By: Tom Duggan, 1-12-15 Massachusetts State Lottery Director Michael Sweeney told the Valley Patriot Tuesday morning that the Powerball jackpot has been adjusted to $1.5B, the largest lottery payout in world history. “It’s really a big win for the state,” Sweeney said. The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been hit in 19 successive drawings. The last time someone […]
JUST ONE MAN’S OPINION On September 14, 2015 the Tomasellis went before the Salisbury Board of Selectmen/Sewer Commissioners and asked them to instruct attorneys for the town to tell the courts, that the Tomasellis were not responsible to pay for this sewer betterment. They did not own the property in 1982 when the assessment was […]
By Tom Duggan – 12-26-15 Hundreds of needy and underprivileged children in Methuen were shocked yesterday morning to find a present under their Christmas trees, thanks to the efforts of the Methuen Police, Fire, and the volunteers at Debbies Treasure Chest, which is headquartered in Lawrence. Methuen Officers Derek Licata and Mike Blanchette, as well […]
Tom Duggan -12.20.15|4:40PM METHUEN – Methuen police were dispatched to an odd call Sunday when a woman dialed 911 on her cell phone to complain that a Salem NH police cruiser was trying to pull her over. According to police communications, the woman was asking for Methuen police to stop the Salem police, from stopping […]
By: Tom Duggan – 12-16-15 Laborer’s Union President Mike Gagliardi says that supporters of the failed recall petition against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera will be in court to file a law suit against the city if 1,500 signatures that were disqualified are not counted as valid. Gagliardi also says recall supporters will be asking for a […]
By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 2015 Serving more than 1,500 meals per month and having room to shelter only 50 people per night, the Daybreak Homeless Shelter in Lawrence is in severe need of additional funding as well as a new facility. According to Psychological Center CEO, Carina Pappalardo, the Daybreak Shelter serves 1,600 homeless […]
By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 11, 2015 The recall efforts against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera was dealt a critical blow Friday as recall supporters fell 655 signatures short of the 5,645 required to trigger a special election to throw Rivera out of office. This is only one of two recall efforts to unseat Rivera. Both recalls are being […]
In November of 2013, (then) Lawrence City Councilor Dan Rivera defeated incumbent Mayor Willie Lantigua by 84 votes. After a recount was conducted, and Rivera was again declared the winner, Mayor Lantigua told The Valley Patriot that he would be coming back to run against Rep. Marcos Devers and then, working full time to recall […]
By: Maria Fiato. Christine Ryan, and Tom Duggan Nov. 23, 2015 MASSACHUSETTS – After nearly five years of trying to get the Massachusetts legislature to reform the state’s impotent public records law, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan says that they have made a good first step towards holding public officials accountable for not turning over […]
By: Tom Duggan – November 29, 2015 RELATED STORIES – PHOTOS (videos below) More than 100 people rallied in support of embattled Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera Sunday on the Campagnone Common, in the wake of two recall petitions to throw Rivera out of office. Rivera is in his second year of a four year […]
By: Tom Duggan – November, 2015 Methuen Mayor Steve Zanni was re-elected to his third and final term last month. Methuen has a charter provision that limits the consecutive terms a mayor can serve to three. Mayor’s serve for two years. Mayor Zanni was first elected to the Methuen School committee and then the city […]
Kemal Bozkurt is the first Muslim elected to public office in Lawrence. Bozkurt, the city’s acting library director, ran a sticker campaign for school committee last month as there was not even one candidate on the ballot to fill the seat. Now, Bozkurt is being pressured by members of the city council to either […]
By: Tom Duggan – Oct. 29, 2015 In 2010, Sven Amirian declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy when his successful business was hit hard by the recession. Documents obtained by The Valley Patriot show that Amirian owed $303,244.75 in total debt including his mortgage. The bankruptcy was discharged in 2011. Amirian is a candidate for Haverhill School Committee and also […]
By: Tom Duggan – Oct. 25, 2015 At least three Methuen Public School students were arrested this week for threatening mass school shootings. The first, a high school student, the other two were 8th graders at the Tenney Middle School. In an exclusive interview with The Valley Patriot on Saturday, Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon […]
By: Tom Duggan – Oct. 23, 2015|7pm For the second time in two days, Methuen Public School students have been arrested for threatening to shoot up a school and kill other kids. (High School Student Arrested). This time it was two 8th grade students at the Tenney Middle School. Methuen police say they arrested the 8th grade […]