>>Valley Patriot>>


Tom Duggan's Notebook
(03/06/07)

Councilor DiMarca: His Own Worst Enemy

You would think someone with such an obvious conflict of interest in the Frank McCann/DPW matter in Lawrence like Councilor Nunzio DiMarca that he would be flying below the radar screen to let someone else take the lead in defending Frank McCann. But you would be wrong. Councilor DiMarca just can’t resist taking positions on issues he knows nothing about just to look like he knows something. DiMarca, who recently got a job for an immediately family member in the DPW (and is making deals to get jobs for other friends and family members), is either too clueless to understand the severity of his conflict or he just doesn’t care. And it’s not like he hasn’t been warned.   Last month The Valley Patriot was sent a copy of a letter that was mailed to the Ethics Commission complaining that DiMarca was abusing his authority and trying to trade votes for jobs. But even after we posted the story on The Valley Patriot website, DiMarca continued to publicly attack Mayor Sullivan and even had a family member (who works for McCann) speak at the meeting to defend him. It is this kind of self-serving behavior that reminds the voters why they threw DiMarca out of office in 2003 and will most likely lead to yet another defeat this coming November. At the pace he is going, he will be lucky (VERY lucky) to even win the primary, never mind get reelected. And that’s too bad because six months ago he was paced for an easy reelection win, but his constant appearances on the radio and his self-serving behavior have all but guaranteed that DiMarca will now be in big trouble come election day. And he only has himself to blame.  

Why Does an Elected Official  Need to File an FOIR?

You might think that North Andover is taking its cues from Lawrence these days when it comes to hiding public documents from elected officials. Recently, School Committeeman Chuck Ormsby requested copies of the Middle School grading for the last three years and the administration simply refuses to hand them over.  So now, a duly elected member of town government has to file a Freedom of Information request to get copies of the Middle School grading and there is no guarantee he will ever get them.

The Middle School is on a quarterly grading system and Ormsby was only provided with the first quarter results for this year. His concern is that grades are being inflated and wants to review them so that the School Committee can monitor its policy on “grade inflation.” Maybe, once Al Perry is gone, it will be easier to get this type of information. All I can say is: Thank God Mr. O’Connor is only the “acting” superintendent or we would have anther Harry Harutunian on our hands.

Joe Smith Signs Tax Pledge, Smedile Refuses (Huh?)

She may be a registered Republican, but Selectman Rosemary Smedile has not voted that way over the last few years. She has even refused to sign the North Andover Taxpayers Association “Taxpayer Pledge” not to raise taxes if she is reelected this month. Candidate Joe Edward Smith, on the other hand, DID sign the pledge promising not to support overrides or tax hikes. So let me see if I have this right ... Joe Smith, the Democrat in the race, promises NOT to raise taxes or support overrides, but the Republican Rosemary Smedile REFUSES to make that promise? WOW! We know Rosemary Smedile as a hard working selectman and we admire her for some of the work she has done in the past, but when it comes to raising the tax bills in town, I will take my chances with Joe Smith … again!  

Roger Twomey & Dave Moynihan At-Large?

With at least two of the three at-large city councilors (Nilka Alvarez and Nunzio DiMarca) in trouble with Lawrence voters for the upcoming municipal election, at least two very credible candidates are gearing up to replace them. Word on the inside has it that former DPW foreman Dave Moynihan and former licensing chairman Roger Twomey are ready to throw their hats into the at-large ring. Even if both Alvarez and DiMarca were wildly popular with the voters this year (which they are clearly not), they would be facing an uphill battle with both Twomey and Moynihan in the race. And given that Alvarez and DiMarca are quite vulnerable (and incapable of raising the money they need to mount a viable reelection campaign), this looks like a blood bath before the first ballot is even cast. We don’t even know how many other candidates will jump into the race, but Twomey and Moynihan are the undisputed front runners the minute they pull nomination papers. Just imagine, city councilors Roger Twomey and Dave Moynihan! What a difference that would make on the tone of the City Council; who knows, maybe we will even get a new council president!  

Pro-Override Forces Back Allen Anti-Override Forces Support Stewart

The North Andover School Committee race being held on March 27th is going to come down to three candidates (two being polar opposites) vying for one open seat being vacated by Al Perry (YEAH!) Running on the TUFF “we need overrides” platform is Christine Allen and running on the “no override” side is former Selectman Donald Stewart. The third candidate is invisible and nobody knows if he is still the race. But, not to worry, no matter which side of the override issue you happen to stand on, there is a candidate for you to support. Allen seems to have gotten a head start as her signs and supporters have been hard at work for months trying to get the school spending advocate elected while Stewart took a much more laid-back approach. That is, until two weeks ago when Stewart’s campaign exploded into high gear and signs began popping up all over town. No doubt the late start is going to hurt Stewart and the head start Allen got will inflate some of her numbers, but this one could be a horse race depending on voter turnout.

Poverty Pimps Bill Taxpayers for  Party at Sal’s

Ah, you have to love Bill Traynor and his poverty pimps at Lawrence Community Works. They love the poor people of Lawrence so much that they held a party at Sal’s Riverwalk last year and now they are billing the city of Lawrence for more than $4,000, including hotel accommodations for their guest speaker, the room service, the food, the advertising in The Eagle~Tribune and other amenities. Here’s the funny part: all of the reimbursement receipts they submitted to the city for payment were from out-of-town businesses. Funny, huh? I guess practicing what you preach (helping Lawrence businesses, fighting for the little people, etc.) is not part of the mission statement at LCW. What I find most hilarious about all of this is how The Eagle~Tribune castigated Methuen’s Chief Solomon for submitting reimbursement receipts for a pretzel and cheese whiz, yet no word from the Trib about the abuse of public funds for Poverty Pimp Central to throw a party (which I am assuming you, the general public, did not get the benefit of attending).  

 *Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The March 2007 Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly Publication.
All Contents (C) 2007
, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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