The Valley Patriot, August 2012

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2012
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AUGUST, 2012 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8

Edition 106
Colizzi Memorials
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Chief: Dealers Invade Methuen

Its [drug dealing] on the quiet streets. It has infiltrated almost every neighborhood.... We are seeing that in all the quiet neighborhoods. It doesnt matter where you go in the City of Methuen, whether you are in the Arlington neighborhood or the Homestead Acres, its everywhere and what we are really finding is, its more in the quiet neighborhoods than in the Arlington neighborhood.
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INSIDE this edition!

Veterans...............................................1, 42-43 Editorial/Cartoonist Dave Sullivan..............2 Jeff Katz-OpEd.......................................2 Thinking Outside the Box........................3 Andover/N. Andover...............................4-6, 13 Georgetown/Groveland/Boxford............6-7, 39 Methuen.....................................1, 8-11, 14-15 Jacks Irish Craic....................................8 Lawrence........................................16 - 17 Lowell-Dracut.........................................18-19 Food........................................................20-21 Tom Duggans Notebook................22-23, 46 Valey Patriot Softball Team.......................23 The Doctor is IN...................................26 Chiropractor-Dr. Sung...................................27 PuppyGirl & Tracy Zysk.........................28-29 World Views.................................................30 NH Politics/Tea Party...........................31 Candidate Submissions................32-33 Senate Debate.............................................34 Beach Activities............................36 Real Estate .................................44
PHOTO: TOM DUGGAN
Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon talks about drug dealing in Methuen, traffic enforcement, and all those Lawsuits.
Methuen Police Chief, Joe Solomon, appeared on 980AM WCAPs Paying Attention! Radio Program with Tom Duggan last month where he revealed details about Methuens increasing crime problems, his recent court battles with the city, and the direction of the Methuen Police Department. The most recent court decision in Solomons favor was released last month when a judge denied the citys appeal of the Civil Service Commissions reinstatement of Solomon. The matter of Solomons employment is now permanently over as Mayor Zanni says that the city will not appeal the case any further. Solomon was initially fired on September 28, 2007. METHUENS CRIME Duggan: Whats the biggest crime problem that Methuen faces? Chief Solomon: We actually have
TOLERNACE P. 2
Jeff Katz
PuppyGirl Kate Whitney PAGE 28 Christine Morabito TEA PARTY PAGE 31
Pennie Hale
Lets Talk About Food PAGE 20 Lesbian Columnist PAGE 30
Dani Langevin
Live the WOW! Tom Connors
SOLOMON, page 10
PAGE 41
VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH

HERO IN OUR MIDST: CORPORAL SAMUEL BLUMENFELD
further northeast beyond the already captured Riva Ridge, Mount Belvedere, and Mount della Torracciataking 1,200 prisoners and occupying 35 square miles across a solid line of ridges and mountain crests. Now they controlled a 120-mile front across the crest of the Apennines to southeast of Bologna. This placed them, and the Allies, in a strategic position for their major spring offensive into the Po Valley. In April they advanced into the Po Valley and routed the Germans. Germany surrendered May 2, 1945. This persistent, intensive campaign prepared Sam for another kind of warfare in later years: the culture wars. Pressing through Apennines The Italian Campaign was one of the hardest fought campaigns of the war. The northern Apennines form an unbroken barrier 140 miles long and 40 miles deep from the Mediterranean to the Adriatic Sea. Some peaks have crests that rise 7,000 feet high. The Gothic Line, built on those heights, was embedded with 88-mm Panther gun turrets, steel shelters, bunkers dug into mountainsides, and minefields. The Line stretched east from the Ligurian Sea through Pisa, Florence, and beyond. A fortified stronghold. Forbidding. Formidable. Not easily broken. But through perseverance, it fell. On April 9, 1945, the U.S. Fifth started its offensive toward the Po Valley through Bologna. From April 13 to 18, the attacks escalated: 2,000 piece artillery barrage, aerial bombing, and intensified ground fighting routed the Germans, and drove
Helen Mooradkanian
VALLEY PATRIOT VETERAN COLUMNIST
On March 3, 1945, in Italys northern Apennines, storm clouds gathered as Private Samuel L. Blumenfeld, now of Littleton, Mass., first entered combat in WWII with the 10th Mountain Division, Field Artillery Battalion. For one born and raised in New York City, mountain warfare in winter was a new experience. But Sam was trained and prepared. His unit fired 155-mm howitzers to support the Tenths second major assault on Germanys heavily fortified Gothic Linethe last line of defense against the advancing Allied armies. Through accurate, constant, and devastating artillery fire they softened the newly reinforced German lines. As a result, in only two days, by March 5, the 10th Mountain infantry had advanced
BLUMENFELD: PAGE43
Technical Corporal Samuel L. Blumenfeld, U.S. Army, 10th Mountain Division, Field Artillery Battalion, is a veteran of WWIIs hardfought Italian Campaign, where he served in the northern Apennine mountains and the big push into the Po Valley, which finally drove Germany to surrender May 2, 1945. He later served with the Occupation forces in Italy. Medals include European-AfricanMiddle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Army of Occupation Medal.
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August - 2012
Enforce the Law

The Valley Patriot submitted document requests to the City of Lawrence under the Freedom of Information Act on February 22, 2012. The documents we requested are public documents that must be turned over within ten days by law. Yet, as of the date we published this edition, (August 7, 2012) the City of Lawrence has failed to produce any documents at all. In fact, we didnt even receive a response to our February 22nd request until the last week of July and that correspondence was a response to our inquiry as to what was taking so long. Lawrence City Attorney Charles Boddy stated in a letter dated July 18th, that we had to pay $61.81 claiming it would take city employees a mere two hours to produce the documents upon receiving payment. In other words, Lawrence stalled for months to turn over public documents that they admit only takes two hours to produce. This is unacceptable. It is a pattern of illegal behavior that goes back to Lantiguas first few weeks in office when he refused to turn over expense records for the $10,000 curtains and flooring he bought for his office. That was three years ago and nothing has changed. We believe that The Freedom of Information Act (or any law) which is not enforced isnt a really a law at all. It is a polite suggestion. We are tired of hearing the sound of crickets from state officials close to Lantigua who do absolutely nothing about these blatant violations. We demand that Secretary of State Bill Galvin and Attorney General Martha Coakley (both of whom benefit greatly from Mayor Lantiguas political support) start holding Lawrence Mayor Lantigua accountable for turning over public documents... ALL public documents, in accordance with the law.
EDITORIAL & OPINIONS
the VAlley PAtriot
Chick-Fil-A, The Intolerance of Tolerance

RADIO TALK SHOW HOST/TALK 1200AM
Jeff Katz
I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. For me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union, you know? God is in the mix. With those words, Dan Cathy the Chief Operating Officer of Chick-Fil-A started a firestorm. The press declared those words to be clearly hateful and hurtful. Obviously designed to rip families apart. Certainly the only appropriate response to such rhetoric is a full-fledged boycott. The only rational thing which a committed leftist can do is pledge never to spend a penny at Chick-Fil-A. Clearly, someone who holds such a view of the world is not worthy of any level of support from any self-respecting leftist. No gay man or woman should think twice about supporting someone saying this. Well, Dan Cathy never said that. In fact, Cathy was simply answering a question posed by a reporter for the Baptist Presss Biblical Recorder when he said We are very much supportive of the family -- the
The Valley Patriot is published monthly before the tenth of each month by the Valley Patriot, Inc., 75 Main St., North Andover, MA 01845. All contents Copyright (c) 2012, Valley Patriot, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscriptions are $50 per year and sent via U.S. Mail. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Valley Patriot, Inc., POB 453, North Andover, MA 01845. Letters to the editor, columns and op/eds can be submitted to valleypatriot@aol.com. The Valley Patriot is not responsible for the opinions expressed in submitted letters or columns. It is the policy of The Valley Patriot not to edit or exclude submitted material based on content.
The Valley Patriot is not responsible for, nor do we necessarily share the opinions of columnists and contributors that are published in the paper. Columns, by definition, are opinion pieces.
biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family owned business, a family led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. Cathy never sought to debate the issue of same sex marriage, he simply answered a question and then went on about his day operating Chick-Fil-A. I know quite a bit about Chick-Fil-A. Having lived for a number of years in Charlotte, North Carolina I became very familiar with the restaurants. My kids loved their sandwiches while the bride and I usually enjoyed one of their great salads. Even on a diet, Id have to grab one or two of the kids waffle fries because they were just incredible. I know that ChickFil-As sweet tea is a piece of southern comfort. And the milkshakes are simply the best which can be found at any fast food joint anywhere. But I also know a bit more about Chick-Fil-A. No matter how hungry you might be on a Sunday, you cant eat Chick-Fil-A unless its a left over, which is harder to find than kryptonite. You see, the Christian family which owns and operates the chain will not allow their restaurants to open on their
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Sabbath. Despite the fact that being closed clearly costs the chain millions of dollars in potential profits, the owners believe that their employees should spend the day at home with family. Besides the delicious food and those wonderful treats, what defines ChickFil-A for me is their spirit of community involvement. On a weekly basis, the Chick-Fil-A restaurants in our old neighborhood ran a fundraiser or two for our local schools. Chick-Fil-A proudly sponsored a wonderful fundraising event for police officers entitled Cop On Top. When we needed food donated for events helping disabled children, it was Chick-Fil-A which came forward. Helping deployed service men and women? Right, it was Chick-Fil-A staffers who simply asked, how can we help? The militant leftists who routinely proclaim themselves to be the voices of tolerance and diversity and inclusion announced that Chick-Fil-A needed to be punished because Mr. Cathy dared to exercise his freedom of speech. Bottom feeding politicians immediately jumped in to action. First, Americas dumbest mayor, Tom Mumbles Menino declared that Chick-Fil-A would not be allowed to open anywhere in the City of Boston. Then it was Chicago Mayor Rahmbo Emmanuel who piled on. Never mind that Chicago is in the midst of a brutal gang war with innocent babies being slaughtered in the streets. Next up? Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, apparently blissfully unaware that his citys school system is broken got in on the action. San Franciscos Mayor Ed Lee warned Chick-Fil-A not to open a location within fifty miles of his city which now has more pet dogs than children with families.
Jeff Katz is an exclusive columnist for The Valley Patriot and is a talk show host on Talk1200AM. You can email him at jeffkatz@clearchannel.com Whether you support same sex marriage or not, you must be consistent and support the right of people to speak freely. I for one always knew that freedom of speech was delicious, but I am thrilled that it is also so tasty. Oh, and who did say, I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. For me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union, you know? God is in the mix. Why that was Barack Obama. Do they serve shakes and waffle fries in the Oval Office?
The Valley Patriot is printed by Graphic Development in West Hanover, Mass.

Local daily news updates are online at facebook.com/valleypatriot
Listen to Jeff Katz on Talk1200AM every Weekday morning from 5-10am on radio at1200AM. Podcast of previous shows and interviews at talk1200.com
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August - 2012
An Open Letter to Mitt Romney:

It is Time to Stop Oppressing the Downtrodden!
poverty-stricken, ninety nine weeks of unemployment benefits for those out of work, mortgage forgiveness programs for those whose homes are under water, free tuition or low interest rate programs for college students, etc. Of course, all of these programs are accompanied by unintended consequences that invariably make the diseases they were intended to cure far worse than when the programs were introduced, not to mention the financial burden they impose on the broader economy. These programs always lead to greater pain and calls for more government intervention. Lyndon Johnsons war on poverty is now fifty years old. Despite spending trillions of dollars, poverty is winning and the wealth that has been destroyed cannot be reclaimed. More accurately, the trillions that have been spent on welfare have, in fact, funded povertys growth and caused untold suffering. If you stand back and take it all in at once, the picture is clear. Our economy is like the mighty Hercules, struggling to rise up and achieve greatness but being held down by regulatory chains, covered with the sludge of tarbaby entitlement programs and bleeding from high taxes and wealth redistribution programs. It is amazing that the economy functions at all. Our current malaise seems to be a permanent state of affairs. Our debts are growing out of control. Intelligent and capable human beings - our neighbors - are unable to find work despite the fact that there is a need for their productive efforts. Natural resources that could be used to make our lives better are languishing untapped and wasted. Fewer Americans are working today than a decade ago even though our population has grown roughly ten percent. Our youth unemployment rate is nothing less than a disgrace. The July 2011 employment rate for 16-24 year olds, typically the high point of the year when summer employment kicks in, hit a record low of less than 49% (the lowest since data was first collected in 1948; 2012 data is not yet available). By comparison, this employment rate has averaged approximately 60% from 1948 to 2008. Even college graduates, most burdened with huge debts, are hard pressed to find employment. We know the real unemployment rate is not 8.2% as reported in the media. By manipulating workforce statistics and eliminating discouraged workers - who would be glad to reenter the workforce if opportunities for employment existed - the reported unemployment rate is kept artificially low. An unemployment rate in the mid-teens more accurately describes the current employment situation. Among sub-groups like black youth the rate approaches 50%. What can we do to help the downtrodden? Increase the minimum wage? Require
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
the VAlley PAtriot 3
Doctor Chuck Ormsby

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITOR/COLUMNIST
Dear Governor Romney, America is currently enduring its second Depression in the last hundred years. Seventy percent of us have escaped with just moderate wounds. The value of our assets has declined. Our prospects seem diminished. We feel less secure. We have less confidence that our prosperity will endure. But, for now, the majority of Americans are getting by. We have the resources and income to keep our heads above water and we are enjoying the fruits of modern technology. Life is still pretty good. The same cannot be said for the thirty percent who have minimal assets, are unemployed or underemployed, and who see little prospect of finding productive work -work that will reward them both emotionally and financially and provide the basis for a stable and secure future. This thirty percent is made up of many sub-populations that provide politicians endless opportunities for pandering: EBT cards and free healthcare for the perpetually
that employers offer better health insurance with lower co-pays? How about requiring a shorter work week, more vacation, more generous family leave policies and mandatory siestas every afternoon? Maybe adding a few more regulatory agencies manned with newly hired bureaucrats would help spark a recovery. But why not achieve the same outcome using a more direct approach: just outlaw private employment altogether. Now that would be real transparency! If it is clear that adding these burdens to employers would decrease hiring and increase unemployment, why is it not equally clear that diminishing them would increase
ROMNEY: PAGE 42
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August - 2012
the VAlley PAtriot
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August - 2012
Andover High Student Swims for Breast Cancer

MBCC, an organization dedicated to breast cancer prevention. A young swimmer at the age of 9, Charleys mom (who doesnt swim herself) asked him what his dream was. My dream, said Charley is to learn to swim so that I can save you if you ever need help. As it turns out, dreams do come true. The first time I helped someone with swimming was when I saved my mom from drowning at a local swimming pool. A second time, recounted Charley, was when I saved my friend from drowning at a CTY camp pool. He is hoping to be able to reach out and help those beyond just his friends and family by fundraising for the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition. But his dedication to prevention doesnt end there. Charley is going above and beyond his participation as a swimmer, kayaker, and fundraiser for breast cancer prevention. He is now the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalitions youngest (and some would say busiest) volunteer. Among his other activities like school, chess, music lessons, and, of course, swimming, Charley will now be volunteering 4 hours each week with the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition starting this July. His involvement with MBCC was initially sparked by a friend who asked him to help fundraise for the cause, but it endured because of Charleys personal connection to the disease. His swim will be in honor of Mrs. Grace Feller, a close family friend. Diagnosed with breast cancer, she endured the disease and its difficulties for many years. Each time I open my family album and flip to the pictures that show me just a day after being born, I cant help but thank Mrs. Feller and all those who came to visit and give me great blessings. To pass those blessings on, to keep on blessing people and to wish her all the best, I will swim and kayak for this event. The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition is thrilled to have Charley as both an Against the Tide participant and as a young volunteer/intern. I cannot even begin to describe my excitement, says Cheryl Osimo, MBCC Director of Events and Outreach, of Charleys involvement. We are proud and inspired by Charleys many talents and appreciate that he will be supporting MBCC in our goal towards
ANDOVER - NORTH ANDOVER
Even as the summer days begin to dwindle down, there are many opportunities left to soak up the sun before the fall encroaches with after-school activities and busy schedules. For most 14 year olds entering their sophomore year in high school, this would mean ice-cream filled days spent hanging out with friends. For Charley Lei, an honor student at Andover High School, this means a chance to fuse fun and volunteer work as he gears up to participate as a swimmer and kayaker in the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalitions annual Against the Tide swim, walk, run, kayak fundraising event. A competitive swimmer for several years, Charley placed 5th place in the New England 14 & U Championships 200 freestyle relay at Harvard in 2012 and 2nd place in the New England 12 & U Championships at Harvard in 2010. By learning to swim, he says, I have been able to help many people. Having already saved two people with his swim training, Charley is hoping to reach thousands more by swimming in Against the Tide and fundraising for
changing the legacy of breast cancer for future generations. I believe that his determination, dedication and commitment will help MBCC to reach out to other young people throughout Massachusetts and New England to support our goal towards breast cancer prevention. To support Charleys fundraising efforts, please visit: www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/charley The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalitions (MBCC) annual Against the Tide morning event consists of competitive and recreational swim, kayak, walk, and run components. New in 2012 is an Aquathlon consisting of a competitive 1-mile swim and your choice of a competitive 5K or 10K run. The Cape Cod Against the Tide event will be held at DCRs Nickerson State Park on Saturday, August 18th. The event starts at 7:00am and ends at 12:00 noon. Please visit www.mbcc.org/swim or call 800-649-MBCC for more information and to register. You can also connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ mbccorg.
Notices From the North Andover Senior Center

HELP US SUPORT SENIORS! Your financial support helps keep us going! The Friends of the North Andover Senior Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has been extremely grateful for your generosity in past years, and we are asking for your continued support. Your tax- donation will help make a significant difference in your life, and the lives of your neighbors. Over the last eight years, The Friends of the North Andover Senior Center have continued to provide services and assistance to the older adult in the community of North Andover. Their fundraising efforts and your donations are responsible for four key ongoing programs that we provide at the North Andover Senior Center. Your donations have provided a 50% discounted MVRTA Transportation Pass for North Andover Seniors for doctors appointments and shopping trips. Your donation has provided Emergency Assistance with gift cards for food, assistance with utility bills and emergency family support. Your donation has paid for Scholarships for the older adults who live in North Andover and are on a fixed income. Without your donation, they would not be able to afford to take a computer course or attend an exercise program. Your donation supports notable events such as the volunteer appreciation luncheon and guest speakers covering topics relevant to seniors. Your financial support helps The Friends of the North Andover Senior Center accomplish extraordinary things. Our needs have grown each year and we hope we can count on your response for continued growth. The Friends of the North Andover Senior Center meet once a month on the last Thursday of the month at 4:30 at the The Center. Please join us if you would like to learn more about The Friends group. * LOBSTER BAKE: Date August 24, 2012 3:30-6:00 @ The Stevens Estate, outside dining. Clam chowder, corn on the cob, 1 lb. lobster, dessert and beverage sit back and enjoy the music of The Rockaholics. Take a walk around the gardens at the Stevens Estate. Tickets at Reception are available for $20 each. Sign up now! FREE ICE CREAM SOCIAL WITH SENATOR BRUCE TARR: August 17th 12:00 at The Center. Sign up at Reception * NEW TRANSPORTATION: Pick up at your home, drop off at local hairdressers, visit a friend at a local hospital, rehab, assisted living. Need a ride to the library, Town Hall etc.? Rides available on Thursdays and Fridays. If you would like additional information please call the North Andover Senior Center at 978 688-9560 for available time slots. * RN FOOTCARE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST: Appointments here at The Center starting
NOTICE
BEDROOM waitlist for Wood Ridge Homes, Inc sed Section 8 cooperative community located MA) will be open as of August 1, 2012. Applic ed from this date until further notice. Income ood Ridge Homes, Inc. is an equal opportunity
Mon 3:30-4:30 Zumba Basic (Mary), Wed 3-3:45 Zumba Gold w/Tallie, Wed 4-5 Zumba Fitness w/ Tallie, Thu 4:30-5:30 Zumba Fitness w/ Tallie, Sat 9:30-10:30am Zumba Fitness w/ Mary.
her information, you may contact: Wood Ridge Homes, Inc. 10 for Wood NOTICE (A project based Section 8 cooperaWood Homes, Inc. Drive Ridge The ONE BEDROOM waitlist Ridge tive community located in North Andover, MAAugust 1, 2012. Applications will North Andover MA) will be open as of 01845 be accepted from this date until further notice. Income limits apply. Wood Ridge Homes, Inc. is an equal opportunity Telephone 978.682.7093 housing provider. For further information you may contact: Fax 978.687.6616 Wood Ridge Homes, Inc 10 Wood Ridge Drive E-mail: tmwatson@woodridgehomes.org
SENIORS: PAGE 6
Sept. 21st Fridays 9- 11:30 hour appts. $25 each (Will schedule home visits as needed for $30) CATHEDRAL OF THE PINES NH: August 6th Bus $6/ 8:30-3:30 Bring your own Picnic lunch. Bus leaves Center at 8:30-3:30 FREE HEARING CLINIC: August 15th, Miracle Ear Hearing Loss testing 10:30-12:00 @ The Center MYSTERY LUNCH RIDE TO A COASTAL SENIOR CENTER: August 16th Bus & Lunch $5 Leaves Center at 10 am and returns by 3pm Sign up at Reception. MONTHLY SUPPER CLUB: August 16th Victoria Station, Salem MA Bus $4 Leaves Center at 4pm Dinner on your own FOXWOODS: Next scheduled trip, Tuesday, August 21, $30 includes lunch buffet, transportation and Keno. Bus leaves from St. Michaels parking lot at 6:45 am GEORGES ISLAND: August 30th Tour historic Fort Warren from the Civil War era, grab lunch at the Snack Shack with seafood menu, visit the gift shop and Visitor Center. Wear comfy shoes and bring a sweater. Bus and Ferry $15 from Long Wharf. Bus leaves Center at 8:30 am. Sign up now at Reception. LECTURE SERIES: Informal summer discussion group every Monday 10-11:30. (8/13-Donna Delaney, 8/20- AAA Travel Agency 8/27- Alert Response Systems)
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August - 2012
Andover Farmers Market

VALLEY PATRIOT ANDOVER COLUMNIST
ANDOVER - Georgetown-Boxford
the VAlley PAtriot
Andover Memorial Library

tests, advanced placement tests for biology, calculus. English literature and history Adult basic skills such as grammar, math skills, reading comprehension and vocabulary and spelling. Civil Service tests, college and graduate school preparation. Law enforcement exams for Corrections Officers, Police Sergeant, and Treasury Enforcement Agency. Other test exams for Real Estate Broker and Agent, Teacher Certification, EMT Basic, Paramedic, US Citizenship test plus according to the brochure at the library many more exams for you to access at home or at the Memorial Hall Library. There is no charge for these practice tests and you may retake them as often as you would like. Your score is private and is accessible only to you. The library offers this program free of charge to you. For further information please contact the library at their web site or call 978 623-8401 ext. 31 or 32.
Anne Knowles
What a great summer, residents of Andover and surrounding communities are enjoying. One of the highlights is the Annual Farmers Market, held at the site of the Historical Blanchard House, in Andover, every Saturday from 12:30 to 3:30p.m. It is scheduled to be held until October 6, 2012. The Andover Historical Society is a sponsor of the Annual Farmers Market. The Society opens the grounds of the Blanchard house and barn ,built in 1820. It has been a landmark in Andover for many years. It is an excellent location for the Market. The tables, booths and handcrafted items are set up on the grounds of the Blanchard House, 97 Main Street, in Downtown Andover. The Farmers Market Mission Statement states in part, that they offer educational programs, promote healthy eating, and community spirit by encouraging the use of fresh, local produce, baked and prepared foods, as well a showcase of handcrafted goods. This year the Market will feature many local farms plus new vendors.
The individual farmers will bring their produce as the season proceeds into October. You are invited to come as many times as you wish, in order to see the variety of produce and goods. While at the Market, try to visit the Blanchard House, it is an opportunity for young and old to see how our ancestors worked to provide food on their tables and produce they could sell to for income. It is really a great time to visit with others from the community, who come for items that they look forward to buying each year. There are always items that should please everyones taste. The vendors are helpful in giving advice on how to prepare the produce, if you need some new ideas. Another feature of the festive outing is the music provided by individuals and groups. This is a perfect addition to the Farmers Market. For more information you can visit their website at: Andovers Farmers Market. The website will list the vendors who are scheduled to be at the market It also gives a list of vendors that will be available.
Andover is fortunate to have a library service that many of us can use to aid us in taking tests through a program called Learning ExpressLibrary. This an online program that one can access 24 hours per day to help study for exams, that you may need to pass in order to get ready for a test you might need for just about any purpose. The library site can be used at home. You will need a library card issued to you through a Merrimack Valley Library Consortium library that can be used at the library. Remember that library computers at Memorial Library are limited to one hour per session. If you have a Memorial Hall library card, you can access the system at your own computer at home. Use the Memorial Librarys web page at www.mhl.org.or start at www. learningexpresss.com. and establish an account for this service. Follow the steps outlined in the brochure available at the library to begin your sessions. The exams range from Academic for 4th and 8th grades reading and math
No mold fits GOP State Rep. Candidate Lenny Mirra

VALLEY PATRIOT CONTRIBUTOR
Joseph DAmore
Antonio Mirra led his young son to dig ditches to help out with the family construction business. This wasnt an act of cruelty, nor necessity but one of love. No man who loves his son would miss such an opportunity to help a young man learn first hand what hard work, sacrifice and modesty is. In forging the formative mind and body of his teenage son the elder Mirra helped his starry-eyed charge initiate a life where
its ok to dream big things as long as you didnt fulfill those dreams by pushing others aside And so began Lenny Mirras rise to life; not power or fame. In the decades that transpired Lenny Mirra has become a successful businessman. Hes created jobs, sweated the details of fulfilling the needs of customers and learned to make a profit along the way so he could provide income to his family. He has always paid his taxes, has independently created security for himself and his family and in his fathers tradition has schooled his two sons, Anthony and Nicholas in the necessity of living life sim-
FROM PAGE 5: NORTH ANDOVER SENIORS

WALKING GROUP: Monday thru Friday 9 a.m. Walk at your own pace around the Old Town Common. ONE ON ONE COMPUTER LAB CLASSES: Thursdays, 9-11:30 am, 45 minute sessions, $7 each at the Senior Center. Call to reserve your slot. Coming this FallBasic Computer Course Thursdays 1-2:30, 9/6-9/27 $24 for four classes. BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC: Held every Wednesday 9 to noon. SHINE VOLUNTEERS: Free, confidential counseling on all aspects of health insurance to North Andover residents on Medicare. Call the North Andover Senior Center and ask for a SHINE appointment, on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from noon to 3 pm (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders). MR. FIX IT: Here at The Senior Center. 1st and 3rd Monday every month 12-3 pm. OUR MEALS SITE IS CLOSED August 7th! We apologize no lunch this day due to employee Appreciation Luncheon. Send your North Andover events or story tips to valleypatriot@aol.com
ply. He has instilled in them the following three basic rules: Live with distinction through modesty, be dutiful in the service of others and be truthful in your intent and action; always. Lenny Mirra does not fit the mold of a politician because the word conjures up images of slickness. There is nothing slick about Lenny. The man is grounded. If a politician can be corrupted it is these things; big money and power. Lenny transacts in neither of these. The last possible vestige of corruption is vanity. Lenny fails here too. Lenny Mirra is a Republican but this isnt an excuse to vote for or against him either. The label loosely fits him because republicanism embodies some principles that are related to Lennys ideas about government. The reality is if Martians were discovered on Mars and they asked for help in forging a new society they would pick Lenny to lead them not because he is a Republican but because Lenny would come closest to helping them gain a per-
spective as to what governments duty is to society. It should serve society, take care of those that cant take care of themselves and not penalize those that contribute to it. It should also not impose itself on people so that creativity, independence and thrift are squandered. Perhaps the only good reason to vote for Lenny is that he is the only politician I know who has had painful, bleeding calluses on his hands. There is something to be said about representation by the people and for the people by someone who started his career by placing his needs second to others without complaint. I am voting for Lenny Mirra on September 6th. He is running for the State Rep seat in the 2nd Essex. Please join me in leading our district in transforming our government by placing in it a man who can restore balance, order and sanity in our otherwise polarized, conflicted and self serving government.
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August - 2012
We have enough left-leaning politicians in Boston

VALLEY PATRIOT COLUMNIST
GEORGETOWN-STATE
Lonnie Brennan
Seriously, do you really, really think we need another ultra-liberal, quasi-liberal, leftleaning tax raiser, or even a so-called moderate on Bacon Hill (a.k.a. Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, the place where they cant seem to find ways to reduce government expansion)? Seriously, isnt electing another liberal tax raiser pretty much the same as backing up the Titanic and hitting the iceberg for the 235th time? (Why 235? Because the liberals and progressives -another name for socialists- outnumber the middle-of-the roaders and the conservative-leaners by more than 10 to 1 in Massachusetts politics) Friends, radical change requires radical change: were past the time for hope. Its time we consider radical change. Yes, its time to consider voting for a conservative. What does a liberal look like? Simple: loud, unapologetically strong in their expression of peace signs, rainbows, co-exist, raise taxes on everyone, raise taxes again,
and, raise taxes again, oh, wait, raise taxes AND impose more rules and regulations and create more departments and more government employees, unions, and Democrat Party fundraising and controlling of people. They look like most of your neighbors. They look like most of those little cars you see running down the highway with all the love and peace and silly liberal slogans. What does a conservative look like? Hard to tell you. For the most part, in Massachusetts, they speak softly, quietly, almost afraid to be found out amongst their coworkers. They are hard-working assemblers, technicians, food service employees, doctors, accountants, engineers, machinists, and if youre lucky, you might even have one for your neighbor. What do conservatives stand for? Individual freedom, limited government, the elimination of government waste. Conservatives want to keep a little more
GEORGETOWN TODAY
of the money they earn working their two jobs, struggling to help their two kids in college, keep their bride happy and pay the family medical bills, stain their house every few years when they can, and eat out every once in a while. Conservatives tend to pay a lot in taxes, and they look at loafing government construction workers, and think: it would be nice not to have to work 5-6 months each year to pay taxes (property, excise, income, gasoline, oil, telephone, electrical, sales, etc., etc., etc.). They care about education, but they oppose Big-Dig type excess spending on grandiose new building projects rammed through cities and towns by emotionally charged temporary residents seeking to increase their own property values, so they can sell, and move on. Conservatives want to reduce the rate of increase of government. Read that again: they want to step back, take a moment, and say do we really need to spend that? Can
we do it differently? Do we really need to give out 10% raises (while calling them 3% raises in the newspapers, and ignoring all the bonus money given to the government employees for longevity and education level above the 3% raise that brings the actual take-home to 10% or higher), and the resulting increase in local taxes, all on people who are working hard, and earning less than they did 5 trillion dollars of debt ago. You have the power: you can vote for a liberal (almost without exception a Massachusetts Democrat, or perhaps a candidate who just enrolled as a Republican in the past 12 months, so that he or she can run in some new district (for example, Georgetown, or the 4th Congressional district, both of which have recently converted for convenience Democrats seeking office). Do the right thing: on Sept 6th, vote for the most conservative candidate you can find. You can only improve things. For more information on candidates, visit VoteCoreValues.org.
Valley Advocates Lead the Way in Child Protection Legislation

Eva Montibello
For more than a decade several pieces of child protection legislation have been in front of Massachusettss leadership, typically dying in the Judiciary Committee. Finally, many pieces of legislation are progressing through the process with help from Merrimack Valley advocates Laurie Myers, Founder and President of VOICES, Joseph DiPietro, Founder and President of Protect Mass Children and Gary Richard, Creator of the EZ-ID system. The legislative session ended on July 31, 2012, we saw the following progress: PASSED: Melissas Bill: Mandatory Minimums for Habitual Offenders calling for strong mandatory sentences for sex offenders and habitual offenders. The bill was signed into law on August 2nd, 2012, and is effective immediately. The determination of Les Gosule and the family of Officer Jack Maguire, not only moved Melissas Bill forward, but they made sure the voices
of the many victims of violent crime were heard loud and clear on Beacon Hill. This legislative session was very successful with the Human Trafficking Law and Melissas Bill, legislators from both sides of the isle put public safety first and as a result Massachusetts is a safer place. We were honored to stand with the victims, citizens and legislators who made these important bills a priority, stated Laurie Myers, Founder and President of VOICES, a child protection and victim advocacy organization. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE: Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Reform HB 4329. The version passed by the Senate extends the statute of limitations from the victims 43rd birthday contained in the House version to the victims 45th birthday. This bill will now be sent to a Conference Committee, Speaker DeLeo will be appointing the committee to review the constitutionality of a retroactive provision, which will hopefully to be added. This bill allows victims of sexual abuse to
charge their sexual abusers in Massachusetts Civil Court. Child advocate and survivor Kathy Picard states, If this legislation goes through as many think it will, survivors of child sexual abuse will no longer be silenced. All we want is a fair shot at justice against the heinous crime of child sexual abuse. The time has come for the legislature to stand of the side of victims and not on the side of perpetrators. STUDY: Mollys Bill: Senate Bill 1798, EZ ID directs the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue license plates that combine the traditional letters and numbers already used with universal, easily distinguishable symbols, such as triangles, squares and other geometric shapes. Efforts led by Gary Richard, Danvers, EZ-ID and Jay Gardiner, Molly Bish Center at Anna Maria College. The Bill has been engrossed (properly documented and fully reviewed) in the House and Senate; and is now awaiting a final informal legislative session vote. Advocates are hopeful of full support in the upcoming informal session. If successful,
the bill would then head to the Governors desk for signing. All of us are working selflessly for causes which protect children, and to help all of society. It has been a long 8 years to get EZ-ID this close to passage, and we are so thankful to the Bish Family, and to so many others for where we are today. By joining our voices together, these critical initiatives receive greater attention. My thanks go out to all of the legislators and citizens who have helped to bring us to this point, and a special thank you must go to Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, who has tirelessly championed EZ-ID for 8 years, stated Gary Richard of EZ-ID. A recent rally at the Massachusetts State House on July 17th organized in collaboration with eight advocacy groups brought more than 80 citizens and advocates together to show a Zero Tolerance Stand for Child Sexual Abuse. This new type of community collaboration of childrens advocates is what is making a strong differ-
ADVOCATES: PAGE 19
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August - 2012 RONNIES RANTS
METHUEN - IRISH
the VAlley PAtriot
Random Thoughts with Ronnie Ford

are entitled to free stuff! Everyone needs a helping hand at some point, but not perpetual care! Take all the Speakers of the House in Massachusetts, who have been brought to task for naughty behavior, they think they can get away with anything and almost do. How about Tierney? For those of us who are married, how can you not know what your spouse is doing monetarily unless you live in a box! Come on! Are we stupid? Look at Murray, look at Joe Kennedy III. Just going to change his address and run for congress and his name and good looks and money, will get him there. Never mind he hasnt a clue what they do there, he just wants to Save Uncle Teddys Seat once he conquers the congressional one. He will be the second Barney Liberal Frank! Look at Lizzie Tish, collecting all the monies from New York and the fabulous In people. How in blue blazes is she going to pay them back, hmmm? She may be great in academia, but she is clueless about congress, she will be clone to Obama. What about the Gov. Patrick? He is singing Stairway to Paradise, as he aspires to be a cabinet member of Obamas next administration should he get re-elected. So Patrick is being ever so politically correct he falls over his
The Merrimack Valley Irish Connection
Ronnie Ford
VALLEY PATRIOT OPINION COLUMNIST
You know it is about time we seriously sit ourselves down and contemplate who we shall vote for in the coming Presidential, State and local elections. Our country is in such a mess in every capacity, foreign policy, wars, economy, health care, overwhelming debt and Medicaid is out of control as well as Congress. Never mind The Party be you Democrat, Republican or Independent, vote for the person who has the values you want to see in a candidate. For far too long we have voted for name recognition, or wealth or popularity. As the old saying goes Where is the beef? Now I always supported the Kennedys, granted they did a lot of good for the country and for the state of Massachusetts, and gave the supreme sacrifice of two brothers. But, like others before them, and after them, they acquired the God Syndrome, not so much Jack as Ted. They were all powerful, could do no wrong, were infallible, and on and on. They gave so much away to the poor people, that after a while the poor people had no incentive to go out and find a job, or go to school. Heck, it became cyclical. Now we are into our fourth generation of dead beats, who think they
Jack Doyle, County Sligo

VALLEY PATRIOT IRISH COLUMNIST
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While walking through the Immaculate/ St. Mary cemetery in Lawrence, MA. I came across the tombstone of one, Capt. Timothy Deasy. After reading his accomplishments, that was so proudly inscribed on the back of his tombstone, I knew I had to do some follow-up on his life. *Timothy Deasy was a Captain in the Irish Republican Brotherhood. He was captured during their abortive uprising in 1867. He was released with a fellow IRB prisoner Colonel Thomas J. Kelly by an attack on a prison van in Manchester, England. He escaped, but three of his rescuers were executed for their part in the rescue, during which a policeman was killed. On 18 September 1867, Kelly and Deasy were being transferred from the courthouse to Belle Vue Gaol on Hyde Road, Gorton. They were handcuffed and locked in two separate compartments inside a police van escorted by a squad of 12 mounted policemen. The van contained six prisoners: a 12-year-old boy who was being taken to a reformatory, three women convicted of misdemeanors, and the two Fenians. As it passed under a railway arch, a man darted into the middle of the road, pointed a pistol at the driver and told him to stop. Simultaneously, a party of about 3040 men leaped over a wall at the side of the road, surrounded the van and seized the horses, one of which they shot. The unarmed police were described by OMeagher Condon, who organized the attack on the police van, as a miscellaneous lot, apparently embracing the long and short and the fat and lean of the Manchester force; they
offered little resistance and soon fled. The rescuers, after an unsuccessful attempt to force open the van with hatchets, sledgehammers, and crowbars, called upon Police Sergeant Brett, who was inside the van with the prisoners, to open the door. Brett refused, so one of the rescuers placed his revolver at the keyhole of the van to blow the lock, just as Brett looked through the keyhole to see what was happening outside. The bullet passed through his eye into his brain and killed him. The door was opened when one of the women prisoners took the keys from Bretts pocket, and passed them through a ventilator to the Fenians outside, allowing Kelly and Deasy to escape. Brett was the first Manchester police officer to be killed on duty, in an incident that became known locally as the Manchester Outrages. *http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Martyrs Much more has been written about Capt. Timothy Deasy, but due to limited space I will end this article with what is engraved on the back of his tomb stone. *Born in County Cork in 1839* *Member of Irish Brotherhood-Fenian* *Irish Republican Army* *9th MA Volunteer Infantry 18611864* *6th MA State Militia 1871-1877* *Lawrence, MA City Council 1872-1876* *MA House of Representative 1876-1881* *Needam Post 39 GAP, Lawrence, MA.* *Div. 8 AOH, Lawrence, MA* *Clan Na Gael, Lawrence, MA* *Knights of St. Patrick, Lawrence, MA* *St. Marys Parish, Lawrence, MA.* I dont know how true this is but I believe the Deasy Building on Essex Street in Lawrence, MA was named after Capt. Deasy.
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August - 2012
Why I Cannot Support Bill Manzi for State Senate

Kenneth Willette
VALLEY PATRIOT OPINION COLUMNIST
METHUEN - NATIONAL
I have known Bill Manzi since the mid-90s through our volunteer efforts affiliated with the Methuen Arlington Neighborhood and through our respective stints on the Methuen City Council and the Methuen School Committee, where he served as Chairman. I recognize him to be a dedicated family man and generally an approachable and likable individual. However, I cannot support Bill Manzi during the upcoming First Essex District Senate race because of his deeply held political positions and his questionable actions and endorsements First of all, I have witnessed Bill moving consistently and firmly to the left wing of his party. It is a shame, for example, that Bill would support the Governors flawed logic on granting judicial discretion when dealing with hardened criminals with multiple violent felonies who will now be subjected to the three strikes and youre out provisions recently adopted by the Massachusetts Legislature, which will soon become a law. Honestly, how much more discretion should we give to these vicious monsters who murder, rape, abuse, and torture innocent men, women and
children without realizing that they should be locked away permanently. In a perfect world, these so-called reformed murderers would have been executed for their heinous crimes in Massachusetts, but without the availability of the death sentence at least we are now empowered to send these remorseless, repeat violent offenders away forever without being released, for example, to commit an armed robbery and kill a police officer in the process. In terms of first degree murder cases, the matter is automatically reviewed by the Supreme Judicial Court, but do we really need to give judges any more discretion when dealing with three-time, hard-core offenders? I think not and the Governor later reversed himself given the overwhelming public outcry against such a move. Secondly, I noticed-- to my great dismaythat Bill is against a Voter ID bill to ferret out potential voter fraud and ensure the integrity of the ballot box. Some opponents have wrongly associated the support of a Voter ID Law as a manifestation of the discriminatory poll tax or other barriers of the 1960s and earlier, which adversely impacted African Americans in their legitimate right to vote. The poll tax and other one-sided barriers unfairly
targeted one group only, and the Voting Rights Act reversed that appalling system of disenfranchisement. But how can we associate that evil tool of Southern leaders to the universal application of every voter producing an acceptable form of identification to verify voter status? Again, the Voter ID Law would be applied to everyone regardless of race, gender or ethnic background. Probably a dozen or more transactions in life require the production of some form of identification, but we cannot prevent voter fraud now because of the mindset of some individuals in the Legislature. Ensuring that senior citizens and disabled citizens are not discriminated against because they may not readily possess photo identification or a drivers license can easily be rectified by allowing for Social Security, Medicare, MassHealth or other official documentation to confirm the name in the voter roll aligns with the name given at voting time. Thirdly, I am upset that Bill openly and proudly endorsed current Mayor Willie Lantigua of Lawrence, which speaks volumes about taxpayer-funded bailouts, state takeovers, criminal investigations,
public safety layoffs, abuses of mutual aid, nightclub brawls and failed social policies in that demoralized city. The election result was relatively close between Willie and David and was by no means a landslide. Maybe a Manzi endorsement in the opposite direction could have made a difference. Maybe not, but to clearly state in a You Tube endorsement video that you learned a lot from the political means of the current Mayor of Lawrence does not bode well for reform-mindedness on Beacon Hill. Finally, I observed first-hand about the civil service scandals occurring during Bills last two years as Mayor, where favoritism and inner-circle politics prevailed. Given the dark cloud forming over the State House regarding the probation department scandal, I lost confidence in Bills leadership based on his self-created civil service saga. Bills liberal positions and egregious political judgments have to be questioned by the voters of the First Essex District, and they are entitled to straight-forward answers as a result.
Defining the Machine

Patrick Barron Christopher Maider
VALLEY PATRIOT GUEST COLUMNISTS
Pat Rondeau
A Visiting Angel
Pat Rondeau
A Visiting Angel
In 2010 America elected a new breed of Congressional and Senatorial Representatives. The idea and the hope was that they would bring back accountability to the legislative process. They would be accountable to the people who elected them. The Tea Party moniker that was attached to all these candidates lent an air of fiscal accountability and representation for the people to this new breed. It would help to propel them into office. What the Tea Party did not know, what most of the candidates didnt know and what none of the media reported on is the enormous money machine which overshadows the entire legislative process after someone gets elected into office. We are not talking about campaign finance reform, that is a totally separate argument. Rather, we are talking about an ongoing assembly line of party dues and party fundraising that begins in the chambers of Congress. In effect it is a pay to play system of government. To claim that the system is rigged does not even begin to scratch the surface. This includes how members rise through the ranks to obtain senior or leadership positions as theyre termed. This involves how committee assignments are rewarded, how becoming a ranking committee member is decided, how one can attach their name to bills which may aid in their re-election, to moving or stalling pieces of legislation. When a candidate is seated he/she is immediately put onto a treadmill of constantly raising money. The demand is so paramount
that two representatives, Pete Sessions (R Tx.) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R Pa) missed their swearing in ceremony because they were busy in the capital hosting celebration parties at the capital visitor center which many deemed to be fundraisers. Incidentally fundraising anywhere within the Capital building is not allowed. Mike Fitzpatrick, a newly elected 1st term congressman missed his swearing in ceremony to host a fundraiser. To those who elected him this is a bad sign. To party leadership like Pete Sessions who also is the head of the Republican National Congressional Committee, they sit back and smile thinking this Fitzpatrick kid has a future in Washington. Within the RNC and DNC just across the parking lot of Congressional offices and Capitol Hill special call centers are set up for this very purpose. The lists of donors to both parties are some of the most prominent companies in the United States today. Failure to raise the designated money or failure to partake in the process altogether will result in being tossed under the bus come next election cycle. Your proposed Bills will die before the ink is dry, no committee seats for you Congressman, and no invites to those special luncheons either. The official is simply cut from the herd and is cast into a political no mans land of obscurity to serve out their short and ineffectual one and only term. However, compliance and/or raising more than your share of funds propel you into that special club of the game players. You get on that committee if not the chairmanship itself. You get all the CNN and FOX interviews you can handle, fully equipped staff, free parking
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From Page 1: Interview with Chief Solomon

two that are tied and we get complaints from the citizens all the time. #1 is the excessive traffic meaning people speeding through small neighborhoods. #2 is the mobile street drug dealing. Its on the quiet streets. It has infiltrated almost every neighborhood. In my neighborhood I saw a woman about four months ago; she was walking up my street which is a dead end street. She looked dazed; she was staggering back and forth. I called into station and I approached her and a vehicle pulled up on the street and one of the people was inside doing heroin. It turns out they had just purchased their heroin off of Rte. 213 and pulled onto my quiet street to shoot it. We are seeing that in all the quiet neighborhoods. It doesnt matter where you go in the City of Methuen, whether you are in the Arlington neighborhood or the Homestead Acres, its everywhere. What we are really finding is its more in the quiet neighborhoods than in the Arlington neighborhood. They buy their drugs in the Haverhill Street area, the Jackson Street area, and the Merrimack Street area, usually right at the border with Lawrence, and they pull up to the first quiet street they can find and they start taking their drugs. Or the drug dealers meet the buyers on a main road and they follow them to one of our quiet neighborhoods. We are having a lot of problems around Haverhill Street and that whole area around Glen Ave and Savoy and some of the side streets where there is a lot of drug dealing going on. So, I would say drug dealing and the traffic those are the top two crime problems in Methuen. We are focusing on it. We are working with our drug unit; we have a member of the Essex County Sheriffs department working with the federal DEA in Boston. You know through your sources, you had a story about the DEA making a bust in Methuen this week. So that story that you ran online was the third major arrest that weve made. Just before Christmas there was a major arrest which involved about 40 pounds of marijuana. The other one was two or three months ago on Prospect Street. We did a house raid where we were able to recover some cocaine and it was a significant drug dealer. Working alongside the State Police drug task force, the Essex County Sheriffs, the DEA and Lawrence Police Chief John Romero we have really been able to focus in on solving the problems. Youve been around a long time Tom, you havent seen any really big drug busts like we had in the 70s and 80s. These last three arrests have returned significant quantities of drug s. Between the street level dealing and the high level dealing we are working with all the state, local and federal agencies. Hopefully working together we are going to make an impact on the Valley. ANOTHER LAWSUIT Duggan: Tell us about the current federal lawsuit against the city? Chief Solomon: Well the basis of it is surrounding the damage that was done to me and my family and my reputation. You know we tried to resolve things amicably. I had a resolution to all matters with former mayor Manzi. Unfortunately the majority of the city councilors decided not to show up to a meeting, so it wasnt resolved. Since then there have been a couple of cases the city has lost with me; therefore, the damages to me have been increased. My hope is that at some point the city will want to sit down again and resolve this matter when former city members all work together for personal reasons. Unfortunately, the poor citizens bear the brunt of it. And I dont believe that is fair. I attempted to hold somebody personally responsible, but the city decided to take that responsibility upon them. So, we are hoping to just resolve the matter; I have been instructed by the
August - 2012
METHUEN
the VAlley PAtriot
They buy their drugs in the Haverhill Street area the Jackson Street area, the Merrimack Street area, its usually right at the border with Lawrence and they pull up to the first quiet street they can find and they start taking their drugs. Or the drug dealers meet them on a main road and they follow them to one of our quiet neighborhoods.
~Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon

one in China, and one that was actually played in Lebanon where I have family members. So it was a story that was picked up internationally and went viral across the world so yes, it was extremely damaging personally and professionally. But I want to be positive now that Im back. I want to just focus on doing our jobs. We are making a lot of progress in returning things to the way they were pre2007, to overcome some of the issues that occurred between 2007 and 2010. I think we have made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, the other people who suffer a lot were the police officers and their families because during that time period a lot of them had to listen to statements being made about the quality of the Methuen police officers in general and unfortunately that reflects upon the citizens and the officers. Hopefully as this stuff starts to wind down, officers can feel
lawyers not to be speaking about specifics. The damage that was done to me, my reputation and my family was for political and personal gain. We are hoping to resolve the matter short of trial because a trial isnt good for anybody. Duggan: Well we know what kind of damage was done to your reputation by the Eagle Tribune especially when they reported that child porn was found in your locker after you left, but that was part of a criminal case you were working, right? Chief Solomon: Quite frankly the information that was distributed by the city and what was spewed and what was written did far more damage overall than just the mere firing because most firings arent as pubic. Its interesting because I have seen news stories when you are talking about the [child porn] in the locker and the media coverage it attracted. I actually watched the stories about my situation on the internet. One story was based in Japan,
SOLOMON: PAGE 15
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Laborers Union
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Bill Manzi - State Senate

Bill Manzi has stood with local unions in the last eight years to fight for the rights of all workers in our state. Thats why the choice is clear this year. We proudly endorse Bill Manzi as our next State Senator so that The Commonwealth can continue to grow jobs and provide a safe and equitable working environment for all union workers. ~Mike Gagliardi, Local 175 Laborers Union of North America
Proudly Endorses
17
Laborers Union
(LOCAL 175)
Diana DiZoglio
Proudly Endorses
State Representative - 14th Essex

Diana DiZoglio cares about workers rights and working families. Unlike the incumbent representative, Diana DiZoglio will represent your views and your priorities when she votes at The State House. There is no candidate in this race who will fight for jobs in the Merrimack Valley more than Diana DiZoglio.
~Mike Gagliardi, Local 175 Laborers Union of North America
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The Merrimack River runs through The City of Lawrence with South Lawrence to the left and North Lawrence to the right. All three of Lawrences bridges are visible in this photo taken from 1,000 feet above in Steven Reels helicopter.
PHOTO: TOM DUGGAN
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flight schools in Montana and I spent a few months researching online before I finally found North Andover Flight Academy. The Partnership Last month The Valley reason I was drawn to it was that I was Patriot secured a partnership with our new a mechanic all my life and they had the chopper pilot, Steven Reel, of the North maintenance facility. So, not only could Andover Flight Academy. Reel will fly I go to school full time and learn to be a what we are now calling Patriot 1 to help commercial pilot and flight instructor, but I us get a better handle on news stories and could also work on aircraft as a mechanic at provide aerial photos and video of breakthe same time. ing news in the 38 communities we service Reel says that as a chopper pilot and methroughout the valley. chanic he has made Who is Steve Reel? North Andover Montana native Flight Academy his Steven Reel says that new home. he looked all over the Its not a country for a flight requirement to be school that would give a mechanic, if you him what he wanted: want your pilots top notch flight instruclicense, in fact, tion with the ability to myself and the learn aviation mechanowner are the only ics. pilot-mechanics at I was born in the school. Oregon but I was Our Valley Patriot chopper pilot Karen Montijoraised in White Fish, Steven Reel of North Andover Adair who is the Montana,Reel told the Flight Academy and Karen-Marie Operations ManagValley Patriot. Ive been around aviation Montijo his business manager on er at the Northeast all my life. My dad was Patriot 1 getting ready to take Storage Corp located on the airport a fixed-wing pilot and off and scour the Valley for News! in North Andover is I took my first ride in the one who helped an airplane when I was four years old. I me with the ideas and started helping me never forgot it. I had the aviation bug ever with marketing and offering these exciting since then. services. Shes been real great to have by Reel says that when he was 24 years old my side and helping market our school and he took his first ride in a helicopter, but myself. Montijos oldest daughter has now wasnt able to fly a helicopter at the time. taken an interest in flying. Montijo states I was instantly hooked, he recalls. it gives teens a huge boost of confidence I started slow, went to a couple of and gives them something to focus on and
I love to Fly And You Can Too!
Tom Duggan
On June 28th, The Valley Patriot used our Patriot 1 chopper (piloted by Steven Reel) for the first time, covering a five alarm fire on Water Street in Lawrence. This aerial photo taken by Karen-Marie Montijo was posted on the Valley Patriot facebook page just minutes after the fire broke out. For photo tours, flight instruction or special events call Steven Reel at North Andover Flight Academy: (617) 817-7961
pave a future with. Though Karen is not a pilot yet herself she is currently learning in her spare time as a hobby. North Andover Flight Academy The owner of North Andover Flight Academy is Pennsylvania native John McGroerty. If you are going to be a pilot the one thing I can tell you is that you will travel around a lot. John McGroerty started working with helicopters about six ago. He started with his friend Dave Beach who is one of the original founders of the school. He is now down in Tennessee. Beach and McGroerty started the school after buying a timed out helicopter and repairing it. Every component of a helicopter is lifelimited, except certain parts of the whole that can be reused Reel explained. So each component of a helicopter is good for 2,200 hours, some are good for 4,400 or 12 years, whichever comes first. he continued. They bought the rebuild kit for it, rebuilt it, sold it and then did it again. Thats how MBM Helicopters started. Thats one of the businesses in the shop. So North Andover Flight Academy (NAFA) started from MBM Helicopters which stands for McSorely, Beach, and McGoerty. Now John McGoerty is the only one left of the three original partners. Reel says that the main focus of NAFA is flight instruction. With the flight school we do a lot of tours; we are slowly starting to build that part of the business up because
PHOTO: KAREN-MARIE MONTIJO
word of mouth is starting to spread. Reel says that that a lot of their business at the school involves photo flights, lots of people take Seacoast tours, Boston skyline tours, and tours of the Merrimack Valley; things of that nature. The average Boston skyline or Seacoast tour runs about 45 minutes a flight. So if you have a big event, we can fly in, pick people up and drop them back off at a wedding or a special event. We can do that as long as we bring them back to where we picked them up. Most people want to go to Boston and the Seacoast. We do the whole beach area including Ipswich, Newburyport, and Plum Island where the bird sanctuary is, which is really pretty. Im partial to the city tours because you can see more. We can actually fly through the sky scrapers and put you at eye level with the clock tower in Boston, or I can hover over Fenway Park or put you right over the Boston Commons which is the oldest open field in the U.S., I believe. Reel is available for flights twenty-four hours a day, Seven days a week. There is a small $25 surcharge for flights after 8PM. A lot of people like to do engagements or proposals in a helicopter. There are a lot of creative ways we can do it, we can fly to the city at the skyline at sun down or sun up. What some people like to do is have all their friends line up on the beach with a big sign that says will you marry me? and I will fly over it. We do fundraisers for non-profits too, so
FLIGHT ACADEMY: PAGE 40
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FROM PAGE 10: POLICE CHIEF SOLOMON

comment on that. ARLINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD Duggan: Prior to your firing you guys were doing some amazing work in the Arlington Neighborhood with Linda Soucy and community policing, but then you left. Now that you got your job back, what is the situation like now? Is it as good in the Arlington Neighborhood? Has the area continued to progress the way it was before you were fired? Chief Solomon: Its a rebuilding process; during that period of time officers were constantly being drawn from that area. We put back community outreach and assigned a police officer back there. We also have our traffic officers who routinely patrol. We were renewed for the Federal Shannon grant which allows walking patrols. The walking patrols are working for gang and drug activity at the Loop, Prospect Street and the Prospect Street area. We are now expanding those patrols out to Haverhill Street, but we are still working there and the summer athletic league is starting up again in the Arlington Neighborhood. So, it really isnt as good as it was back when we had five or six people we could really focus on there, but we are rebuilding. We have six police officers in the academy right now. We have two more going to the academy in August. By January those officers will be on the street and we can start to deploy some manpower and put some more focus down there. Luckily, the work that was done in that whole time frame of 2002 to 2007, the excessive amount of patrols and the neighborhood groups working together with all the neighbors, was able to sustain itself. This proves that it works when people work together but theres still a lot of work to be done. NO DISCIPLINE FOR OFFICER Duggan: Talk about this other story that the Tribune thought was news; it wasnt news, but they thought it was. I am referring to the story of the police officer who pulled over Mayor Zanni and then let him go. Did you discipline that officer because of the publicity around that situation? Chief Solomon: Based upon the reports that I received, I reviewed that, and quite frankly, part of this job Tommy is that you get a lot of pressure, but I was not going to discipline somebody just because there was public pressure. Based on what I saw the officers have the authority to use discretion. I dont think there was any abuse of that discretion. There was no drinking and there was no operating to endanger, so they used the discretion that is assigned to them. So I chose not to discipline them. Again, theres a lot of pressure on you when stories run and people ask, why didnt you do anything? I think if this was another department they would have done something; however, I believe you must look at the facts and those facts didnt warrant anything, they were routine. During the motor vehicle enforcement we did that day we stopped about 500 cars. Approximately 80 of those cars got verbal warnings and there were about 320 citations issued. Somewhere in all of those written citations were also warnings. So the officers have been giving a significant amount of warnings. This economy is hurting people, so if we can stop you and tell you to be safe, rather than fine you you know the officers have been a little hesitant to fine a lot of people and I support that kind of enforcement; its all about education. There is more heavy enforcement coming and I am sure when we do it we will get more negative publicity, but I am a traffic enforcement guy. I believe when you are out there enforcing the traffic laws, other violations appear and you come across other things like guns and drugs. You know there was a time when you came into Methuen the word was you slow down and make sure you had a license because you are going to get stopped. Id like to get back to the point where people know you drive safely in Methuen because you know what? Your life is the life that really matters and the life of your family. There are too many people getting into these high speed accidents because everybody is distracted. So, we will be doing much more motor vehicle enforcement, but there was no discipline issue [on the Zanni matter] because I didnt think it was warranted. TEXTING AND DRIVING Duggan: Do you guys make a lot of stops for texting and driving? Chief Solomon: Well Ive only seen a few citations for that. Ive made a couple myself and gave warnings on those. I was driving down Route 28 and I saw the car crossing across lanes a couple of times. When I pulled up alongside of them I noticed they were texting so I pulled them over. I do believe it is dangerous. It is part of what the officers look for, but we are not doing specific texting enforcement. There has been a subject that the captains have brought up to me and said that
METHUEN
better about having pride in police dept. for which they work. You know, Tommy, we had great pride. We worked together and we had a great decorum; its going to take a long time to rebuild that but, I am here for the long haul. I have seven years left and Im not going anywhere. WORKING WITH MAYOR ZANNI Duggan: Tell us about this leak from the Zanni administration about the lawsuit and why it is that members of the city feel as though they should be letting out confidential information about a lawsuit to the press? Chief Solomon: I was instructed by my attorney not to discuss anything that occurred during that meeting. So, once we saw something about it [in the press], my lawyer took that action that he thought was necessary. He filed the necessary paperwork, the city filed a response, and I am hoping at some time there will be a hearing with the federal government, but I cant speak to any of that per my lawyer. Duggan: How are you working with mayor Zanni with all this stuff going on? Chief Solomon: Were working together. When the mayor got elected we sat down, we met and talked, and agreed we had to be professional. Remember, I came back with Bill Manzi still having time left to serve and we worked together for 14 months completely professional. And that is what the job requires so I work with him [Zanni]. I am sure with what has occurred theres some uneasiness there. I continue to do my job and he continues to do his job. Regardless of personal feelings you have to do what the job requires because we have peoples lives we protect. If I could come back to work with Mayor Manzi I can work with anyone. NO LONGER DRINKING BUDDIES Duggan: How are you getting along with Billy Manzi (the former mayor)? You guys used to be friends, you grew up together. Now that its all over do you guys go out for drinks any more or is that kind of over at this point? Chief Solomon: No, I dont think what we had on a personal level will ever exist again. I have seen him at a couple of events because of his most recent run for office. We are professionals. I call him Mr. Mayor and calls me Chief. You know you do what is expected. You are expected to be respectful of current or former city officials. Thats the kind of person I am. But as for hanging out, I dont think thats going to happen. Duggan: So you are not endorsing him for Senate I guess? Chief Solomon: (laughing) I wont
maybe we should post some officers at different intersections and just watch for people who are texting. So what I asked them to do is to take a survey to see if thats warranted. If the answer is that there is a significant amount of that going on then we will do that as part of our enforcement, but currently its routine enforcement, if you see it pull them over. Duggan: When you were fired Kathy Lavigne was hired to be chief, she was given a contract and then you came back. How are you guys working together now that the tables have flipped a few times? Chief Solomon: We have a professional working relationship. She is overseeing some of the grants, budgets and purchase orders and payroll. We work together; I am using the skills that she gained when being chief in the realm of financial management. She is handling those responsibilities and I am handling mine. We just work together for the betterment of the city and everyone and there really havent been any issues as of this point in time. STEPPING UP ROAD ENFORCEMENT Duggan: Whats coming up next for the Methuen Police? Tell us something nobody knows about. Chief Solomon: We are going to be stepping up enforcement on Rt. 213. Tommy, I am sure you have driven Rt. 213. Its become a roadway where theres a lot of excessive speed; theres been a lot weaving in and out of traffic. I have had a lot of conversations with the State Police and we are going to be doing a coordinated effort there come August so I suggest that people slow down because there are going to be a lot of cops out there. Duggan: Is there anything else you want to tell our listeners and readers before we let you go? Chief Solomon: To all the citizens in Methuen or those who drive through Methuen, please be courteous and drive safely. Wed rather have you get through safe than have to pick you up off the pavement. So have a good summer and drive safely thats all I can tell people. To m D u g g a n i s t h e publisher of The Valley Patriot, a former Lawrence School Committeeman, and hosts the Paying Attention! Radio Program on WCAP, 980AM, every Saturday from 10am-noon. You can email your comments to valleypatriot@aol.com .
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16
August - 2012
Peter Larocque
LAWRENCE
all schools will have to add a minimum of 160 hours to the school year, but it may be as many as 400 additional hours. Bottom line, Lawrences school age children will be spending more time in school than with their parents, thus the term orphanage! Of course, I am assuming that the children will still need some sleep. This new time schedule brings up a lot of logical questions the people of Lawrence and state taxpayers should be asking and demanding answers too before full implementation. Will we be serving our children not just two meals a day, but three (dinner)? Who is paying for all this? Can we afford a teaching staff for the additional hours? If not, will teachers quit and who will be teaching our children? Will all children have to stay in school that long or will families who wish to take care of own their children get to take their children home after core subjects are complete? What is also disturbing to me is that all this additional time should equal more English, Reading, Math and Science, but that is not what I am hearing! The additional time will be for taking care of the whole child which means making school enjoyable so they want to be there while taking care of needs that may not be getting met by their families, such as dental hygiene, English immersion and tutoring. Along with this new schedule comes a new teacher contract! Receiver Riley had the school districts attorney, who by the way used to be the attorney of the School Committee, present the Teachers Union their new contract; which basically states: you go along with this or you will be replaced! You can only imaging the Union Leaders response; they are not happy campers. I find it amazing that the public along with the Teachers Union Leadership was fine with the Commissioner and Receiver treating the School Committee Members as nobodies when the school committee represents the community of Lawrence. Now that they are treating Teachers with the same
the VAlley PAtriot
Lawrences New Enterprise, Orphanages!

Receiver Riley Guts Lawrence Teachers Contract/Benefits

Thats right, folks! I said orphanages. Lawrence, the nations 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 the city is going to move ahead or is on a path of no return. The public schools were taken over by the State this past year through a process of closed door meetings by our elected state legislators behind the back of the public. Slowly but surely, the details of this takeover are being unveiled. The new school administration only is required to update the public on progress once every three months; leaving the people of Lawrence with no say in their childrens education. This once proud industrial city begins this fall in its new undertaking, Orphanages. Labeling our Public Schools Orphanages comes from the definition of the word. An orphanage is, An institution that houses children whose parents are deceased or whose whereabouts are unknown. It is a public institution created to provide care for protection for children without parents. Although many people presume that most children in orphanages are orphans, this is often not the case with four out of five children having at least one living parent and most having some extended family. The term is generally considered outmoded in the United States, but here in the city of Lawrence where its Public Schools now belong to the State, the word Orphanage is a perfect fit. Lawrence Public Schools are becoming residential institutions devoted to housing children and taking care of the whole child, which is Receiver Jeff Rileys own term. Note the words; housing children as this describes perfectly what will be happening in Lawrence Public Schools beginning in the fall; especially to our level 4 schools. They will begin as early as 7:30AM and be in session until approximately 5:00PM. I have been hearing that
Tom Duggan
ENTERPRISE: PAGE 46
Lawrence Teachers Union President Frank McLaughin says that Receiver Jeff Riley has mandated a new contract for teachers in the now state run Lawrence School System. In a confidential letter obtained by the Valley Patriot that McLaughlin sent to members of the now powerless union McLaughin told teachers, We believe his [receiver Rileys] unprecedented action not only violated the spirit of a law intended by the legislature to help Level 5 school districts but also ignores the community engagement process in which the Lawrence community and we participated. We will not sit by. Contract negotiations concluded on July 17th where Riley demanded new provisions in the teachers contract which McLaughlin tells teachers requires your serious and immediate attention as it strips you of significant contractual rights and protections effective July 1, 2012. The Lawrence Teachers Union Executive Board met to discuss the implications of the newly forced contract and says that the board plans on trying to protect the rights of teachers. Under the provisions of the recently enacted Level 5 state legislation, LPS Receiver Jeff Riley was given enormous power. Included in this law was broad language giving him authority to change or void provisions in our contract determined by him to be impediments to recently announced Level 5 turnaround plan. Rather than collaborate with the Union and work cooperatively to professionally address stakeholder recommendations, he has instead opted to unilaterally void large portions of your contract. This is extremely troubling because his actions do nothing to help schools, children and families of Lawrence. A Hard Lesson: Change Can Come too Fast was the title of a June 24th, 2012 article in The Boston Globe outlining the failed massive transformational reform of The English High School in Boston. While the article focuses the blame on a young, inexperienced headmaster, the fact cannot be ignored that the headmaster was hired and failed under the leadership of Commissioner Mitchell Chester who is now in charge of the transformational change of the Lawrence Public Schools. When asked about the failure of The English School this past January, Chesters agency reported
that teachers were confused and distrustful of (the headmasters) plans and fearful that if they complained they would be viewed as disloyal. History has a way of repeating itself and considering Frank McLaughlins letter to Lawrence teachers it seems as though that is exactly what is happening in Lawrence. If the only example of wholesale transformational change and not the status quo (some of Chester Mitchells favorite quotes) is this one failed school in Boston, what should Lawrence expect with an entire district under the Commissioners leadership? School Committeeman Jen Cooper said that the point of this contract seems to be to squeeze the teachers to the point where they want to quit. Our sources report that the Receiver and Commissioner are planning to flood the district with Teach for America teachers. Teach for America is a program where college graduates with degrees that may not be in education can have their college loans forgiven by volunteering to teach in the classroom in poor communities like Lawrence after a summer of basic training. Obviously, the more teachers that can be replaced over time with TFA volunteers, the more money we can save on salaries and the more money we can put towards extended day initiatives, but truly at what cost? Cooper said. I specifically asked for data that shows this type of teacher and extended day programs work to improve test scores compared to certified teachers and traditional days. I really dont know what the plan is as School Committee members have not been given any details whatsoever over the last few months and have not been included in any conversations. I was told
TEACHERS: PAGE 32
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When Frank and Sherry Cann opened the Coffee Cann sat Sals Riverwalk in Lawrence last July, they were astonished with the quick success of their little gourmet coffee and breakfast shop! As family owned and operated establishment, Frank and Sherrys two children, Kara and Justin, also work at the Coffee Cann taking care of customers, filling inventory orders and making sure the food and coffee tastes just right! About three years ago a friend of mine had the idea of opening up a donut shop at Riverwalk, but his financing fell through, said Frank Cann. I happened to have a meeting with him and said to him, if you ever need someone to meet with me and talk let me know. It ended up he couldnt live up to his responsibilities and so I brought in the family, and its now we are a family run business. Sals Riverwalk is one of the most vibrant areas in Lawrence attracting businesses, college students, patients, restaurant goers throughout the Valley to this up and coming center in Lawrence; it was a natural place to set up shop. The Canns also own another family business, a collection agency which is also located at Sals Riverwalk. We have a call center in North Andover but our corporate headquarters is here at the Salvatores building in entrance C, Frank says. We have been doing that for 13 years, so its a bit of a change of pace for all of us to go from collecting to serving coffee. Its a unique experience because we can deal with the public and have great interaction with people as oppose to our other job collecting. Coffee Cann serves gourmet coffee, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches that may be hard to find in the rest of the Merrimack Valley but the Cann family of Methuen has come to believe that consumers are tired of reheated frozen foods and flavored coffees filled with syrup. Kara Cann says that the freshness of their food and coffee is the reason for their success. Other donut shops or coffee shops use syrups for their flavored coffees. We have the real flavored coffee beans, which is a lot less fattening and a lot richer than having syrup in your coffee and people can tell the difference. People come here for fresher products that are made right here. What we are finding is that our customers are willing to take the extra time to come and get real food and gourmet coffee instead of what they get from the national chain stores. Frank added. It just tastes better, you can tell the difference, and our customer service is a little different, too, his wife Sherry added. We have a neighborhood atmosphere, a family run business and people see that when they come in our door. Most of our customers come back and that tells us we are giving them a better product and better service; thats something that makes us proud. The Canns son, Justin believes that most coffee shops try to shuffle you in and out because they are more concerned with volume and less concerned with the customers experience. My personality is more geared towards doing something social and positive instead of collections, so I love heading up the caf. My passion is to inspire a new fresh take on Cafs that mix old world New England with new age caf service for people on the go. The newly renovated Riverwalk is a perfect place to make that dream come true as the old mill building have had generations walk through them and they are always being reinvented. We offer a New England flair right here in Lawrence for the average Merrimack Valley worker. We will be opening another Coffee Cann at Hampton Beach before the end of the summer. We will be open much later because of the casino concerts and the night life at the beach, Justin added. When we
COFFEE CANN: PAGE 34
This month well check in with the races for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the MV. In 2010 the MA GOP statewide made large gains in the House, doubling their numbers, but that still left them (after two later special elections) at only 33 in the 160 member House. Well see how they intend to add to it in 2012 in the MV. Remember the author is NOT a neutral observer. The GOP will start out losing a seat, as they have no challenger for Rep. Paul Adams old seat, the 17th Essex, old because the former Andover/Tewksbury/ Lawrence district barely resembles itself after redistricting. 40% is still Andover, but the rest is heavily Democrat north Lawrence (connected to Andover by one precinct in south Lawrence) and a tiny bit of Methuen. Clearly this district was set up for Lawrence city council president Frank Moran, who will beat Andover independent (but whose resume looks like a Democrats) Kevin Cuff. Moran in a WCAP radio interview refused to say he would resign the council if he wins (theres precedent already with a Cambridge city councilor also a Representative). Look for Moran to double dip. Andover Democrats cant stand Mayor Lantigua after his awful treatment of State Senate primary candidate Deb Silberstein and House candidate Pat Commane in 2010. They should have found someone and relied on traditionally large Andover primary turnout to swamp Moran. In Dracut/Tyngsboro (36th Middlesex) Republicans selectman Cathy Richardson or second time candidate George Boag after their primary will be running against long time Rep. Colleen Garry. Garry is a Democrat in a very Republican district. She is well connected to the Democrat establishment, though votes on the moderate side like most MV reps, and has never faced serious opposition. This race could be close if better known, organized and funded Richardson is the candidate. Rep Jim Lyons (18th Essex) got a gift in redistricting adding solid Republican precincts in North Andover and north Tewksbury. Lyons is a solid and energetic campaigner and won handily against powerful incumbent Barbara LItalien in 2010. After her loss she immediately after got a job with the MA Treasurers office. LItalien was so enthusiastic about attempting to win her seat back she waited
Republican State Representative Jim Lyons faces a tough reelection bid against the woman he unseated two years ago Barbara LItalien.
until the very last week possible to announce and get her signatures. Speculation is that she was convinced to do it by the Democrat machine so Lyons had at least some opposition. Most expect her to return to her Treasurers department job based on demographics and Lyons campaigning. In the 14th Essex currently held by Rep David Torrisi he actually has a primary opponent, Methuen native with a well-known name Diana DiZoglio, who had a huge campaign kickoff turnout. Torrisi, who will probably win the primary, caught a scare from first time (though well connected) candidate Kevin Begley in 2010. He will this year face hard working and politically savvy North Andover school committee member Karin Rhotan. This district is less Lawrence than it used to be, so that might be enough to put Rhotan over the top. In one other Lawrence House race Rep. Marcos Devers faces Chally Ramos again in the Democrat primary, and then he will face an independent in November. Chally he is a great guy and would be a decent and honest public official. Unfortunately Lawrence politics is not decent and honest so Im thinking hes not going to make it again this time. As always, get out and work for candidates you think will make a difference!
18
Another Successful Folk Festival and WCAP was THERE!
August - 2012
LOWELL
the VAlley PAtriot
PHOTOS: TOM DUGGAN
Another successful Lowell Folk Festival was held last month and the radio personalities of WCAP were there to soak up all the fun. Photo top left: a Brazilian band opened the festivals Saturday musical schedule, great ethnic food, and WCAP personalities Cindy Lou and Weatherman Al Kaprielian. Bottom row: WCAPs Jack Baldwin, Republican State Senate Candidates Paul Adams and Alex Vispoli had no problem finding copies of the Valley Patriot at the festival, and food vendors across from our live broadcast on French Street.
NeedyMeds releases updated information about savings for residents

NeedyMeds, a Gloucester-based non-profit organization which provides prescription drug discount cards, recently reported that the cards have saved Lowellians a total of $6,321.60 to date. Nationally, the NeedyMeds drug discount cards saved users more than one million dollars in the month of June. NeedyMeds drug discount cards may be used to obtain a discount on prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, or medical supplies written as a prescription, as well as pet medications purchased at a pharmacy. The card is available at many locations throughout Lowell, including City Hall, the Health Department, the Senior Center, and various local social service agencies. Participating pharmacies, which include CVS, Walgreens and several others, designate a discount of up to 80 percent for prescription drugs. The discount cards cannot be used in combination with any private or governmentsponsored health insurance program. They cannot be used to lower a co-pay, but consumers can compare the savings offered by the card versus the cost of the co-pay before purchasing a prescription. Circumstances in which the cards could be used by someone with an existing insurance plan include: The insurance has no drug coverage There is a high drug deductible There is a low medicine cap that has been met There is a high co-pay and the card offers a better price The patient is in the Medicare Part D donut hole The cards are currently accepted at more than 61,000 pharmacies nationwide, with over 30 located within a 5-mile radius of downtown Lowell. The cards can be shared with family members, and they have no expiration date. For any questions about information contained in this press release, please contact Jennifer Myers at (978) 6741551 or e-mail jenmyers@lowellma.gov.
Pasquina & Thebaud
Lowell Lions
Pictured Left To Right Are Lowell Lions Club President Marcel V. Plouffe and Massachusetts Lions District 33n Governor Jane Fanjoy. Fannie was presenting President Plouffe with the International Association Of Lions Clubs Highest Award For Leadership and for Lion Plouffes continued dedication and professionalism to his district and state
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August - 2012
Merrimack Repertory Theatre to Open Season in Style!

VALLEY PATRIOT LOWELL COLUMNIST COMETOLOWELL.COM
LOWELL/DRACUT
George DeLuca
As the 2012-2013 season approaches, the Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) is on a roll. Theatre goers can look forward to quality shows, spatial improvements, and progress with future development and expansion! Coming off a spectacular 2011-2012 season, the MRT has just completed renovations to the common areas of the Theatre just in time for the much anticipated opening on September 6. Heres what I learned on a recent tour the facility: The firm William Butler Architects was awarded the design contract. Once on board, they focused on accessibility needs while reprogramming the ticket office, lobby, concessions and seating areas to optimize the use of the overall space. In addition to a new layout, the work includes new common area lighting, carpeting, painting and woodwork treatment. Ironically, the stage area was not included in the renovation which cost about $700,000 overall. The renovation project is about improving operations efficiency and patron comfort. The total number of available seats has been reduced from 308 to 279, indicating that MRT is serious about accommodating audience members beyond the perennial offering of top shelf productions. According to MRT Marketing Director, Dan Berube, The work at MRT will significantly improve the audience
By Connie Molinaro
Dracut Happenings
experience. renamed to The quality honor such of the buildproponents ing now of theatre reflects the and the arts quality of in Lowell: the work on Lowell Bank stage. All Lobby, Enthe old seats terprise Bank have been Box Office replaced and Nancy with new L. Donohue seats that Theatre. And are wider if you look and more in any MRT comfortprogram, able. The most pages seats in our are filled with side balMerrimack Repertory Theatre at Liberty Hall the names cony, which of donors, Photo by George DeLuca used to be benefactors our worst and supportseats, will now likely become some of ers. The Lowell community clearly loves our most popular (think Green Monster its theatre! seats). The legroom in this section is When asked about the upcoming greatly improved, patrons can now angle schedule, Berube notes, Most of the their seats to face the stage, and drink productions you see at MRT are rerails have been installed. The lobby has hearsed and built right here in Lowell. also been upgraded, and the box office The shows do not tour, rather they are has been moved out of the basement to unique creations that you can only see the first floor so it is now handicap acces- at MRT. Our subscription season runs sible. The renovation will be completed September to May and features seven in mid-August. We will have a grand productions. reopening ceremony on Sept 6 at 4pm, 2012-2013 Season: just hours before the first performance of Sept 6 - 30: Homestead Crossing our season opener, Homestead Crossing. (Special) Oct 10 -14: MRT and Much of the work is being completed UMass Lowell present Beat Generation; via the stalwart support of MRT benethe world premiere of Jack Kerouacs full factors. In fact, three areas have been length play.
Oct 25 - Nov 18: Memory House Nov 9 - Dec 23: Half n Half n Half Jan 10 - Feb 3: Shakespeares Will Feb 14 - March 10: Red March 21 - April 14: Proof April 25 - May 19: Glengarry Glen Ross Whether someone picks a favorite play or all seven, no theatergoer should miss seeing at least one of MRTs acclaimed productions in our newly-renovated space said MRT Artistic Director Charles Towers. Its not just beautiful; the renovation has completely transformed the MRT experience. Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale. For more info or to buy tickets, call the Box Office, 978-6544678 or visit MRT.org. Opening Night is September 6. Since we are already over 50% subscribed, I urge people to buy their tickets as soon as possible and be a member of the terrific MRT audience. Towers said. And the future looks bright for this shining star of Lowells arts community. MRT management is currently exploring potential expansion into the Worcester area, and, theyve hired Deputy Director of Development, Laura Polin, a polished professional who will play a key role in MRTs efforts to cultivate relationships with donors, increase grant funding, and bolster legacy giving. Berube said. For more information about whats happening in Lowell, visit ComeToLowell.com.
FROM PAGE 7: ADVOCATES

ence in actually doing effective work. It is our commitment at Protect Mass Children to continue to bring together advocates to work tirelessly to implement and enact legislation, prevention and healing programs and awareness events to bring the safety of children up to a level that the public is committed to, stated Joseph DiPietro, Founder and President of Protect Mass Children. Further, in addition to a zero tolerance stand to child sexual abuse, we are finding that the people of the Commonwealth are quickly developing zero tolerance with legislators who do not stand with the people to protect children. The 2013-2014 legislative session will prove telling we will see a whole new wave of community advocates who are stepping up and taking a bold stand to protect children. The Merrimack Valley has lots to be proud of as the 2011-2012 legislative session ends. With this team of advocates, it looks like we also have lots to look forward to! Great work Advocates!
Senior Happenings For a more detailed list of all the lists for our vital Dracut Seniors, please check: councilonaging@dracut-ma.us Dracut Council on Aging 951 Mammoth Road Dracut, Ma 01826 Wed Aug 8th - 12pm - Ice Cream Trip Thu Aug 9th - 10am - Synergy Home Care 1:30-3:45p - Nurse Nancy Fri Aug 10th - 9am - Bowling 9:30pm - Christmas Tree Shop & Bahama Breeze Mon Aug 13th 10am - Affordable Heating - 12:pm - Mass Bar Association A Legal Check Up Tue Aug 14th- 10am - Grocery Shopping Wed Aug 15th- 12pm - Ice Cream Trip Thu Aug 16th -11:30am -MVNP Chicken BBQ 1:30-3:45pm -Nurse Nancy Fri Aug 17th- 9am - Bowling 9:30am-Target & T-Bones Tue Aug 21st - 9:30am-2:30p - Red Cross Blood Drive 10am - Grocery Shopping Wed Aug 22nd - 9:30-12:30p -Shine 12pm - Ice Cream Trip Thu Aug 23rd - 9:30am - Annual Volunteer Breakfast & Art Exhibit 1:30-3:45p - Nurse Nancy Fri Aug 24th - 9am - Bowling 9:30a - Anheuser Bush & lunch at Buga-Boo Creek Tue Aug 28th 10:00a - Shopping Wed Aug 29th 12pm - Ice Cream Trip Thu Aug 30th 1:30-+3:45p - Nurse Nancy Fri Aug 31st - 9am - Bowling 9:30am - K-mart in Tewksbury & Cracker Barrel Dracut School Happenings Dracut welcomes a new Superintendent to the system that is not so new! Mr. Steve Stones took the helm of the Dracut School system on Aug 1st. Please feel free
to call Mr. Stone if you have any questions regarding your childs education in the Dracut System: Steven Stone (978) 957-2660 New School Website address: www. dracutps.org dont forget to bookmark the site for all of you school needs. First Day of School for Dracut is Eva Montibello is a child Wednesday September 5th for grades 1-12 sexual abuse prevention advocate that resides in Haverhill Kindergarteners First Day of School is with her two year old son. Friday September 7th Visit enoughabuse.org for Who needs lunch? tips on how to prevent child Elementary parents may pay for school sexual abuse in your family lunch on a weekly basis each Monday and community. evamonti@yahoo.com the amount for the week is $10.50 for the 2011-2012 school year. Just double check with your childs school that these prices are still current-this information came off of the www.dracutps.org website. Lunch Cost: Elementary Lunch $2.10 Secondary Lunch $2.35, Milk 50 cents Breakfast 75 cents Dont Miss the Bus! Please be informed that the Bus Fee Program for students in grades 7 through 12 who wish to ride the bus during the 2012-2013 school year will be $200.00 per student rider with a $600.00 family cap. If you wish to have your child participate in this program, kindly remit payment no later than August 24, 2012 for He is the only candidate with Private Sector Experience the 2012-2013 school year. Checks should be made payable to Dracut Public He has served honorably on the Andover Board of Schools Please see the www.dracutps. He is Selectman for 8 years with Private Sector Experience the only candidate org website for the form to accompany your payment. Dracut Town Happenings He As served honorably on the Andover Board of has a Father and Husband, Alex knows about tight Family Locations for all town meetings can be is the only candidate with Private Sector Experien He budgets Selectman for 8 years found on our Town website: dracut-ma.us/ calendar - Thur Aug 9 2012 - Zoning By He signed the No New Taxes Pledge Law Committee - 7:00 PM Selectmenhas As a Father and Husband, Alex knows about tight Family He served honorably on the Andover Board of Tues Aug 14 2012 - Board of 7:00 PM budgets Republican Primary Thursday, September 6th Selectman for 8 years Wed Aug 15 2012 - Historic Commission - 7:00 PM He signed the No New Taxes Pledge Wed Aug 22 2012 - Planning Board AlexVispoli.com As a Father and Husband, Alex knows about tight Fam 7:00 PM
Leadership You Can Trust
Vispoli for Senate

AlexVispoli.com
budgets
Republican Primary Thursday, September 6th
20
August - 2012
Pennie Hale
Lets Talk About Food Addiction: with Pennie Hale

VALLEY PATRIOT FOOD COLUMNIST
THE FOOD PAGE
the VAlley PAtriot
Dining out can be a challenge. Its not always easy to find something on the menu that suits our dietary needs. Its very easy to make the choice to forget the diet for today and just eat to our hearts content! The restaurant atmosphere tempts us to overeat, overindulge and inevitably overspend. So, how do we avoid this? First, we must do some research. I decided to make a list of all the restaurants I may patronize on at least a once-a-month basis. After making that list, I looked at each restaurants menu and looked at the calorie content of what I would typically order. Then I looked for other items on the menu that I could have instead, so that I could cut out some calories. I also looked for
other ways of cutting calories in general typical method when eating out at while dining at restaurants or quickrestaurants. Before being seated, she service eateries. asks the wait staff to For example, I not bring bread of any recently went to kind to her table. If Chama Grill in North she chooses to have a Andover. Instead of salad, she asks for dry eating a couple or a greens, with the topfew pieces of bread pings and dressing on from the bread basket, the side. If she orders I only ate one. I ate a protein, she must delicious salad with know exactly how it added grilled shrimp. is cooked and what The salad was loaded ingredients are added. with fresh fruits and She never orders side plenty of greens. After dishes and she never eating, I felt satisfied. orders dessert. I told I looked at their very her that if I had to PENNIE HALE tempting dessert tray spend half of my time but decided to pass on talking about the food, the sweets. I am going to try to do the more time inspecting it and a fraction of same thing every time I dine out. my time actually eating, Id rather just A friend recently described to me her stay home and eat Ramen.
I want to eat in a healthy way. Of course Id like to be calorie conscious. I also have a weight-loss goal. But I have no desire to make ordering food a chore for myself or for others. I dont always make the right choices when planning meals, ordering meals or preparing meals. I am constantly reading magazines that promote healthy lifestyles, searching the internet for low-carb meals, looking for ways to cut fat out of my diet and trying to keep my daily caloric intake below 1400 calories. How successful am I? Lets just say that Im great at research, not so great at practical application. I would like to know if you have any silly or interesting food rituals. Do you struggle with weight or do you have it all figured out? If you would like to share your stories with me, please email me at pennielacouture@verizon.net
SHEILAS RECIPE CORNER: BREAKFAST

VALLEY PATRIOT COOKING COLUMNIST
Sheila Mullins
Breakfast.mmmm, I do love breakfast especially when I can relax & enjoy it. Breakfast is this months focus. I was inspired by a trip Jerry & I took a long time ago to northern New Hampshire. We stayed at the Maxwell House Inn which has since met its demise. I remembered the delicious blueberry pancakes & the unusual syrup that accompanied it. It was that dish, with a twist, that I am sharing below. Blueberry Pancakes Makes 10-12-4 pancakes Total time: 20 minutes 2T canola oil t salt 3 T baking powder 2 room temperature eggs, divided 1-1/2 c flour 1 T sugar c ground flax seed meal 1-1/4 c skim milk 2 c blueberries Place all ingredients except egg whites in a medium bowl & mix by hand until combined. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter until just barely combined.
In a cast iron skillet, add 2 t butter & melt over medium heat. (Alternatively, use a cooking spray.) Spoon batter into 4 pancakes into hot skillet & top each with 1/8th of the blueberries. Cook until bubbles form on top of batter & turn over. Cook for approximately 1 minute. Serve with syrup below. Syrup: Mix equal parts honey & frozen orange juice concentrate. Heat until warm. Pour over pancakes. Enjoy! This next recipe is my great grandmothers recipe. It has literally been decades since I made this & so I just finished making (& eating!) some of this deliciousness. The great thing with these is you can top them any way you want. These are not like the commercial ones; they are sooooo much better. The texture is more akin to cider doughnuts, they are far more dense
than a commercial doughnut; more bread like than air filled. You can make these up immediately after rolling out. What I generally do is make them the night before, freeze them, & fry in the morning. Grammy Hartzels Doughnuts Makes approximately 30 doughnuts & doughnut holes. Total preparation time including cooking time: 40 minutes. Makes approximately 30 doughnuts & doughnut holes. Total preparation time including cooking time: 40 minutes. 1 c milk at room temperature 2 room temperature eggs 2 T canola oil 1 c sugar 2 T baking powder 6 c flour For topping: Sugar for dusting Lunch bag sized brown paper bag Mix all ingredients together except topping in a stand mixer. (You can do this all by hand, but the time frame & perhaps the flour quantity will need to be adjusted
accordingly.) Place topping choice in paper bag. Roll out so that dough is just under the thickness of the donut cutter. Freeze in single layer on baking sheets. Place frozen donuts in a plastic bag until ready to use. When ready to use doughnuts, remove from bag & place directly in a hot deep fryer or in a frying pan filled 1-1/2 deep with a neutral flavoured oil on medium high heat. Make sure that the oil is fresh as the doughnuts will pick up the flavour of whatever else has been cooked in the oil. Cook until medium golden brown & flip over & cook for approximately 45-60 seconds more or until medium golden brown. Remove from oil & immediately into the paper bag with sugar (or cinnamon sugar) & shake until coated. Sheila Mullins lives in Newburyport & is a personal cook. She can be reached at sheila_a_mullins@hotmail.com.
VALLEY PATRIOT FOODIE: LOCAL ADVENTURES: FARM DINNERS WITH A CAUSE

FOOD COLUMNIST -MASSBYTES.COM
Sarah Sparks
In the summer I seem to have this wild energy. I want to travel everywhere possible and explore all kinds of different foods; however, being on a tight budget, I tend to look for adventures closer to home. These typically include overnight stays in a nearby city, tours in surrounding neighborhoods, and dining in various restaurants. I have had my fair share of fun, but I was ready for something new. Then my invitation arrived for a Whim Restaurant Charity Dinner at the historic Smolak Farms in North Andover, Massachusetts. The farmlands were carved by glaciers and have a history one may have read in books. The lands were settled by ancient Indian tribes, colonized by English settlers, and farmed by a wave of European Immigrants. The homestead is about 300 years old with a 30 year old farmland preservation of 107 acres, guaranteeing it will not be developed and will continue to be open land. H. Michael Smolak,
third generation, oversees the operations including the farm stand, bakery, and gift shop, as well as a variety of activities and events. The Whim Restaurant Charity Dinner is a pop-up dining experience showcasing Chefs in or around the Boston area as they prepare a three-course meal using fresh ingredients picked onsite. The series runs on Wednesdays during the months of July and August to help benefit the Chefs charity of choice. For the night of my invitation, I was paired with Andy Husbands, the owner of Bostons South End restaurants Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel. Andy Husbands has an unique background from competing on Hells Kitchen with Gordan Ramsey to being an author of Wicked Good Barbecue: Fearless Recipes from Two Damn Yankees Who Have Won the Biggest, Baddest BBQ Competition in the World and The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes from the Edge of American Cuisine. While competing on Hells Kitchen, Chef Husbands gained local as well as national
attention, landing guest spots on Phantom Gourmet, TV Diner, The Early Show, and WB in the Morning. At the age fourteen, Husbands started his culinary career at an afterschool baking job, and then never looked back. Once he graduated from Johnson & Wales University, Husbands continued his career under the mentoring of Chris Schlesinger, founder of East Coast Grill and Raw Bar, known for their amazing seafood dishes, tasty bbq and fiery Hell Night. Husbands then traveled across the states on his motorcycle to work in San Francisco and New Mexico bringing back life lessons he continues to apply to his cooking to this day. To top it off, for over twenty years, Husbands demonstrated a strong commitment to fighting hunger in low income communities including dedicating his time to Cooking Matters, Share Our Strength. For the Whim Dinner, Husbands created an upscale BBQ menu featuring his World Champion Ribs made with Smolak Farms Currant BBQ Sauce and served with Vinegar-seared Smolak Farms Kale;
Slow-smoked Chicken and Chopped Pork with IQUE Famous Glaze and Blues Hog Tennessee Red Sauce served with freshly baked Cornbread, Coleslaw, Collard Greens with Bacon, and the most amazing Zucchini Salad; and Blueberry Pie Dessert made with Smolak Farms Blueberries and a Buttercake with Black Currant Jus. How could anyone not love this kind of event? An open farm dinner on a warm summer evening, under a gorgeous tent with white lights, feasting on a special meal created by a very talented local chef, and all for an amazing cause to help local communities. This will go in my books as one of my most memorable food adventures. For more information about Smolak Farms and the Whim Restaurant Charity Dinners, please check out www.smolakfarms.com. Contact Email: SarahSparksMA@ gmail.com
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22
August - 2012
TOM DUGGANS NOTEBOOK

Happy Birthday to Devon Brantmuller - (August 2nd) and Corbin Brantmuller (July 29th). NCAA rewrites history on Penn State Carl Marx would be proud So the NCAA has taken a page from Karl Marx and every communist dictator in world history by wiping Penn States winning football record off the record as if the players in those games never put in the hard work, as if those games never happened, and as if Joe Paterno never coached those winning seasons. Why did they do this? Because of a sex scandal that rocked Penn State which allegedly were covered up by Coach Paterno. How is rewriting history and changing the record books to make actual wins on the field look like LOSSES going to deter future pedophiles in college sports from molesting kids? It wont. There is no reason that the players who worked hard and won those games should have a stain on their records and there is certainly no reason to rewrite history. Shame on the NCAA.The bad behavior of one coach and the allegation that Joe Paterno covered it up is every reason to punish THEM, but certainly it is no reason to change history and pretend winning seasons never happened. The players of Penn State (many of whom were the victims of molester Jerry Sanduski) should not be penalized for the actions of their predator coach. David (Where-is-He) Torissi vs Diana DiZoglio. So the Democrats have put up Elizabeth Warren to face Scott Brown and have made Women the main focus of their campaign (which truly is sexist), but one has to wonder if that will translate to additional support for State Rep. Candidate Diana DiZoglio in Lawrence, North Andover, Methuen and Haverhill. DiZoglio is running against Dave in the September 6th primary and it will be very telling to see if Democrats walk the walk and vote for a woman in BOTH races in that district. You may remember that David (Where-is-He) Torissi supports drivers licenses for illegals and told a member of the media (not me this time) to go F* himself when Dave was asked why he voted to give benefits to illegals over American citizens. Dave has also carried Willie Lantiguas water for the last three years, supporting the $35 Million bail-out loan for Lawrence and taking the fire chiefs job out of civil service. So, will this be the year of the woman as Democrats tout for Niki Tsongas and Elizabeth Warren? Or will they show their hypocrisy once again and vote for Dave in the primary? We will be Paying Attention! JOHN GOLNIK BAILS ON DEBATE - Last month I had a debate scheduled on WCAP between congressional candidates Tom Weaver and John Golnik., but Golnik blew off our debate even though he had made a commitment to be there. His excuse via his campaign consultant was that his opponent Tom Weaver was mean to him and did really bad things... as if that had anything to do with keeping his word to my radio audience. His other excuse was that he and Weaver had agreed to limit the number of debates to four, and WCAP was not one of the debates they had agreed to do. However, Mr. Golnik and Mr. Weaver had both agreed to do the WCAP debate prior to their limiting debates and Tom Weaver did, in fact, show up. I made a commitment, in fact we both made a commitment, to do your show before our staffs got together and hashed out limiting debates, Weaver said. So, I have my word and I am here. Its unfortunate that John did not keep his word and show up as promised. If you want to hear the Tom Weaver vs. crickets debate you can go to our podcast page on line at valleypatriot. com. LAWRENCES GREATEST HEALTH THREAT Last month the Lawrence Board of Health showed how completely out of touch they are with the real world... or at least the world of Lawrence. With violence on the rise, drug abuse and HIV at their highest levels in decades, and the City of Lawrence facing the highest asthma rates in New England you might think that the Board of Health would have a full plate when it came to educating the people of Lawrence about better health standards. But no, the incompetence of the Lawrence Board of Health had them tackling what they think is the biggest problem in the city... obesity. Thats right, instead of just looking around at the real health crisisses in Lawrence and trying to tackle those, the clueless members of the Board of Health in Lawrence tried to ban fast food restaurants and certain types of junk food in the city. Talk about fiddling while Lawrence burns. ELIZABETH WARRENS COMPARISONS WITH CHINA - Candidate for U.S. Senate Elizabeth Warren is running a TV commercial claiming that China spends more money on infrastructure (roads, bridges etc) than the Unites States. This is a moved on to their next propaganda point: this happened because America needs gun control. Whats worse, the 24-7 news coverage directly following the shooting was 90% speculation about every possible detail (most of which they got wrong) and a mantra of how tragically tragic, the tragedy was. If there is any single reason that America is in decline I say it is directly attributed to the majority of people in my profession who think their job is tell people what to think and how to think rather than just reporting facts and letting the American public think for themselves. TOLERATE ME BUT SCREW YOU Last month the Chick-Fil-A controversy went viral nationwide when the liberal news media (which touts themselves as tolerant) and so called tolerant liberals attacked the food chain and its owner because he supports traditional marriage. Liberal Democrat Boston Mayor Tom Menino showed his tolerance of Chick-Fil-A by holding a press conference and declaring that he would STOP Chick-Fil-A from opening stores in Boston. That was followed up by Rahm Emmanuel (the mayor of Chicago), declaring the very same thing. The American public was then fed a daily dose of news reports in the liberal media about how hateful the owner of ChickFil-A is and how he was violating peoples rights.. which was a total lie. So, this controversy got me thinking about the media and the Democrats (usually one in the same) usage of the word tolerance. Isnt it intolerant to attack people whose views are different than your own? Isnt it intolerant to label people and stereotype them (like Catholics and Christians)? Or is the new definition of tolerance those who agree with gay marriage? Personally, I believe in holding the extreme left wing of the Democrat Party to their own standards and definitions. By doing so, hopefully we show people the folly of such foolishness. If we are to value tolerance as a standard in political discourse in this country shouldnt tolerance mean a little more than: tolerate me but screw you! ANDOVER MOVING SALE - Saturday, August 18th from 8am to 2pm at 13 Lucerne Dr. in Andover. There will be a HUGE moving sale of the entire contents of the home. Sale will include a professional air hockey table, restaurant equipment, a Hobart automatic slicer, small wares among other items and refreshments available. (List your moving or yard sales in The Valley Patriot for $40, email us at valleypatriot@aol.com) THE LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY NOW OFFERS HUNDREDS OF ONLINE COURSES - The Lawrence Public Library is pleased to announce it now has a program that makes it easy for you to take high-quality, non-credit online courses no matter where you are located.
AROUND THE VALLEY
the VAlley PAtriot
Angela from Methuen Family Restaurant shows off the grilled marinated chicken salad. See their ad on page 12.
perfect example of why the national Democrats either just dont get it or purposely mislead the American people. The fact is, China is a communist country. There is no private sector because their government owns everything, but in the United Sates we have a federal government that spends money on infrastructure, 50 state governments that spend money on infrastructure, and a private sector that spends money on infrastructure. When you add all of those three together in the US and compare it to what Chinas government spends on infrastructure we far outpace that communist regime by leaps and bounds. Memo to Ms. Warren: please at least try to understand foreign policy and the difference between how communist countries work and how free nations work before making such bogus claims on TV. You really are making yourself look foolish. IRRESPONSIBLE MEDIA ON THE COLORADO SHOOTING, TRAGIC TRAGEDIES. Last month the Democrats best propaganda machine, the news media, went out of control over the movie theater shooting in Colorado. First, they went out of their way to blame the Tea Party for the shooting with no evidence whatsoever. They did this because their propaganda against the Tea Party is that Tea Party members are a bunch of violent kooks and they will do ANYTHING to promote that lie. And when the news media was proven to be lying about the Tea Party connection they immediately
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Through a partnership with ed2go the library offers hundreds of courses on just about every topic. Through expert online instruction and interaction with fellow students youll gain valuable knowledge at your convenience. You will have the flexibility to study at your own pace combined with enough structure and support to complete the course. The courses can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere with an Internet connection. New sessions of each six-week online course start monthly with two lessons released weekly (for a total of 12). Each high-quality course includes comprehensive lessons, quizzes, assignments, and a discussion area. Dedicated instructors facilitate every course; pacing learners, answering questions, giving feedback, and facilitating discussions. Popular course titles include: Creating Web Pages, Accounting Fundamentals, Speed Spanish, Grant Writing, Medical Terminology, and Real Estate Investing. New courses are introduced monthly, so theres surely something to fit your needs. To learn more visit The Lawrence Public Library at 51 Lawrence St. or visit them online at www. lawrencefreelibrary.org. Contact: Maureen Nimmo, mnimmo@ cityoflawrence.com, 51 Lawrence St. Lawrence Ma. 01841, 978-620-3621 DRACUT OLD HOME DAYS - Saturday, September 8, 2012, 9:00am until 5:00pm, Dracut School Complex, Saturday from 9am to 5pm. THE SICILIAN PROJECT FUNDRAISER Tuesday, August 14, 2012 6:00pm until 9:00pm, Please come and join us, we would love you to be apart of our first Sicilian Project Fundraiser... Alfred Zappala will be home from Sicily sharing the progress of the students, sharing photos and many many stories of what is happening! We will be serving salad and pizza, coffee and light desert. Raffle and book signing also a surprise guest entertainer is in the works! 100% of the profits to benefit the many, many hundreds of students English scholarships. $20.00 p/ ticket(or more if your heart moves you)... Please reserve your tickets through our pay pal account. Or call Vanessa Chirichiello at 978-317-7600... Space limited. See website link below for pay pal link. THE LAWRENCE CHESS CLUB will meet on Wednesday, 19 September
AROUND THE VALLEY

2012 from 6-8pm At The Lawrence Public Library, corner of Haverhill & Lawrence streets. This is always a FREE event. Please bring a friend and a chess set. ALL ages and abilities welcome. Play, learn and help teach. We can teach anyone to play in about 20 minutes, but it requires a lifetime to master. English is not required. FITCHBURG REPUBLICAN CITY COMMITTEE (FRCC) The next monthly meeting of the FRCC is Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at Destare, 320 Main Street, Fitchburg. The FRCC meets the second Thursday of every month and is open to all registered Republican and unenrolled voters. There is no cost, dues or fees to attend. If you have ever thought of running for public office on the Republican ticket come in and discuss your ideas. For more information: www.fitchburggop.org and Facebook. NECC EXPANDS POPULAR PARALEGAL PROGRAM -Northern Essex Community Colleges popular paralegal certificate program which has been offered on the Lawrence campus for more than 15 years will now also be offered in the evenings on the Haverhill campus beginning in the fall. We are excited to be able to expand our evening paralegal certificate program to the Haverhill Campus. With a full-time schedule, the paralegal certificate program can be completed in one year starting in September, says Judith Pollock Ciampi, coordinator of the NECC paralegal program. The Paralegal Program, which is approved by the American Bar Association, has been gaining interest over the past few years according to Pollock Ciampi. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment of paralegals is expected to grow by 18 percent through 2020. Individuals interested in a career in law who enjoy reading, research, and writing might be interested in pursuing a career in the paralegal area. Paralegals assist lawyers in a wide range of duties including conducting research, writing drafts of legal documents interviewing clients, and providing administrative support. A number of paralegal information sessions will be held this summer for anyone interested in any of Northern Essexs paralegal certificate or associate degree programs. Sessions will be held Wednesdays, August 22, and August 29 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Student Center Room
OUR VALLEY PATRIOTS SOFTBALL TEAMS
Undefeated at 10 and 0, Our Valley Patriots Prepare for the Playoffs!
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Our True Vision Sports League Girls Softball Team Valley Patriots are still playing their schedule and are now undefeated with TEN WINS AND 0 LOSSES pummeling the Tornado team in Groveland last week by a score of 17-2. Come out and root for our Valley Patriots! TRUE VISION SCHEDULE Locations: Lions Field, Lyons Way in Salisbury & Pines Field in Groveland.. Our remaining games for the regular season are going tobe held: Fri 8/10 (Valley Patriots vs GNO) 6:45 PM - 8:30 PM at Pines Field in Groveland (double header). Sun 8/19, 4pm - Patriots vs Rebels Lions Field in Salisbury Playoff Schedule will be posted on our facebook page: facebook.com/valleypatriot
NOTEBOOK, PAGE 46
Paul D. Lambert, Esquire

Your Familys Lawyer
Not all Lawyers Give YOU the Service and the Time that YOU Deserve!
PAUL LAMBERT will give your legal matters the time, respect and service that YOU DESERVE AND EXPECT! Paul has been helping people to protect themselves and their families since 1990, in their Real Estate dealings and Estate Planning (Wills and Trusts) and Probate Needs!
Team Liberty wins the DTS World Series defeating our DTS Valley Patriots 2 games to 1.
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CONGRATULATIONS TEAM PATRIOTS!!!!

Our Dirt the Skirt League Patriots made a valliant effort this season after finishing 3rd in the league but winning a wild card spot in the playoffs. Our DTS Patriots pulled an upset in the playoffs and made the DTS World Series and faced Team Liberty but lost 2 games to 1. See you all next year!
Admitted to Practice Law in MA and NH NEED A LAWYER? CALL PAUL LAMBERT! Cell 978-609-6420 E-mail PAUL LAMBERT! PDLLAW@comcast.net Fax PAUL LAMBERT! Fax 253-595-3108
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Congress shall make no law...

2012
A FREE MONTHLY JOURNAL OF NEWS, COMMENTARY AND EVENTS, SERVING MA & NH
AUGUST, 2012 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8

POLITCAL SUPPLIMENT
An Open Letter to the Citizens of the new 3rd CD MA

3RD DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE
Tom Weaver
The Republican Primary is Thursday, September 6th. We must pick someone who can defeat an incumbent Democrat. We typically go with the one with the most money, the largest organization and the one endorsed by the Republican Party. We carry signs, call supporters and pray, that maybe, a republican can break through. And over the past 20 years, we have been disappointed. Perhaps, the reason we do not win is that we do not send candidates that truly differentiate with their Democratic foes. If the major difference between candidates is simply the amount of spending, what motivates the electorate to forgo the return of pork to the District? Do you want a real choice? That is why I decided to run, to provide a difference, not some shade of grey. While my opponents want to maintain government, we understand why a limited government increases our opportunities and freedom and that is what I will work toward. While my opponents will answer in sound bites, I will state what I believe. You may not agree, but you will know where I stand and why. It is called leadership and it is lacking in Washington DC. What is more important previous elected office or long term involvement in the community? For years, I have mentored Scouts, helping them grow up to be contributing members of society. I am the co-founder of ShowIDtoVOTE, an organization that has made a difference, training hundreds of volunteers to watch the polls, securing honest elections. Our efforts have made a difference. I have given talks on the Constitution, energy and American History to addressed Scout groups, Rotaries, Tea Parties, Republican Assemblies, Toastmasters, Republican Town Commit-
tees and written monthly Letters to the Editors for all of the newspapers in the District. Has America changed? I remember when we were the greatest Nation in the world. We had defeated the Axis powers, opportunity was exploding, businesses and jobs were being created by the guy down the street, and people respected each other. We were challenged to go to the moon for the simple reason that we were Americans. The common answer to a complaint was Dont make a federal case out of it. We waved as JFK passed us on his way to Carswell AFB and his flight to Dallas. And when we failed, we got back up and tried again, for we never heard of self-esteem. What has happened to America? The National debt, the out-of-control spending, the mutating un-elected bureaucracies, the un-audited Federal Reserve and the constant police actions are killing jobs and destroying the American way of life. It is that simple. We need bold solutions, or we will be doomed to the trash heap of former great republics. Our spirit of individualism, opportunity, patriotism and concern for our neighbor, which attracts new citizens from around the globe, needs to be restored. We believe in freedom, the Rule of Law and the need for government to leave us alone. We know that all we need to correct our path is direction, leadership and honesty -- and Americans will march to the drum. I am asking for an opportunity to earn your support and vote. I am asking for the privilege of serving you, of going to Washington and stirring the pot. With your help, we can win the Primary in September and defeat the incumbent in November. And together, we can restore the opportunities and freedom for our children and grandchildren that we once enjoyed. God Bless America
WHATS THE REAL ISSUE?

In preparing for a Congressional run, the Candidate typically spends hour upon hour reading and studying issue after topic after plan. Talking points are prepared, ensuring that the what if, would you, and do you support questions are properly answered. The prep work may be important, but Whats the real issue? The expenses are greater than the revenue. And if we took all the wealth from all the rich people, we would still have the problem that the expenses are greater than the revenue. So what do we do? We can pontificate on the issues or we can address the real issue spending. We must throw away the talking points and present bold solutions or we will become Greece. We cannot have a government that provides everything. The solution to spending lies in restoring the principle of LIMITED government. We may not understand limited government, but we see the results of unlimited government debt, dependence and destruction of the American way of life. Congress must set the example as the first step in solving the spending problem. They must return to the principles that were implied when the body was created. They must cut their pay, they must purchase their own health care, and they must abolish the pension program. Congress is to be the servants of the people, not the masters. Leading by example will serve this Nation well.
Tom Weaver always shows his ID when before a crowd. He is a co-founder of the nationwide voter initiative SHOWIDtoVOTE.
RARE THURSDAY ELECTION

September 6th is a Thursday and a very usual day for a Massachusetts Primary Election. Turnout is expected to be very low, even in the new 3rd Congressional District where voters have a real choice between a true Constitutional candidate or another establishment candidate. If you want to see real change in Washington, make sure you vote for Veteran Tom Weaver during the primary or voters will have no real choice in November.
Thank You Note: JIM DIXON, FORMER CANDIDATE 10th Middlesex

In a letter to Tom Weaver, Jim Dixon offered the following: Last year, Massachusetts held a special election for two open state legislative seats. I restarted my campaign with a clarion call to all Republicans in the State. Tom Weaver answered that call, and he did it in a way that will return the Republican Party to a viable political force in Massachusetts. Not only did Tom actively participate during the campaign by physically coming to my district and participating in events, he encouraged and activated the members of his Town Committee, MARA Chapter and ShowIDtoVOTE network to help my campaign as well. The financial and physical support that Tom generated were invaluable to my campaign. Tom and his workers spent hours making phone calls, not only to voters, but to engage support for my campaign. I am forever grateful for the efforts of Tom Weaver made to help a fellow Republican and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
VOTER GUIDE - CANDIDATE COMPARISON
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August - 2012
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
Reagans 11th Commandment If We Do Not Return to the Tom Weaver Values that Made Us Great
VALLEY PATRIOT GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
During Ronald Reagans first gubernatorial run in California, the GOP Chairman stated that republicans should not speak ill of each other. As time went on, this became Reagans 11th Commandment, even though he never said it. Reagan went on to win election after election by differentiating his positions and actions from that of his opponents. He used humor, he used comparisons, he discussed vision, but he never made personal attacks, especially when the opponent was not responsible. Ronald Reagan would have looked unfavorably at anonymous packages of personal information being given to local newspapers. That is unless there was a police report, a neighbors complaint or an arrest warrant, which could warrant discussion, as in the George W Bush case in Kennebunkport, Maine. There are good people running for this position in Congress, but I have a different vision. Do you believe in unlimited freedom and opportunity for all Americans? If so, you are probably a classical liberal -- just like our founding fathers. They believed in limited government, as they understood that government simply steals the freedom of its citizens. I share a similar belief. Reagan also led by example and that is what
a leader does. He believed in hard work, which is why he spent time doing many chores, like cutting wood, out on his ranch. Reagan was involved in helping others get elected and he understood that leaders must be involved in the process. As I ask for your support and vote, I have always been registered to vote and cherish that privilege. Over the past 11 years, when we have had young men and woman fighting to destroy those that would want to kill us, my opponent made a active decision not to vote. I believe the apathy of so many Americans to not vote is one of the reasons we are in this mess. Reagans 11th Commandment does not say differences cannot be displayed, that questions cannot be raised concerning ones actions. The voters deserve to know the facts. When you are thinking of whom to honor with your vote, you may want to ask them; Have you served anyone but yourself? Have you voted? Have you been registered to vote? Have you been involved in the process to make our communities a better place to live? Are you serious about going to Washington to change the way they do business? Regardless of the outcome of this election, I will continue to serve the community, be involved in the betterment of the community, and continue to be civically engaged for the good of our District.
Proven Leadership With Civic Involvement

PROVEN LEADERS HAVE CIVIC INVOLVEMENT Quote of the Past Campaign: When asked about failure to register to vote for nearly 8 years prior to his own decision to run for Congress, Jon Golnik responded: I fell into a trap and I got disillusioned. It wasnt a case of me being too busy or me being away. I made an active decision not to vote. Response to the Quote: Tom Weaver How can you ask someone to do what you have not? Everyone gets frustrated. But a leader can never make a decision to abandon a duty or a cause, for a leader must lead by example. WEAVER SUPPORTS TENTH AMENDMENT Quote of the Week: from a transcript of an interview on the Westford Patch with Jon Golnik: I do not believe in abolishing the Dept of Education because it is impractical and will not reach the floor for a vote. Response to the Quote: Tom Weaver Why even bother going to Washington then? I believe in limited government. That means not only smaller, but there are some things, like the Departments of Education and Energy, that the federal government should not do. We must also audit the Federal Reserve. I am ready to tackle the impractical because if we do not, we will lose this great Nation. TOM TAKES STAND ON SOCIAL ISSUES Summary Quotation from 1st Debate: Jon Golnik, in response to a campaign finance question, stated that if the incumbent could take money from Planned Parenthood, he could take money from other PACs. Response: Tom Weaver You speak of Planned Parenthood, yet you have no positions in regards to social issues posted on your web page. Are you against Planned Parenthood because they get taxpayer money or are you upset because of what they do with it? I am Pro-Life and Planned Parenthood should not be funded by the American taxpayer. DELAYING PAGES OF REGULATIONS IS NOT THE ANSWER Quote from Website for creating jobs: Jon Golnik: Impose a 1 year moratorium on the implementation of any new jobkilling regulations. Response: Tom Weaver: A 1-year moratorium simply delays implementation, so then what? We need to systematically dismantle the mutating un-elected bureaucracies which are creating these rules and regulations as a form of job security. Is this going to be easy? NO!! But if indeed we are to serve, then we need to restore the principles that made us great.
The State of the Union speech is an annual event when the President tells Congress what he believes is the state of the union in other words, how is America doing. It has changed over time, becoming more political, emphasizing the positive achievements of the ruling party, pontificating grand ideas, far reaching promises and grandiose spending and entitlement programs. This year was much the same, except we were offered insight into the beliefs of our President and the liberal establishment from both sides of the aisle; and it causes confusion. We were told that we must have equality of outcome yet that is not America. Somehow equality of outcome has been confused with equality under the law, equality of opportunity. We were told that the American people need a level playing field. The confusion starts when government attempts to define the meaning of the word level. America has a level playing field it is called freedom. We were told that everyone is entitled to success. It is as if there can be no failure. Perhaps American values are being confused with some other nation, but in America, one of the greatest rights is the right to fail and then be able to try again. We were told that everyone needs to pay their fair share. Once again, confusion reigns supreme. Why not ask the question, what is the fair share that Americans should be allowed to keep when they look at their paycheck? We were told that the executive branch needs more power. Not only is someone confusing the guidelines found within our Constitution, this statement is downright scary The executive branch is supposed to be weak. The American people rejected a strong executive branch over 200 years ago and placed the power in the hands of the people its elected Congress. Needless to say, when one listens to the rhetoric of liberal speeches, they do not embrace American ideals, American Exceptionalism. And that is confusing.
American Exceptionalism is simply freedom; that is the total sum of our greatness. Government was created to protect that freedom, yet with every law, regulation and rule created by Congress or Executive Order, we lose freedom. Liberalism has resulted in debt, dependence and destruction. If our President and liberal friends truly understood the inheritance of American Exceptionalism, the State of the Union speech would have been completely different. He would have emphasized the need for government to get out of the way, so that private industry could create jobs. Instead of asking business what they needed government to do, he would have requested that businesses tell the government what does not work so it could be eradicated. Instead of offering more entitlements, he would have asked that we fix existing programs so that our children would enjoy the God given entitlements of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But our President and the liberal establishment elite on both sides of the aisle are not wired that way. So we have a decision in September and in November. Do we want a State of the Union which relies on the kind intentions of government programs which always come up short or do we want a State of the Union which relies on the greatness of the American people. I choose We the People what about you? I would like the opportunity to earn your vote on September 6th.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE PETER DURANT BELIEVES SHOWIDTOVOTE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

In September of 2010, ShowIDtoVOTE was created to highlight three basic responsibilities of civic minded Americans. The first principle was to actually show an ID when voting, positively securing your right to vote. The second principle was to show I Deserve to vote. So many times, we ask a neighbor who to vote for, what are the issues we do our homework 10 minutes before arriving to work. And the third principle was GET INVOLVED. Peter Durant, a State representative offered the following: I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all your help in the past general election and in the special election. My election, yes both of them, couldnt have been possible without the efforts of the ShowIDtoVote organization. Your dedication in training poll workers and poll watchers for Election Day operations provides a valuable tool for any candidate. Your organization helps maintain the integrity of the vote. ShowIDtoVOTE makes a difference. Get involved. Practice poll observing on September 6th. Then take a vacation day on November 6th and work to secure fair and honest elections. There are many great candidates that would be thankful for the effort.
Emblems and Logos are for activity and do not necessarily indicate endorsement or membership.
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26
August - 2012
THE DOCTOR IS
HEALTHY BODY
the VAlley PAtriot
Managing Tensions Headaches

headaches from a description of your pain. Be sure to include these details: 1. The characteristics of your pain. Does your pain have a pulsating quality? Or is it constant and dull? Sharp or stabbing? 2. The intensity of your pain. A good indicator of the severity of your headache is how much youre able to function while you have it. Are you incapacitated? Or are you still able to work? Do your headaches wake you up or prevent you from sleeping? 3. The location of your pain. Do you feel pain all over your head? On only one side of your head? Or just your forehead or behind your eyes? This information may help your doctor determine the best way to treat your headache. Imaging tests If you have unusual or complicated headaches, your doctor may order tests to rule out serious causes of head pain, such as a tumor or an aneurysm. Two common tests used to image your brain include: 1. Computerized tomography (CT). A CT scan is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a series of computer-directed X-rays to provide a comprehensive view of your brain. 2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. An MRI doesnt use X-rays. Instead, it combines a magnetic field, radio waves and computer technology to produce clear images. Treatments and drugs Some people with tension headaches dont seek medical attention and try to treat the pain on their own. The problem with that is that repeated use of over-thecounter (OTC) pain relievers can actually cause overuse headaches. A variety of medications, both OTC and prescription, are available to stop or reduce the pain of an existing headache attack, including: 1. Pain relievers: Simple OTC pain relievers are usually the first line of treatment for reducing headache pain. These include the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). Prescription medications include naproxen (Naprosyn), indomethacin (Indocin) and ketorolac (Ketorolac Tromethamine). Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may be less effective in treating tension headache pain, and more likely to cause medication overuse headaches. 2. Combination medications: Aspirin or acetaminophen or both are often combined with caffeine or a sedative drug in a single medication. For example, Excedrin combines aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine. Combination drugs may be more effective than are single-ingredient pain relievers. Although many combination drugs are available OTC, those containing sedatives can be obtained only by prescription because they may be addictive and can lead to chronic daily headache. Use them only with careful monitoring by your doctor. 3. Triptans and narcotics: For people who experience both migraines and episodic tension headaches, a triptan can effectively relieve the pain of both headaches. Studies have shown that the injectable form of sumatriptan (Imitrex, Sumavel Dosepro), a common migraine medication, may also relieve symptoms of chronic tension headache. Opiates, or narcotics, are rarely used because of their side effects and potential for dependency. Pain medications dont cure headaches; they just relieve the symptoms temporarily. Over time, painkillers and other medications may lose their effectiveness
Rami Rustum, M.D.
VALLEY PATRIOT MEDICAL COLUMNIST
Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches among adults. They are commonly referred to as stress headaches. A tension headache may appear periodically (episodic, less than 15 days per month) or daily (chronic, more than 15 days per month). An episodic tension headache may be described as a mild to moderate constant band-like pain, tightness, or pressure around the forehead or back of the head and neck. These headaches may last from 30 minutes to several days. Episodic tension headaches usually begin gradually, and often occur in the middle of the day. The severity of a tension headache increases significantly with its frequency. Chronic tension headaches come and go over a prolonged period of time. The pain is usually throbbing and affects the front, top, or sides of the head. Although the pain may vary in intensity throughout the day, the pain is almost always present. Chronic tension headaches do not affect vision, balance, or strength. Who Gets Tension Headaches? About 30%-80% of the adult U.S. population suffers from occasional tension headaches; approximately 3% suffer from chronic daily tension headaches. Women are twice as likely to suffer from tensiontype headaches as men. Most people with episodic tension headaches have them no more than once or twice a month, but the headaches can occur more frequently. Chronic tension headaches tend to be more common in females. Many people with chronic tension headaches have usually had the headaches for more than 60-90 days. What Causes Tension Headaches? The exact cause or causes of tension headache are unknown. Experts used to think that the pain of tension headache stemmed from muscle contraction in the face, neck and scalp, perhaps as a result of heightened emotions, tension or stress. But research suggests that there doesnt appear to be a significant increase in muscle tension in people diagnosed with
Dr. Rami R. Rustum, M.D. is the Director of Merrimack Pain Associates at 50 Prospect St. in Lawrence. You can contact him at: ramirustum@comcast.net. Tell him you read his column... he likes that!
tension headache. The most common theories support interference or mixed signals involving nerve pathways to the brain, which is demonstrated by a heightened sensitivity to pain in people who have tension headaches. Increased muscle tenderness, a common symptom of tension headache, may be the result of overactive pain receptors. Triggers Its likely other factors also contribute to the development of tension headaches. Potential triggers may include: 1. Stress, 2. Depression and anxiety 3. Poor posture, 4. Working in awkward positions or holding one position for a long time, 5. Jaw clenching Symptoms of Tension Headaches Signs and symptoms of a tension headache include: 1. Dull, aching head pain 2. The sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head 3. Tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles 4. Occasionally, loss of appetite A tension headache can last from 30 minutes to an entire week. You may experience these headaches only occasionally, or nearly all the time. If your headaches occur 15 or more days a month for at least three months, theyre considered chronic. If you have headaches that occur fewer than 15 times in a month, your headaches are considered episodic. However, people with frequent episodic headaches are at a higher risk of developing chronic headaches. The headache is usually described as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one person to another and from one headache to another in the same person. Tension headaches can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from migraines, but unlike some forms of migraine, tension headache usually isnt associated with visual disturbances (blind spots or flashing lights), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, or slurred speech. And, while physical activity typically aggravates migraine pain, it doesnt make tension headache pain worse. An increased sensitivity to light or sound can occur with a tension headache, but these arent common symptoms. Tests and diagnosis If you have chronic or recurrent headaches, your doctor may try to pinpoint the type and cause of your headaches using these approaches: Your pain description Your doctor can learn a lot about your
Dr. Vaso Hatzigiannis D.D.S. Joseph P. Beninato D.M.D., P.C.
Located at Sals Riverwalk!
354 Merrimack St. Suite 334 (Entrance C) , Lawrence MA 01843 * Phone (978) 685- 1499 * Fax: (978) 837-6657
OPEN: Mon - Wed: 8am - 5:30pm, Thu: 8am - 5pm, Fri: 8am - 2pm, Sat: 8am -12pm, (Fall thru Spring Only), Office is closed Mon - Thurs from 1pm - 2pm for lunch
RUSTIM, PAGE 40
August - 2012
Vertigo, Balance & Dizziness

VALLEY PATRIOT CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIAN
HEALTHY BODY
Dr. Jin Sung
Vertigo and dizziness are unpleasant disturbances of your spatial surroundings (the feeling of falling or somersaulting) or the illusory perception of a movement of the body (such as spinning, wobbling, or tilting), or both. These sensations can be accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound, heart palpitations, nausea, anxiety and shallow breathing, and more. From 2001 through 2004, 35.4% of US adults aged 40 years and older (69 million Americans) suffered from symptoms of vestibular dysfunction, including vertigo. This number is climbing as more Americans age each year. In a majority of the cases, vertigo is nothing more than a temporary inconvenience induced by prescription medications. Each year more than 100,000 people die of properly used prescription medications. And, perhaps not surprisingly, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for persons aged >65 (higher than cancer, stroke, Alzheimers disease). If you are taking medications it is advised that you check for side effects that included dizziness and speak with your prescribing physician. In some cases, vertigo is a debilitating condition. Approximately four percent
(almost eight million American adults) report a chronic balance problem lasting three months or longer, while an additional 2.4 million Americans report a chronic problem with dizziness alone. Very often day-to-day activities are kept to a minimum due to severe dizziness. This can result in an increasingly limited quality of life, affecting work and family, eventually crippling or isolating the affected individual and giving the appearance of craziness. In a 2010 report on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Institutes of Health estimated that about 615,000 people in the US have Menieres disease and that almost 50,000 cases of hearing loss attributed to Menieres disease are diagnosed each year. If you suffer from Menieres disease we can provide rehabilitative support to help manage ongoing autoimmune attacks, rotational symptoms, and more. In many cases, the area of dysfunction in the nervous system is a faulty cerebellum. The cerebellum is in the posterior aspect (back part) of the brain and controls our coordinated movements. In order of frequency among almost 5000 patients admitted onto a typical neurological dizziness (hospital) unit, vertigo syndromes were diagnosed as follows: 18.3% BPPV
15.9% Phobic Postural Vertigo (height vertigo) 13.5% Central Vestibular Vertigo 9.6% Vestibular Migraine 7.9% Vestibular Neuritis 7.8% Menieres Disease 2.9% Vestibular Paroxysmia 0.4% Perilymph fistula 4.2% Unknown In my experience, excluding Benign Peroxymal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), an inner ear problem that can be quickly resolved using a correct dix hallpike maneuver, seven out of 10 cases of balance, dizziness, and vertigo disorders are primarily metabolic in nature. As such,
every patient that enters our clinic begins with a complete functional blood chemistry work up and specific neurological tests that we utilize to determine cerebellar function. If you have been diagnosed with BPPV or Menieres or if you experience the following non-medication induced symptoms: Dizzy and lightheaded Single or recurrent attacks of vertigo Sustained vertigo Positional/positioning vertigo Oscillopsia Vertigo associated with auditory dysfunction
VERTIGO, PAGE 47
Legislation Ends Fines for hiring Veterans, Students, Retired, Others

Amendment survives Health Care Conference Committee sent to Governors desk. An amendment that repeals the fines businesses are charged for hiring too many employees with a different health care provider has made it to the Governors desk. The legislation, authored by Senator Michael O. Moore of Worcester and State Rep Linda Forry, is part of the Health Care cost containment measures. At a time when our individual and collective fiscal health depends largely on the success of small business, I was proud to work with the Retailers Association of MA, A.I.M. , the Restaurant and Business Alliance and others in addressing one of their most urgent concerns. Passage of this new language will ensure equity and fairness in guaranteeing appropriate health care coverage for all employees, without imposing unfair fines against business owners. said Senator Michael Moore of the legislation. Dave Andelman, President of the Restaurant and Business Alliance added, I applaud State Senator Michael Moore for working on this and being a vocal supporter of this reform. I look forward to working with him more next session. Currently, businesses are fined $295 per employees per year for uncovered employees, unless the business offers good insurance and has an enrollment rate over 25%. Under the current law, if a business hirs veterans, spouses, students or retired workers, they are punished because the current wording of the law does not make exceptions for them. The proposed change to the law would fix this loophole. Dave Andelman is the CEO of Phantom Gourmet Inc. and the President of the Restaurant and Business Alliance, with a mission to encourage hiring and investment in Massachusetts. He is an attorney and MBA who has been successfully advising restaurants in their operations and promotion for the past nineteen years. Find more information about the R.A.B.A. at RestaurantAndBusinessAlliance.com.
Pat Rondeau
A Visiting Angel
Pat Rondeau
A Visiting Angel
Visiting Angels Americas Choice in Home Care

Visiting Angels provides seniors with the assistance needed to continue living at home. e Directors/Owners of Visiting Angels are personally committed to insuring that compassionate and the highest quality care is given to their clients. Visiting Angel caregivers are hand selected to insure they have the skills and experience necessary to provide their clients with the very best care. Visiting Angels is a fully bonded and insured homecare agency that is accredited with the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. Both Directors are involved in every aspect of the agency and make themselves available to those they serve around the clock. It is their life mission and dedication to better the lives of those receiving Visiting Angels care and provide peace of mind to their families.
111 Chelmsford Street 111 ChelmsfordStreet Chelmsford, MA 01824 Chelmsford, MA 01824 978-244-0200 978-244-0200
Our Services:
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Skin and Hair Care Exercise Our Rate: and Ambulation Assistance Medication Reminders $24 Per Hour (same rate for weekends and nights). Flexible scheduling available 2 hour to 24 hour care. Live In Care Services are also available. Light Housekeeping Laundry, wash, dry and fold Directors/Owners Personal & Home Assessments provided free of charge to Visiting Angel Clients
Visiting Angels Serve Chelmsford, Lowell, Burlington, Woburn, Winchester, Dracut, Tewksbury, Wilmington, North Reading and Surrounding Towns www.visitingangels.com
Carol Kilduff and Wendy Bean
24/7 Director / Owner Availability for our clients and their families Guaranteed 15 minute Call Back 24/7 Director / Owner Availability for our clients Flexible Hourly Care Up to 24 Hour Care Guaranteed 15 Customized Care Plans minute Call Back Rewarding and Lasting Companionshipto 24 Hour Care Flexible Hourly Care Up Respite Care for Family Members Customized Care Plans Bathing or Showering Assistance Grooming Assistance Lasting Companionship Rewarding and Skin and HairCare for Family Members Respite Care Exercise and Ambulation Assistance Bathing or Showering Assistance Medication Reminders Light Housekeeping Grooming Assistance Laundry, wash, dry and fold
and their families
Phone: 978-244-0200 Personal & Home Assessments provided free of charge to Visiting Angel Clients
Visiting Angels Serve Chelmsford, Lowell, Burlington, Woburn, Winchester, Dracut, Visiting Angels Serve Chelmsford, Lowell, Burlington, Woburn, Winchester, Dracut, Tewksbury, Wilmington, North Reading and Surrounding Towns Tewksbury, Wilmington, North Reading and Surrounding Towns
Phone: 978-244-0200 Phone: 978-244-0200
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August - 2012
PUPPY LOVE! with Kate Whitney
PUPPIES
helping to reduce the number of animals killed every day in shelters. On to the dreaded pet stores that hopefully will make you just as mad as they make me. I get it, seeing dogs in the windows is cute, but there is so much that you cant see behind those windows that is filled with cover-ups, torture, and lies. Theres a Pet Express in my local mall, I cant even bring myself to walk on the same side of the corridor by that place. 99% of the dogs sold at these places are born in puppy mills, strictly for profit. You are not rescuing a dog if you buy it from the pet store. If you know about the horrors of puppy mills (and if you dont you should Google it and watch some undercover videos) and you think that you are rescuing the dog by getting it out of the pet store, please understand you are actually doing more harm than good. Not only are you giving this awful industry money, you are promoting what they do. Once you take that cute (often times sick) puppy out of the store, the manager/owner is on the phone to the mill to get a replacement. Also, according to a California study, nearly 100% of puppies in pet stores have parasites when they are purchased and 48% of puppies being sold in pet stores were ill or incubating an illness at the time of purchase. Its a vicious cycle. And to anyone who is reading this that went the pet store route, I hope you are now more informed and will adopt your next dog. 500,000 puppies are born in puppy mills each year and are shipped nationwide to the 35,000 pet stores we have here in America. Can you imagine if puppy mills were banned and people had to adopt? Talk about depletion of stock in the shelters and poundsthats exactly what we want! And thats the reason for the anger. There was a great documentary made called Madonna of the Mills that goes inside the horrific puppy mills and gives us a look into this dark world. America really does have a nasty secrethow can we let dogs live and breed in these conditions and then ship the babies off to be sold? How is this still legal? This is animal abuse at its finest and nothing is being done about it. There are some
the VAlley PAtriot
Let me Take the Gloves off! Just be Responsible

I consider myself an even tempered, even light-hearted person. Only a few things have the ability to make me really mad. If you dont mind, Id like to talk about a few of those things in todays article. Please keep in mind that I do not mean to attack or judge anyone, I simply am trying to educate people so they can make informed decisions, as well as offer a little of my opinion. Please note that some parts having to do with puppy mills and pet stores contain some graphic descriptions, but necessary in order to drive home the root of my frustration. Now with that said Topping the list of things that make my blood boil, are people who buy their pets from breeders, stores, or online, and claim they adopted. The key word here is buying. Lets get something straight - If you get your dog from a breeder, pet store, online (not from a rescue site), or from a friend whose dog had puppies, you are NOT rescuing/adopting the dog. In order to be one of the special ones who can say you truly rescued or adopted a dog, it must come from a shelter/rescue, or you find it as a stray. Lets break this down Recently, as I perused the listings on Craigslist (sometimes I cave and have to look in the pets section) I could feel my blood pressure rising and my heart thumping. Normally, I dont even look because I cant handle all the irresponsible pet owners trying to get rid of their poor dogs. I saw one guy trying to re-home his 8 year old dog because he was moving to NY and couldnt afford to take it with himway to be considerate! Then I see the people whose dogs have had a litter and they post saying 8 week old pit bulls, 2 female 2 male, ready to gothere is an adoption fee. REALLY? Adoption fee? First of all, this listing is against Craigslist regulations because the sale of animals on C-list is prohibited. And secondly, adoption fee?? Not quite, this is a clear violation of the word adoption. If you are looking for people to buy one of the puppies that your dog unfortunately had, you do not get the right to call it an adoption. Heres a more accurate posting title: Im misinformed and irresponsible, didnt get my dog spayed/neutered, now its having puppies and thanks to my actions (or lack thereof), numerous shelter dogs will die. Oh and if I cant find people to buy these puppies, they too will end up at the shelter, on death row, and probably dead in a landfill. Adding on to that pet peeves when people act like they are the one getting fixed instead of their dogs. Spaying is what you do to a female dog or cat and neutering is what you do to a male dog or cat. Guys, you are not manlier if your dog is not neutered. If your dog is neutered it says you are smart, care about the wellbeing of your dog, and care about
The Valley Patriots PupyGirl Kate Whitney with 3 month old Nina and Nikki. They are lab/shepherd mixes.
regulations but as with a lot of things, its all about money and politics. The cute puppies in the pet store window left behind a sad momma dog thats yearning for her babies. The breeding dogs, as they are called, are confined to tiny, unsanitary cages, never walked, petted, or loved, for their entire lives. Their sole purpose on this earth is to pump out puppies and after being bred 2x a year, they usually burn out by age 5. When this burn out happens, they are put to death stoned, shot, drowned, or starved. In some cases, they are rescued by nearby humane societies a.k.a people with hearts and a conscience. As mentioned, this is a vivid and gruesome picture, but it is the truth the needs to be known and discussed if we want to bring about change. Facts show that 4 million homeless dogs and cats are killed every year in
Martial Arts Back to School Special

Are your kids completely ready to go back to school? Arm them with more than just paper and pencils! Martial Arts training will give your kids an A + in:
Improved Focus and Concentration Fitness Self esteem to avoid

Peer Pressure
W iggles & J iggles Pet Care
Martial Arts Back to School Special
Are your kids completely ready PUPPYGIRL, PAGE 40 to go back to school? Tracey Zysk Arm them with more than Bonded & Insured just paper and pencils! iggles wigglewalk@comcast.net 978-697-6571 Martial Arts training will give wigglewalk.webs.com your kids an A + in:
W & J iggles Improved Focus and Pet Concentration iggles & Care iggles Fitness Pet Care Self esteem to avoid
Tracey Zysk
Bonded & Insured
wigglewalk@comcast.net wigglewalk.webs.com
978-697-6571
Haverhill Special Offer or Dudley Plaza Service Mentioned 5-7 Dudley Street (next to Dominos Pizza Rt. 125) In(978) 556-1616 This Space
Executive Plaza Phone Website 230 Pleasant Street (near Route 213 and The Loop) (978) 655-1473
wishes all Police, Fire and Military K9 Units Special Offer or 2011 a Successful & Safe 2010
Tracey Zysk wigglewalk.webs.com 978-697-6571
Peer Pressure
Service Mentioned In This Space
SCHOOL Methuen NAME Street Address
Carols Pet Care

Professional All Breed Grooming
SCHOOL NAME Street Address Phone Website
978-794-0744 carolspetcare.com
Celebrating 33 Years in North Andover Service By Appointment
126-1 28 Main Street North Andover, MA 01845
August - 2012
Tips to Help Find a Lost Pet

TIPS FOR FINDING YOUR LOST PET Immediately contact NAPD , contact Bulgers Animal Hospital and also contact Andover Animal Hospital and the MSPCA to complete a lost pet report. Make sure you supply the best telephone number to reach you any time of the day in case your pet is found. Post fliers with your pets picture around the area where he/she was last seen and around your neighborhood. Contact your Veterinarian ADDITIONAL TIPS - SOCIAL MEDIAutilize every form of social media available Post a picture of your pet on your Facebook page and ask all your family, friends, your dog walker, groomer and everyone else you can think of to share your post. Craigs List is a must as your pet may leave your town and go over to a surrounding community.CL is broad readership Twitter - start tweeting, you just never know who will see your tweet and your pooch ! Granite State Dog Recovery - contact this nonprofit organization that is dedicated to finding lost pets. They have teams all around New England to help you find your family furry friend. The success rate from this organization is unbelievable and it is must for you to contact them ASAP Call 1-800-639-LOST Lost@granitestatedogrecovery.com http://www.facebook.com/granitestatedogrecovery WHAT YOU NEED TO RECLAIM YOUR PET Current government issued identification with your name and address (drivers license; state ID, etc.) Current vaccination records Pictures of your pet Proof of ownership (vaccination records, adoption papers, bill of sale, dog license) There are some fees involved in reclaiming your pet. HOW TO KEEP YOUR PET SAFE DO NOT leave your animal unattended for long periods of time. Many pets become lost because they have been outside in a yard or enclosure and they escape from an unnoticed opening. Sometimes they are just bored and want to roam. Always be sure your animal is wearing an appropriate collar with an identification
PUPPIES
Tracey Zysk
VALLEY PATRIOT DOGGIE COLUMNIST
Losing a pet can be one of the most scary experiences a pet owner may ever be faced with. Here in North Andover, well we seem to know this well. This past year our town has seen an upswing in dogs getting away from their owners and taking a stroll around town. The BEST way to find your dog is to act quickly. If your dog has taken off, gotten out of his collar, snuck out the door or you just cant find him: Call North Andover Animal Control, Amy McCarthy at the North Andover Police Dept.978-683-3168 START your search immediately. Please do not wait for your pet to just return home. Grab your leash, some treats, a bottle of water and a blanket. Put a crate in your car and begin your search. As you are reading this STOP what you are doing right now and take a PICTURE of your dog ! ( why not?He is cuteanyway)Keep an up to date photo on your phone and download a copy to your computer. Update this picture a few times a year and make a note of any special markings your pet may have.
tag and your contact information. If you change your telephone number, make sure you get a new tag for your pet with the updated information and put your email address on it too! License your dog. North Andover only charges $20.00 for a license. Dogs wearing dog licenses are much more likely to be reunited with their families Microchip your pet. Most veterinarians and shelters/rescue leagues can provide this service at a low cost. Secure all outside enclosures where you keep your pet NEVER walk your dog off leash Tracey Zysk, owner of Wiggles & Jiggles Pet Care in North Andover MA is a local pet care professional. She has been featured on local radio, TV and newspapers educating the general public on animal care and animal health & wellness. Tracey is a proud supporter of Police, Fire & Military K9 units. Tracey may be reached at wigglewalk@comcast. net.Become a fan on facebook at Wiggles & Jiggles Pet Care and follower of www.traceythedogwalker.blogs.com
Changs TDK Celebrates 10 Years of Community Service

We did it! Changs Taekwondo America is celebrating 10 years of community service in Haverhill as well as 1st year anniversary in Methuen. As a result of this success we are celebrating with our families and community leaders at both locations. In Haverhill our event will be held at the school on August 15 and in Methuen the celebration will be on August 22nd . We would like to invite the general public to join our festivities at either location. Both will highlight student demonstrations and appetizers and soft drinks. For more information please contact: 978-655-1473. Haverhill -Wednesday, August 15, 5-7PM at Dudley Plaza 5-7 Dudley Street (next to Dominos Pizza Rt. 125) Methuen - Wednesday, August 22, 5-7PM at Executive Plaza 230 Pleasant Street (near Route 213 and The Loop) During this economic downturn we have heard many sad stories of small businesses inability to withstand these difficult times. What a pleasure it is to announce our success in not only surviving but thriving even opening a new school in Methuen. We would like to take this opportunity to thank and appreciate all our wonderful families and supporters who have stayed with us through their own challenges knowing that Taekwondo would help them through these tough times and overcome obstacles, lead healthier, happier and more productive lives it has as it will help countless others. Taekwondo is more than kicking and punching, it is an effective and useful way of thinking and living. Our vision for the next 10 years is to expand our programs into the public schools and local business. We will reach more children, families and professionals while assisting both the school and business communities create higher standards and achievement for both students and employees. Our long relationship with the Haverhill community has offered us many opportunities to get involved with several organizations that are in alignment with our mission to provide the best martial arts education in the Merrimack Valley and create leaders one black belt at a time. Please join us in celebrating a good news story in our community. It is important that we celebrate our successes in these very unsteady economic times. Dont miss this positive and energetic event.
U.S. Police Canine Association Region 4 Canine Certification Trials

Hosted by The Essex County Sheriffs Department On Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24, the Essex County Sheriffs Department hosted the 2012 United States Police Canine Association Region Fours Canine Certification Trials at Danvers High School. 27 K-9 units, including five of the Essex County Sheriffs Departments 18 teams, participated in last weekends competition. This was the Departments first time hosting the trials, and we are proud to announce that each of our five participating K-9 units achieved USPCA national certification. Hundreds packed the stands to watch K-9 teams from the states of New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts compete for certification and individual recognition. We would like to applaud Sgt. Don Evans, Sgt. John Pickles and Lt. Tom Cote who were awarded trophies for exceptional performances. Many vendors attended and helped make this years Region Fours Canine Certification Trials possible. The Danvers Kiwanis provided refreshments, and Squad Five supplied water for our competitors and visitors. Congratulations to Captain Shane Ehlers and all of the ECSD teams who participated: Lt. Tom Cote and K-9 Zack Sgt. Don Evans and K-9 Blitz Sgt. Jen Walsh and K-9 Trouble Sgt. John Pickles and K-9 Ivan Sgt. Stefanos Tsoukalas and K-9 Dozer
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August - 2012
WORLD VIEWS
Morality Matters!
Paul Murano
the VAlley PAtriot
Ye Gay Ol Valley
D. B. Langevin
VALLEY PATRIOT LESBIAN COLUMNIST
Our Gay Government

tell, and appointed more LGBTs to head commissions and agencies, to ambassadorships, and senior staff positions than any other president. He didnt appoint these people because they are gay. He appointed them because they were more than competent and the right person for the job. Their sexuality had nothing to do with it, as it shouldnt. And he did not sign all of those policies because he has a gay agenda or to get more votes (hes already in the White House). He did it because it is the right thing to do. Because Human Rights is not a la carte. Back in May, President Obama made it known that he is an advocate for gay marriage. I say, Why not be an advocate for marriage-period! Why does a marriage have to be deemed gay or straight? Why cant marriage be about two people in love who want to share their lives together? Whatever the rhetoric, the President made it clear that he is an evolving and transformational president. Isnt that what we have always wanted? Havent we always wanted a world leader to envision the future of America and have the ability to not only see what we can be, but bring it to fruition. After all, our first leader was elected at the birth of our nation, a time when our ancestors just declared, fought for and won their independence. They all knew what our potential was and they wanted a leader to shed the shackles of our previous oppressive government and pave the way to what our nation was about to become. We were and still are an evolving and transformational nation.
Dani Langevin is a teacher and has a Bachelors in Fine Art and Masters in Education. She has written four young adult novels, one of which is self-published. You can email Dani at DaniBLangevin@aol.com
The United States of Tyranny?

My disclaimer for this column is that I am simply stating fact. So, if you are against rights for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) communities then you will have more reason to continue disliking our present government and if you are for these rights then, well, you have more fuel for the fight. At no time in our history have we witnessed a government that has done so much for the rights of LGBTs. In the February and August issues of The Advocate this year, I learned a great deal about Nancy Pelosis and Presidents Obamas efforts to send a message to our nation that LGBT rights are human rights and to support them is to be an American. Back in 1987, when it was still taboo and our own president was afraid to utter the acronym AIDS, Nancy Pelosi, a new member of Californias eighth congressional district spoke on the House floor about the governments role in helping those victims dying of the disease. Here was this proper, Catholic mother of five who was standing up and talking about a disease that at the time people were really uncomfortable talking about at all, said Carolyn Bartholomew, a former legislative director in an Advocate interview. Clearly, Nancy Pelosi understood long before the leader of our country did that AIDS was not a gay issue it was a human issue. Today she still fights for this cause and for the rights of the LGBT community. Let us not forget the Presidents hand in all of this. According to the eye opening article August issue in The Advocate, Obama has signed the Ryan White HIV/ AIDS Treatment Extension Act, announced the lifting of the ban on HIVpositive green card applicants and visitors to the U.S., and the Matthew Shephard and James Bird, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the first pro-LGBT federal law in U.S. History, repealed Dont ask, dont

MLO 48786
Judith Maselli
Cell: (978) 886 1737 Ext. 14 (24-hr. ) www.firstinteg.com
jmaselli@firstinteg.com
Although the title of this column admittedly seems a bit alarmist, this nation is coming closer to this end. Two poignant events illustrate this, both occurring on the same day: August 1, 2012. Chick-Fil-As owner was asked a question and he answered it. He said he supports traditional marriage. On August 1st countless people across the country lined up at Chick-Fil-A and stood for hours showing their support. Mayors from across the nation came out warning ChickFil-A theyre not welcome in their cities even though there are many churches, mosques, and synagogues in their cities that also support what is known as traditional marriage. Apparently people who attend these places of worship also are not welcome in these cities. On the same day, August 1, the HHS mandate went into effect. It forces religious institutions to provide contraception in their health care coverage to all employees even those like the Catholic Church that hold contraception to be a mortal sin, never justified under natural and divine law under any circumstance. Not one, but two sacred values have been violated here - freedom and truth which are intrinsically linked together, for freedom de-linked from truth is license. The human right to believe and live life according to the dictates of ones conscience, also a constitutional right, is being violated in the mandate and the uproar over Chick-Fil-As comment. But something more fundamental has been violated: the duty to live life according to the truth of our being, our human nature. Countless people lined up at Chick-Fil-A for both reasons, to support freedom of speech and traditional marriage. Yet, on this latter point, ironically, the owner of Chick-Fil-a may not go far enough. Although marriage has been in existence since the dawn of man, abuse of marriage has coexisted almost as long. Since the time of Augustine western civilization for the past two millenia has defined, or rather clarified, marriage as objectively having three essential goods according to natural law: faithfulness, permanence (until death), and openness to children. Since consent makes a marriage, without these three goods consented to by potential spouses in their I dos there is no marriage. The essential good of permanence has been violated by divorce and remarriage, and that of openness to children has been commonly violated since the 1960s with the popularization of contraception. Both are violations of human nature and Gods law.
What most people believe to be marriage today is truly a counterfeit. While the government has not yet forced Catholic institutions to perform remarriage after divorce to people who have not received annulments, it has now forced them to provide contraception to their employees, violating conscience, marriage, and human nature. When freedom is divorced from truth it is abuse, with no anchor to pull it back. While the notion of same-sex marriage is literally absurd, its acceptance was inevitable since marriage has slowly and methodically become stripped of its meaning. To have a historical perspective on this, consider the fact that ALL Christian denominations condemned contraception as a serious violation of divine law until 1930 when the Anglican Lambeth Conference in England first opened the door a crack for married couples for so-called serious reasons. From that point on every protestant denomination has fallen like bricks to the pressures of the modern world instead of remaining faithful to the Truth. While many support Chick-Fil-A for supporting traditional marriage it would be more consistent for these people to support the one institution left in the world that upholds true traditional and biblical marriage in her teaching - the Catholic Church. Will we see lines out the door at Churches across the country next Sunday in support, as we did at Chick-FilA on August 1st? No. This is because even those who support traditional marriage today have lost sight of what traditional marriage really is. And that is because in our post-modern era of confusion we have lost sight of what it means to be human. In our day the culture war is not primarily a war about freedom (as libertarians insist), but a war about truth. Freedom is defined by its relationship to truth, but as Pontius Pilate the first recorded moral relativist stated as symbolic of secular humanism today: What is truth? It is high time this crucially important question be re-examined in the public square, without politically correct forces of the cultural left stifling all possibility of it.
Paul Murano teaches philosophy at North Shore Community College and theology at the College of Saint Mary Magdalen. He is host of Beneath the Surface television show at Burlington Cable Access TV and is cohost of the Paying Attention Radio program. Paul is also chairman of Heartbeat Pregnancy Help center in Burlington and is a singer/songwriter/musician.
www.abwoodflooring.com
August - 2012
We Are All Disenfranchised Now!

as angry and nasty, later accusing them of hurling racial epithets and sexual slurs. Brian Williams of NBC piled on, implying that the Tea Party was racist. Andrew Breitbart may he rest in peace offered a sizable reward to anyone possessing evidence of the alleged racial incident Schieffer was referring to, where aides of Democratic Congressman John Lewis claimed their employer was verbally abused. Here is Breitbart proposal: I am offering $10,000 of my own money to provide hard evidence that the N- word was hurled at [Lewis] not 15 times, as his colleague reported, but just once. Surely one of those two cameras wielded by members of his entourage will prove his point. Not surprisingly, no one ever did. That the Tea Party has become a powerful political force is undeniable. Yet the liberal medias pathological obsession with slandering the movement has caused them to embarrass themselves with annoying frequency, and forced viewers to flee to more objective sources for information. Embarrassing themselves is one thing. But this time, a persons good name was irreparably damaged. It should not have been difficult to determine that Colorado Tea Party member, James Holmes was a 52-year-old Hispanic male, not even close to the alleged shooters description. His crime was being a member of the Tea Party. The false identification has resulted in him receiving death threats and having to disconnect his phone. Where does the other James Holmes go to get his reputation back? Sure, Ross and ABC apologized, but the damage was already done. Viewers
TEA PARTY
Christine Morabito
GREATER BOSTON TEA PARTY
With predictable swiftness, the mainstream media rushed to blame the Tea Party following the movie theater murders in Aurora, Colorado. This time the stone was cast by ABC news correspondent Brian Ross, who apparently slept through his journalism class on libel law. When their researchers conducted an online search of James Holmes, the 24-year old alleged assassin, and found a Tea Party member by the same name, the folks at ABC must have been ecstatic. Far from a rookie mistake, Ross is an experienced investigative reporter and should have known better. He even stated during his broadcast Now, we dont know if this is the same Jim Holmes. A little voice inside his head should have shouted, Well then dont report it! Perhaps we should not have been surprised. From the very beginning the mainstream media has been treating the Tea Party like a baby treats a diaper. For a striking comparison, consider how the liberal media covered the Nation of Islams Million Man March in 1995. According to Media Research Center, the protest was featured in 21 evening news stories on the night of the march - more than the Tea Party received in all of 2009. In fact, when the Tea Party marched in Washington, D.C., with well over a million people, the media barely took notice. Refusing to report actual numbers, one news outlet printed that scores of people attended the rally. That is when the aforementioned media evolved from dismissing the Tea Party to demonizing it. On CBS, Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer referred to the movement
PHOTO: CATHERINE VAN ARM
have short attention spans. Many who heard Ross link the suspected killer to the Tea Party will never follow-up. They will never research the story to discover the erroneous connection and that this was a blatant case of media malpractice. The media displayed the same irresponsible, knee-jerk behavior following the shooting of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the crashing of a plane into the Austin IRS building, wildly speculating that both incidents must have been done by people who had an ax to grind with the government, i.e., the Tea Party. To date there has never been an incident of Tea Party violence, unless you count violence done toward Tea Party members, and clearly the mainstream media does not count that.
We have few expectations of the media, but we do ask that they keep their hurtful and ideological speculation to themselves and concentrate on objectively reporting the news. Funny how the Tea Party gets showered with attention from liberals when they can demonize us or speculate about what we might do. Yet they ignore us when it comes to covering the tireless, peaceful, grassroots efforts we are making to save this country. And, make no mistake, we will save this country. Youre welcome.
Christine Morabito is a resident of Haverhill, a psychiatric nurse, and a President of the Greater Boston Tea Party. You can email her at
christine.morabito@hotmail.com
Republican Candidates Spar in NH Governor Debate

Tom Duggan
Last month republican candidates for Governor of New Hampshire, Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith, sparred over who was more republican and their different set of priorities for their state. The debate was sponsored in part by The Valley Patriot and 980WCAP, was hosted by John Burt, and was moderated by New Hampshire Speaker of the House William OBrien and Alex Talcott of 4RG. Who is more Republican? I will take issue with something that Ovide has said repeatedly on the campaign trail and that is, that he will check his republican label at the door, Kevin Smith said during the debate. I am proud of my republican influence. And Im proud of it because it stands for personal responsibility; it stands for limited government, free enterprise, low taxation, low spending, and all those things we believe in. So, even though I will reach across the aisle to work with the democrats, Im not going to check my party label at the door just because Ive been elected to the position. Im going to carry those principals and tenants into the governors office with me and will govern off those principals as well. In an interview after the debate, The Valley Patriot asked candidate Kevin Smith to expound on his contention that he is more republican than Lamontagne. Look, its the same principles that Ronald Reagan had when working with a democratic congress. You know Tip ONeill from the state of Massachusetts was a Democrat and certainly they were civil to one another. They got along, but they had their disagreements over policy
PHOTO: TOM DUGGAN
Republican candidates for Governor of New Hampshire, (l to r) Kevin Smith and Ovide Lamontagne debated in Manchester last month.
issues. I will certainly have my disagreements with the democrats. I will try to work with them as effectively as I can, but as a republican I am certainly not going to check my principals at the door either. Ovides Response The Valley Patriot also caught up with Ovide Lamontagne and asked him what he thought about Smiths assertions about the republican label. Anybody who knows my history knows I have been a republican my entire life. You should ask him if he has been a republican his entire life and see what he says about that. I have been a warrior for Republican causes. Ive been platform committee chairman. Ive played a role as legal counsel for the state party and a candidate for office as a proud republican. But, when it comes to serving the people of New Hampshire, you cant use the party label as a barrier, and I wont. I am going in there with my conservative principles; my value set is all republican. But, I am not going to use my party label to bar entry for people who arent republican or deny services or access that is the clear distinction. If he insists that he is going to use the party label as some kind of moniker for himself, in a way that may not be appropriate for the governor of New Hampshire. Devals Worst Nightmare? During the debate Smith addressed New Hampshires inability to attract jobs from surrounding states. We caught up to Kevin Smith after the debate and asked him to expound on how he was going to torture our governor here in Massachusetts. I look forward to being our states
Salesman-in-Chief and one of the lines I have used very often is I am aiming to be [Massachusetts Governor] Deval Patricks worst nightmare. And I say that because I want him to know I am shamelessly going into his state and poaching jobs from the state of Massachusetts up here to the state New Hampshire. Why? Because New Hampshire is second in the country per capita of the amount of people who commute out of the state every day to go to work. My father is sitting up here in the front row this evening; maybe you have seen his mug on TV recently in our new ads. He has been commuting to Boston since 1986, since we moved up here. But I am only going to become a salesman if I give them a good reason to come up to New Hampshire. We have to become a more business friendly environment. Well do that by cutting our business profits tax, reducing the business enterprise tax, cutting through regulations, becoming a right to work state, lowering the cost of health care and electricity rates. You know, my philosophy is that its not state government that creates jobs but it is state government that creates the environment and atmosphere for good jobs to be created. And I cant wait to get on the phone, call up these CEOs every week and say hey, have you thought about doing business in New Hampshire? Why or why not? And let me tell you about the good things that we are doing here in this state and why you should be locating your jobs here. We always boast of a New Hampshire advantage in our state, Tommy, but the one thing that we dont have an advantage on right now is creating good paying, high sustainable jobs, Smith told the Valley Patriot. There are too many people in our state that
NH GOVERNORS RACE: PAGE 39
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August - 2012
Professional Firefighters of MA Endorse Bill Manzi for Senate

Ed Kelly cites Manzis Commitment to Public Safety
The Bill Manzi for State Senate campaign today announced that the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) have endorsed Mayor Manzi's candidacy for State Senate in the First Essex District, citing his long history of support for public safety and his strong record of maintaining fire services at the municipal level as Mayor of Methuen. Established in 1945, the PFFM represents over 12,000 fire fighters in nearly 200 IAFF Locals across Massachusetts. I am honored to have the support of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, said Manzi. The men and
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women of the Fire Service are outstanding public servants, often putting their own safety at risk to protect the public. I appreciate and value their support, and look forward to working with them to ensure that the vital public safety needs of our communities are met." The Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts are proud to endorse Bill Manzi for Senate in the First Essex District, said PFFM President Ed Kelly. Bill has a proven track record of support at the municipal level for protecting public safety and he will bring that strong commitment to Beacon Hill. We are proud to stand with him in this campaign.
Ives Front and Center at 1st Candidate Forum

Kathleen OConnor Ives
VALLEY PATRIOT GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Massachusetts Leads Again in Health Care with First-In-Nation Payment Reform Bill
State Representative Marcos Devers joined his colleagues in the Legislature in completing work on a framework of nation-leading health care reforms, sending to the Governor a comprehensive, landmark cost-control bill estimated to save the Commonwealth $200 billion over the next 15 years while improving the quality of care, increasing patient access, and strengthening the transparency and accountability of the states entire health care system. The bill comes at a crucial time as health spending is projected to double from 2009 to 2020, outpacing both inflation and growth in the overall economy, while Massachusetts residents and businesses continue to struggle with increasing premiums and other health care costs. This Bill is another major victory for all working families and businesses that had to cut down on staffing in order to afford health coverage for all employees and their families, said Representative Marcos Devers (D- Lawrence) Vice Chair of the Joint Committee of Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. I commend Chairmen Walsh, Leader Mariano and the other members of the conference committee that work tirelessly in crafting a cost effect health care bill. With cost reduction, and affordable comprehensive coverage, more families will now have access to better healthcare protection. The legislation, for the first time in the nation, establishes a statewide health care cost growth benchmark for the health care industry equal to the potential growth of the states gross state product (GSP) from years 2013 to 2017, then dropping it 0.5 percent below potential GSP from 2018 to 2022 and back to potential GSP for 2023 and beyond. Meeting this goal will result in an estimated $200 billion in savings in the health care industry over the next 15 years which will be passed onto businesses, municipalities and residents of the Commonwealth who are struggling with increasing premiums and other health care costs. Under the bill, the states existing Health Care Quality and Cost Council is reorganized into the Health Policy Commission which will establish and review the health care cost growth benchmarks and oversee the development and implementation of alternative payment methodologies. The Commission will also conduct annual cost trend hearings and administer funding sources that will help distressed hospitals, promote wellness programs and complete implementation of a statewide electronic medical records system. The Commission will be governed by an 11-member board, including the Secretary of Administration and Finance and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and three appointments each by the Governor, the Attorney General and the State Auditor. The Commissions cost trend hearings will be supported by a new independent state agency, the Center for Health Information and Analysis, reconstituted from the existing Division of Health Care Finance and Policy and serving as the Commonwealths designated health care data collection and reporting agency. The Center will be governed by an executive director appointed by a majority vote of the Governor, Attorney General and State Auditor, and it will provide critical, independent analysis of the how the states policies are affecting cost trends. The bill requires the states Medicaid program, the states employee health care program and all other state-funded health care programs to transition to new health care payment methodologies. These payment models incentivize the delivery of high-quality, coordinated, efficient and effective health care over quantity of services to reduce waste, fraud and abuse. The bill addresses the market power of certain providers by authorizing the Commission to review and determine if f a providers market concentration exceeds certain parameters and to decide if f a provider is engaged in unfair market practices or methods of competition. Any such findings or other violations of law would be referred to the Attorney General for further action. To reduce the costs of unnecessary Htigation and malpractice claims, the bill creates a 182-day cooling off period while both sides try to negotiate a settlement, and it allows for providers to offer an apology to the patient. The bill makes the following enhancements in the transparency and accountability of the health care marketplace: Requires all health care provider systems to register with the state and report regularly on financial performance, market share, cost trends and quality measures; Charges the Attorney General to monitor trends in the health care market including consolidation in the provider market in order to protect patient access and quality; Establishes a Cost and Market Impact Review to examine changes in the health care marketplace and their impact on cost, quality and market competition; Develops a process to track price variation among different health care providers over time and establishes a Special Commission to determine and quantify the acceptable and unacceptable factors contributing to price variation among providers; and Establishes new tools to help consumers make health care purchasing decisions based on comparative cost and quality.
METHUEN, Mass. Methuen Community Television brought together for the first time, the three Democratic candidates campaigning for the First Essex State Senate seat. OConnor Ives sought to distinguish herself from businessman Tim Coco and former Methuen mayor, Bill Manzi. I want to be your voice on Beacon Hill because Im a problem solver, not a problem-maker, she said. As a city councilor, I have a proven track record of being accessible and getting results. Being a legislator and being an executive are apples and oranges. You have to reach consensus as a legislator, and thats totally different than giving directives as an executive. I can strike a balance between having the temperament to work with colleagues and the integrity not to back down from my core values. During the forum, OConnor Ives presented her platform for economic growth, arguing that education and infrastructure investment is the most proven method of attracting employers. Our district needs to have a competitive edge in order to attract businesses and skilled workers to the district.
TEACHERS: FROM PAGE 16

by a staffer when I tried to get information, the Receiver has been busy working this summer so informing the public has not been a priority at this time. As a parent and a constituent representative I want the reassurance that all children in Lawrence will always be taught by a teaching staff that predominantly consists of tenured, certified, and experienced teachers, not volunteers. Sources at the Massachusetts Department of Education say that in order to pay for all the new programs that the receiver and commissioner want to implement in the schools they have to cut costs because the state will not pay additional money for teaching staff to work the additional hours required in the extended day turnaround plan. Teachers who spoke with the Valley Pa-
Candidates also fielded questions about gun control in the wake of Fridays mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado. OConnor Ives led off the answer by supporting Massachusetts assault weapons ban, passed in 2004 when the Federal ban expired. Fortunately Massachusetts has one of the strongest gun laws in the nation, she said. We have to maintain that. When asked what pieces of legislation she would spearhead, OConnor Ives cited campaign finance reform and tracking corporate tax breaks to ensure they create the jobs that are promised. In her closing remarks, OConnor Ives stated, Im the right person to carry the torch. Our communities are tied together by this senate district and I know we can address our shared problems. Kathleen OConnor Ives, 35 is serving her third term as a Newburyport City Councilor at-Large. Steve Baddour was 33 years old when elected to the State Senate in 2002. Methuen Community Television will air the forum on Comcast 22 (Methuen) and Verizon 33 (Methuen and North Andover) 7/26 at 8:30 pm, 7/28 at 12:30 pm and 7/31 at 9 pm. The primary election for State Senate will be held on Thursday, September 6th.
triot said that they believe this isnt about having highly qualified teachers teaching our kids. Its about having a person in the classroom that they dont have to pay so they can save money. Its not about education. Its about paying for all these feel good concepts that support the whole child, and giving them everything in the schools that their families are not giving the at home, like free dental, nutrition, full language immersion, tutoring, more activities, obesity training and all that. While its noble to want to give every child everything they are not given at home, we should all be asking: where do the responsibilities of public schools end and the responsibility of the parents begin? The turnaround plan seems like it is crossing that threshold.
shoe laces and ends up looking like a fool eyeballing the Attorney Generals position. And Congress.... when are you going to vote in term limits? Have you not received the message yet? We are sick of your privileged aura and money making scams for yourselves. Retire if you have served 2 terms. You have made your money off the backs of the American Working People! When your time is up on this earth, will you write a letter to the Pope asking for forgiveness from the highest Catholic Authority like one Senator did? There are no atheists in fox holes. Think hard about it please! As many of you know I have had a
RONNIE FORD: FROM PAGE 8
set back with my health. I am happy to report that I am feeling much better. Thank you all who sent cards, called, or dropped off gifts of food and such. I want you to know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. What I would like most, is for you to say some prayers for my continued progress and good health. God Bless you. May the good Lord take a liking to you, do something nice for someone today. And, we wish you enough. Ronnie may be reached at radiotalk@comcast.net
August - 2012
the VAlley PAtriot 33 CANDIDATE SUBMISSIONS Tsongas Legislation to Help Designate Vispoli Supports Two-Year Budget Nashua River as Wild & Scenic Alex Vispoli thing over and over again and expecting difVALLEY PATRIOT GUEST CONTRIBUTOR VALLEY PATRIOT GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
From the Office of Niki Tsongas

Last month, by the banks of the Nashua River in Groton, Congressman Niki Tsongas unveiled new legislation that she is introducing to help designate the Nashua River as a Wild & Scenic River. This classification would help preserve and protect this historic waterway while making it eligible to receive federal funding for further conservation efforts. The Rivers of the Fifth District have helped to shape our history, culture, and economy for generations, said Congressman Niki Tsongas. The legislation that I am introducing recognizes the great role that the Nashua has played in contributing to our region and would help to keep the River clean, vibrant and easily accessible. Thanks to the work of the Nashua River Watershed Association, the Nashua has undergone a tremendous recovery and its designation as a Wild & Scenic River would enable additional preservation efforts while allowing this natural treasure to be enjoyed for many years to come. Tsongas legislation would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to conduct a study on the Nashua River and two of its tributaries, the Squannacook and Nissitissit Rivers, to determine their eligibility for designation as Wild & Scenic Rivers. During the study process the NPS would work with state and local governments, conservation groups, and concerned residents to develop a conservation plan for the river in order to protect water quality and conserve open spaces. Should the study favorably determine the
Nashua Rivers eligibility as a Wild & Scenic River, legislation to officially designate the river and implement the conservation plan would then be introduced in order to clean up polluted waters around the river, keep drinking water supplies clean, and protect the river for a variety of uses. The bill, H.R. 5319, entitled the Nashua River Wild and Scenic River Study Act, has been endorsed by all seven towns through which the Nashua runs in Massachusetts: Lancaster, Harvard, Shirley, Ayer, Groton, Dunstable and Pepperell. If approved, the Nashua would join the Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet as rivers in the Fifth District that have been designated as Wild & Scenic. The Nashua is considered a strong candidate for this designation because the river previously ranked among the nations most polluted, and while significant progress has been made in cleaning up the river, threats to water quality from polluted runoff and biological diversity are still present. A 4.8 mile segment in Pepperell would be excluded from the study because of an existing hydro project that FERC is in the midst of permitting. Tsongas is a member of the Natural Resources Committee in the House of Representatives and has worked to preserve and protect the rivers and waterways in the Fifth Congressional District. She hosts an annual River Day to highlight the importance of the Rivers in the communities she represents and to recognize the organizations, volunteers and different levels of government working together to sustain and preserve the integrity of these resources.
Progressive organizations across the State Back State senate candidate Coco
From the Office of Tim Coco
CANDIDATE FOR STATE SENATE
Alex Vispoli, Republican candidate for the State Senate in the Second Essex and Middlesex district, announced his support for a biennial budget process. The last two years the budget is passed at the last moment without it being in print for 24 hours. It is time we stop repeating the mistakes of the past. I strongly believe that the taxpayers have a right to know what is in the budget. Thats why I am proposing we change to a biennial process. This will not only help shed more light in on the budget, but it will also give local municipal officials more advance notice for planning purposes, said Vispoli. A biennial budget can be constructed two ways, either one appropriation for two years or two one-year appropriations. Nineteen states use some form of a biennial budget process. The large state of Texas has a biennial budget. Thats the same state CNBC ranked as most friendly to business. For Massachusetts to change, it would take an amendment to the state Constitution: Advantages to having a biennial budget include: The lengthy budget process and accompanying administration work is done only every two years instead of every year. The process forces the legislature to become more proficient at long range planning State agencies have more time to administer state programs, rather than spending time trying to defend programs It discourages inflated budgets in election years Obviously, the political nature of budgeting is reduced The definition of insanity is doing the same
ferent results. We need to change the budget process, said Vispoli. Earlier in the campaign Vispoli endorsed the Keyes plan to restore integrity to the legislature. Vispoli believes that yesterdays Boston Globe article about more potential indictments is another example as why we need new leadership on Beacon Hill. Vispoli was first elected to the Andover Board of Selectmen in 2004. On the board, he has led initiatives including: consolidation of Andovers IT organization and infrastructure, creation of the Andover Economic Development Council, I93 proposed interchange project, opening the Old Town Hall on Saturday mornings, creation of Andovers Design Review Board, reduction in Town owned vehicles, and annual citizens mid year review for major project updates, regionalization opportunities with surrounding towns including North Andover shared DPW resource. Vispoli was also elected the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) Board of Directors and the Massachusetts Selectmens Association (MSA) Board of Directors in 2011. He is currently the District 2 Representative (Essex and Middlesex Counties) for the MSA. He is a member of the Governors Local Government Advisory Commission and MMAs Policy Committee on Municipal and Regional Administration. Professionally, Vispoli has been in the information technology business for 25 years. He currently holds the position of Vice President of Sales for a Boston-based technology company. Vispoli earn his Bachelors degree from Eastern Nazarene College. Most importantly, Vispoli is a devoted husband and father of 4 children.
Tim Coco, progressive Democratic candidate for state senate, says he is gratified and appreciative of the outpouring of support for his candidacy from local leaders and liberal organizations. In the past several weeks, Coco has garnered the endorsement of several groups that represent thousands of voters across the district and state including Mass Alliance, MassEquality, Progressive Mass, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 COPE Committee, Pipefitters Local 537 and National Association of Social Workers (NASW) MA-PACE. Tim Coco is the real deal. He not only shares our values, but he has lived them, said Georgia Hollister Isman, director of Mass Alliance, a coalition of organizations that include pro-choice, education, environmental and gay rights activists. Tim Coco clearly sees firsthand the impact that progressive policies have in his community. He has already stood up for progressive values in the way he runs his business and the way he engages in his community. That is how we know he is the best choice for state senate. Among those local leaders who have
endorsed Cocos run for state senate are former Senator and Methuen Mayor Sharon M. Pollard, Representative Harriett L. Stanley, Haverhill City Councilor Mary Ellen Daly-OBrien, former Newburyport City Council President Brenda L. Reffett and former Haverhill School Committee President Robert P. Gilman. Endorsements have also come from Senator Jamie Eldridge and Representative Carl Sciortino. Im pleased to have the support of such well-recognized progressive leaders since there is so much at stake for our community. It is meaningful to receive the acknowledgment of my work and values, Coco said. Coco said he knows from his experience the importance of having strong schools, a vibrant economy and government that addresses the real concerns of local families. He said he wants to increase funding for local schools and programs to create opportunities for young people and lower income families and wants to reduce taxes on lower and middle income families and have the wealthy pay more of their fair share. The First Essex district serves Amesbury, Haverhill, Merrimac, Methuen, Newburyport, parts of North Andover and Salisbury.
Martinez Calls Legislation Anti-Women/Business

CANDIDATE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Sandi Martinez
184 Pleasant Valley St. Suite 1-102, Methuen
Dave Guselli
Office: (978) 689-8006 firstchoicerealtygroup.com
Chelmsford, MA Today Sandi Martinez, Republican candidate for State Senate in the Third Middlesex district, challenged her Republican and Democrat opponents (Greg Howes, Mike Barrett, Alex Buck, Mara Dolan, Joe Kearns-Goodwin, and Joe Mullin) to publicly state their positions on the bill passed by the Senate last week that forces home daycare centers to become unionized if they accept a child on a state voucher. This legislation, which is now on the Governors desk, is a prime example of how anti-business our state is. Worse yet, this is an anti-women business measure said Martinez. Today I am challenging my opponents to state their position on this forced unionization. If the bill is signed into law, workers at home-based daycare centers along with the providers themselves will automatically become state employee if the center cares for one child receiving a state voucher. Daycare workers and the owners will be forced to pay union dues. Martinez believes there are three possible outcomes if this bill goes into effect: daycare centers will raise their rates on parents, centers will no longer accept children on state vouchers or they will close their businesses. She is also bothered by the fact that corporate daycare centers were exempt from this forced unionization. Proponents claim it will help ensure quality care and help increase the reimbursement rate for state vouchers. Martinez says there are plenty of safeguards already in place for these centers. Daycare centers have to be open spot
inspections. If there is a problem, then the license can be immediately revoked, said Martinez. If the legislature was so concerned about reimbursement rates, they could have raised them. They did not have to force these small businesses into a state employee union. We need a Senator who will stand up for the small businesses not run over them like a freight train, adds Martinez. Martinez wants to use her experience as an IT consultant to help improve the business climate in Massachusetts. She also supports health care reforms and regulator reforms. Sandi Martinez is a member of the Republican State Committeewoman for Massachusetts Third Middlesex Senatorial District. She has also served on many boards and committees, including seven years as a Chelmsford Town Meeting Member, eleven years on Chelmsford Youth Soccer Board, and is a Blue Star Mother (BSM), as well as the BSM Representative to the Bedford VA Hospital. Martinez founded her own IT Consulting Company, providing consulting and contract services for IBM Mainframe customers, installing, tuning and troubleshooting operating systems and program products. She lives in Chelmsford with Lou, her husband of 30 years, and they have four grown children, three of whom are serving or have served in the military 2 active duty Marine sons, and a daughter who spent eight years in the Air Force. Their youngest daughter is currently working as a researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center, in Boston. For more information on Sandis candidacy, voters can visit her website at www.SandiMartinez.com or call the HQ at 978-256-5513.
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August - 2012
Adams, Vispoli Square off on Ethics and Conservatism

Last month the Valley Patriot and 980WCAP held an on air radio debate between the two Andover candidates, Alex Vispoli and Paul Adams, who are vying for the Republican nomination for State Senate. The winner of the September 6th state primaries will face Democrat Barry Finegold on the November ballot. Adams is a state representative and often the target of unfair media propaganda; he has been no stranger to controversy and conflict. He ran as a fiscal conservative and a Tea Party favorite two years ago, but quickly fell out of favor with some after he supported the 2012 state budget that increased taxes and spending. This year he said he learned his lesson and that his vote was a mistake. He was one of three votes in the House against the 2013 state budget. He has made being a real conservative the primary message of his campaign and has accused Vispoli of not being a real conservative because he once voted in a Democrat primary. For his part, Alex Vispoli is a family man. He is married with four children. He owns property and is an elected member of the Board of Selectmen. He has taken Adams to task for some of his votes as well as his conduct while in office. Most at issue is what Vispoli says are ethical problems after Adams had to pay a fine to the state for illegal fundraising, while Adams says Vispoli is responsible for the 250 million dollar debt in the town of Andover. When you have a history of voting for Democrats, voting at Democrat Primaries, when a prevailing wind needs to be blowing through the local boards before we make a decision, particularly on spending (Union contract related issues), I think thats cause for question. I think you question my opponents, you question my personal finances, but maybe you should spend some time explaining to the people what he has been doing to the taxpayers of Andovers finances, instead, Adams charged during the debate. Paul, anything I question has been public record; on the record. Vispoli shot back. So, there is nothing that has been inference; its out there for the whole world to see. There is no question that I am asking, that isnt already public. As far as my credentials, lets just talk about the last several years in the state. I know you talked about this when you ran in 2010 as far as the state cuts were to cities and towns and how devastating it was. Certainly we felt it. Cities and towns had to make tough choices, absolutely. I think citizens from Andovers perspective, we were able to maintain the services, not ever contemplate a 2 1/2 override and Ive come out from the first time I took the Board of Selectmen in 2004, I was insistent that I would never support discussion of a budget override. In the midst of the worst economic climate in our lifetime, not only did we hold the line, we were able to maintain it and come back with a AAA Bond rating which has actually saved the tax payers over a million dollars recently in our latest long-term borrowing. So, when you look at things as far as protecting the Andover tax payer, protecting all of the tax payers, I think it is critical at the local level that we know how to deliver services that are at the local level. That is where the money gets spent. Anytime the state comes in and offers a mandate that is unfunded, there is something that comes down and dictates to the town, it procreates havoc. I am proud of the record we have in Andover. I mean, if you look at Andover property values, and I know your parents own a home in Andover, they sure can appreciate that. As far as keeping us in check with the other towns, [on] spending, we are right there. We have not presented that 2 1/2 override. If you look, we are one of the top 10% towns in the state and we are one of the few of that 10% that have never done a budget override. I appreciate your explanation, Adams said. I think its long overdue. At the same time, we have debt to the tune of 250 million dollars that has gone unanswered by the board of selectmen. Vispoli: The OPEB is what you are talking about. Its a phenomenon in Andover. Its post-employment benefits that cities and towns in Massachusetts (and across the country) have to pay for. It was an unforeseen scenario where people would get a job with local municipalities and get covered under the health insurance forever. Ours is 250 million. It went down recently and one of the reasons Andover got a AAA bond rating because we stared to put a program together to pay it down. Four years ago we created a trust fund that cant be touched just to pay down OPEB. Town meeting actually accepted it. On Adams campaign finances, Adams said that it was a disagreement with the States Office of Campaign Finances. The government shouldnt be telling my family and me how to spend our money. He dispute that the thousands he paid to the state was a fine and said that he believed the campaign money he accepted should be allowable. But thats the law, Vispoli shot back. Whether we like the laws or not we have to obey the law. You broke the law; you had to pay a fine for it. You violated campaign finance regulations. Vispoli said that the fine issue will make it hard for Adams to defeat the incumbent Senator Berry Finegold. Adams says the people want a fiscal conservative and will vote for him on the issues.
ELECTIONS
the VAlley PAtriot
FROM PAGE 17: COFFEE CANN

open our beach location we will have ice cream sandwiches, ice coffee, fresh cookies and ice cream to cater to more tourists and some of the more transient people at the cottages who come to Hampton to relax for the summer. Our goal is to understand our clients, be part of the community and to give people exactly what they want to make their taste buds happy. Our coffee is our best feature, so for people on the go, we have the best coffee beverages, latts, hot chocolate and I know people like to grab an egg sandwich, muffin or bagel in the morning. Kara says that they will be adding a yogurt Parfait for a healthy kick. The Canns will be moving their gourmet coffee shop from the current building at Sals Riverwalk to the new retail shop Sal Lupoli is building next door by early next year. We know that we are fortunate to be successful, Frank said. We want to use our shop as a vehicle to pay it forward and give back to the community. We are deeply involved in Lazarus House; we send them food every day. We always have stuff that doesnt sell and the food is still good. We take time to separate the food so that the perishables are safe, Sherry added. The first time we went to the soup kitchen we saw that they are a great organization; they are not just giving people fish they are doing a lot to teach people how to fishlike the old saying goes. And one thing I want to add, Frank chimed in, is that Lazarus House has a great program called Campaign for Dignity. The saying they use is that dignity is priceless, but it has a cost. We see what they are doing there and it is inspiting! They have gone from serving 200 to 800 people a day in this economy. . You can just imagine the money for supplies that it takes to keep that level of service going alone. Bridget Shaheen and Lazarus House started the fundraising campaign to raise $5 million and I think they are now at about 3.5 million. We believe in them and try to do what we can to help. Coffe Canns Summer hours are 7am5pm, Monday through Friday. Their regular hours starting in September are 7am to 7pm.
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Hampton Beach Summer Activities

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August - 2012
BEACH ACTIVITIES
the VAlley PAtriot
Fireworks, August 8, 15, 22, 29 ties for children and their families. ment schedule and participating exhibiLabor Day Weekend, September 2 Friday August 17 tors, free parking and shuttle schedules. Sat., September 8th - 24th Annual Sea11 a.m. A Giant Costume Parade when Ocean Boulevard (Center Beach) is closed food Festival Special Shoots (at 8:15 pm) every child wins a prize. to traffic and becomes a pedestrian mall End of Year Hampton Beach from the Marine Memorial (The Lady) to Special Fireworks Talent CompetiH Street to accommodate the anticipated Display On the tion 150,000+ visitors each day! Beach! Fri, August 24, Sample the flavors of the seacoast at JulyOct. 6th at The Valley PaTrioT 17 ETHUEN Sat. - 2011 2012 - Sun, August New Englands largest seaside festival. dusk Over 50 restaurants join together, offering From the desk of Methuen Mayor Bill 26, 2012 the Manzi New Years Eve Download an extensive menu of seafood delicacies, December 31 at 8 Hampton Beach Gala festivities include: PM Talent CompetiOver 60 Art & Craft dealers, 3 stages Monday Night tion Application of entertainment, childrens activities and some watch Methuens Movies on theFY12 Come utilization our new Childrens Center, street performof the levy. In budget was passed in Beach! talented entertainers, a 200 foot beer tent, sidewalk bargain this cycle we June, and it is takes Starting at dusk ersare faced with compete for sales, and an amazing display of fireworks a balanced approach July 9 - August 27. cash prizes. 1st on Friday and Saturday night. (Ocean mandatory to Methuens needs, Fun Family En$500, 2nd $300, increases in keeping Methuen Boulevard closed to traffic). Choose the following affordable while tertainment. All for 3rd $200 from favorites like lobster, shrimp, clams areas. Methuen maintaining the Free! An eveningvital Limited to Vo(steamed, broiled, barbecued or fried) to Public Schools public safety and under the stars on of calist in one of two non-seafood items like Bloomin Onion net school educational needs our 5 star beach. Let categories. (Junior and fried ice cream. spending will our community. Weather at some of the & Senior) about ContinuousDiNuccio 3 stages Willette Al entertainment on Ken Steve Zanni rise by us look permitting. $500,000, while drivers of to be on Movies municipal Junior category, featuring some of the best local bands in ance-SAVE $$$$) spending, and the beach near the up theage 18. Seto Vocational School Remote Broadcast includtheCouncilorBlues to Country, Rock & area - from at Large (Elect 3) Live RadioCommittee (Elect 6) School will also how the municipal Playground. nior category, age 18 and over. Roll and even a little Jazz. ing Pat Whitleys syndicated Dining Out rise by $500,000. budget busters have Robert Vogler* Dates TBD 23rd Annual Seafood Festival Hospitality and more Jennifer Kannan* entertainment in Show, Sunday September 9th. Employees are created fiscal pressure Barbara Grondine* Childrens Festival Fri., September 7 - Sun., September 9, our Beverage Tent serving Budweiser & Michael Condon Craft Hajjar Kumm contractually on all Massachusetts - Mon., August 13, Lynn Fair - Over 60 Crafts Persons 2012 - Fri., August 17, 2012 2012 entitled to a communities. Red Hook beer! Joyce Campagnone* displaying theirFawcett Mary Jean wares! return of their Annual Childrens Festival Seafood Festival & Sidewalk Sale Days In Methuen Spectacular fireworks display - Saturday Dorothy Kalil Childrens Center Jeri-An Batal - Ongoing Entertaingivebacks of Starting at 10 am. Visit www.hamptonbeachseafoodfes-the the 8th at 8:15 PM the budget, since ment - Face Painting, Games and Street Lorie Aliano last two years, which totals about $1.5 West Dist. Councilor (Elect 2) Five has seen the following Sidewalk Sales (end of season clear2006,days (August 13-17) of free activi- tival.com for details on times, entertainPerformers million dollars. Even with that the City Paul Downing trends: James Hajjar* has benefited by virtue of using attrition Evan Chaisson* and early retirement to reduce the city side Sean Fountain Eunice Delice head count, which reduced our giveback * State Aid down over $900,000 Jeanne Pappalardo* Deborah Quinn obligation by some $400,000. * The City Contribution to net Proudly Endorses The city side work force has been Tech Sch. Committee (Elect 2) school spending is up by over East Dist. Councilor (Elect 2) reduced by 10% over the last six years, $4,300,000 by attrition. In reducing headcount in Thomas Grondine* this fashion we have avoided having * Health Care Spending is up by Joseph Leone Kenneth Henrick to fund unemployment benefits, while over $5,400,000. Ron Marsan maintaining core services. A couple of * Pension Costs are up by over Patricia Uliano* figures of note: Our Fire Department is Housing Authority (Elect 2) $2,400,000. Tom Ciulla down by ten firefighters, our Police force * Vocational School Spending is up is down by two patrolman, with two Robert Sheehan* more out on long term disability. Our over $1,000,000. Central Dist. Councilor (Elect 2) Joseph Leone
Addressing the city budget
Candidates for Office

Candidates for Mayor
Local 191, Methuen Firefighters Union
Dizoglio
State Representative
Dave Guselli Realtor
Office: 978-689-8006 Fax: 1-866-284-2733 Cell: 978-852-5481
Diana
Those budget drivers are instructive, for when you look at our utilization of levy during the six year period the problems inherent in municipal finance become apparent. Over the six year period our use of levy has grown by some $12,300,000. During that period we have had new growth of $5,600,000. Existing levy growth would total $6,700,000 ($12 million less the new growth of $5.6 million.) When you then deduct health care, pension, and school spending you actually arrive at a negative number for levy growth. We have managed, through the years, to maintain services in light of that by utilization of one time revenues and by keeping a close lid on municipal spending. How close of a lid? Since 2009 municipal side spending has declined by over $6 million dollars. As we arrive at the FY12 Budget we continue to hold the line on City side municipal spending. But the challenges to us are great. Before we begin the fiscal cycle our excess levy capacity balloons to approximately $6.2 million dollars. We have made a decision to utilize this capacity as a reserve, which has allowed us to lighten the tax load on residential taxpayers. But as the six year trend shows it is not possible to continue without
DPW has been cut by about a million dollars since 2006. In this budget I have restored the Police Patrol contingent to that recommended by the Chief. On the Fire side I have recommended the addition of five firefighters over the existing level, which has been reduced by attrition and by early retirement. The choice we face is between replacing the retired firefighters or increasing the allocation for overtime. My recommended staffing level will leave us short of the request from Chief Buote, but will allow us to maintain adequate fire services to the residents of Methuen. This budget manages to increase resources to public safety, purchase some badly needed public safety equipment, and maintain services to our citizens, all while remaining over $2 million dollars below the Proposition 2.5 levy limit. While we are doing all of that we are funding a $100 million dollar renovation and expansion of Methuen High School within our existing levy capacity. My budget balances our fundamental need for services with our responsibility to be conservative stewards of taxpayer dollars. If you have any questions or concerns please drop me a line at wmmanzi@ci.methuen.ma.us. Visit my blog at www.billmanzi.com.
David Lavalee Fadi Chahine Lisa Yarid Ferry Jamie Atkinson
Nevins Library Trustees (Elect 2) Arthur Nicholson* Josephine Napolitano*
The deadline for taking out papers is Friday July 29th. Papers must be returned by Tuesday August 2nd at 5:00 p.m.
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Laborers Union
(LOCAL 175)

Whether as a Lawrence City Councilor or as a State Representative, Marcos Devers has always been there for union workers and stood up for union values. Marcos Devers is one of us and I am proud to endorse his reelection in 2012! ~Mike Gagliardi, Local 175 Laborers Union of N. America
Marcos Devers
Proudly Endorses
17
Laborers Union
(LOCAL 175)

As the City Council President in Lawrence, Frank Moran has worked hard to bring Lawrence Jobs for Lawrence people. He stands with union workers and we stand with him. I believe Frank will continue to fight for union jobs at The State House.
~Mike Gagliardi, Local 175 Laborers Union of North America
Frank Moran
Proudly Endorses
38
August - 2012
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the VAlley PAtriot
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
2nd Essex District
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RESPONSIBLE. RESPONSIVE. REPUBLICAN.
Reform Welfare
What Sam Will Do

Work towards eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in the EBT system by putting controls in place and eliminating excessive use. I will oppose all attempts to increase taxes and will fight to roll back our sales and income taxes to 5%.
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August - 2012

so acted accordingly. The report also highlights comments from two police attorneys interviewed by MacDougall that if they had arrested Noyes for operating under the influence they would have violated procedures and cause the case to be dismissed. Both these assertions are absurd. The officers had a duty to at least summons Noyes for operating under the influence based on the evidence they reported. Even if they had the foresight of knowing that in doing so the case would be dismissed their first duty is public safety. The rule of jurisdiction pertains to the crossing of state lines not towns and cities. The West Newbury officers could have arrested Noyes if their pursuit was fresh and continuous, even after crossing the line between West Newbury and Haverhill. But even though they did not witness the crash and therefore the condition of continuous was not met, they still were obligated to complete the investigation on the scene and make an arrest if the Haverhill police failed to do so. Though it shall always remain a speculation as to whether or not special treatment was applied here by officers who may have had a deference for the decorated, retired State Trooper the more pressing issue is was the publics interested defended ? In this case it was not and the matter should be the basis for both police departments to rigorously strengthen the performance standards of their officers to preserve public safety.
Public Safety was adequately Served

Joseph DAmore
Chief Lisa Holmes of the West Newbury police department is rightly proud of her officers Daniel Cena and Royster Johnson IV. This fresh after the announcement in the Daily News on August 2 that an independent investigation by retired Methuen Police Chief Bruce McDougall concluded that no departmental rules were violated in the controversial matter of a traffic incident involving retired State Trooper Charles Noyes. As previously reported, on March 30th Noyes crashed his vehicle into a utility pole around 10:30 p.m. on Route 113 in West Newbury, snapping it in half and cutting power to the surrounding area for almost 11 hours. He apparently kept driving with his air bags deployed until the West Newbury officers reached him in Haverhill. Shortly afterwards, Haverhill police arrived at the scene. An internal investigation by the Haverhill police department concluded that officers on the scene from both departments failed in their duties to arrest Noyes for driving under the influence in light of ample probable cause to do so . The report suggested that Noyes received special treatment. This resulted in the disciplining of the Haverhill officers. The West Newbury report stresses the fact that the police officers lost their police powers once they crossed into Haverhill and
... Ovide has said repeatedly on the campaign trail and that is, that he will check his republican label at the door. I am proud of my republican influence ... Im not going to check my party label at the door just because Ive been elected to the position. ~ Kevin Smith have to commute out of state every day to go to work in Massachusetts and they are paying income tax to Massachusetts as well. People like my dad would rather both live in New Hampshire and work in New Hampshire. So, what I have said is that as governor I am going to make New Hampshire a much more business friendly state and make it much more attractive for companies to move here. And I am serious when I say I am going to be bolder about poaching jobs out of Massachusetts and bringing them to our state. Ovide on EBT Abuse In our interview after the debate Ovide Lamontgne talked about his position on EBT (welfare) abuses in his state. Unfortunately EBT is a part of fed program that is administered here in New Hampshire to make sure that only those services and benefits which the truly needy, need, not beer and wine and other items that are commodities [being] provided to them. There must be a way to control this and so the recent stories
FROM PAGE 31: GOP DEBATE/INTERVIEW

Anybody who knows my history, knows I have been a republican my entire life. You should ask him if he has been a republican his entire life and see what he says about that. ~Ovide Lamontagne
of abuse in New Hampshire have underscored the fact that this system is broken and I am going to work very hard to get on top of that as governor to make sure we get control over our safety nets and make sure it is a safety net and not a hammock. But How Do You Fix It? Its a multi-faceted approach, Tommy. First of all we need to make sure New Hampshire people are eligible and meet eligibility requirements. We dont have a good auditing system in New Hampshire to do that. Secondly, we need to make sure that the benefits people are entitled to are very specific as to what kinds of food they can buy and what kind of items they can purchase as well as whether or not they should get cash out of an ATM or any of these other facets that are apparently not controlled. We need a good auditing system in the state to make sure the peoples dollars, the taxpayers dollars, are used only as a safety net for the truly needy in our state. I am going to make sure that happens if I am governor.
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FROM PAGE 13: PATRIOT 1 CHOPPER PILOT STEVEN REEL

never thought about aviation as a viable career, but it is; its 100% viable. So for kids going to college who dont know what they want to do, flight instruction or being a commercial pilot is a very viable option. You have to pay your dues like anything else. You have to get your flight instructors certification which is like residency for a doctor. You work at the flight school, you answer phones, you book flights and you bill people. Its like an internship, but you get paid per flight hour. We have a lot of students who dont even want their license they just like to go up and fly with the instructor and thats their hobby; they just like to come in and fly. So there are a lot of angles to aviation and its not for everybody, but I have never seen anybody who couldnt fly. Flying as a career Reel says that pilots start making money once they become a commercial pilot and then can make about $70,000 a year and it only goes up after that. Its a very unique career; its not your average job. You are not stuck at a desk every day. I honestly dont feel like I get up and go to work. I will say for anyone thinking about aviation that its a huge boost for your self-confidence. Its a job you can look forward to every day because its a different job every day. Its a job thats always
August - 2012
CONTINUED
the VAlley PAtriot
if a local club like the Knights or the Rotary club wants to raise money for their charities we can help them doing chopper tours. We can also fly in for political events at election time. Why did you decide to fly? I owned my own construction company in Montana for five or six years and I hated my job. I got up every day and went to work I made great money because I worked for myself, but I didnt like what I did every day. Reel says. I was miserable at work, I was miserable when I got home from work. And I
PUPPYGIRL: FROM PAGE 28

shelters. Many of you might already know that, or maybe you just knew that it was an epidemic, but do you know how they are killed? Its time for another wakeup call explained through graphic explanation. A common misconception is that they are held in the loving arms of a nice vet technician (like the one you know at your local vets office) and sung a lullaby while they get a painless needle and slowly and peacefully drift off to doggie heaven. Unfortunately, wrong. Yes, some shelters euthanize by injection, but others are still using the barbaric practice of gas chambers. They kill these helpless dogs and puppies by putting them into a big box and pumping carbon monoxide into it. It is inhumane, and these dogs deserve better. They have no ability to stand up for themselves, so we need to stand up for them. I read a story about a little beagle named Daniel, who survived his meeting with the gas chamber. It was euthanasia day at a shelter in Alabama and his time was up. After the gas was pumped in, the animal control officer who was in charge of operating the gas chamber, opened the door and saw Daniel, his tail wagging. Only a dog would be wagging his tail, happily greeting the human who just tried to kill him. Daniel was surrounded by 18 dead dogs who hadnt survived this torture chamber. Rarely has a dog ever survived the gas chamber. The animal control officer couldnt comprehend trying to kill this dog for a second time, so he took him out of the gas chamber and put him up for adoption. Daniel is living life and is very happy for truly a second chance at life! If you need to see proof that this is what is really going on today at these shelters, just Google dog shelter gas chambers. It is time for people to understand the consequences of their actions. And if they are still unwilling to change, it is time for us as a community to force change. Until people start getting their dogs spayed or neutered, stop breeding, stop buying from pet stores and adopt, and until the puppy mills are shut down, so many of mans best friend will continue to inhumanely die in vain.
changing even though you are doing the same thing. No two flights are the same. Its a way to get paid to travel the country too. And when you get a little further into your career, many pilots work one month on one month off. A lot of pilots work an average of 6-8 months a year and make over six figures. So, whether you want to take helicopter lessons, get your license, do photo tours, get aerial photos of your house, your property, your restaurant, your boats, or have us throw out the first ball at your kids little league game, we are a full service helicopter service. To get in touch with Steven Reel for a flight instruction, or flight tours you can call Steven Reel at (617) 817-7961.
DR RAMI RUSTIM: FROM PAGE 26

or they might even cause headaches. To avoid the development of medication overuse headaches, dont use over-thecounter pain relievers for more than nine days a month. In addition, all medications have side effects. If you take medications regularly, including products you buy over-the-counter, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Also, remember that pain medications arent a substitute for recognizing and dealing with the stressors that may be triggering your headaches. Preventive medications: Certain medications taken at regular intervals may reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. Your doctor may prescribe these if you have frequent headaches or have tension headaches that arent relieved by pain medication and nondrug therapy such as stress management. Your doctor may also recommend preventive medication if your headache pain becomes disabling or causes you to overuse pain medication, or if you cant take pain medication because of other medical conditions. Doctors may prescribe antidepressants to prevent tension headache, especially the chronic form. These drugs arent painkillers. Rather, they work to stabilize the levels of brain chemicals such as serotonin, which may be involved in the development of a headache. You dont have to have depression in order to use these drugs. Preventive medications may include: 1. Tricyclic antidepressants: Tricyclic antidepressants, including amitriptyline and nortriptyline (Pamelor), are the most commonly used medications to prevent tension headache. Theyre effective against both the episodic and chronic forms. Side effects of these medications may include weight gain, drowsiness and dry mouth. 2. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressants such as paroxetine (Paxil), venlafaxine (Effexor, Venlafaxine HCL Er) and fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, others) produce fewer side effects than do the tricyclic antidepressants but generally arent considered effective for tension headaches. 3. Anticonvulsants and muscle relaxants: Other medications that may prevent tension headache include anticonvulsants, such as topiramate (Topamax) and gabapentin (Neurontin), and muscle relaxants, such as tizanidine (Zanaflex). Preventive medications may require several weeks or more to build up in your nervous system before they take effect. So dont get frustrated if you havent seen improvements shortly after you begin taking the drug it may take a couple of months or longer. Also be aware that overusing caffeine or painkillers for acute relief may reduce the effect of a preventive drug. Ref: 1- Tension-type headache. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_ Sheets/Tension-Type_Headache. 2- Monteith TS. Tension type headache in adolescence and childhood: Where are we now? Current Pain and Headache Report. 2010;14:424. 3- Crystal SC, et al. Epidemiology of tension-type headache. Current Pain and Headache Report. 2010;14:449. 4- Mayo clinic, Neurology Dept.
North Andover Firefighters
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On Saturday September 15th. I am competing in the Warrior Dash competition in New Hampshire. As I conquer obstacles, leap fire, and crawl through the mud, the kids of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital are fighting for their lives. Ive always been a huge supporter of St. Jude and your support will help me reach my goal. Your donations are tax deductible and your employer may even match your donation. Christine Prescott spent 12 years in the U.S. Army and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. She spent 13 months in Afghanistan got involved with The Warrior Dash in 2011 to help the children of St. Jude because of her personal experience with very sick and wounded children while deployed in Afghanistan. Christine Prescott Warrior in Training
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August - 2012
See the Best in People. Everyone has Some Good Within Themselves. People Living the WOW! See the Positive in Others All the Time. No Wonder They Make Living the WOW! Look Easy!
VALLEY PATRIOT WOW! COLUMNIST
Live the WOW!

Thomas Connors
extreme example of how negative thinking can overpower and control ones thoughts and actions. If you allow yourself to be blinded by negative things, that is what you will expect. And what you expect is what you will draw into your life. Just like a magnet. You will actually pull into your daily existence every nuisance and negative thing you can find. All those things will dramatically affect your disposition and even your health. All will become negative and to your detriment and eventual demise. On the other hand, if you are positive and see the good in others and the world around you, that is what magically begins to appear in your life. And in such abundance that it almost appears miraculous. It is like you will it. The fact of the matter is you actually do will it. So, will yourself to Live the WOW! Stop merely going through motions and take the time to actually experience life. That intense focus can make all the difference. There is a heck of a lot of good in the world. It is all around you. But you too often let yourself get stuck in a rut that eats
HEALTHY SOUL
Imagine living in a world where you are bombarded with mostly good and wonderful things. Where you see the good in people. Where you acknowledge the great things that happen all around you. Where good does in fact triumph over evil all the time. You have a choice to make every single day. We all do. You can choose to notice all the not so good things going on around you and in people or you can choose to see the good in others and the world in which you live. Why should you care? Because how you view the people and world around you is how you will eventually live your life and what you will ultimately get out of it. Negative warped minds result in negative warped lives. Positive enthusiasm leads to just the opposite. Choose to Live the WOW! We witnessed on television the absolute horror of hatred in action recently in Colorado. The senseless massacre and hatred for people and society spewed in a movie theatre showing of Batman is an
Bill Englehardt
MLO 48923

Tel. 978.685.9700 * Fax 978.685.9701
354 Merrimack St., at Sals Riverwalk Lawrence MA 01843

jim@firstinteg.com
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away at you like some dreaded disease that is capable of ravaging your body. See the good in people. Oh, it is there alright, no matter who it is. No matter how many shortcomings a person may have there is a whole list of good that springs to the forefront when you let it. Read the Bible or some other religious book. Parables and stories abound as virtual teaching moments throughout its pages. Was it just a coincidence that Our Lord almost always used societys cast-offs to heal and perform miracles? He constantly reached out to prostitutes. To lepers. To the destitute and most vulnerable. And through their own goodness and faith, they were healed and led to live full and productive lives. In some cases, they were even brought back from the dead. Passionate and Positive promotion of people, places and things are only possible when you are able to make them a significant part of your life. I remember a friend of mine who I looked up to and admired. His name was Anthony. He was much older than I was and had lived what I considered a wonderful and meaningful life. He was a gem in my eyes. One day another friend questioned me as to how I even associated with Anthony. He proceeded to point out every failing and foible that Anthony possessed. These were character traits I honestly never noticed. But, boy, were they magnified ten fold after that! Well, now I had a choice. I could focus on all the negative stuff. And believe me, Anthony certainly did have his shortcomings. OR, I could look past those things and
enjoy all the positive characteristics he projected. I chose to see the positive in Anthony. Life is not only too short, but, I want to Live the WOW! and not be weighed down with negativity. Carry that positive thinking over to your own life. As Zig Ziglar would suggest, get rid of that stinkin thinkin! Attitude is everything at American Training and all we do. People from all across the northeast come to us to gain knowledge, learn a skill or seek help putting it all together in order to get employed or find a place to live. Something or a number of things in their lives have caused them to lose hope; at least temporarily. Some may come with a disability. But that doesnt mean they are disabled. Our goal is to change how they see whatever barriers they have to making their lives matter. Change their thinking and all of a sudden life takes on new meaning. Change your negative thinking and you will definitely change your life for the better as well. Now, thats a WOW!
Tom Connors is President/ CEO of American Training, a diverse collection of companies committed to Bringing Out the Best in Everyone They Touch. He believes in living life to the fullest by making the WOW! a regular part of your personal, spiritual and working life. You can reach Tom at Tom@ AmericanTrainingInc.com or by writing to him at Tom Connors, American Training, 102 Glenn Street, Lawrence, MA 01843} 2012. You can also visit Tom at his BLOG TomConnorsThinkPad.blogspot.com
Jim Hamaoui
MLO 8946
Helping Borrowers since 1997 Cell (978) 853-9089 24-hr.
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Fun, Entertaining, Compassionate People needed to transport our passengers to and from work. Must have a clean driving record and a great personality! No need to have a special license! Hours are approximately 6:00 am 8:00 am and again in the afternoon from 2:00 pm 4:00 pm. Salary is $9.95/hour Candidates must have a High School Diploma/GED, a valid drivers license, submit to a drug screening and a criminal background check. Apply to: American Training, Inc. Att: Human Resources 102 Glenn Street, Lawrence, MA 01843 Fax: (978) 683-5124 E-mail: DebbieLynch@AmericanTrainingInc.com
380 Main St. Salem, NH 03079 800.969.0059 EOE/AA Employer

42
August - 2012
VALLEY PATRIOT VETERAN COLUMNIST
John Lenotte
News from the American Legion

Of course what is now in the news and will continue until November is the contest for President and Congressional seats. Here in Massachusetts we have had redistricting and Congressman Barney Frank not choosing to run. Locally we have several state legislature seats being contested. In a July 18 report on CNN, it was estimated that $6 billion will be spent during the elections. I just find that amount incredible. I will even venture to say sinful. With all that is going on in this country, that kind of money could be much better spent, even just a portion of it! No wonder so many individuals feel out of touch and disgusted with politics. What we all need to do is to make sure we get out and vote. No matter whom you vote for, get out and do it! Complaints without action are useless. I for one am already turned off by the political ads. Personally I think they are all baloney and a waste of time and money. I will be watching the debates and looking at voting records. One internet source is votesmart.org where you can see voting records. We all need to be informed voters. Another topic that has taken a back
VETERANS
the VAlley PAtriot
As we all watch and enjoy the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, there are many things to think about. Something I do not see much attention being paid to is that 16 members of the military are competing with Team USA. GrecoRoman Wrestling: Dremiel Byers, Spenser Mango and Justin Lester, all US Army members. Track and Field: Dennis Bowsher and John Nunn, US Army. Fencing: Seth Kelsey, USAF Reserve. Boxing: Jamel Herring, USMC. Shooting: Glenn Eller, Vincent Hancock, Jason Parker, Joshua Richmond, Keith Sanderson, Daryl Szarenski, Eric Uptafrafft, all US Army and Sandra Uptafrafft, US Naval Reserve. It does bring to mind a friend and fellow Lawrence High School graduate, Greg Kent. Greg was All New England track in his day and received orders from the Marine Corps to participate/train for the 1968 Olympics. Instead, Greg chose to go with his unit to Vietnam. Greg was killed in action in March 1968. One of 18 men Lawrence lost in that war. We will never forget their sacrifices.
seat in the news is Afghanistan. As of July 25th, 2,047 of our troops have been killed in action with 16, 944 wounded. These numbers are from when the 34 September - 2011 conflict started on October 10, 2001. We also have one missing in action, Army Sergeant Bowe R. Bergdahl. He has been missing since June 30, 2009. And this does not take into account the toll on their families. We must not forget Tracey Zysk
VALLEY PATRIOT DOGGIE COLUMNIST
that we have members of the military all around the world protecting our freedoms. And with deep budgets cuts due to impact the Department of Defense budget in the coming year, more will be at risk. Upwards of 80,000 service members are to be let go. And in this economy, where will they find work? There are some good things going on with job fairs aimed at veterans, improvements to the transition program along with licensure credit for military training/experience. It is up to all of us as individuals to let our elected officials know where we stand on issues. This election is gearing up to be another close one. I plan to make my voice heard. Will you? May God bless our troops and their families. Bring them home safe. John Lenotte, Past Department Commander, The American Legion, Department of Massachusetts
John Lenotte is the American Legion, Commander, Wilbur M. Comeau Post 4 Haverhill 1. Hire a and Vice Commander, Dept. of Dog Walker A solid 30 Massachusetts. help eliminate minute walk mid day canYou can Email him at JohnLDistrict8@verizon.net boredom, loneness and help get your dog
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up and moving. Your dog will build a relationship with his walker and he will associate the walkers visits as a positive and he will know the walker is there just for destructive, feel extra special and of oftenhim. He will activities. Only the core course will love the one on one time too. functions of government, those enumerated 2. Constitution, Doggie necessary in ourSend him to arepresentDaycare Some dogs need a little more than a dog walk, exceptions. Eliminating taxes and flattening because of their energy level or because the few thataremain wouldof anxieties the provide both the they have higher level incentive for entrepreneurial activityaand dog may need to spend the day at doggie the capitalDogs that have tons of energy daycare. needed to fund it. So, Governor, are other dogs are the and play well with you ready to lead best candidates for a doggie daycare Americas resurgence? Are you ready to 3. Send him to a anti-poverty program, institute an effective Playgroup - Play groups will really help thenight or on one that tend to be held at downtrodden? weekends the keys toare owner and dog Here are and some Americas future, interactive. This is a great way to spend your election, and your immortality: Elimisome quality time with your dog and to nate barriers to employment. Increase the create a bonding experience in a group rewards of working and investing. Clear out setting and to help with his socialization the obstacles to commerce. Free the market skills. to innovateon One time -economic efficien4. One and improve Dont forget to put some time aside each night to spend cy. Stop government from expropriating with your dog. Remember the when the private property and drainingevenlifeblood kids economy. of ourcome home from school they may have after remove activitiesof government In short: school the yoke or homework and may not have enough time for doggie from our shoulders and let all Americans playtime. Once the kids settle down for prosper. you could block off sometime the night Sincerely, just for the two of you. Another idea
PETS
FROM PAGE 2: An Open Letter to Mitt Romney

hiring and decrease unemployment? Why is it not obvious that eliminating them would ignite an unprecedented explosion of economic growth and prosperity? Governor, you are well aware of the forces that drive economic growth and you know what impedes that growth. A majority of the voting public is ready for an honest defense of economic freedom. In fact, the American people thirst for it. Employment is not encouraged by making the burdens of employment greater or by rewarding sloth. Every law that imposes such burdens minimum wage laws, work hour limitations, vacation requirements, family leave laws, health insurance mandates, overtime regulations should be eliminated, along with every program that rewards sloth. Private charity will ensure that those worthy of receiving a helping hand will get it. Employment is not encouraged when businesses are buried under a mountain of regulations regulations that require hiring a team of lawyers who produce nothing of value, that discourage or prohibit useful economic activity, and that make it impossible for innovative businesses to introduce needed efficiencies. A four-year goal of eliminating 90% of federally imposed regulations should be established. A good start would be to eliminate a dozen agencies and give the survivors a goal of reducing their regulatory volume by 50%. Cutting their staff by 50% in the first six months of your administration might convince them you mean it. Of course, Obamacare should be one of the first things to be eliminated, but the regulations that preceded it need to be flushed out at the same time. Buying healthcare services should be just
Back-to-school time can be a really hard time on your family dog. After having the children to play with all summer, your pup is suddenly alone most of the day and that can give him a case of the back-to-school blues. like buying anything else. Individual conDogs get use to having the kids around, sumers need to be cost sensitive so that the playing with them, taking them for walks healthcare market is driven to be efficient and in general just having the comfort of and competitive. Insurance policiesor childknowing they are there. A parent should not beis in and out make the consumer care designed to of the house and friends insensitive to costs. You dontoften.food and family are around more buy During insurance so decreases theowe a $10 copay this time it you can just level of anxiety in your dog. when you grocery shop. Your annual physical,However, oncebuy one, should be no if you want to school starts, your dogs schedule different. changes the very first day your children go back to school. It is quick, it is A sensible health insurance policy would dramatic and it is a completely out of the be like the fire insurance policy you buy for routine your dog has gotten accustom to. your home. It shouldfor your dogcatastrophIt is very common only cover to experiic events, never routine expenses. ence separation anxiety. Of course, it should be dog may start to Even a well-behaved legal to buy an insurance policy that covers yourchewing display undesirable behaviors, daily on furniture, having might note that the aspirin tablet, but you accidents insideno home, barking food insurance. Why? Beone buys or sellsexcessively or may even start such policy cause to nipaa little. only encourage excess But no worries, this is as correctable as consumption and increased costs. it was getting your dog use to his summer The same is true for health insurance. schedule. The content the things youhealthbe able to Some of and pricing of may insurance policies need to be left to the are the followdo to eliminate the blues free market. If you smoke three packs a day, are 300 ing:
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VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH
FROM PAGE 1: CORPORAL SAMUEL BLUMENFELD

the enemy out of Mount Pigna, Mount Mantino, Mount Mosca, Mount Pero, and Reno River Valley. The Americans moved from ridgeline to ridgeline, from valley town to valley town, slowly pushing back the Germans. The enemy fought stubbornly, but could not prevail. By nightfall on April 17, the 10th Mountain Division had broken through what remained of the Germans defensive line. Other victories soon followed. The Allies reached the Po Valley on April 19, 1945, The 10th Mountain took 2,900 prisoners and captured Mount San Michele. The turning point came the next day, April 20, when the Allies quickly surged forward through the Po Valleys flat terrain and excellent network of roads. They destroyed surviving enemy forces. It now became a race as to who would reach the Po River first, and the Alpine foothills beyondthe Allies or the Germans. On April 21, 1945, Bologna fell to the Allies. By dawn on April 22, the entire Fifth Army was in the Po Valley. That same evening, the 10th Mountain reached the Po River at San Benedetto, 30 miles north. By midnight, the rest of the division arrived, and large amphibious DUKWs transported troops across the river. The rapid American advance left many pockets of Axis soldiers, and special task forces mopped up these areas. By April 24, the entire U.S. Fifth Army front had reached the Po. Ultimately, more than 100,000 Axis troops surrendered south of the Po River. Germany surrendered May 2, 1945. Post-war mop-up and occupation After the war ended, Sam, now a technical corporal, was transferred to an Infantry unit with the Occupation forces in Tarcento, Friuli province, to complete the orderly surrender of German forces, maintain security, and help the Italians begin their postwar reconstruction. Relations between American troops and native Italians were especially warm and cooperative. But near Trieste and the Yugoslav border, there was
The 155mm howitzers, which Sam Blumenfelds 10th Mountain Division, Field Artillery Battalion, fired in Italy against the Germans, proved to be one of the best field artillery weapons of its class in WWII, according to military sources. It had a range of 16,000 yards. It was vital to pounding down the enemy prior to the infantrys attack, or holding off enemy assaults. I dont have to tell you who won the war, said General George S. Patton. You know our artillery did.
great unrest because of border disputes between Italy and Yugoslavia. Stationed in Trieste were troops of Communist dictator Marshall Tito. The 10th Mountain patrols prevented armed conflicts. Later, during U.N. negotiations to resolve the border dispute, Sam served as clerk recorder at the meetings. The war between good and evil The long, arduous warfare to rout the enemy from strongholds in the Apennines and Po Valley prepared Sam Blumenfeld for future work in another arena. What was the source of evil? How did it operate? How do you fight it? It led Sam to a decision that transformed his life. Born of Jewish parents who had left Poland in the 1920s to escape poverty and persecution, Sam was raised in his familys faith. He was unfamiliar with the English Bible until introduced to it in a New York City public elementary school, where his principal recited the TwentyThird Psalm at every school assembly. The words of this Psalm impressed me deeply, he said. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want . . .Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me (Psalm 23: 1, 4). These words carried me all through my military service. I felt safe, knowing I was continually protected, that God had a plan for my future. To this day, I sense Gods protection. In the 1980s, while during research on public education, Sam began reading the New Testament and became a follower of Christ the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. He says: I believe Christ is Who He says He is, the Son of God. He is The Truth. No one has influenced Western civilization the way Christ has. Regimes based on lies all crumble and fall: Nazism, Marxism, Communism. But Christianity is based on Jesus Christ, the Truth. Yet we have allowed atheists to take over in the public schools and destroy a childs belief in the God of the Bible, a moral crime that leads children into atheism, nihilism, and even Satanism. This can result in self-destructive, murderous behavior. Today Sam Blumenfeld has the courage and boldness to stand in the gap for Christians and focus on exposing a public education system that is promoting an atheist, pro-socialist educational agenda that is destroying our children. He has gained renown as a prolific author of conservative books, a bold advocate for biblical and conservative moral values in public education. He now writes articles for The New American online (www.thenewamerican.com). His first book How to Start Your Own Private School was written at the request of the Conservative Book Club. Others quickly followed, including The New Illiterates. Bestknown is his reading program, AlphaPhonics, written to help parents teach their children to read at home. It has been used by thousands of home-schooling parents, especially Christians. His expose of the National Education Association, NEA: Trojan Horse in American Education, sold over 60,000 copies and persuaded many parents to home-school their children. He has also written a book on the Shakespeare authorship controversy, The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection. Engaged in spiritual warfare for years, Sam can attest to the apostle Pauls words: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Helen Mooradkanian is our new Valley Patriot Hero columnist and a former business writer. She is also a member of the Merrimack Valley Tea Party, You can email her at hsmoor@verizon.net
Now O
Experience quality
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CPL Sam Blumenfeld before fountain in market square in Udine, northeast Italy, where he was reassigned to the 10th Mountain Divisions Infantry to maintain security and help Italians begin postwar reconstruction. He also served as clerk recorder at U.N. negotiations to resolve Italy-Yugoslavia border disputes.

Robert Irving
MLO 19086
Cell: (978) 686-0394 24-hr.
rhirving@gmail.com
www.firstinteg.com
44
August - 2012
June Single Family Sales up by 10.7% and Condo Sales up by 18.3% Versus Last June
(MERRIMACK & NASHOBA VALLEYS) The Northeast Association of REALTORS (NEAR) reported today that single family home sales during June in the 15 cities and towns from Boxford to Littleton rose by 10.7 percent compared with June of last year, while the number of condominiums sold jumped by 18.3 percent during the same time frame. Year-to-date, sales of both property types were up by 23.4 percent and 16.3 percent, respectively. Additionally, compared with May, transactions in June were up for single family homes by 9.7 percent, and for condominium sales by an impressive 29.5 percent. The report is based on data from MLS Property Information Network in Shrewsbury. The report also showed that the median price for single family homes sold locally during June was $349,950, an increase of 9.4 percent versus last June, and an increase of 15.9 percent over Mays median price of $302,000. Meanwhile the median price of condominiums sold in June was $172,000, a drop of 18.7 percent compared with last year and a decrease of 13.1 percent versus Mays median of $198,000. The median price is the point at which half the properties sold cost more, and half cost less. NEAR President Mary ODonoghue said, Our areas home sales market in 2012 has shown noticeable improvement compared with the past several years, and pent-up demand is evident in the high volume of buyer traffic we continue to see locally. She cautioned that we are in the nascent stage of a very fragile recovery, noting that buyers continue to firmly reject overpriced properties and are highly sensitive to market value and job security. The average length of time it took to sell a single family home in June was 107 days, a drop of 4.5 percent over last June. It took an average of 134 days for the condominiums sold during June to close, an increase of 5.5 percent compared with last June. The report also noted that pending sales those now under agreement but not yet closed for single family homes during June were up by 22 percent compared with June of 2011, with the agreed-upon median price for those properties relatively flat, increasing by 1.5 percent versus last June to $329,900. The number of pending sales for condominiums locally during the month was also up by 24.2 percent versus last June, with the median price down by 11.6 percent to $167,900. The report also provided inventory levels of area homes for sale as of June 15, which at 1,561 available single family homes and 583 condominiums have dropped substantially below last years levels. The inventory for both single family homes and condominiums locally also remains well below the peaks set in 2006 and 2007, which were 2,242 for single family homes and 1,251 for condos. The Northeast Association of REALTORS is one of 1,500 local chapters of the National Association of REALTORS. Officially, NEAR covers 15 cities and towns from Boxford to Littleton, though it has more than 1,100 members from more than 50 cities and towns in the Merrimack and Nashoba valleys as well as southern New Hampshire. The term, REALTOR, is a trademark for use exclusively by members of the National Association of REALTORS, whose members subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics.
Local Home Sales Continue Climb in June
REAL ESTATE
the VAlley PAtriot
Chief Mortgage Planner/Owner

MLO 3527
Anne Marie Concemi

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aconcemi@firstinteg.com

Cell: (978) 852-9707 24-hr.
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$154,900 Single family home in a great South Lawrence location ! Features large yard, cathedral ceiling in family room, 4 or 5 berooms, over 1700 sf feet of living space,lots of parking,seller will install a new kitchen before closing. Currently used as a Law office.Phone network, computer network, literally nothing to do but move in.
$229,900 -South Lawrence, Charming Cape in desirable Mount Vernon neighborhood, fenced in yard, newer kitchen with corian counter tops, an extra 360 sq ft of finished living space in lower level. Set up for central vac, New Interlock roof with copper finish & 100 year warranty,Newer furnace, insulated windows, New 200 amps electrical service, gleaming hardwood floors throughout. Move in Condition. Outdoor Jacuzzi negotiable.
$304,900 - METHUEN!! Oversized split with 4 bedrooms. Large open concept kitchen with tile flooring, fireplaced living room , master with private full bath, Lower level features large family room, bedroom and a full bath. One car garage. Newer roof and windows. Interior recently painted. Beautiful private fenced in yard with above ground pool, brick patio and play area. In the finished lower level you will find great inlaw potential. Convenient to shopping and highway
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46
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TOM
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NOTEBOOK 23
Chief Operations Manager MLO 3520 steve@firstinteg.com Steve@firstinteg.com
Steve Sirmaian
the VAlley PAtriot
SC 214 on the Haverhill campus. Two sesYoull see why you might want to be using sions will be held on the Lawrence campus one of these devices. on Wednesdays August 1 and 15 from noon to 1 p.m. For information on these sessions contact Trish Butler at 978-738-7484 or t1butler@necc.mass.edu NORTH SHORE BUSINESS FORUM How Virtual Assistants can Grow Your Business. DANVERS, August 10 Marie Wilson, of Endicott College, will speak on August 10 on how virtual assistants and interns can grow your business. The North Shore Business Forum meets at 7:30am at the Danversport Yacht Club, Rt. 62 East, Dan vers, MA. The $10 admission fee include a continental breakfast and pre-registration is not required. For more info - www. nsbforum.org SEO AND GOOGLE ANALYTICS DANVERS, August 17 Kevin Roy, of Green Banana, will speak at the North Shore Business Forum on August 17 on SEO and Google Analytics. The North Shore Business Forum meets at 7:30am at the Danversport Yacht Club, Rt. 62 East, Danvers, MA. The $10 admission fee include a continental breakfast and pre registration is not required. For more info - www.nsbforum.org USEFUL BUSINESS PHONE APPS DANVERS, August 24 - Come to North Shore Business Forum on August 24th ready to share your favorite Apple and Android apps. Well harness the brainpower of the group to create a list of the best apps for business use. No smartphone, no problem!
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astounding level of disrespect they have shown the people of Lawrence, all hell is breaking loose! The Union Leaders are yelling Teachers rights are being stepped on and violated! Hey Mr. Teacher Union President, what about voter rights which this entire takeover has been stepping on since day one? Mr. Teacher Union President, I thought you were fully cooperating with this takeover by the State for the sake of the children? It is time for new leadership in the Lawrence Teachers Union because you sat back as families were steamrolled and only spoke up when you didnt get what you were led to believe would be your gold at the end of the receivership rainbow. As I have been screaming for months from my soapbox, there is absolutely no language in the legislation regarding the takeover of Lawrences Public Schools that permits the Commissioner and Receiver to treat the School Committee as if it doesnt exist and now also allows them to do away with the Collective Bargaining Rights of Teachers! The school committee should be sitting at the table, even if they cannot vote, to be witnesses on behalf of the voters and the children to reassure us this process is above board, but the states administration has locked EVERYONE out. Where are our Legislators on this issue? Mr. Torrisi, Mr. Adams, Mr. Devers and the ring leader Mr. Finegold, can we the citizens of Lawrence get a response? No, I didnt think so. Their silence and their uncaring attitude towards the education of the Lawrence children is deafening. I humbly say to all the Valley Patriot readers, not one of these gentlemen deserves re-election! Finally, to the parents and the citizens of Lawrence, the future of the city is in your hands, not the states. Rolling over and playing dead to this new administration will only lead to the removal of more of your rights. How institutionalized do you want your children to become? How much of your authority as parents do you want to relinquish to the state? Whether its showing up at school committee meetings, demanding oversight at the state level, contacting your school committee representatives in writing to help give them more ammunition to fight to represent you, or as a last resort pulling your children out of the schools if you dont trust this process; bottom line, you must do something! To the surrounding school districts and local teachers unions in underperforming districts across the state, the legislation does cite there is more room for takeovers! Public education is a massive money maker for all of these private foundations. Watch out because they may be in Lawrence today, but they will be at your door next! God Bless You All,
Peter Larocque is a former member of the Lawrence School Commmittee and is a regular columnist for the Valley Patriot. You can email him at: peterlarocque@hotmail.com
August - 2012
and day passes at Sandals. Lt. Col. Allen West is one of these special people in that special club. Part of his job is to strong arm other Reps for money. That is why he gets all the television time, sits on committees and ensures party support come November 2012. The amount of time raising money is substantial. Every member of the house says they dislike this task yet most are not willing to give specifics to it. Most estimates have it between 30 and 70% of their time is raising money. Committee hearings are scheduled around fundraisers. Votes have been scheduled around fundraisers. They say theyre so busy which creates midnight and weekend votes. Imagine if they didnt fundraise! They could vote between 9-5 Monday through Friday! The Parties wont allow it. What is more concerning is 30 to 70% of what a member of congress fundraises is given away! The money is transferred directly back to the parties or given to other members to buy influence which may be beneficial to their election, move or stall legislation and buying committee assignments. All members entering congress are immediately in debt. They are automatically assigned what is called party dues. This is an annually assigned amount each member must pay or transfer from their campaign accounts to the Party coffers. The amounts are astronomical. For Party leadership Nancy Pelosi must raise 25 million dollars for the party. Minority whip Steny Hoyer is set to hand over 800,000 from his campaign account and raise another 2.5 million for the party, assistant leader and leader of the congressional black caucus James Clyburn will transfer 600,000. and raise another 1.5 million for the party. This is not optional if they want to be in leadership and stay in leadership. This is how they obtain leadership. As reported in Politico the Democrats 2011 dues ranges from 75,000 for freshmen with no standing to 250,000 for ranking members of committees (which is what Jim McGovern D MA. pays). Sub-committees upwards of 500,000 for DCCC council leaders and deputy whips. There is staff provided (or hired) specifically charged with the task of navigating this Niagara Falls of a financial rafting trip! There is a person who runs the call centers in both the RNC and DNC. Aids also participate in the process. Ethics rules forbid the use of Congressional/ Senatorial offices to raise campaign funds. So, with bi-partisan support as a show of political unity convenient offices were set up just across the parking lot of Capitol Hill. But the Ethics rules are broad in scope. However, there has never been a rule or law that a politician hasnt found a loophole to jump through. In fact, the Code of Ethics isnt a law or rule in the strict sense of the word but rather ....a concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress rather than a statute (and)... represent continuing traditional standards of ethical conduct to be observed.... (House Ethics Manual). A politician cannot (from his/her office) make campaign calls, send a letter to a contributor, even take or leave a message to a contributor. Thats what the RNC and DNC offices across the parking lot are for! Unless, said contributions come from other members for party dues. Not only does this
FROM PAGE 9 Defining The Machine
NOTEBOOK
Manchurian Voters, Not!

clearly has no clue about fiscal or constitutional matters, then vote for the opposition or write someone in. 9B. If the candidate is an incumbent who has been in for more than 2 terms and clearly has no clue about fiscal or constitutional matters, then vote for the opposition or write someone in. 9C. If the candidate is an incumbent who has been in for more than 2 terms and has been fiscal or constitutionally correct you can 1) vote for him, or 2) vote for the opposition or write someone in. 9D. If the candidate is a media darling, under no circumstances give them a vote. Vote for the opposition or write someone in . 9E. If any candidate is a media whipping post, they get the vote hands down. Step-10; Remember, there are thousands of issues and situations contrived and created just to muddy the waters. You should base your decisions on clear facts. Do not be deceived by the lame stream media HYPE, PONTIFICATION & DRIVEL. For real change we need to elect new leaders who embody constitutional integrity, or re-energize existing leaders to return to constitutional integrity. They are owned & operated by the machine & they cannot break free. Be their superhero & vote them out so they can be free of the tangled web they created. Step-11. We need to rotate politicians like we rotate crops. The overriding principle of citizen run government is to let the citizens be elected & run the government. Vote out the career, elite, entrenched, establishment, self-serving incumbents. They & the media tell us they are looking out for us, & to stay away from those radical constitutional fanatics. The only thing keeping us free is the constitution. In conclusion it is all up to you. The Constitution is the sole protector of our freedom. The only thing between us & tyranny is the Constitution. Any politician who dismisses, disregards, or tramples Constitutional principles deserves no vote, not one. Vote for real change & encourage others to do the same. If the same representatives are sent back we will get no change. There needs to be a 200% voter turnout at the primary election vote. The media has created Manchurian voters with their brain numbing biased repetitions. I know I was one. So I ask you to join me & break out of the mold & vote for constitutional sanity. Dont vote till you see the black ink on their budgets. Respectfully Submitted by, Jim Morose - Danvers, Ma, 01923 danverstaxpayers@aol.com
money pass freely but this machine is running full throttle almost 24/7 during the entire politicians term in office. In a 2/25/09 article for Roll Call, Jackie Kucinich brought to light how the RNC secures party dues. ....if they do not pony up their dues, they will get no help for their re-election campaigns.... Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers (R) told lawmakers in one of those secret, closed door meetings .... if you do not participate, you do not get help.... He then passed around a contract for all those present to sign or get left behind. In 2010, The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) demanded an average $50,000 dollar hike in party dues. Former DCCC Chair Rahm Emmanuel was known to threaten Democratic lawmakers to be banned from DCCC offices (across the parking lot) until they kicked in the 50K. (Aaron Blake, The Hill). Appointments to positions are now based on how much that politician has contributed; not their experience or knowledge. This facilitates party ideology and political polarization. Bi-partisan used to mean a meeting in the middle. Today it means whichever party is in the minority has to succumb to the party in the majority and to procedural strategies employed by that majority. During the 2010 Congressional campaign in the 3rd District. Sitting Congressman Jim McGovern was hammered in a debate about why he raised over 2 million dollars in two past campaigns where he ran unopposed. He darted around the question a few times until he finally answered, ..because I can.... And he was right. So cant others. The party will tell you who to call, how many times, send in another list after you finish the first one and set the amounts to raise. In fact, the longer you serve and pay to play the better the money gets. Thats why Congressman McGovern can. Curiously, the media pays no attention to this. The emphasis is on campaign finance reform, an appropriate, yet deceptive way of keeping the publics attention elsewhere. The process simply promotes the one person who can benefit the party and the donors. With the media split down Left and Right there is little incentive to report this practice and expose it for what it is. What would it matter anyways? What does either side gain from exposing the other side to a practice they both partake in? Sure, a few disgruntled voters this year and a few political sacrificial lambs to the media then business as usual after the election. It is a process that has gone on for decades and may take decades to remove. We must hold leaders accountable, find the ones who will not be part of the machine and work diligently to help them get re-elected (since the party wont). Perhaps these are the people we are looking for. Patrick Barron is creator of http://definingthemachine.com/ and was the 2010 Ind. Candidate for Congress in the 3rd Dist. Mass. Patrick works for the Mass. Dept. of Mental Health. Christopher Maider is the writer of The Lexington Green at thelexingtongreen.blogspot. com/ and producer of The Meat and Potatoes 2012 Youtube Channel at www.youtube.com/ user/MeatandPotatoes2012?feature=mhee
Dont wait for orders from headquarters, just ride to the sound of the battle. Can you hear the sound of tyranny? Or is it drowned out by the media bias. Health care & taxation without representation is tyranny. They bought & sold votes for the lie. It is now your turn, at the primary ballot box. Make another tea party vote to be heard around the world. Here is the secret plan. Do not divert from the plan or be swayed. Ignore the nay sayers. Ok, now for the secret formula. Step by step. This will involve effort, thought, & ACTION! Step-1; Find out who (in your specific district) is running for Congress, State Senate, & State representative. Step-2; For each race list out the candidates that will be on the Primary Ballot for September 6, 2012. Step-3; Who would you normally vote for & why? Make notes for each candidate & each race. Step-4; Make one last candidate check. Verify with your local Republican & Democratic Committee leaders. Ask if there are any other candidates that may be running a sticker or write-in campaign for any of the three offices. Add them to your list. Check with the town Clerks office to confirm who is on the official primary ballot for September 6. Step-5; Look at the selections you made back in step-3. How does the main stream media and the political establishment characterize them? Really re-think your reasons for your vote selections. Step-6; Now that you have done all the foundational work, ask yourself, Do my selections fit the media business as usual mode? Will anything change if I vote like I always have? The answer is a resounding NO! Nothing will change, if we just fall into the establishment and media mold. Step-7; Break out of the mold now. Set a stake of real change 2-miles in front of you. The only way to make it to the stake of change is to change your vote. Change the way you gather information. Start here http://votecorevalues.org/ Step-8; For real change we must stop listening to the mind numbing mantra of the media and establishment machines. The great American self-government experiment requires citizen leaders. We must send the entrenched establishment career politicians home in large numbers. Do not support any candidate who has perpetuated the status quo. We need less taxation, less laws, & less bull. At the primary follow the next step as close as you can. There is no fool proof voting formula. Step-9; This is the secret ingredient. No matter how loud the media and establishment howl and scream, do not take your eyes off the prize of change. 9A. If any candidate
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