HEROES AND BOZOS OF 2018 While we normally reserve the word “hero” for our brave veterans, police officers, and firefighters, the use of the word hero in this yearly notebook feature “HEROES and BOZOS” is to denote community heroes who go above and beyond to make our lives better. BOZO – METHUEN SCHOOL COMMITTEEMAN […]
VOTE SEPT. 4TH, DAY AFTER LABOR DAY… IT’S IMPORTANT! Secretary of State Bill Galvin has scheduled this year’s state primary elections for the day after Labor Day when a lot of people are not even back from summer vacation. That means a very low turnout is expected and as anyone who has ever studied elections […]
The Firefighter’s Relief’s In at 1 Market Street in Lawrence is celebrating yet another anniversary and as one of their biggest cheerleaders I couldn’t be more thrilled. Next month we will be highlighting some of the great things the Lawrence Firefighters Relief does in the community. There’s a reason we prefer to have our annual […]
NORTH ANDOVER BOARD CONDEMNS “BIGOTRY/HATE” Last month the North Andover Board of Selectmen took an official vote “condemning hate and bigotry” in Charlottesville. It was the dumbest and worst kind of political pandering and grandstanding I’ve seen since Al Perry was chairman of the school committee. Having the board condemning hate and bigotry is […]
MEDFLIGHT COPTER SHOT AT, MEDFLIGHT ISSUES BIZARRE PRESS RELEASE Last month a fight on Boxford Street in Lawrence resulted in six people being stabbed. One was stabbed in the chest, another stabbed in the face twice. After the victims were transported to the hospital we heard the police call to the helipad at Lawrence General for […]
BREAKING THEIR WORD ON ENDORSEMENTS In my book, your word is your bond. If you make a commitment and give your word, no matter how inconvenient it is, you keep your word. Unfortunately, I am in the rare minority these days. Last month, The Valley Patriot held two debates with the candidates for Essex County […]
Reggie Autumn Craft & Vendor Fair to be held on Saturday, October 29, 2016 at Greater Lawrence Technical School Andover, MA. We are looking for interested crafters and vendors interested in participating inthefair. Spaces are $25.00. For more information and an application please contact SOuellette@glts.net or CLewis@glts.net. OVERHEARD: At a recent high school scholarship night […]
THANK YOU OUTBACK – Last month the Veterans’ Services Officer for North Andover and Boxford, Gerard Maguire, held a fundraiser for our veterans at the Relief’s In in Lawrence. I want to personally thank the Outback Steak House in Methuen for donating an amazing meal for the event in support of our veterans. I am […]
TOP 8 FACEBOOK PET PEEVES # 1 CLICK BAIT: You have seen it in your newsfeed on Facebook. The title will say something like: “Two year old climbs into box with rattlesnakes, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS STUNNING!” This is a cheap and annoying stunt to get you to click the link and it’s called […]
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 […]
PUBLIC RECORDS SIDENOTES By now you know I’m in a fight to change the state’s fake public records law. One of the things not really discussed in the many stories this month about that fight is the MMA, or the Massachusetts Municipal Association. This is a group that opposes putting penalties on public officials who […]
BOZO OF THE YEAR – LENNY DEGNAN – It takes a lot to get bozo of the year but Lenny Degnan, (former Chief of Staff for Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua) has managed to do just that. Degnan was convicted of fraud and corruption earlier this year as the result of his role […]
Tuesday, November 4th is Election Day. On this year’s ballot are races for Governor, Congress, US Senate, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, State Senate, State Representative, Governor’s Council, and several other state and countywide positions. The people elected to these public positions will decide the way your government operates, raises and spends money, […]
BOSTON PRESS FAKES POLL NUMBERS IN TIERNEY RACE I declare shenanigans! Before the September 9th primary elections in MA the Boston Globe and the Boston media was so desperate to inflate congressional candidate Seth Moulten’s numbers against John Tierney that they released a bogus poll a week before the election showing Tierney at 47% and […]
SALISBURY FREE CASH? – Why would Town Manager Neil Harrington and Sewer Commissioner/Selectmen transfer $460,000 from the Sewer Enterprise Fund (SEF) – and name it “free cash” when it absolutely is not free cash? On May 19th voters spoke up at Town Meeting saying Salisbury had special “Step 3” Federal Grant conditions in order to […]