By: Kathy Runge – November, 2015 The election has come and gone and the good news is, I should have no scarcity of material for the foreseeable future. The bad news is that Brian DePena was top vote getter in the Councilor at-Large race. Mr. DePena, I will be thrilled if you prove me wrong. […]
By: John MacDonald – November 2015 The results of the Lowell City Council and Lowell School Committee elections are in. A message that was loud and clear … don’t mess with a local guy. When all things are equal, you put personal feelings aside and support the local guy. The ghost of Jay Lang hung […]
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is due to make a formal recommendation on whether to adopt the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test or to continue with the MCAS test at their meeting on November 17. In the final weeks leading up to the decision, the debate […]
By: Peter Larocque – November, 2015 I remember years ago, a friend of mine who lived down the street from where I lived got a new bike. But this was not just an ordinary bike; it was The New Varoom Bike from Mattel with Stingray handlebars, which came with the sound of a motorcycle. This […]
By: Cheryl Hajjar, Nov. 2015 In days past, bullying was somewhat of a norm, or almost even seen as a rite of adolescent passage. Most kids at some point were victims of some sort of bullying whether it be physical, emotional, or a little of both. Today, it is recognized as a serious mental health […]
By: Forest Rain – Nov. 2015 Imagine you at are work. A day like any day. Then your best friend’s 13-year-old son bursts in, looks in to your eyes and says “Save me! Please save me!” falling in to your arms, blood pouring down his neck and side. Imagine trying to stop the blood pouring […]
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: Bharany Padmanabhan – Nov. 2015 The Obama Administration has to this minute not denied documents furnished to federal courts documenting that the Sinaloa drug cartel are officially supported by the Department of Justice and officially coordinate with the highest rungs of power within law enforcement exactly as James ‘Whitey’ Bulger did for years. HERE […]
BOSTON, MA — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump notified cities and towns across the Commonwealth that they will get more than $2.76 million to cover the cost of extra mandated polling hours for the 2016 March Presidential primary, and the 2016 September state primary and the November final elections. The Auditor’s Division of Local Mandates […]
By: Bill Cushing – Nov. 2015 It’s not that often that I write about a comedy. Quite frankly it’s because I think that most of the comedies on the air today just aren’t that good. There are a few good ones; Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are two of them. But a new comedy […]
By: Rebecca Pearson – November 24, 2014 With recent reports hitting the news streams about the over whelming opioid overdoses in our area and around the Massachusetts and New Hampshire boarders. The question remains, are there enough long term facilities available for those overcoming substance abuse whether it be from drug or alcohol. Many detoxes […]
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 […]
PERISOCOPE – With the advance of technology, The Valley Patriot is now using a cell phone application called Periscope to do live video interviews online. On Election Day, we were able to get out to Lawrence and Methuen to interview the candidates and some of their supporters. As soon as we got LIVE on the […]
By: Amy Berard – November, 2015 1. How often is the SpEd (Special Education) teacher in the inclusion classroom? At an IEP meeting, parents will be notified if their child is in an inclusion class. A class is labeled as an inclusion class when a SpEd teacher is pushing in to provide extra support for […]
By: Cheryl Hajjar – Oct. 2015 Healing after a divorce is a long process and never easy but it begins with you. Children can emotionally heal from a divorce if you can stabilize yourself first. One of the worst things you can do is let your children see your pure emotions as you recover from […]