By: Kane Peaslee Merrimack Valley Food Bank is a 501c-3 Regional Food Distribution Center in Lowell, Massachusetts that provides nutritious food and freedom from hunger to the low income, homeless and the hungry. The MVFB distributes food to many of the local food pantrys, senior citizen complexes, shelters, school department, and group homes in […]
By: John Cuddy – Feb. 2022 This month is a rare, second interview with a local Veteran, first interviewed by our editor Tom Duggan in October of 2016. Since that time, US Air Force Veteran John MacDonald, has been very busy, assisting Veterans throughout the Merrimack Valley and the United States. Had a meeting […]
Council President Marc LaPlante, Council Vice-President Estela Reyes, and members of the Lawrence City Council, City Clerk Diane LeBlanc, city officials present both here and through virtual media, and my fellow Lawrencians, good evening. My gratitude to GOD, my wife Dilenny DePeña, my family, as well to the whole team at the Council Chamber that […]
By: Santiago Reyes Cruz, Jr. – Dec. 2021 What’s next for Lawrence? Election season is finally over. Former City Councilor Brian DePena has officially been sworn in as the new Mayor of Lawrence and will serve until 2026. DePena is a local Dominican businessman who has a clear strategy as to how he’ll improve the […]
Sept, 2021 Twenty years ago this nation was attacked by Muslim Terrorists who hate this country because we do not subjugate our women, we do not believe in violence committed in the name of our “god” and we allow our citizens the freedom to make their own decisions. We remember the towers coming down that […]
By: Kane – July, 2021 Operation Delta Dog, Ellie is a 7-month-old Nashua Police Tracking Dog in training and learning to be a Community Comfort Dog for Veterans and other community members. She is in the care of Operation Delta Dog’s lead trainer Carolyn Barney and started training and socialization with her handler from the […]
Kane put on his thinking cap so he could pay special attention to what president Kelly Burns and Tommy the Pitt Bull Terrier had to say about their nonprofit organization Bullied Breed Rescue. Kane also a rescue felt he would learn how Bullied Breed gives dogs like Tommy a chance to find a loving […]
March, 2021 Seventeen years ago, this month, the very first Valley Patriot rolled off the printing press at Graphic Development in Hanover, Massachusetts. We remember the predictions of local politicians who said we would be out of business in 3 months, laughing at the idea that anyone would take this monthly publication seriously. We also […]
By: Linda Dean Campbell The State Legislature extended its two-year session past the usual July 31st end date in order to continue legislating during the pandemic. While we have accomplished a great deal, so much remains to be done to continue state funding of critical services related to the pandemic, pass important legislation, support cities […]
Hello Valley Patriot Readers, 2020 was a challenging year to say the least, with our communities facing hardships that COVID-19 brought to our economy, families, health care system and many other facets of our lives. At the same time, it was amazing to see the people of the Merrimack Valley come together during an unprecedented […]
The Valley Patriot’s newest columnist, Kane (and his mom Denise) making his first appearance on the Paying Attention! Podcast at the Studio 21 Podcast Cafe’ in Salem NH. Kane defeated Winston in our readers’ choice election last month, to replace Freddie who passed away from the doggie Coronavirus. By: Kane Peaslee Kane met […]
Nov. 16, 2020 Since being taken over by former North Andover Veterans’ Services Officer (VSO) Ed Mitchell, Veteran’s North East Outreach in Haverhill has come under fire for neglecting and turning away local vets, firing veterans and hiring friends who are not veterans. Mitchell took over after the passing of VNOC’s founder John Ratka last year when […]
October 19, 2020 In July our Valley Patriot mascot Freddie, of “Freddie Says” (sponsored by the Daily Dose Cafe in Lawrence at Sal’s Riverwalk) passed away from the China Doggie Virus. The Valley Patriot put out a call on Facebook for a replacement and after getting 67 requests from dogs and their owners, decided that […]
In the wake of the George Floyd killing at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers, protests and riots broke in more than a dozen major cities. Nearly two full weeks after George Floyd’s death, the radical anti-police group Black Lives Matter held two rallies in Lawrence on the Campagnone Common. Both the Friday […]
Financial Assistance Massachusetts is home to 380,000 of the nation’s 21 million veterans. More than half are aged 65 and older, and one in seven lives in poverty. As a result, our veterans are particularly at risk of contracting COVID19, as well as experiencing economic hardship during the current public health crisis. For low-income veterans […]