By Tuesday, May 16th, nine hours before the flood waters reached their peak, Central Catholic HighSchool on Hampshire St. in Lawrence (left) was completely inaccessable. The Osgood dam inMethuen was at risk of collapsing just one hour before flood waters reached their highest levels.

By Wednesday, May 17th, the flood waters had completely overtaken this Myrtle St. neighborhood(left), flooding homes and causing millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, roads, andbridges. At right, Friendly’s in North Andover under water.This is one of the lowest points in theMerrimack Valley at the junction of Routes 114 and 495.

As of Thursday, May 18th, the flood waters had consumed this home on Fairmont St. (left). StatePolice use a special amphibous vehicle to go through Lawrence neighborhoods searching forflood victims, assessing damage and rescuing pets. At right, a firefighter checks this home onLowell St. in Methuen for gas leaks and shuts off the power to prevent electrocution and fire.

By Friday, May 19th, Broadway in Methuen (left) near the Music Hall and Methuen Family Restaurantwas completely under water, destroying many businesses and washing out roads. Flood waters onFairmont St. in Lawrence (right) were showing no signs of receding.

Photo Courtesy Christine Valcourt

16 The Valley Patriot June - 2006

Sandra Stotsky, a Brookline resident, wasjust appointed to the President’s NationalMathematics Advisory Panel.

The Panel’s mission, according to U.S.Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings,is to advise President Bush and SecretarySpellings on the best use of scientificallybased research to advance the teaching andlearning of mathematics.

Now an independent researcher andconsultant in education, Sandra Stotsky wasSenior Associate Commissioner at theMassachusetts Department of Educationfrom 1999 to 2003.

During that period, she directed completerevisions of the state’s licensing regulationsfor teachers, administrators, and teachertraining schools, the state’s tests for teacherlicensure, and the state’s PreK-12 standardsfor mathematics, history and social science, English language arts and reading, scienceand technology/engineering, early childhood (preschool), and instructional technology.She planned and directed two major research projects on middle school mathematicseducation and a number of research reports on various curricular areas in PreK-12.

In addition, she planned and directed statewide conferences for the Department onhistory education, character education, mathematics education, and Structured EnglishImmersion. She also helped to shape policies on teacher professional development andlicense renewal, and supervised the review of proposals from school districts for stateand federal funds for professional development activities.

From 1984 to 2000, she was a research associate at the Harvard Graduate School ofEducation affiliated with the Philosophy of Education Research Center (PERC). For 12years, she directed a summer institute on civic education at the Harvard Graduate Schoolof Education, sponsored by the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation.

From 1991-1997, she served as editor of Research in the Teaching of English, theresearch journal sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English.

On a consultant basis from 1992 to 2002, she worked for the United States InformationService and the U.S. State Department on the development of civic education programsin Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Romania with educators and ministry officials fromEastern Europe.

Stotsky has taught elementary school, French and German at the high school level,and undergraduate and graduate courses in reading, children’s literature, and writingpedagogy.

She is editor of What’s at Stake in the K-12 Standards Wars: A Primer for EducationalPolicy Makers (Peter Lang, 2000) and author of Losing Our Language (Free Press, 1999,reprinted by Encounter Books, 2002). Her publications address many areas and disciplinesin education and include “School-related influences on grade 8 mathematics performancein Massachusetts”(Third Education Group Review, 2005) and Progress in MathematicsResearch Base (a 2005 review of mathematics education research and related readingresearch, for W.H. Sadlier, Inc.).

She currently serves as Chair of the Sadlier-Oxford Mathematics Advisory Board andis a member of the Advisory Board for: the Advanced Math and Science AcademyCharter School, Marlborough, Massachusetts; the Shimer University Core KnowledgeEducational Initiative; Pioneer Institute’s Center for School Reform; and the CarusPublishing Company. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the NationalAssociation of Scholars, the Academic Advisory Board for the Curriculum WatchCommittee of the National Hadassah Organization, and the ERIC Steering Committee forthe U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.

She served on the Steering Committee for the National Assessment of EducationalProgress (NAEP) reading assessment framework for 2009.

She received a B.A. degree with distinction from the University of Michigan and adoctorate in reading research and reading education with distinction from the HarvardGraduate School of Education.

Kids & EducationValley Patriot Contributor

Sandra Stotsky, Named To NationalMathematics Advisory Panel

Education Secretary MargaretSpellings Announces NationalMath Advisory Panel Members

* Nancy Ichinaga, former Principal,Bennett-Kew Elementary School,Inglewood, Calif.

* Dr. Tom Loveless, Director, BrownCenter on Education Policy andSenior Fellow in Governance Studies, TheBrookings Institution

* Dr. Liping Ma, Senior Scholar for theAdvancement of Teaching, CarnegieFoundation

* Dr. Valerie Reyna, Professor of HumanDevelopment and Professor ofPsychology, Cornell University

* Dr. Wilfried Schmid, Professor ofMathematics, Harvard University

* Dr. Robert Siegler, Teresa HeinzProfessor of Cognitive Psychology,Department of Psychology, Carnegie MellonUniversity

* Dr. Jim Simons, President ofRenaissance Technologies Corporation;former Chairman of the MathematicsDepartment, State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook

* Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Independentresearcher and consultant in education;former Senior Associate Commissioner,Massachusetts Department ofEducation

* Vern Williams, Math Teacher,Longfellow Middle School, Fairfax, Va.

* Dr. Hung-Hsi Wu, Professor ofMathematics, University of California atBerkeley

Ex-officio members:

* Dan Berch, National Institute of ChildHealth and Human Development,National Institutes of Health

* Diane Jones, White House Office ofScience and Technology Policy

* Tom Luce, Assistant Secretary, U.S.Department of Education

* Kathie Olsen, Deputy Director,National Science Foundation

* Raymond Simon, Deputy Secretary,U.S. Department of Education

* Grover (Russ) Whitehurst, Director,Institute of Education Sciences,U.S. Department of Education

All meetings of the NMP will be open tothe public and will be announced inthe Federal Register. For fact sheets on theNMP and the American CompetitivenessInitiative please visit <http://www.ed.gov/news/opeds/factsheets/index.html?src=ct>http://www.ed.gov/news/opeds/factsheets/index.html?src=gu

U.S. Secretary of Education MargaretSpellings today announced the 17 expertpanelists and six ex-officio members chosento comprise the National MathematicsAdvisory Panel.

The panel will advise President Bush andSecretary Spellings on the best use ofscientifically based research to advance theteaching and learning of mathematics.

“To keep America competitive in the 21stcentury, we must improve the way weteach math and we must give more studentsthe chance to take advanced mathand science courses in high school,”Secretary Spellings said.

“America’s high school graduates needsolid math skills, whether proceeding tocollege or going into the workforce.”

The National Mathematics AdvisoryPanel (NMP), modeled after the NationalReading Panel, will examine and summarizethe scientific evidence related tothe teaching and learning of mathematics,with a specific focus on preparation for andsuccess in learning algebra.

The NMP will issue an interim report byJan. 31, 2007 and a final report no later thanFeb. 28, 2008.

These reports will provide policyrecommendations on how to improvemathematics achievement for all students.

The National Mathematics Advisory Panelwill be chaired by Dr. LarryFaulkner, president of the HoustonEndowment and President Emeritus of theUniversity of Texas at Austin.

Other panelists:

* Dr. Deborah Ball, Dean, School ofEducation and Collegiate Professor,University of Michigan

* Dr. Camilla Benbow, Dean of Educationand Human Development,Vanderbilt University, Peabody College

* Dr. A. Wade Boykin, Professor andDirector of the DevelopmentalPsychology Graduate Program in theDepartment of Psychology, HowardUniversity

* Dr. Francis “Skip” Fennell, Professorof Education, McDaniel College(Md.); President, National Council ofTeachers of Mathematics

* Dr. David Geary, Curators’ Professor,Department of Psychological Sciences,University of Missouri at Columbia

* Dr. Russell Gersten, Executive Director,Instructional Research Group; ProfessorEmeritus, College for Education, Universityof Oregon

June - 2006 The Valley Patriot 17

Book Keepers CornerDr. Charles Ormsby

Jaw BreakerJaw BreakerJaw BreakerJaw BreakerJaw BreakerBarbara Peary, M.Ed.

RAISE ‘EM RIGHT ™

“Bye, bye, Binkies”

St. Patrick School in Lawrence, MA will becelebrating its 100th Anniversary with a GalaCelebration on Sunday, October 15th, 2006. Mass willbegin at 2:00PM at St. Patrick Church followed by areception and dinner at St. Patrick Parish Center. For moreinformation contact Mary Ellen at 978-683-5822 or sendan E-mail to saintpatrickschool@saintpatrickparish.com.

St. Patrick School in Lawrence is in the process ofupdating its Alumni records in preparation for the 100thAnniversary of the school. If you are a graduate of St.Patrick School and have not been in touch with the schoolin recent years, we would like to hear from you! Drop anote to St. Patrick School, 101 Parker Street, Lawrence,MA 01843 or send an email to saintpatrickschool@saintpatrickparish.com

St. Patrick School in Lawrence is now accepting appli-cations for Pre-Kindergarten classes for the 2006/2007school year. Children MUST be 4 years old by September1, 2006 to be eligible. Spaces are available for 2, 3,or 5days in the Half Day or Full Day Program. For moreinformation, contact Sr. Maria J. Foley at 978-683-5822.

100th Anniversary ofSaint Patrick's School

Kids & Education

I teach with anotherwoman in a day care centerwhere the children are allyoung three year olds. Onlyone little boy still uses hispacifier at naptime. My co-worker hates “binkies” asshe calls them, and wants towean him off of it. I think weshould let his parents initiate this. Whatdo you think?

I agree with you. Weaning children frompacifiers, blankets, bottles, and beginningtoilet training are all among the earlychildhood issues that should be left up tothe parent’s discretion, not the day careprovider’s.

Can you advise an old grandpa who livesalone? My daughter has a little girl who isnow 18 months old. I would like to surprisemy granddaughter and daughter by buyingsome of my own gifts for the little girl.(Since her birth, my daughter has beenpicking out the gifts for her, wrapping themand signing my name.) I need suggestionson what to buy and where to find them.

They will both be pleased. Appropriatefor this age would be large knobbed puzzleswith four to six pieces, small books madeout of cardboard or plastic, stacking ringsor shapes, and small colored wooden blocks.Most malls have early childhood learningcenter stores where these items would befound. Also large toy stores usually have atoddler section. Remember, browsingthrough toys is fun at any age. Enjoy!

Our 4th grader complains about thelectures his teacher gives coveringabsences, tardiness, and missinghomework. He is seldom absent, nevertardy, and does his homework. Repeatedlybeing told to do what he already does ismaking him resentful. Any words of adviceor commiseration?

Unfortunately, this “managerial skill” ofputting everyone on notice, instead oftalking directly to the offenders is commonin the world of school and in some

businesses. It is easier tospeak in general terms, ratherthan confront people directly.Now is a good time to teachyour child that when he has aproblem with someone orsomething he should meet theproblem head-on, rather thanpracticing avoidance. He

obviously doesn’t like the way the teacherdeals with these issues and he sees thatthis method is ineffective. Advise him tolearn a lesson from this and do the oppositein his own dealings with people. Tell youryoungster to think about something elsemore pleasant while the “sermon” is beinggiven.

My toddler can make his way up our shortflight of stairs, but has difficulty comingback down. He slides and bumps his waydownstairs on his bottom. This does not looksafe.

It is safer to have your child come downcrawling backwards. Demonstrate this bycrawling down with him several times. If yourstairs can accommodate it, install a ropealong the edge of the banister at groundlevel. Your child will be able to hold the cordas he goes up and down the stairs, sincethe regular height banister is out of reachfor now. As an added safety precaution,block the stairs with a gate at night in caseyour child decides to wander around whenyou are asleep.

More than once I have seen red spots withyellowish centers on the skin of newborns.What are these and what causes them toappear?

These spots are called “neo-natalurticaria.” They form because the baby’sskin and pores do not yet work efficiently.The spots require no treatment andalthough they look infected, are not. Theydisappear after the first few weeks of thechild’s life.

Please send questions to RAISE ‘EMRIGHT™, P.O. Box 831, Carlisle, MA 01741or e-mail to RAISEEMRIGHT@aol.com.

One day you’re goingto the office and a monthlater you’re jammed in ahelicopter flying at 16,000feet between mountainpeaks in NorthernAfghanistan on your wayto kill al-Qaeda terroristsand Taliban nut cases. Itjust doesn’t get any betterthan that!

Our world changedafter the terrorist attackson 9/11 – for a briefmoment, moral clarity wasachieved and PresidentBush unleashed the CIAand our Special Forces towreck havoc on ourenemies. Gary Berntsenwas the CIA’s lead commander in the fightto take Kabul from the Taliban and to pursueOsama bin Laden to the Pakistani border.Berntsen commanded several dozen CIAand Special Forces commandos andassembled over 2000 Northern Alliancetroops.

While the number of enemy forcesdwarfed that of friendly combatants, thegood guys had aces up their sleeves – theU.S. Air Force and high technologysurveillance assets. It is amazing what a fewdozen bombers can accomplish against fixedtargets using laser designators and smartbombs. Or what a single predator drone cando to an unsuspecting terrorist in an SUV.Lights out!

Even more impressive is the effect a daisycutter (the BLU-82/B - a 15,000 pound dumbbomb) has on a concentrated array ofenemy forces. The Taliban and foreignterrorists were as determined as any enemysoldiers, but the devastating power of the“Big Blue 82” either killed them outright or,if they were outside the 900 foot kill radius,gave them a different perspective about theirfuture.

Jawbreaker was the name of the CIA-ledoperation that Gary Burntsen directed. He

was given an amazingdegree of autonomy. Hewas told to be aggressiveand don’t look back. Noholds barred, nonegotiating … just kill asmany of the enemy aspossible.

The war in Afghanistanwas probably the firsttime since the early daysof the OSS in World WarII that civilians led majormilitary campaigns. It wasaudacious and stunninglysuccessful. It led to the fallof the Taliban governmentand to the freeing ofmillions of Afghan people.It also led to the cornering

of Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora. Bin Ladenwould be in American custody today, ordead, if Gary Burntsen’s request for U.S.troops to block bin Laden’s escape routewas honored. The top brass second-guessed their field commander and binLaden escaped.

The story of the battle for Afghanistan isdifficult to put down. From the ShomaliPlains to Mozar-e Sharif to Kabul to ToraBora, the bravery and heroism of our forces– both civilian and military – seemboundless. If it were fiction, Jawbreakerwould be criticized as being unrealistic. Butit really happened, and the first chapter ofAmerica’s revenge against al-Qaeda andworldwide Muslim terrorism is history.

“Jawbreaker, The Attack on bin Ladenand al-Qaeda: A personal account by theCIA’s key field commander,” by GaryBerntsen and Ralph Pezzullo, is publishedby Crown Publishers, © 2005 by GaryBerntsen and Ralph Pezzullo.

Note: Jawbreaker is peppered withsections/passages redacted by the CIA.While the missing text is annoying at times,it provides a constant reminder that theevents being related are authentic.

Our Lady of Good Counsel School in the Tower Hill section of Lawrenceis pleased to announce that plans are currently underway for an eighty-fifth anniversary celebration of the founding of our school. Our Lady ofGood Counsel School, formerly known as St. Augustine’s, in Lawrence,Massachusetts was founded in 1921 by the Sisters of Notre Dame. OurLady of Good Counsel Parish proudly sponsors our school, which was,was created as a result of the parish reconfiguration in 2000 that mergedSt. Augustine’s parish of Lawrence and St. Theresa’s parish of Methuen,Massachusetts. We are fully accredited by the New England Associationof Schools and Colleges as a K-8 elementary school.

The celebration will be held at DiBurro’s Function Hall in Haverhill onNovember 11, 2006. The event will also include opportunities for alumnito support our school through raffles and a silent auction. Alumni living inthe local area are requested to call the school if you would like to serveon a committee or need help in locating members of your class to makeplans for making a class gift to donate to the school. The committeesbeing formed include hospitality, fundraising, administrative, anddecorating. Your assistance is important to the success of this wonderfulcelebration of your education here at Our Lady of Good Counsel School.

We are also pleased to announce the creation of a pre-K class beginningin September of 2006. Open registration for all classes is now being heldat the school located at 526 Lowell Street, corner of Ames and LowellStreets in Lawrence. Please call the school for further details at 978682-9761

Our Lady of GoodCounsel School

526 Lowell StreetLawrence, MA 01841

978-682-9761

18 The Valley Patriot June - 2006Seniors &Veterans

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in 1994. However, he didn’t feel that he hadcompleted his work with the military or hisservice to the United States.

So, in 2001, while living in Allenstown,New Hampshire, Farnham enlisted in theU.S. Army National Guard. He became partof the 744th Transportation Company outof Hillsboro, N.H., which also containedunits from Claremont and Somersworth. Thethree units had between 90 and 120 Guardtroops.

The 744th was activated in December of2003 and Farnham was deployed to Iraq toassist our nation’s mission of fightingterrorists in the Middle East, and to preventthem from taking over a free, democraticIraq.

Stationed at Camp Anaconda, about 35miles north of Baghdad, Farnham’s mission

was to operate a gun -truck vehicle for firesupport through convoy escorts.

Farnham’s convoy route went fromKuwait to Camp Anaconda. His unit alsoprovided security details guarding Iraqiworkers.

Farnham says that life was very difficultin the Middle East, and that they were beingmortared all the time. They were also hitwith RPG’s (rocket propelled grenades) andsmall arms fire on a regular basis. His firstweek in Iraq, Farnham says, the 744th lostone of their men when a convoy was hit byan IED (improvised explosive devise) and atruck flipped over.

Farnham says his most memorable mo-ment was when he was in the lead truck in aconvoy of fire support vehicles. When theconvoy reached Baghdad, he looked backand realized that the rest of his convoy hadtaken a wrong turn and was no longer be-hind him, leaving him alone and vulnerableto attack.

When he finally found the convoyheading down a different road, Farnhamsays he was able to backtrack and meet upwith them once again. “I was very nervous,”he recalled.

Farnham served in Iraq until May of 2004when he sustained severe hip injuries andwas medivaced to Walter Reed Hospital. Heunderwent two hip operations that left himunable to continue his duties on thebattlefield. Farnham received an honorabledischarge in March of 2006.

Farnham now lives in North Andover withhis wife and two small children. He says

that the Iraqis seemed to appreciate the workof the U.S. solders and he was proud toserve his country.

Captain Daniel Leary

Captain Daniel Leary is a lifelong NorthAndover resident who was deployed toKuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Leary began his military career when hejoined the ROTC program while he was astudent at Cornell University. He wascommissioned in 1999at the age of 22 and hadbeen on active dutyuntil February of 2006.

Leary’s firstassignment was inSouth Korea. He wasstationed in theDemilitarized Zone(DMZ), where he wasthe Platoon leader ofthe 2nd InfantryDivision of the MedicalService Corp.

He was stationedthere from December of1999 through May of2001.

Leary was thentransferred to WalterReed Medical Center inWashington, D.C.,where he receivedtraining in HealthFacility planning. Hewas there from May of2001 to October of 2002.

Leary subsequently became the CompanyCommander of the U.S. Army MedicalResearch Institute of Infectious Diseases(USAMRIID) in Fort Detrick, Md.

He was in charge of all troops and theadministrative command. The job came witha great deal of responsibility, preparingtroops for deployment to Iraq.

Leary was Commander of the Instituteuntil February of 2002, when he wasdeployed to Kuwait for Operation IraqiFreedom.

He was stationed there until December of2005, and eventually left active duty inFebruary 2006.

While in Kuwait, Leary was responsiblefor building medical clinics to support thecoalition forces.

He designed and provided constructionmanagement for the clinics and managedcontracts with foreign nationals whoperformed the actual construction. Whilethere, Leary oversaw the building of 6-8clinics.

Iraqi Heroes, From Page 1

Christian Farnham, Philip Brooks and Dan Leary atMemorial Day services in North Andover, as AmericanLegion Vice Commander, Jim Cassidy looks on.

North Andover VeteransServices coordinator andformer Valley Patriot of theMonth Ed Mitchell cites themilitary service contributionsof Farnham, Brooks, andLeary.

Leary now lives with his wife in NorthAndover.

*Specialist Philip Brooks

Spc. Philip Brooks also served in Iraq.Brooks enlisted in the U.S. Army NationalGuard in Danvers in 2005. His unit wasdeployed to Iraq in August of 2005, wherehe served until December of that year.Brooks served in the 1/102nd Field Artilleryjust south of Baghdad. This was a 150

member unit.

He was assigned to asecurity force at aprisoner detainmentfacility. Brooks couldnot say where thedetainment facility waslocated. He also said hedid not see muchcombat on hisassignment, but knewthat at any time he couldbe thrust into battle andhad to be ready at amoment’s notice.

During training for theassignment, Brooksinjured his right handbut refused to quit andwent on to Iraq to servehis country despite theinjury. He has since hadsurgery to repair hishand.

Brooks says that he’sglad he went to Iraq and

that the Iraqi people, despite American mediareports to the contrary, were grateful for theU.S. military presence and protection.Brooks said he supports the mission tosecure Iraq from terrorists and so-calledinsurgents, adding that he saw many actsof kindness by American troops. He citedone example of U.S. military troops givingtoys to the Iraqi children. “They were sohappy. The expressions on their faces reallysaid it all,” Brooks related.

Brooks is 26 years old and now lives inNorth Andover with his fiancée.

The Valley Patriot is proud to honor theseHeroes In Our Midst for their service to ourcountry and their dedication to combatingterrorism in Iraq.

Captain Leary, Spc. Brooks and Spc.Farnham have shown by example the criticalwork that is needed to keep the UnitedStates safe by fighting the war on terrorismabroad.

Thank you, Captain Leary, Spc. Brooksand Spc. Farnham for putting your lives onthe line to protect the American people.Americans appreciate the sacrifices youhave made.

Captain Daniel Leary, whooversaw the building of hospitalsin Iraq salutes to “Tapps” at theNorth Andover Memorial DayCeremonies last month.

June - 2006 The Valley Patriot 19Seniors &VeteransTuskegee Airman & Former Valley Patriot

Hero Honored by City of Methuen

WW II vet Bill Wall and his fellow pilots were escourted byTuskegee Airmen like Luther McIlwain. He surprised McIlwainby showing up at the ceremony in Methuen City Hall.

Methuen City Council Vice Chairman Kathleen Rahme kissesLuther McIlwain as she presents a proclamation to the WWII Airman for his struggle with racism to serve his country.

Above, Tuskegee Airman Luther McIlwain addresses thecrowd of veterans, officials and appreciative MerrimackValley residents as family and friends look on.

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20 The Valley Patriot June - 2006Seniors &Veterans

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For Tickets Please Call by June 10th(978) 886-0858

Tribute to a Special Lady - Lorraine CassidyTribute to a Special Lady - Lorraine Cassidy

Lorraine Cassidy, voting on localissues at the Annual NorthAndover Town Meeting. Lorrainewas active in the community andwas a life-long member of St.Michael’s Church.

Senior Moments with Jim CassidySenior Moments with Jim Cassidy

Late in April,Lorraine Cassidy ofHaverhill and NorthAndover passedaway suddenly whilewatching her belovedRed Sox on TV. Shewas the longtime wifeof this paper’s Senior

Moments columnist and World War IIveteran, Jim Cassidy. They had beenmarried 55 years.

I first met Lorraine in 2002 when Jim joinedour efforts to keep taxes from being raisedthrough a Proposition 2 ½ override. Thatcampaign involved a lot of mailings andphone calls, and Lorraine pitched inwherever she could to help out. Beinginvolved in a political effort was new to her,but volunteering to help a worthy cause wasnot. She was Jim’s constant companion asthe effort progressed, always ready to lenda hand where and when needed.

For much of their life, Lorraine and Jimlived on Perry Street in North Andover. Thisis in an older part of town, near Rte. 495 andthe Thomson School, when houses werebuilt to be cozy homes and not grandstructures dedicated to the developer’s ego.The home had a quaint front porch with alarge back yard perfect for growing freshvegetables. It was a reminder of North

by Guest Columnist Ted Tripp

Senior Moments Columnist Jim Cassidy is taking the month off to tend to family matters.

Andover’s more agricultural past when lifewas simpler and residents knew all theirneighbors.

When I would visit, I would immediatelygravitate to the kitchen area. The roundkitchen table with its perfectly positionedtablecloth always seemed like the center ofthe house to me. Whatever the reason formy visit, Lorraine would always offersomething to eat or drink. Even if I had justfinished a meal, I usually couldn’t resist anysweets that were offered. Lorraine alwayswanted to make you feel at home – in herhome.

Jim has long been involved in veteran’sissues and is a past commander and tirelessworker for American Legion Post 219. Notsurprisingly, this meant that Lorraine washeavily involved in supporting the Legionand everything concerning veterans.

Most in town know that after everyMemorial Day or Veterans Day parade, allthe parade participants would be invited tothe VFW function hall on Park Street forhotdogs and soda. If you ever wonderedwho helped put the food together and servethe hotdogs, look no further. LorraineCassidy was always there to help out. Herpleasant smile and welcome attitude alwaysadded to the experience.

I will miss Lorraine. In many ways shereminded me of my own mother and I wouldguess that others who knew her would feelthe same way. She was the kind of motheryou would expect to encounter in a NormanRockwell painting on the cover of an oldSaturday Evening Post. She was theessence of what we call the New Englandtradition of hospitality.

Lorraine was never a congressman orsenator. She was never the president of alarge company or a movie star or a rocksinger. She was more important than that.She was the family bedrock on which ourpost-war society prospered. She wasalways there for Jim and the children duringthe good times and, just as important, theoccasional household emergency.

Many people in North Andover knewLorraine a lot longer than I did. While I onlyknew her for a few brief years, I thought itwas important to share these impressionsof a special lady with those who knew herand with all those who have knownsomebody like her.

From time to time it’s good for the soul toreflect on the important things in life andthe people who make it that way.

Farewell, Lorraine. May God be with you.

(Manager)

by Guest Columnist Ted Tripp

June - 2006 The Valley Patriot 21

“I decided to runnow because Ithink this is theperfect time forme,” he said. “Ihave a pretty goodtrack recordadvocating forpeople on a dailybasis, whether incourt or helpingpeople with willsand trusts. I wantto use thoseadvocating skills togo to Beacon Hill and help the people ofMethuen. I just didn’t want to look back in10 years and say I wish I had tried it when Ihad the chance.”

DiBella says he worked in LawrenceDistrict court as a prosecutor, which handles

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thus destroying the separation of churchand state.

Religious conservatives see intelligentdesign theory as an opportunity to crackopen the monumental intellectual andpolitical fortress of Darwin and science.They see the works of mathematicianWilliam Dembski and biologist MichaelBehe as sufficient proof to re-insert creation-ism into the public schools. But they’rewrong, even though some of their instinctsare right.

First the right instincts. The religious rightknows in its bones that the Darwinianhegemony is not just scientificallymotivated. It supports and is supported bya view of the world that severs human beingsfrom obligations to their creator and setsthem free to their own projects and plans inthe struggle for survival. As Gordon Geckosaid, “greed is good!”

That’s because it may provide an advan-tage against those constrained by morality.Our culture isn’t just interested in purescience; it wants unrestrained competition;it doesn’t want to discuss whether there’s adesign of God to which we should conform.Yes, the religious right knows that the publicschool curriculum debate is aboutsomething much broader than science.

Where they’re wrong is in thinking thatcurrent design theory entitles them to re-impose their science and their morality onthe larger culture.

But here’s the rub. The work of Dembski,Behe and others, though highlysophisticated, does not yet provide a clear-cut alternative to Darwin, and, even its mostconvincing arguments for design do notsupport the conclusion that the designer isthe God of the Bible. Thus far, the mostsuccessful arguments have to do withshowing how certain phenomena in nature

are so complex and specific as to functionthat they cannot be reduced mathematicallyto what occurs either regularly or by chancein nature. Hence, we must “infer” design.

These arguments are building slowly andgradually just as they did for Darwin in thelate 19th century. Darwin published in 1859and it took decades before his theory wastaught in public schools. Likewise forintelligent design. The theory is less thanten years old. Political opportunists shovedit into the limelight too quickly, but behindthe scenes it is amassing arguments andevidence that are mathematical andscientific.

If the religious right supports it, it shouldfind ways to fund that research rather thantry to foist it into the public schoolcurriculum before its time. I think this willhappen and that in about ten years therewill be an open and reasoned debate aboutthe theory. Then, we will have a fascinatingdebate that raises perhaps the deepestquestion of earthly life: Are we here simplyto struggle for food and reproduction, doour political and cultural institutions simplywork to support those instincts, or, is therea design to which we can and must adhereif we are to enjoy a full human life and asustainable future?

Darwinism renders such a discussionmeaningless because it dismisses that alter-native.

If design theory can successfullychallenge Darwin, then we’re not only infor a revision of our public schoolcurriculum, but our whole way of life.

Jim Rurak is a professor at BostonCollege and is the former mayorof Haverhill. Email your commentsor questions to Jim Rurak atJARandKAS @comcast.net

Intelligent DesignFrom Page 5

Don’t Tell Tom Reilly !M e t h u e n

Mayor BillyManzi, notexactly knownfor his kindwords aboutG o v e r n o rRomney, ise n d o r s i n gA t t o r n e yGeneral TomReilly forgovernor thisyear.

But you wouldnever know it tosee Manzi falling all over Romney last month when thegovernor came to Methuen to evaluate flood Damage.

Mark Palermo is a professor atNorthern Essex CommunityCollege in Haverhill and is thepast vice-president of the facultyunion. You can email him atmarkpalermo@lycos.com.

lackluster and uninspiring leadership, thestate has floundered. Mitt has a good headof hair, but he is just another indecisive,opportunistic politician without a center.

The Bible tells us there’s nothing newunder the sun. Hypocrites have always beenand always will be with us. We are allhypocrites at times. I don’t think we aregoing to change that, but we need not honorand esteem hypocrisy in our publicdiscourse.

PALERMO FROM PAGE 5

As a former prosecutor with the DistrictAttorney’s office, Methuen resident ChrisDiBella is running for state representativein Methuen to replace the outgoing ArthurBroadhurst. DiBella ran unsuccessfully fordistrict city council last fall.

This is his second run for office.

“I have a lot to offer Methuen,” DiBellasaid in an exclusive with the Valley Patriot.“I have a lot invested in this city.”

DiBella graduated from Suffolk LawSchool in 2004 did a short stint at JP Morgandoing securities law until he went out onhis own. DiBella now has an office inBurlington where he concentrates on realestate, wills and trusts.

DiBella admits he will take a hefty pay cutif he wins the state rep race but said he wasrunning for altruistic reasons, rather thanadvancement or financial opportunity.

criminal cases forLawrence, Methuen,Andover and NorthAndover.

“As a prosecutor,you get to see a lotof things that theaverage person onthe street never getsto see. Drug dealingsgoing on nearschools, childpredators in parks,near the mall, crimes

being committed in neighborhoods thatnobody ever hears about. I couldn’t believesome of the things that I use to seehappening out there that never make thenewspaper. I am very concerned aboutpublic safety and when I am elected I amgoing to make crimes against children andthe elderly my main focus.”

As a lawyer, DiBella says researching anddrafting laws is something he is alreadyfamiliar with.

Asked what he thought about being theleast known name in a crowded field ofcandidates DiBella said his key to winningthe election was knocking on doors andlistening to people.

“I’ve been gong door to door and I willcontinue to do that through the entirecampaign. The feedback I am receiving isgreat! People are telling me that they wantnew blood, they say they are tired of thesame names on the ballot all the time. I amdriving on that energy, people want change,and I am the only candidate in the race whocan offer that.”

DiBella says his chances of winning theonly state rep seat in Methuen are “verygood.”

“I would say, we came out winners of thepoll at the Democrat breakfast, we are gettinga lot of support and the more people whohear about our campaign the more supportI seem to be getting.”

Asked what kind of Democrat he plansto be if he makes it to Beacon Hill, DiBellasays he will not be beholden to the party orspecial interests. “I am going to be aDemocrat who is fiscally conservative.”

It is most important to be responsible withthe taxpayers money. My brother and I werethe first kids in our family to go to college.My dad worked in construction and was inthe union for 40 years. We grew up knowingthe value of the dollar, we didn’t spendfrivolously and I won’t spend the tax payersmoney frivolously. Every dollar I spend fromthis campaign is going to benefit Methuenand I hope that is going to continue forelection after election.”

Dibella says he likes the concept ofMCAS but was unclear on the particulars.He was also unclear on the particulars ofschool vouchers, though he said hesupports the “idea” of merit pay forteachers. He supports referendum petitionsand said that if the voters support or opposea particular issue, whether or not hepersonally supports those issues, he willadhere to the will of the people.

“You really need to listen to the people,”DiBella said. “You have to honor the will ofthe people in a democracy. Even if it goesagainst what you believe. I am not going todictate. I am going to go out and listen topeople and if the people overwhelminglywant something then, you are there torepresent them you have to give the peoplewhat they want.”

As for the issue of illegal aliens, he agreeswith his opponents that illegal aliens shouldnot get government service. “I can makethis real simple,” DiBella said. “As anattorney, and a prosecutor, I can’t get pastthe word illegal. I am not againstimmigration, my ancestors came over likeeveryone else. But there is a process andthe process needs to be respected.”

He stopped short of saying he wouldsupport deporting illegal aliens. “If you saythey all need to be sent back, then everyonewill be entitled to a hearing, that would be atotal mess. So, we have to have acomprehensive immigration policy. But we

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