[The following letter was submitted by longtime School Committee member David McGeney.] The final results are in and the victory goes to “Mr. Apathy” in a landslide. None of the seasoned political observers could have predicted such a lopsided win for “Mr. Apathy” in a race with so much at stake. And yet, “Mr. Apathy” received support from 4 out of 5 registered voters. The abrupt vacancy of the 12th District State Representative seat due to the untimely death of Joyce Spiliotis combined with the retirement of State Senator Fred Berry created a leadership void the size of the Grand Canyon. For…

[The following letter was submitted to Peabody Patch.] I am proud to have contributed to Ms. Cole's campaign. Why? On April 2 the voters in Peabody, Massachusetts will have the chance to vote for a candidate who offers a different perspective. The election of Ms. Leah Cole will not break the lock held by the Democratic Party in Massachusetts since 1955, but it will invite the opportunity to hear from a new voice. Elected officials in control of the Massachusetts House and Senate have long downplayed alternative views and advanced self-serving agendas for too long. Now the voters in Peabody …

[The following letter was submitted to Peabody Patch.] The 2013 senior class officers of Peabody High School held the first annual “A Taste of Peabody” pizza tasting on March 7 in the high school cafeteria. People purchased tickets and sampled slices of pizza from 12 different pizza shops around Peabody. Each pizza shop had a table with representatives and volunteers handing out their pizza. The pizza shops dished out all different kinds of pizza starting with the classic cheese pizza right up to wild flavors like buffalo chicken pizza. After people stuffed their faces with as much pizza as …

[The following letter was submitted by Joel Saslaw on behalf of Peabody Readers Youth Football.] On behalf of the Peabody Raiders Youth Football & Cheering we would like to congratulate Mark Bettencourt on his new position as the Head Coach of the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Football Team. As we enter our fourth year, we look forward to working closely with Coach Bettencourt and his staff on their goals and to also continue the pride and respect in Peabody football. With four Super Bowl championships in our brief existence, we know that the desire our our players, parents, and …

[The following letter was submitted by the staff at the John E. Burke Elementary School.] To the Editor: As a staff, we would like to publicly thank our principal, Judy McNiff, for her superior leadership and unwavering support during the extraordinary circumstances our school community has endured during the last two school years. Our school, the Burke School in Peabody, has undergone major renovations during the school years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. The building has received a new roof, boiler and windows, with the latter very recently being completed. While these were all necessary and …

To the Editor, In early November, a seemingly simple idea was hatched to create a celebration of the Christmas Season. There were only a few basic criteria. The event would be outdoors, there'd be music, it would be family-friendly, free and open to all. That modest concept, in just a few short weeks became, The Peabody Polar Express. Over 1,000 attendees took delight in seeing Lt. Ross Park transformed into a Christmas Wonderland complete with Santa, Christmas Sing-a-longs on a hay ride, face painting, elves of all descriptions and, of course, “The Grinch.” The smiles on the children’s faces…

As we begin the holiday season I wish to thank the voters of my district for their overwhelming support in this year’s election. I am honored and proud to represent your concerns at the State House and am reminded each day of the trust you have placed in me. The next few weeks and month are filled with family and community gatherings as we celebrate the holidays and express our appreciation and thanks to those around us for all they do on our behalf. June and I and our family extend to all of you the very best and offer our support and best wishes now and in the New Year. Please trust that I …

Dear Editor: My late husband, former Mayor Peter Torigian, valued hard work and integrity. He recognized John Tierney’s principles, ideals, and his dedication to public service. As Mayor my husband always stood by John and threw his grassroots support behind John’s campaigns. John Tierney and my husband worked as a team to get results for Peabody. This year, I am proud to stand with John because he has always stood up for us. John has fought hard for seniors to make sure that they can retire with dignity and will continue to protect Medicare and Social Security. In Congress, John has fended …

Jimmy Fund Golf extends its sincerest thanks to the organizers and sponsors of the Peabody Police Department Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament held on Sept. 22, at Carriage Pines Golf Course in Rowley, Mass. Special recognition and appreciation goes to Rick Cochran and John Nelson of Peabody, Mass., and committee who organized the 13th annual event. The dedicated sponsors, participants, and volunteers helped raise critical funds to support lifesaving cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Peabody Police Department Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament was one of the many golf tournaments…

As the American Cancer Society staff partner of this year’s American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Peabody, I would like to thank area residents for their generosity and support. Forty-seven teams participated in this year’s event and raised more than $140,000 to help the Society’s fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer here and throughout the world. This outstanding show of support proves that the people of Peabody stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the American Cancer Society to achieve its mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by …

To say that I am a frustrated voter would be an understatement when it comes to this election. For the past sixteen years I have had to call John Tierney my Congressman, when he doesn’t do anything for Peabody or the district. He’s just an empty suit and now is the time to run him out of town. I was raised in a Democratic household in Charlestown, and always admired leaders like President Kennedy and Speaker Tip O’Neill, but this crop that we’ve been told to "hold our nose and vote for" just doesn’t cut it. I am pro-choice; I think decisions about a woman’s body should be between herself and …

[Editor's Note: Dan Bennett is running against state Rep. Ted Speliotis for the 13th Essex District seat, which includes Ward 6 and Ward 5 Precinct 2 in Peabody, along with Danvers and about half of Middleton.] For over three years our motels in Danvers and other communities have been filled with homeless families. There are approximately 1,500 families statewide in motels at an average cost of $75 per night or $3,375,000 per month. This means you, the taxpayers, are spending over $40 million a year on motels well over the average market rate rent in the Boston area. Not only is this fiscally…

I’m writing to express my support of Peabody’s Main Street Corridor project, which I believe will benefit the city of Peabody and its residents. Having substantially benefited from being a life-long resident of Peabody, I am committed to our city -- giving back to our community and investing in it. As part of that commitment, I give back to our city through my volunteer work with the high school’s vocational technical cosmetology program – a program from which I was the first male to graduate, and to which I owe my gratitude for providing my career training and livelihood. I’ve also honored …

I am writing this letter to express my support for former State Senator Richard Tisei in his campaign against Representative John Tierney for our congressional seat. I am a former Marine Officer and a small business owner and I am more than confident that Richard stands for veterans. Our veterans face many issues which are uncommon for our average citizens. Unemployment rates for veterans are above the national average. Many of our veterans are returning from war with horrific physical and mental injuries and they face huge uphill battles. Personally, the most frustrating challenge is many of…

One of the most important issues facing the next Congress will be how best to ensure the future of Medicare. Members of both parties have “kicked the can” down the road on Medicare and other critical programs. If we really believe these programs serve a vital purpose, as I do, burying our heads in the sand is no longer an option. That’s why my priority as Congressman will be to preserve, protect and strengthen this vital program so it is available for those who depend on it now and in the future. The immediate problem facing Medicare is one of demographics. More than 10,000 baby boomers are …

The Ward Six Civic Association would like to thank all the volunteers that helped out at the annual July 4 celebration at Symphony Park. The weather was great and we served almost 400 hot dogs. We would like to thank the following businesses who made the day a success: Perfecto’s Café, Aggregate Industries, Community Credit Union, Costco, Toscana’s, Lupo's, Champions Pub, Wrapinis, Jade Restaurant, Tina’s Nails, Northeast Nursery, D’Orsi’s Bakery, Scoops 'N More, Elegant Paw, T & L Liquors, Hannaford, Muntsy’s, J’S Cleaners, New England Meat Market, Mr. G’s, Martino’s Deli, JRM, Su Chang's, …

[The following letter was submitted by Massachusetts Senate candidate John Slattery.] Representative Keenan’s good intentions in filing his amendment to the energy bill styled, “An Act Relative To Competitively Priced Electricity In The Commonwealth Of Massachusetts” aside, it is simply bad public policy to gift a for-profit private company, in this case, Footprint, with guaranteed long term energy contracts and a guaranteed market share outside of the competitive bidding process. Section 42, if passed, will force regional utilities to buy power from Footprint for a minimum of 15 years …

[The following was submitted by state Senate candidate Edward Carroll.] I am a candidate for the office of State Senator for the Second Essex District (i.e., Salem, Peabody, Danvers, Beverly and Topsfield). I am running because I would like to see an increase in employment in the Second Essex District and I would like to see the residential property tax reduced or eliminated. Therefore, if I am elected, my proposal for the eyesore that is the present power plant in Salem would be to replace it with a casino/hotel complex. The site is a 65-acre parcel of waterfront land, which is sufficient …

[Editor's Note: The letter below refers to specific remarks made by President Obama during a campaign stop in Virginia on July 13. You can read more here.] It is shocking to hear both President Obama and Elizabeth Warren demonize hard working men and women with their comments and it shows that they truly don’t understand how the private economy works. It takes a vision, commitment, dedication, and personal and financial sacrifice to live the American dream of owning a business and becoming successful. Warren specifically has spent her entire life in academics. She doesn’t understand how jobs …

The Ward 4 July 4th Committee would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out on Wednesday, July 4 with all the festivities at Emerson Park. A special thanks to the “grand chefs” who prepared a delicious old-fashioned cookout of hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelon and ice cream sundaes donated by Tom Gould owner of Treadwell's Ice Cream in Peabody. We would like to thank the following businesses and residents for their kind donations for the festivities: Eastern Land Survey, Barry Feinstein, Esq., Community Credit Union, Warren Waugh and Peabody Motor Sports, Jack Keilty, Esq., Jacky and …