Dominicans in Lawrence Vote for Dominican President, Show ID to Vote and say Voter ID is “Not Racist”

Dominicans in Lawrence Vote for Dominican President, Show ID to Vote and say Voter ID is “Not Racist”

  By: Tom Duggan – 5-15-16 LAWRENCE – The gymnasium of the old high school on Haverhill St. was filled to capacity Sunday afternoon as Dominican citizens who live in the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts turned out in large numbers to vote for the next Dominican President.  Dominican citizens who have dual citizenship with the […]

Legislators Tour Daybreak Homeless Shelter, Funding Needed

Legislators Tour Daybreak Homeless Shelter, Funding Needed

Over coffee and pastry, fifty people attended the first legislative open house at Daybreak Shelter in Lawrence, MA. In tight quarters, Carina Pappalardo, Chief Executive Officer, discussed the agency’s partnership with the Coalition for Homeless Individuals. The homeless make up a third of the state’s homeless population in Massachusetts.  A population that is on the rise […]

Valley Patriot Newspaper Celebrates the Community with Our 12th Anniversary BASH!

Valley Patriot Newspaper Celebrates the Community with Our 12th Anniversary BASH!

Join us as We Celebrate The Valley Patriot’s 12th Anniversary! TICKETS ARE $30 in Adv. $40 at the Door * VETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY ARE FREE ORDER TICKETS ON-LINE HERE or mail your check to The Valley Patriot, PO BOX 453, North Andover, MA 01845 March 25th, 6PM @ The Relief’s In, 1 Market St. Lawrence, MA […]

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (Dec. 2015) – Recall Against Lawrence Mayor Rivera Must Fail

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (Dec. 2015) – Recall Against Lawrence Mayor Rivera Must Fail

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 […]

Lawrence Engine 9 Reopens in Lawrence

Lawrence Engine 9 Reopens in Lawrence

    More than five years after being closed because of budget cuts, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera has reopened the Engine 9 Fire Station on Bailey St., saying the station “will be operated by a minimum of three firefighters, one apparatus and one rescue boat twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.”  “This is the best case […]

More Than 100 Rally for Embattled Lawrence Mayor, Rivera Says Opponents Are Corrupt

More Than 100 Rally for Embattled Lawrence Mayor, Rivera Says Opponents Are Corrupt

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 […]

Recall Chaos – Two Recalls vs Lawrence Mayor Rivera Now Circulating, Mayor Asks Judge for Fair Hearing

Recall Chaos – Two Recalls vs Lawrence Mayor Rivera Now Circulating, Mayor Asks Judge for Fair Hearing

LAWRENCE – The recall effort against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera by former Mayor William Lantigua supporters has declined into chaos with two separate (legally valid) recall petitions circulating throughout the city to remove the mayor from office. Rivera’s attorney was in court Wednesday asking a judge to put a halt to the second recall, the […]

Labor Union to Bankroll Recall Efforts to Remove Lawrence Mayor, Calls Rivera “Sexist”, “Racist” and an “Oreo Cookie”

Labor Union to Bankroll Recall Efforts to Remove Lawrence Mayor, Calls Rivera “Sexist”, “Racist” and an “Oreo Cookie”

The president of a local union has come forward saying he and his organization are going to bankroll the recall petition against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera to have Rivera removed from office. A recall effort is underway in the city by undertaker Louis Farrah and his group  Mike Gagliardi, head of Laborers Union Local 175 in Methuen, […]

Dr. Gomer Turns Eyesore in Lawrence Into Jewel of the Neighborhood

Dr. Gomer Turns Eyesore in Lawrence Into Jewel of the Neighborhood

After a year of construction work, Dr. Gomer finally announced the opening of his new location for Mount Vernon Dental Solutions. The new dental office was built in place of an old Julie and Wendy’s convenience store that was abandoned for a long time. Last month, Lawrence officials attended a ribbon cutting at Mount Vernon […]

Councilor Testifies For Tougher Fines for Illegal Dumpers in Lawrence

Councilor Testifies For Tougher Fines for Illegal Dumpers in Lawrence

By: Tom Duggan – July 14, 2015 BOSTON – Lawrence City Councilor Marc Laplante was on Beacon Hill Tuesday testifying for passage of his legislation to increase fines for illegal dumping in Lawrence. If passed, House Bill 1258 would let the City of Lawrence increase the maximum fine for illegal dumping from $300, to between $5,000 and […]

Fighting to Change Massachusetts’ Fake Public Records Law

Fighting to Change Massachusetts’ Fake Public Records Law

  Massachusetts Legislators, members of the media and 1st amendment advocates testified last month before a joint House and Senate committee on Beacon Hill, asking legislators to add penalties to the state’s fake public records law. The law, MGL Ch. 66, states that the keeper of records in any municipality or public agency must turn over public […]

Lantigua Confidant, Milagros Dominguez Arrested by Homeland Security for Misuse of Social Security Numbers

Lantigua Confidant, Milagros Dominguez Arrested by Homeland Security for Misuse of Social Security Numbers

By: Tom Duggan & Janet Aldrich May 12, 2015 A long time ally, confidant, strategist, and campaign worker for former Lawrence Mayor and State Rep. Willie Lantigua, has been arrested and charged by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force.  The task force is a partnership between HSI and other federal, state, and local […]

Moody’s Upgrades Lawrence to an A3 Rating with a Stable Outlook

Moody’s Upgrades Lawrence to an A3 Rating with a Stable Outlook

February 18, 2015, Lawrence, MA- Last week, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the City of Lawrence’s credit rating to A3 from Baa1. This rating upgrade is the first time Lawrence has received an “A” level rating from Moody’s since 1986. The rating upgrade with a stable outlook validates the city’s financial recovery and will directly impact […]