By: Tom Duggan – April, 04, 2006 Fulya Metin, the former secretary for the city of Methuen, who alleged sexual harassment against then City Solicitor Maurice Leriviere, has been awarded workers’ compensation benefits. After claiming that she could no longer work comfortably in the same office where Solicitor Lariviere had allegedly “harassed” her (even though […]
November, 2005 The running joke before last week’s election was: “who is going to LOSE by a wider margin, Marcos Devers in Lawrence or Ellen Bahan in Methuen?” Well, Ellen won that one, but not much else. She lost the mayoral race to Bill Manzi by a margin of 28% to 68%, a resounding victory […]
By: Methuen City Council President, Billy Manzi – December, 2004 With Methuen’s City Council prepared to set a “tax rate” at the December 6th meeting, it was an opportune time to discuss the process, tax classification, and general budgetary matters. While the Mayor’s recommendations were not yet available at press time, Methuen’s budget does […]
What does being mayor have to do with education? The mayor of Methuen is chairman of the School Committee. It’s not like that in every city, but it is in Methuen. The Superintendent of Schools runs the day to day operations, but, the School Committee is responsible for the budget, which is the money we […]
By: Ken Willette – 6/24 To inspire a nation suffering from unprecedented economic turmoil, FDR once declared: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” If Biden ever got caught in a hot mic moment of complete honesty, he might counter by saying,” The only political tool I have left is fear.” […]
By: Bill Cushing 6-24 From time to time, my column will feature questions asked by readers regarding the world of TV. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have about TV at BillsTVTalk@gmail.com, and I’ll do my best to answer you and may feature your question in a future column. Here’s […]
By: State Senator Pavel Payano – 6/24 In a landmark decision, the Massachusetts Senate has unanimously passed a budget totaling $57.999 billion for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). This significant decision followed three days of robust and bipartisan debate, resulting in the adoption of over 400 amendments and 43 roll call votes. The Senate added […]
By: Katie Cook – 6/24 Service clubs truly are the heart of the Merrimack Valley! Typically, these clubs are professional men & women coming together to provide service to our communities, in line with their national organizations mission. They are neighbors, friends, and leaders volunteering their skills and resources to solve issues and address […]
By: Philippe Thibault – 5/24 The populace in Dracut is fiercely proud of its agrarian ancestry. The wilderness north of the river, known to the native peoples as Augumtoocooke, was incorporated into the Town of Dracut in 1701. The earliest “European “settlers with names of Varnum, Richardson, Fox, and others took to the soil to […]
Last month, at The Valley Patriot’s 20th Anniversary BASH, not only did the newspaper give out $58,000 in scholarship money to local students but several people were honored for their work in the community with recognitions and awards. THE JOHN RATKA HERO VETERANS AWARD Because honoring Veterans is so much a part of what we […]
By: Francisco Paulino To the Valued Residents of Methuen and Lawrence, Currently, our community, along with the broader national landscape, has encountered a series of economic challenges. One of the most pressing issues has been the rise of credit card indebtedness and defaults, a trend that leads to a greater financial burden among many […]
By: State Rep. Estela Reyes – 3/24 I want to start my column this month by recognizing Tom Duggan and the Valley Patriot’s 20th Anniversary BASH. This event raised a record amount – over $58,000 for scholarships for eight local students in the Merrimack Valley. Tom is instrumental in the operations of the Valley Patriot […]
State Senator Pavel Payano – 4-24 Amidst a flurry of legislative activity, myself and my colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate have been hard at work this month, addressing a myriad of pressing issues impacting residents across the Commonwealth. From passing significant laws to gearing up for this year’s budget discussions, engaging with constituent cases, to […]
By: Ken Willette – 3/24 Many fairy tales provide direct life lessons of morality, honesty, ethical behavior, and examples of karma. The Emperor’s New Clothes, penned by Hans Christian Andersen, is a perfect metaphor for Biden and his complacent Palace Guard. Between his court handlers, the Sunday morning press lackeys, the network and cable DNC […]
By: John Cuddy – 3/24 “Breakfast is the best meal of the day.” Tom Finn’s family has been hearing this for decades. They assumed it was an ode to health experts or to picking up the tab for the least expensive meal. But, no, it is a nod to the U.S. Army. Though the […]