you did not owe. Our experience is that municipalities and […]

Letter from Tomaselli Sisters on The $80 Million Lie in Salisbury

Letter to Tom Duggan, Publisher of the Valley Patriot, We thank you for your quest to report the truth to your readers. You have devoted an enormous amount of time researching and reviewing government and court documents relating to the Town of Salisbury and their corruption scheme. After people read the August 2013 edition of […]

Why Did Salisbury Refuse to Cash $15K Check from Tomaselli Sisters?

Why Did Salisbury Refuse to Cash $15K Check from Tomaselli Sisters?

By: Tom Duggan – December, 2013 In the ongoing battle between the Town of Salisbury and the Tomaselli sisters over the Town’s efforts to take their property, Town Manager Neil Harrington recently attacked the Tomaselli sisters at a Board of Selectmen Meeting saying that the sisters are trying to get out of paying their taxes, […]

Salisbury Town Officials Change their Story on Cost of Sewer Project, Told Federal Judge Cost was $80M

Salisbury Town Officials Change their Story on Cost of Sewer Project, Told Federal Judge Cost was $80M

By: Tom Duggan – November, 2013 Condon and Knowles now seem to be backing the Tomaselli sisters’ claim that the project cost was not $80M On October 7, 2013 the Salisbury Board of Selectmen held a meeting where the “$80 Million Lie” was discussed. The Tomaselli sisters of Salisbury have long contended that the total […]

Auditor, Valley Mayors Highlight MeVa Bus Services ~ IN YOUR CORNER with MASSACHUSETTS AUDITOR DIANA DIZOGLIO

Auditor, Valley Mayors Highlight MeVa Bus Services ~ IN YOUR CORNER with MASSACHUSETTS AUDITOR DIANA DIZOGLIO

  HAVERHILL – Audits are a process typically thought of as painful inconveniences to businesses and organizations. Recently, however, several Merrimack Valley mayors joined with State Auditor Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) to highlight the positive experience that went along with a routine audit of MeVa. “While audits can be daunting, Auditor DiZoglio and her office understood […]

Our Silent Generation Speaks – Two-Service Vet Robert Lister ~ Valley Patriot of the Month

Our Silent Generation Speaks – Two-Service Vet Robert Lister ~ Valley Patriot of the Month

By: John Cuddy 10-23 Raised in Methuen, Massachusetts, where he returned to over thirty years ago, ninety-year-old Robert Lister and his daughter Joan, recently met with the Valley Patriot to tell his story. Growing up, he had three sisters and one brother. Robert attended Lawrence High School for a while before joining the US Navy […]

Summer Happenings ~ Free Family Events in The Merrimack Valley!

Summer Happenings ~ Free Family Events in The Merrimack Valley!

AMESBURY Cider Hill Farm, Jul 9th 11AM Outdoor Hard Cider Bar & Free! Live Music Series Jul 15th-16th & 22-23 8AM Blueberry & Flower Fest Jul 15th 11AM Outdoor Hard Cider Bar & Free! Live Music Series ANDOVER Canzoni da Sonar Jul 12th 7:30 - 8:45PM Canzoni da Sonar at The Chapel at West Parish Jul […]

Justices Rule Home Equity Theft Unconstitutional – Will Have Local Implications

Justices Rule Home Equity Theft Unconstitutional – Will Have Local Implications

Joyce and Gracemarie Tomaselli,  6-23 Last month the U.S. Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that home equity theft by government entities is unconstitutional, securing an individual’s right to just compensation when their property is confiscated and sold in a tax foreclosure. “This decision affirms that property rights are fundamental and don’t depend solely on state […]