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 […]
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 […]
WHO’S IN AND WHO’S OUT IN CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE RACES Candidates wishing to have their names appear on the September ballot for municipal elections had until close of business on Tuesday to turn in the required number of signatures. The Lawrence City Council is made up of nine members. Six members of the […]
Former Lawrence School Committeeman Jim Vittorioso has passed away. Vittorioso was a teacher in the Lawrence public schools and at the Greater Lawrence Technical School. He served as a school committeeman under Dr. Gene Thayer’s reign as superintendent in the mid to late 80’s. He then returned to the school committee in the early 2000’s […]
October, 2013 – Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan sat down with Lawrence Superintendent/Receiver Jeff Riley of the Lawrence Public Schools for a one on one interview. Riley was appointed Receiver of the Lawrence Public Schools by the Massachusetts Department of Education after an 81 page report detailed the lack of leadership of the Lantigua […]
LAWRENCE- Today Myra Ortiz launched her campaign for Lawrence School Committee District A. Ortiz a mother of two and resident of the city for 13 years decided less than a week ago that she could not sit idly by while no one stepped up to give her and her neighbors a voice on the Lawrence […]
“The help we give to Lawrence will not be an infusion of capital it will be getting at some management changes.” Deval Patrick January, 2010 “My goal is to decentralize” Jeff Riley 2011 By: Tom Duggan – April 16, 2013 When State Receiver Jeff Riley took over the failing Lawrence Public Schools more than two years ago, he promised to decrease the […]
By: Peter Larocque – December 2012 What we all witnessed early Wednesday morning, November 7, 2012, the day after the election for the Presidency of the United States of America, didn’t just begin a few days before. It was a long time in the making. I have listened to many reasons, countless amounts of […]
Cooper resigned last month and moved out of the city saying that she refused to keep her children in the Lawrence Public Schools given the lack of leadership and curriculum just days before school was to begin. (see story) Four Lawrence Residents from the Mount Vernon District in Lawrence put their names in for consideration: […]
By; Peter Larocque – August, 2o12 That’s right, folks! I said orphanages. Lawrence, the nation’s first planned industrial city; which was once known for its massive mills lining the Merrimack River producing textiles for American and European markets, is now a mere shadow of its former self. Only time will tell whether or not […]
Massachusetts Officials Have No Plan to Fix Lawrence Schools and No Exit Plan or Timetable to Leave By: Tom Duggan – June, 2012 Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Mitch Chester stood on a stage at the South Lawrence East School last month flanked by Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua, City Councilor Dan Rivera, State Representative Paul Adams, Maura […]
Free Dental for all LPS Students and their Families By: Tom Duggan, July, 2012 LAWRENCE – With the Lawrence Public School under the complete control of the State Department of Education there are a lot of changes coming to the school system, and a lot more money being spent.Where we are – State Commissioner […]
By: Peter Larocque – January, 2012 As of the time this article went to print, The Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Mr. Mitchell Chester held meetings with the Lawrence Teacher’s Union, Lawrence Parents and Community members, and finally with the Lawrence Public School Personnel. His message to all is that he is […]
By: Peter Larocue – September, 2011 In my August Valley Patriot column I wrote about having an event where we the Citizens of Lawrence who believe in the power of prayer could come together in unity to pray for ourselves and family and our homes and for the City of Lawrence and its officials. […]
By; Tom Duggan – May, 2011 Lawrence School Committeeman Sammy Reyes (District D) has written a scathing letter to the city council demanding that education funds (which were used for city services) be repaid to the school children of Lawrence. In his letter, Reyes threatens to turn in the Lantigua administration for misappropriation […]