Paying Attention

Tom Duggan welcomes Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque to Paying Attention. They discuss what’s going on in the City of Lawrence. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Tom talks about the Methuen Confidential website Neil Perry has instituted a new travel policy in Methuen North Andover has an election coming up in March How did Roy come to be chief in Lawrence? How is Roy’s relationship with the mayor? What’s going on with the opioid crisis in Lawrence? Does the wide availability of Narcan skew the overdose statistics? Tom and Roy talk about homeless services in Lawrence Are other communities doing their part for homelessness and addiction? The chief believes more communities are starting to get on board How is the overall crime rate tracking? What are some of the fun parts of the job? What does Roy miss about being a street cop? What is the story with the Lawrence Police ice cream truck? What are the ground rules for Tom’s ride along? How do the murder statistics look in Lawren

Tom Duggan welcomes Steve Costa from Citizens for Haverhill Fire to talk about issues with the Mayor of Haverhill and funding of the fire department. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: How does Tom feel about evasive politicians? Tom covers the first murder in Lawrence for 2020 Tom talks about some news from Methuen Mayor Neil Perry fired the acting director of the DPW Everyone should stop trying to figure out who’s behind the anonymous Methuen website What happened last night with The Movement Family (TMF) dinner? Tom covers another story about an illegal alien committing a crime in Lawrence Steve talks about the growth of Haverhill and the lack of investment in the fire department The conditions in some of the fire houses is deplorable Tom talks to Steve about running for office All that and much more on this week’s episode of The Paying Attention Podcast! For more information, check out latest edition of the Valley Patriot or www.ValleyPatriot.com. The Paying Attention! Podca

Tom Duggan welcomes the new mayor of Methuen to Paying Attention.  Neil Perry will be doing a monthly Mayor’s update to talk about what is going on in Methuen. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Neil is not part of any team except team Methuen Neil is committed to an integrated communication strategy The mayor is all about promoting harmony What was the inauguration like for Neil? Neil is not going to run the city on Facebook The city charter designates when the inauguration will take place What did Tom like about the inauguration? What is the controversy with Neil’s selection for Chief of Staff? Neil is accountable for all the people he hires or appoints Neil want to do measurable and accountable things in year one He’s looking for opportunities to improve processes in city government What projects is Neil focused on? Neil talks about some of the things he’d like to see on the city website Will Neil be attending the City Council meetings? Has Neil talked with the Methuen Pol

Tom Duggan welcomes Phil Lahey from the Merrimack Valley Prevention & Substance Abuse Project (MVPASAP).  Last week, Tom had government officials, so this we his guests give some perspective on the opioid crisis from the private sector. Phil brought along Sandra and Ashley to talk about their experiences. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Tom talks about breaking news How does Tom feel about the ban on menthol cigarettes? Do the liberals believe in anything at all The Lawrence inauguration is tonight Monday night will be the inauguration of the new Methuen Mayor New Year’s Eve shooting in Lawrence Phil talks about what MVPASAP is all about and how it got started Sandra and Ashley share their experiences with recovery Phil talks about the gratitude that comes with recovery How do you go about repairing relationships? How did the MVPASAP scholarship help Sandra and Ashley? You can find the website for MVPASAP at mvpasap.com All that and much more on this week’s episode of T

Tom Duggan welcomes 4 local police chiefs to talk about the opioid crisis. The chiefs participating are Chuck Gray from North Andover, Jim Riter from Boxford, Alan DeNaro from Haverhill and Joe Solomon from Methuen. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: There are fewer reported overdoses, but the number is actually going up but is masked by the use of Narcan Can the police send people to treatment? How has the opioid crisis affected Boxford? What is Chief Riter seeing at the high school level? Does Haverhill have to deal more with the gang and distribution problems? Haverhill has doubled the amount of Narcan they carry in cruisers How are things going in Methuen? Is there a correlation between opioid abuse and homelessness? What is Chief Gray seeing with the homeless in North Andover? Is Boxford having any homeless issues? Chief Solomon talks about what Methuen is doing to address the opioid crisis Are things improving with the opioid crisis? Is there a shortage of faith-based reh

Tom Duggan welcomes outgoing Methuen City Councilor Joyce Campagnone to Paying Attention. They cover a lot of the issues affecting Methuen. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: The election is over, so maybe it’s time to move on There is nobody who cares more about our veterans than Joyce Joyce and Tom talk about her husband’s uncles whose story inspired Private Ryan Do term limits make sense when there are not enough candidates? Joyce was not part of the police contract approval Joyce still believes there will still be some resolution to the police contract Which city council members does Joyce believe had prior knowledge? Who’s complaining about Neil Perry’s Chief of Staff choice? What’s Joyce’s opinion on Mayor Perry’s ability to choose whoever he wants for chief of staff? Should the City Council be addressing rumors? Who will Joyce miss the most on the council? Joyce got the most satisfaction from helping her constituents What is Joyce not going to miss when she leaves the Ci

Tom Duggan welcomes Linda Harvey to talk about Debbie’s Treasure Chest.  Also joining Tom is Methuen Police Officer Derek Licata talks about the toy drive. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Linda talks about the history of Debbie’s Treasure Chest How do they vet the families that they help? What kind of donations do they take? If you want to give – give locally The panel discuss the giving tree Derek talks about when he first met Linda How did Derek get involved with Debbie’s Treasure Chest? How can people help with the toy drive? Linda shares a story about 27 families that got displaced How do they motivate people to give outside of the holiday season? You can find Debbie’s Treasure Chest on Facebook How many volunteers do they have? Is Linda still lawyering? What kind of items does Debbie’s Treasure Chest need? Where can people drop off items? They really need new and gently used children’s coats and boots The phone number for Debbie’s Treasure Chest is 978 360-4007 Lin

Tom Duggan welcomes Neil Perry back to Paying Attention. They cover a variety of topics of great concern in Methuen. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot and Neil discuss: Tom and Neil talk about the TMF dinners Tom talks about the proud sponsors of the Mayor’s update Neil is still at Raytheon through December 19th Neil is planning to have a meeting about the current Methuen superior officers’ contract Who is going to be Neil’s chief of staff? How is the transition process going so far? Neil is looking to maximize the use of the Searles Building Neil would like to bring other city employees to guest on the podcast Neil talks about the transition questionnaires he sent out to all city departments Neil compliments Tom on his vocabulary Would Tom consider moving to Methuen? Neil plans to develop a list of priorities for Methuen Neil met with the Mayor of Haverhill and they talked about the tree planting program Neil is setting up 4 transition committees: General Government, Parks, Recreation

Tom Duggan welcomes Joel Faretra to Paying Attention. Tom and Joel discuss the election and what Joel plans to accomplish as a City Councilor. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Tom will host the opioid summit with the police chiefs on December 26th Heroes in Our Midst Volume 2 will be available mid-January Tom appears in a new music video by Jenny Teator called Daughter of the Devil Tom gives a little preview of the Valley Patriot Annual Bash How is Joel preparing for his new role as a City Councilor? What is Joel going to do to help manage the budget? What does Joel think about a marijuana grow facility in Methuen? Has Joel been in touch with the other City Councilors? What’s Joel’s view on the police contract? Has Joel talked with Neil Perry since the election? Joel and Tom share an announcement Tom asks Joel for his thoughts on economic development in Methuen What can city officials do to make Methuen a destination? What is it that Joel wants to accomplish during his 2 yea

Tom Duggan welcomes Jana Zanni to Paying Attention. Jana Zanni is an attorney and member of the Methuen School Committee. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Jana is on the Methuen School Committee Does Jana think the new school committee should investigate what went on with the superintendent? It’s not about whether or not Judy Scannell is a good person Jana believes the teachers in Methuen are fantastic Tom and Jana talk about class sizes Voters and parents need to take more interest in what’s going on in the school system Tom and Jana discuss the school system budget Should Nick DiZoglio have gone public with the school budget issues? Jana has a copy of the audit report and discusses it with Tom Does the Methuen School System have a residency problem? How does Jana feel about professional development for teachers? Tom and Jana talk about discipline in the Methuen schools Tom asks Jana if she might ever run for Mayor? All that and much more on this week’s episode of The Payi

Tom Duggan welcomes Neil Perry to Paying Attention. Neil is going to be doing a monthly mayor’s report on Paying Attention. Our host Tom Duggan of the Valley Patriot discusses: Neil talks about how it feels to be the mayor elect Tom and Neil talk about the results of the Methuen elections Neil plans to use his appearances on Paying Attention to communicate what’s going on in Methuen Tom and Neil talk about fake news and how it affected the campaign Neil has set up some transition meetings next week What does Neil plan to start with in January? Tom asks Neil about the issue of homelessness Neil and Tom talk about the audit and what it means What can be done to save the Loop? What is Neil’s guilty pleasure? Should there be residency checks for the students in Methuen schools? All that and much more on this week’s episode of The Paying Attention Podcast! For more information, check out latest edition of the Valley Patriot or www.ValleyPatriot.com. The Paying Attention! Podcast is recorded each week

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for Mayor of Methuen. This is a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are Neil Perry and Jennifer Kannan. Election day is Tuesday, November 5th. The polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates introduce themselves and give a statement of why you should vote for them How do the candidates feel about the proposal to bring a marijuana growing facility to Methuen? Also: Community Development Overall Budget School department The Sweetheart Inn Out of city kids in Methuen schools Oversight Economic development The candidates talk about which candidates they are supporting and who is supporting them The candidates ask eac

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for At-Large Methuen City Council. There are 3 open seats and 4 candidates. This is a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are Steve Angelo, Jessica Finocchiaro, Dave Beauregard, Nick DiZoglio. Election day is Tuesday, November 5th. The polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates introduce themselves and give a statement of why you should vote for them How do the candidates feel about the proposal to bring a marijuana growing facility to Methuen? The candidates talk about which candidates they are supporting and who is supporting them The candidates ask another candidate a question The candidates summarize why t

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for Central District Methuen City Council. There are 2 open seats and 4 candidates. This is a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are Mike Simard, Allison Saffie, Bill Bryant and Frank Gallo. Election day is Tuesday, November 5th. The polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates introduce themselves and give a statement of why you should vote for them How do the candidates feel about bringing a marijuana growing facility to Methuen? Do the candidates feel like the decision to borrow $4 million dollars was enough money? The debate between the candidate gets a bit more heated Why would anyone want to sign a contra

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for Central District Methuen City Council. There are 2 open seats and 4 candidates. This is a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are DJ Deeb, Joyce Campagnone and Joel Faretra. Jim McCarty is not present for the debate. Election day is Tuesday, November 5th. The polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates introduce themselves and give a statement of why you should vote for them Where do the candidates stand on a marijuana growing facility in Methuen? What would the candidates do if there is another union that did the same thing as the police contract? The candidates have a heated discussion about the Methuen Su

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for the upcoming election for Methuen Mayor. The Preliminary Election will be held on September 17th. This a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structured time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are Neil Perry, Jennifer Kannan, Don Riccio and Dan Shibilia. This is Part 2 of the debates for candidates running for Mayor Methuen. Some of the topics covered in the debate: Do the candidates think we need a dog park in Methuen? What do the candidates have to say about development and/or overdevelopment in the city? How can Methuen bring more businesses into town? Should the city hire a grant writer? Is there too much residential development in Methuen? How do you change the image of Methuen? Does the city of

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for the upcoming election for Methuen Mayor. The Preliminary Election will be held on September 17th. This a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structured time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are Neil Perry, Jennifer Kannan, Don Riccio and Dan Shibilia. This is Part 1 of the debates for candidates running for Mayor Methuen..Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates do a quick introduction of themselves and why they chose to run Tom dives right in with the police contract – what do the candidates think about it and how would they resolve it? Who is the most responsible for not solving the police contract problem? Will the candidates commit that if they don’t win the election, they will not

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for Central District Methuen City Council. There are 2 open seats and 5 candidates. This a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are:Jordan Normandia, DJ Deeb, Joyce Campagnone and Joel Faretra. Jim McCarty is not present for the debate. This is the second in a series of debates for candidates running for local office in Methuen. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates do a quick introduction of themselves and why they chose to run Tom starts right in with the police contract to get the candidates opinions on it Are the too many superior officers in the Methuen police department? The candidates have a heated discussion about overspending and b

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for West End Methuen City Council. There are 2 open seats and 4 candidates will be chosen in the primary. This a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are: Allison Safie, Mike Simard, Frank Gallo, Bill Bryant and Jeri-An Batal This is the second in a series of debates for candidates running for local office in Methuen. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates do a quick introduction of themselves and why they chose to run What do the candidates have to say about the Sweetheart Inn debacle? The next topic is how city contracts have been handled in the past and how the candidates would have handled it Is Methuen the new Lawrence? The candidates

Tom Duggan is moderating this debate for candidates for Methuen City Council At-large. There are 3 open seats. This a real debate not a forum. The moderator will ask a question or throw out a topic and the candidates will speak to each other. There will be no structure time limit on questions or answers. The moderator will act as referee if any particular candidate is monopolizing time or not getting enough time. The candidates joining Tom on stage are: Jessica Finocchiaro, D.J. Beauregard, Steve Angelo and Nick Dizoglio. This is the first in a series of debates for candidates running for local office in Methuen. Some of the topics covered in the debate: The candidates do a quick introduction of themselves and why they chose to run What is the “incumbent protection act”? Nick Dizoglio talks about why he pulled papers for two different positions and why he decided to pursue the city council position What do the candidates have to say about the proposed changes to the city charter Should Mayor of Methue