8 The Valley Patriot December - 2005LAWRENCE

with Tom Dugganprestando attencione!

Paying Attention!

The ACLU Grinches Try toSteal Christmas

Warning: This columnmay offend anyone botheredby truth, goodness andholiday celebrations!

No longer just a children’sfantasy story, “The GrinchWho Stole Christmas” isalive and well in modern dayAmerica.

But, the real Grinch doesn’t live at the topof Mount Crumpet. No, no, he resides in thecold, black hearts (and offices) of the ACLUand every person who tries to stop othersfrom celebrating the season of giving, theseason of charity and the season ofhappiness for children and their families.

And, just as the fictional Grinch camedown off Mount Crumpet to steal Christmasfrom the “Whos down in Whoville,” thesereal life Grinches come out from their cavesevery year to file lawsuits and stealChristmas from children everywhere theycan.

What’s so amazing about today’sGrinches is that they are just as mean andjust as irrational as the fictional one. To thesepeople, God is to be shunned, goodness is“offensive” and the mere thought of anotherperson celebrating a holiday rooted inreligion...that’s just plain loathsome.

Dr. Suess himself couldn’t have possiblyimagined that his creation would somedaybe a reality in the form of modern dayreligious bigotry. But here we are, a cultureunder attack by a very small minority whocringe at the site of a Santa Claus or aChristmas angel.

Now, the Christmas-hating Grinches areeven filing lawsuits and complaining aboutpeople who put up Christmas displays ontheir own private property, using localzoning regulations to restrict the myrth andmerriment of their fellow citizens. They’veeven found ways to use condo andneighborhood associations to adoptintolerant bylaws that discriminate againstpeople of faith and even the faithless whoenjoy the American holiday tradition.

WHY?

Well, they are offended of course. As ifthe sight of pine tree with colored lights isakin to using a racial slur or the sound ofchildren singing Jingle Bells is equal tohearing Hitler Youth songs aboutexterminating Jews.

Wait, on second thought, the ACLU andthe Christmas-haters have defended the“rights” of Nazi’s and the Klan to offend,which I guess begs the question: How is aChristmas tree or a Christmas song moredamaging to society and more offensivethan racist Nazi symbols and songs?

How is it that “offensiveness” is thestandard for stopping Christmas displaysbut not so much for the hatefuldemonstrations of racists and fear mongers?Doesn’t free speech apply to everyoneregardless of the type of speech? Or isspeech only prohibited today when it’sabout goodness, religion, God, Christmasand other “objectionable” evils to theseconfused and empty souls?

The answer to that is simple. This hasnothing to do with sensibilities oroffensiveness. It has nothing to do withprotecting the constitution or stopping agovernment established religion.

It’s really about thenarcissistic few who wantto erase the words “...or thefree exercise thereof” fromour first amendment’sfreedom of religiousexpression. They hate Godand they hate the fact thatChristmas is rooted in

religious tradition. Even though to many, itis a secular American tradition practiced bypeople of many (and no) faiths at all.

Personally, I have had enough of thesanctimonious sound bite arguments,backward thinking and dishonest debate.I’ve had enough of people forcing the restof us to sanitize society from words andsymbols that only evil could possibly find“offensive.”

All the while, the “offended” are lecturingthe rest of us about being tolerant of weirdsexual life-styles, compassion for criminalsand “accepting” those who views thingsdifferently.

It’s time to stop giving in to these peopleand say enough is enough.

We shouldn’t be fearful of offendingsomeone with the goodness of Christmas.We shouldn’t be afraid to say to anyone“offended” by a pine tree with lights thatthey need serious psychological help.

People who so intolerantly demand that themajority bow down to their lack of beliefs(or their hatred for faith and goodness) andthen force us to remove everything thatoffends them should be shunned year-round.

The fact is, Christmas is rooted inChristianity but it is also celebrated byatheists, agnostics, Jews, and others. It is,to some, a secular American holiday whichhas evolved and taken on a whole newmeaning than just the birth of Jesus Christ.Allowing the free exercise of Christmascelebration on public property does notestablish a government religion. Anyonewho says otherwise is fooling themselvesin order to fool the rest of us.

But we are not fooled.

It’s not we who celebrate Christmas whoare offending others. Goodness is not anoffensive trait. In the real world we have torecognize that it is those who hate God andChristmas who are being offensive. It is theywho should be more tolerant of symbols andsongs, the values of which they certainlydo not share. It is the Grinch who musttolerate the will of the majority not themajority who must be inconvenienced by amonster who takes great joy in deprivingothers of happiness.

Just imagine ....if the Whos down inWhoville, instead of celebrating Christmasover the objections of the “offended” Grinch,removed Christmas from their little townsquare so as not to offend him with theirinfernal “singing” and happiness heard allthe way up on top of mount Crumpet?

Would Whoville be a better place? IsAmerica?

Tom Duggan is the president of ValleyPatriot, Inc., and is a former member of theLawrence School Committee. He hosts thePaying Attention Radio Program on 980AMevery Saturday afternoon from noon-2pm.You can email comments or questions to himat Tdugjr@aol.com

This column was originally published in 2001

YOu Read itHere FIRST!

On September 1, 2005, The Valley PatriotOn September 1, 2005, The Valley PatriotOn September 1, 2005, The Valley PatriotOn September 1, 2005, The Valley PatriotOn September 1, 2005, The Valley Patriot

Published its18th monthly edition. As hasPublished its18th monthly edition. As hasPublished its18th monthly edition. As hasPublished its18th monthly edition. As hasPublished its18th monthly edition. As has

happened in past MOnths, area newspapers havehappened in past MOnths, area newspapers havehappened in past MOnths, area newspapers havehappened in past MOnths, area newspapers havehappened in past MOnths, area newspapers have

picked up our stories and reported on them.picked up our stories and reported on them.picked up our stories and reported on them.picked up our stories and reported on them.picked up our stories and reported on them.

The Eagle-Tribune - September 10, 2005

The Boston Herald - September 12, 2005

Siglo 21 - September 14, 2005

El Mundo - September 17, 2005

Valley Patriot Lead Story: September 1, 2005"Carrero Accused of Being Deadbeat Dad"

A Warm Thank You to our Colleagues in the Media.

Story Picked up by:

Capital News9 - September 18, 2005

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr.Wilfredo T. Laboy at his office. He wasextremely cooperative given his morningand afternoon schedule. Mr. Laboyresponded to my questions proudly. Hespoke of his recent election as the presidentof the Latinos Superintendents as anaccomplishment.

As the Assistant Superintendent, MaryLou Bergeron, knows Mr. Laboy and whathis new duties will be. I spoke with herabout this important appointment.

Wilfredo T. Laboy received his invitationto the Association of Latino Administratorsand Superintendents (ALAS) in 2005,when the past president of ALAS’ termexpired. Mr. Laboy resides inMassachusetts with his family. He camefrom the state of New York. As a PuertoRican descendent, he is an honorableSuperintendent at the Lawrence PublicSchool and serves proudly. While hecommands the administrators and staff, heattends many meetings and conferences tomake Lawrence a healthier school system.Meeting with the key educators he hasmade a difference which many Latinos andnon-Latinos have admired. One of hisaccomplishments is the new Lawrence HighSchool at the South Lawrence area. Two ofhis most important accomplishments arethat students are improving their MCASscores and the absentee list has gonedown. He is admirable because he doesn’ttake credit for most of his accomplishments.Mr. Wilfredo T. Laboy is a giver not a taker.He has demonstrated this during his yearsin the Lawrence School system.

Carlos R: The Latino Superintendentshave many qualified administrators workingin their school districts and systems. Howdid the Association of LatinoAdministrators and Superintendents(ALAS) come to appoint you as theirpresident?

Wilfredo T. Laboy: The past president’sterm expired and he took a job in theeducational publishing industry. TheBoard of ALAS nominated and appointedme as their national president. Dr. Stan Paz,past president of ALAS, was theSuperintendent of Schools in the City ofTucson Arizona. ALAS is a national

Superintendent Wilfredo LaboyOn Latino Superintendents

Carlos Ramos, Lawrence School Committee

organization representing all of the Latinoadministrators and superintendents in theUnited States. It also works with non-Latinoeducational leaders that serve Latinostudents. These districts are called Hispanicserving School Districts (HSSDs). Theseare districts that have a population of 25%Latinos. There are currently about 2500districts; the largest urban school systemsare HSSDs.

In response to the same question:

Mary Lou Bergeron: Mr. Laboy had torun for president, write a biography, andput together his goals and directions. Themembers of ALAS elect the president.

Carlos R: A Superintendent’s work in anyeducational profession needs to be updated.Do you think, in this new position, that youwill help the community? How?

Wilfredo T. Laboy: As the new Presidentof ALAS I will have the opportunity to meet,network, and work with many nationalgroups and organizations. Working withmany leaders, agencies, and organizations,both in the private and public domain, willallow me to develop professional andworking relationships with a vast of networkof people. These relationships andopportunities will afford me the opportunityto bring new ideas, strategies, and resourcesto Lawrence Public Schools and our City.

Mary Lou Bergeron: It is good to havenational exposure. People outside LawrencePublic Schools ask themselves, “Why didthe city appoint this Superintendent?”

Carlos R: In this country many of us areimmigrants. Do you think that being Latinoin this diverse country makes it harder foryou?

Wilfredo T. Laboy: Latinos in this countryare a “nation within a nation.” We are thelargest ethnic minority in this country witha population of over 44 million people.There are more Latinos in the United Statesthan in the entire country of Spain. Americais “browning.” Our community is outgrowing and out numbering all other ethnicgroups in the United States. Today there isa “Latino wave.” Now we are beingaccepted for our contributions and

Contined on Page 21

The Valley Patriot December - 2005 9Mayor Michael J. SullivanMayor Michael J. Sullivan

Lawrence

on the Move

Lawrence

on the Move

615 S. Union St.

Lawrence MA 01843

(978) 687-9321

LAWRENCE

On the AgendaPatrick Blanchette, Lawrence City Council President

balance the future budgets of our city. Inthe end, the encounter will be a tough one;however, I believe the city will becomestronger and wiser financially.

A third agenda item will be the sale ofvacant lots. In the past, properties lingeredin land court for years with back taxes pilingup. Currently our legal department isworking diligently to secure theseproperties, making them city owned. Withthis comes the responsibility of disposingthe land for future re-use. The city council,mayor, planning and zoning board, alongwith the various neighborhood groups needto work together to find a solution to thesevacant lots throughout the city. Perhapssome lots will be sold to abutters for side-yard, others to developers for new homesand the remaining maybe will be used foroff-street parking or community gardens.Whatever the plan, the city officials will needto act quickly and efficiently to provide thebest possible use keeping the integrity ofour neighborhoods in tact.

Without a doubt, the city council willhave its hands full in the upcoming months;however, that is the very challenge that wewill all swear to take during the inaugurationceremony on January 3, 2006. Until then wecan converse, plan, and map out the futureof our city. By working together the agendawill truly represent the people’s wishes.

Happy Holidays to all!

Patrick Blanchette is president ofthe Lawrence City Council and wasjust elected to his fourth termrepresenting District "A" (ProspectHill). Blanchette is a Democrat anda member of the Lawrence DemocratCity Committee. You can email himat pblanchette@glts.tec.ma.us

1285 BELMONT STBROCKTON, MA (508)230-7700STR HRS M-T 9-7,F 9-6, SAT 10-5SUN 10-3

office: 978.557.5600

fax: 978.557.5608

cell: 978.265.1747

523 South Union St.

Lawrence

ACROSS FROM THE

HESS GAS

STATION!

J Brian

's

As the election results settle, the time hascome for the work to begin for the new

Lawrence City Council. Surelyupon the horizon will be manytough decisions, votes andimportant issues to tackle.

Among the many pieces ofadvice I give to all mycolleagues is to stay trueto yourself and, most

importantly, to the voters that elected you.

One of the top agenda items for the up-coming City Council will be a decision tobond for a new Lawrence Police Station. Thecurrent station is a building that would pro-bably not gain an occupancy permit if theissue were ever pressed. The conditionsthat our men and women work are inhumaneto say the least. The work over the yearsby Chief Romero and his team has shownthe commitment that these officers make tothe city of Lawrence each and every day.In the months ahead the city officials willhopefully make the same type of commit-ment by putting forth a spending plan for astate of the art operational facility. Thoughthe debate may rage on about the amountto spend, the location to build, or the typeof brick to use, the end result should proveto be a historic move for all of us.

A second agenda item certainly to topthe minds of all councilors will be theongoing budget issues facing our city. Itwill be a test for all of us involved to try andtighten the belt in city government. Thecity officials will need to look at possibledownsizing, mergers, increased fees andcreative ways to make up the deficit thisyear and in the future. The Mayor and hisfinance team will be charged with a dauntingtask as they recommend new ways to

Pub & Grill

Acrossfrom theSkating

Rink

CATCH THEGAME ON OURWIDE SCREEN

TV'S!

fax in your order

(978) 687-9162

JJ's h

as

MOVED!

I want to thank the people of Lawrencefor their vote of confidence last month. Weneed to make this next four years even moreproductive than the last. My transition teamis made up of a various cross section ofexperts that will serve the city well.

During the next four years the prioritiesof my administrations will be:Public safety: Our citizens need to feel safein our city. Crime is down in every categoryin Lawrence but we need to continue thefight against lawlessness. Our battle againstauto insurance fraud and street crimes isjust bearing fruit now after several years.We need to continue the fight againstunderage drinking, noise disturbances andpetty vandalism that drive people away fromour city. I am committed along with ChiefRomero to make this a safer place to work,live and to visit.

Education: Our children deserve a firstclass learning experience. The newLawrence High School which will be openednext September will be the largest and mostexpensive high school ($110 million) instate’s history. Our children will have accessto state of the art computer facilities, sciencelabs and athletic facilities that will be theenvy of every other municipality in our state.This school is coming in on time and onbudget.

I want to make sure that when our childrencome through our school system that theyare given every chance to succeed and tocompete against those districts that have

more wealth. Lawrence does not need totake a back seat to anyone.

Jobs: During the last four years we havebeen able to reduce the unemployment rateby a significant amount. We need to keepthe momentum going. Mill buildings thathave long been vacant or underutilized arebeing renovated and put back on the taxroles. Our Latino businesses are growingeach and every year in the downtown area.We need to make Lawrence the trueeconomic hub of the region. The best mosteffective social program in America is not agovernment handout but a job.

City Services: We will continue to investin our future. A new water filtration plant toimprove our drinking water, unprecedentedcapital spending on schools, parks, androads is our top priority. The people ofLawrence deserve the best and that is whatI intend to give them.

Communicate with City Council: Lawrenceis lucky to have such a dedicated newCouncil that really cares about our qualityof life. I intend to work more efficiently withthem than in my prior term. We may not agreeall the time but I know that we can worktogether to tackle our biggest problems. Iwant to make Lawrence a place where wecan all be proud to say we live. I amcommitted to making this the best place tolive in this area

Mike Sullivan is the mayor ofLawrence and was just elected to a

second term.

The Next Four Years

10 The Valley Patriot December - 2005Lawrence

Probability of Paternity, 99.999%

From Page 1

Merrimack ValleySchool of Hair Design

COSMETOLOGYDEVELOP THE REAL

YOU

High Demand Job MarketFinancially Rewarding Career

www.m-v-s-h-d.com 978-688-1133

Day and Evening Classes Available1,000 Hour Course

Methuen/Lawrence line at 315 East Haverhill Street,less than one mile from Interstate 495

A PROSPEROUS CAREER IN HAIR DESIGNIS OFFERED IN THE MERRIMACK VALLEY

BARBER / ESTHETICS COMING SOONENROLL NOW FOR THE FALL CLASS

Become State LicensedComfortable...family-friendly atmosphere

SIGN UP NOW

Open for Public Services Walk-Ins WelcomedPaul Mitchell, Joico, Matrix and many more professional products used!!

Carrero PassesPaternity Test

“Most importantly, fathers need to takeresponsibility for the children they father ifthese kids are ever going to have a fightingchance to succeed in life.”

Attorney Durland said that a casemanagement conference is scheduled forJanuary 3rd, 2006, “to lay out a timeline forthe rest of the case.”

“A judge will look at everything at thatpoint and we will have to see if Mr. Carrerowill continue to contest or if an agreementcan be reached on child support,” AttorneyDurland said. “Different judges do differentthings,” he continued, “some judges willhear the facts of the case at a casemanagement conference and some will not.

“Every judge is different. So we have nohard date as to when this can be resolved. Iwould only hope this doesn’t have to goany further in court and a settlement can bereached.”

Councilor Barbara Gonzalez was voted bythe Lawrence City Council to fill the vacatedseat of Nilka Alvarez last summer.

Since The Valley Patriot broke theexclusive story in our September edition,Spanish language newspapers and talk radiostations have vilified Councilor Gonzalez,making her the brunt of scathing personalattacks while defending Carrero as “a pillar

of the community,” saying Gonzalez’allegations were “lies.”

A family member of Councilor Gonzalezwho did not want to be identified for thestory said that she was “disgusted by thepublic reaction in the Latino community.”

“They behave as though Ralph didnothing wrong and that Barbara is the onlyperson responsible for what happened. Ittakes two to make a baby but, at leastBarbara has taken responsibility for hermistakes. Instead of taking his share of theresponsibility though, Ralph denied hisinvolvement, denied being the baby’s fatherand refused to pay for his child.”

“This is a huge problem in the Latinocommunity,” she continued. “The womangets blamed, the man is given a free passand then people wonder why so manyLatino children are growing up withoutfathers.”

“This has been a tragic situation foreveryone involved especially the child. I justhope that Ralph will be man enough to ownup to his responsibilities now and not dragthis out any further,” she said.

According to sources close to Carreroand Gonzalez, the two had a four year affairwhereby Gonzalez was separated from herhusband while Carrero continued in his

marriage concealing his involvement withGonzalez and their baby.

Sources say that Gonzalez had anapartment in Lowell where the twomaintained their relationship, but whenGonzalez decided to reconcile with herhusband and asked Carrero to help out bypurchasing diapers for the baby, Carrerorefused to provide any support.

“Certainly because of the nature of therelationship,” Attorney Durland said, “she(Gonzalez) had no choice but to file for childsupport and paternity in court. She had triedto work this out behind the scenes to avoidany kind of embarrassment but Mr. Carrerowas not amenable to that,” she concluded.

Councilor Gonzalez refused to commenton the child support issue or the DNA test

Lawrence City CouncilorBarbara Gonzalez had to filefor child support and forceRalph Carrero to take apaternity test after a four yearrelationship that Carrerodenied. The test shows with"99.999% certainty" thatCarrero is the father.

proving Ralph Carrero is indeed the fatherof her child other than to direct us to herattorney. She asked that the Valley Patriotto “hold off” on the story so that asettlement could be reached privately.

Gonzalez was defeated in her quest forreelection last November by LawrenceSchool Committeeman Jorge Gonzalez (norelation). Barbara Gonzalez called for arecount but was not victorious.

Attempts to reach Ralph Carrero’sAttorney were unsuccessful while preparingfor this story.

If you have any questions or

comments about this story you can

email us at ValleyPatriot@aol.com

Ralph Carrero's Paternity Test

The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the child names above. Basedon the testing results obtained from analysis of the DNA loci listed, the probability is99.999%. This probability of paternity is calculated by comparing to an untested, unrelated,random individual of the Hispanic population (assumes prior probability equals 0.50).

Interpretation Combined Paternity index 137,394

Subscribed and sworn before me on November 14, 2005 I the undersigned, verify that the interpretation of theresults is correct as reported

205 CORPORATE COURT FAIRFIELD, OHIO 45014 USA PHONE: 513.881.7800

The Valley Patriot December - 2005 11

Lawrence Superintendent ofSchools Wilfredo Laboy

Lawrence

Holiday Loan Special

(Expires January 31, 2006)

Rates at 5.75%

Maximum Amount $3,000Maximum Term 1 Year*

14 Amesbury St. - Lawrence, MA 01840 - (978) 687-1919

*Some Restrictions Apply

www.lffcu.org

Lawrence FirefightersFEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Members!Skip Your Visa

Payment inJanuary!*

From the desk of

Hurricane Karina took Massachusetts by storm whenshe blew away the competition. Karina Ovalles, a studentat Lawrence High School, scored perfect 280’s on both the10th Grade English Language Arts and Math MCAS tests.That’s right, perfect scores on both tests! No doubt she isa force to be reckoned with. In true Lawrencian style, notwanting her to feel lonely at the top, nine other Lawrencestudents decided to join her by each earning a perfect scoreon their MCAS exam. Van Le scored 280 on the 10th GradeMath MCAS.

Five 3rd grade students scored 40 out of 40 questionscorrect on the 3rd Grade Reading MCAS test. Three of thesestudents, Daniel Calderin, Timothy Mooneyhan, and EdgarSantana, attended the South Lawrence East ElementarySchool, while the other two students, Luis Cruz and CarmenDarrach, were students of the Wetherbee School. CamillaMoreno, of the Parthum School, and Nicholas Massari, ofthe Leahy School, scored perfect scores of 280 on the 4th

Grade ELA MCAS test and 4th Grade Math MCAS test,respectively. While nine is fine, ten is better. Nolan Dinero,of the Guilmette School, rounded out the pack when heearned his perfect score on the 5th Grade Science MCAStest.

All of these students and their parents were recentlyrecognized for their accomplishments at the October 27,2005 School Committee meeting where they were greetedwith a standing ovation. In attendance at this meetingwere Asst. Commissioner Juliane Dow, Supt. Eugene Thayer,Supt. Matt George, and Lynda Foisy of the MassachusettsDepartment of Education Partnership Team. The DOEteam took turns presenting an award to each of the students.According to the Chairman of the School Committee, MayorMichael J. Sullivan, “The DOE team was truly impressed by

the number of students that received perfectscores on MCAS. These students are areflection of the good work that is being donethroughout our district everyday. I am soproud of these students and excited aboutthe wonderful futures they have before them.It is the hard work and determination of thesechildren coupled with the support andencouragement of their parents that we arecelebrating here.”

In fact, the stories of Karina Ovalles andVan Le are even more outstanding when onedigs a little deeper. These young ladies areboth twins, Karina and Cristina Ovalles andVan and Tu Le, an amazing coincidence, right?Well, you may want to sit down now becauseit gets better, all four of these girls scored Advanced on the10th Grade ELA and Math MCAS tests in 2005. These fouryoung ladies are responsible for earning three perfect 280’s,four extremely close-to-perfect 276’s and a very respectable264. Actually, the Le twins have scored in the Advancedcategory on every MCAS test they have taken, dating backto 2001 while attending the South Lawrence East School.Tu Le scored two perfect 280’s on her 8th Grade Math andScience MCAS tests in 2003, Van scored 280 on the Sciencetest too, of course. The Ovalles twins have also scoredProficient or Advanced on every MCAS test they havetaken since 2001 while attending the Arlington School. Thesky’s the limit for these superstar twins!

If what Aristotle said is true, “Pleasure in the job putsperfection in the work,” then it follows that Lawrence PublicSchools employs many very happy teachers!

MCAS 2005: The Year of Hurricane Karina

Continued on Page 20

In general, more students in Lawrence Public Schoolspassed both the English Language Arts and the MathMCAS tests in 2005. In ELA, the district went from anaverage percent passing of 71.75% in 2004 to 72.25% in2005. In math, the average went from 44.75% of studentspassing in 2004 to 48% passing in 2005. The greatestindividual grade level gain was seen in 6th grade math where44% of the students passed in 2005 as compared to 37% in2004.

Emerging Trends in English Language Arts

* Grade 3 students are demonstrating a significantimprovement (up12%) in their ability to correctly answeropen response type questions. In 2004, they answered

Sullivan: In Lawrence WE call it a Christmas TSullivan: In Lawrence WE call it a Christmas TSullivan: In Lawrence WE call it a Christmas Treereeree

Tech.

SergeantJeremiahSullivan

WW II

Sylvio

"SY"Uliano

WW II

CorporalTheodore

(Ted)

R.

Eaton

Korea

Michael

Buglione

WW II

Edward"Ted"

Cole

WW II

Charles & EdwardBoddy - WW II

Charles

Bruderer

Vietnam/

Iraq03

JimMulligan

Vietnam

Alexander"AlexMilne

WW II

FrankShimko

Vietnam

HarveyGibeau

WW II

Thank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once AgainThank You for Your Service Once Again

JohnDoherty

Vietnam

Our 2005 Valley Patriot HeroesOur 2005 Valley Patriot HeroesOur 2005 Valley Patriot HeroesOur 2005 Valley Patriot HeroesOur 2005 Valley Patriot Heroes

Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan poses withsome members of the Lawrence High SchoolChoir. Pictured with Sullivan are Massiel Gomez,Christy Castillo, Staphanie Munoz, JasiellaChaves, Sasha Marzaga and Lizbeth Perdomo.

Urban Legend DispelledLawrence City Councilor Gil Frechette of Mount

Vernon (District "E") greets Santa Claus at theChristmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Halllast week. Frechette was caught on camera (withSanta) by a Valley Patriot photographer for thefirst time ever. Putting to bed an urban legendonce and for all, that Frechette really IS santaclause. At left, Santa Addresses the crowd fromMayor Sullivan's podium on Appleton Way.

Principals for a Day

Community leaders volunteered to be principals for a day in the

Lawrence Public Schools. The volunteers were honored at a reception

hosted by Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy and Sal Lupoli of Sal's Pizza.

From left to right, David Soleau from Flansburgh Asssociates (New

Beginnings), Pastor Nelson Gonzalez from the Spanish Evangelcal

church (Frost), City Atty. Charles Boddy (S. Lawrence East Middle

School), Judge Jose Sanchez (Guilmette School), Representative Willie

Lantigua (Arlington Middle School), Ruth Tarbox (Arlington

elementary School), Stephen Ives of the YMCA (S. Lawrence East

Elementary), Randy Larson of the Boy Scouts of America (Bruce

School) Markus Fischer of the Boys & Girls Club (Leonard School) Ms.

Nimo, Pastor Dave Zagunis from the Spanish Evangelical Church

(Wetherbe School), Mayor ike Sullivan (Superintendent for the day),

and Lawrence Councilor Joe Parolisi (Parthum School). Not pictured

are Lawrence Police Chief John Romero who spent the day at the

Leahy School, Isabel Melendez, Atty Doreen Zankowski (Tarbox),

and Representative Barry Finegold (Lawrence High).

LOTTERY

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1978

TOWER HILL VARIETY & SUBS101 Ames Street • Lawrence, MA • 978-682-7222

HOURS: Monday - Friday 8am-7pmWE ACCEPT MASTER CARD & VISA

PARTY PLATTERS

SUPER SUBSMEATBALLS

SAUSAGE pep/onionsCHICKEN WINGS

BAKED ZITIHOMEMADE POTATO SALADand much...much...more.....

NOT TO MENTION......OUR FAMOUS SUBSold fashion chicken barbs, homemade meatballs,steak & cheese, italian sausage, buffalo chicken,bbq roast beef, italian, homemade chicken salad,

chicken cutlet, burgers, chicken ranch melt, shredded chicken bomb, and much...much...more...

COLD CUTPLATTERS

SUBPLATTERS

FRESH MADESALADS

MADE FRESH DAILYFOR ONE, OR TRAYS

FOR PARTIES

GARDEN, CHEFBUFFALO CHICKEN

TUNA, WHITE CHICKENFETA CHEESE

TURKEY BREASTINCLUDES PITA BREAD

MONDAYS - PASTRAMI

TUESDAYS - FREE SODA WITH EVERY SUB

WEDNESDAYS - HOMEMADE CUTLETS

THURSDAYS - HOMEMADE LASAGNA (3 CHEESE/ 2 MEATS)

FRIDAYS - EGGPLANT

Armandos

ITALIAN SLUSH AVAILABLE

We're located down the hill from Lawrence's Historic Reservoir Tower

OLD FASHIONED HOMEMADE COOKING

VVeterans mareterans march in the Norch in the NorththAndover Santa Parade last monthAndover Santa Parade last month

The walls are falling, the rugs are

molding,

and the looks are telling

It’s about time that the city

of Lawrence stops quelling

We all know that we need a state of the

art dwelling

So let’s begin the telling

The people we look to help

are obviously those wearing the blue

For so many years the city has

had no interest nor showed

that they have a clue

As it’s only been recommended

to be fixed by so many

and yet improvements are so few

For the time has come to be one in

support of Lawrence’s blue

If only we can stick together like glue

The bond should be approved in a few

The state will not expend,

so let’s show them we will spend so we

can build anew

The years have passed

and the time has come

for Lawrence to start being true

It’s been said that crime is down

Let’s not put up a frown

For the time is now to build it

downtown!

The Time is

Now!Patrick Blanchette, Poet Laureate of

the Lawrence City Council

10% Discount for Gift CertificatesTues. - Sat. by Appointment only

Call Amanda at cell# (603) 702 - 0630

ArArArt oft oft of MassaMassaMassagggeeeat Studio "D & Lavanders290 Broadway, Methuen MA 01844

Give the gift of Massage!Give the gift of Massage!Give the gift of Massage!

Hot Stone Massage

Chocolate Massage

Salt Glow

Krya Massage