August - 2006 The Valley Patriot 15

D.J. Deeb represents agood example of acommentator who pretendsto impartiality even as hedelivers a warmed-over plateof Palestinian propaganda:Israel, the aggressor, is toblame; the Palestinians (andthe Lebanese) are blameless(democratic!) victims; stopIsraeli aggression now.

The problems with this text are sonumerous that I have fisked them at mywebsite: The Augean Stables; here I willjust focus on some of the more egregiousmisrepresentations.

One would not know from Deeb’sdescription ofLebanon that, as anation it nevercame out of itscatastrophic civilwar, remains rent byarmed factions andde-facto occupiedby one of the mostb r u t a ldictatorships inthe West. Here isthe comment of aL e b a n e s e“citizen”:

Before the Israeliattack, Lebanon nolonger existed, it was no more than ahologram. At Beirut innocent citizens likemyself were forbidden access to certainareas of their own capital. But our police,our army and our judges were alsoexcluded.

That was the case, for example, ofHezbollah’s and the Syrians’ command zonein the Haret Hreik quarter (in red on thesatellite map). A square measuring akilometer wide, a capital within the capital,permanently guarded by a Horla army [1],possessing its own… government.

Among the multitude of errors in hisarticle, let one stand for the whole inrevealing how misleading Deeb’spresentation: the refugees in Lebanon fledin 1948 and were confined to camps,refused citizenship and human rights, andgenerally treated far worse than Israeltreated the Arabs who stayed.

The refugees who came after 1967 weredriven out of Jordan by King Hussein whocould not tolerate the “state-within-a-state”behavior of the PLO and drove them out ina bloody massacre in “Black September”1970. These brave warriors fled to Israel toescape their brother Arabs’ wrath, and theIsraelis, in an unfortunate gesture ofclemency, permitted them to go to Lebanon,where they created so much tension as totrigger the civil war (1975-82) in which over150,000 civilians died.

With the remarks about the Israeliresponse to Hizbullah’s attacks we comeinto Deeb’s full-fledged partisanship. Thecry of “illegal” and “crimes againsthumanity” is a favorite recourse of anti-Zionists.

The issues are complex and problematic,and get at the heart of the ability ofdemocracies with commitments to law andmorality to survive in struggles with enemies(like Hizbullah) who have no hesitationabout killing civilians both among their

enemies and – especially ifthe media will give them thePR victory – among their own.

If, as Deeb would have it,the Israelis have killed“countless civilians,” thatleaves us with no languageto describe the number ofcivilians killed in a civil warwhere the monthly rate for

seven years exceeded by a factor of threeor four the victims of the current conflict.

Nor is this difference by accident: Israeldoes everything it can, even at the cost ofendangering their own soldier’s lives, toavoid civilian casualties; Hizbullah doeseverything it can to increase its enemies’

and its ownc i v i l i a ncasualties, inpart because itembraces ag e n o c i d a lideology, in partso thatideologues likeDeeb can fightt h e i rp r o p a g a n d abattles in theWest.

But it is whenhe tells us aboutt h e

“complicated” Israeli-Palestinian conflict,”that we have Deeb at his best. Hisexplanation in fact shows no sign ofcomplexity; on the contrary he treats us toa one-sided account.

No mention that the homes destroyed arethose of suicide terrorists who have blownthemselves up among Israeli civilians as theresult of hate-teaching systematicallysponsored by the Palestinian Authority; nomention that the legal status of the land“confiscated” is neither Palestinian nor wasit settled; and pure misrepresentation inclaiming that the prisoner exchange is for— again that word — “countless” womenand children.

Predictably, Deeb trots out the classicPalestinian propaganda claim about 22% ofthe land. Palestine as defined by the BalfourDeclaration included Trans-Jordan whichthe British split off in 1922 to form an Arabnation (Jordan) on 77% of Palestine (nowby a large majority, Palestinian), where Jewscould not settle. Jews at partition in 1947were offered 16% of the original Palestinewhich they accepted; the Arabs refused theopportunity of ruling over 84% and went towar.

Continuing this disastrous policy ofsacrificing his people’s good for the sake ofArab honor, Yasser Arafat walked out onCamp David, and rejected the negotiationsmuch to everyone’s — including PresidentClinton’s distress.

Nor was this unpredictable: From the verybeginning of the Oslo Process, Arafat andothers made clear (in Arabic) that theconcessions the PLO made were a TrojanHorse permitting them to prosecute the warof liberation of all Palestine — “from theriver to the sea.” It was he who set off the“Al Aqsa Intifada” in response to extensive

In Opposition to IsraelIsrael Must Accept Blame

for Middle East Escalations!D.J. Deeb

Point - Counter Point

The tragic recent eventsin Lebanon are sad, butwere a predictableoutcome of Israeligovernment policies andthe lack of interest andleadership from the BushAdministration infacilitating a peacesettlement between theIsraelis and thePalestinians. The Bush Administration hastwo standards: One for Israel; and one forthe rest of the world.

Space will not permit me to give acomprehensive historical account of theevents leading up to these tragicdevelopments. However, my book, TheCollapse of Middle EastPeace: The Rise andFall of the OsloPeace Accords(New York:IUniverse, 2003),does just that. Iurge all of you whoare interested toobtain a copyt h r o u g hA m a z o n . c o m ,Barnes and Noble,or order it throughyour favoritebookstore.

Lebanon, like Israel,is a parliamentary democracy in the MiddleEast. Unfortunately, the Lebanese militaryand government have been left in aweakened state following more than 25 yearsof civil war.

Syria also occupied and controlled muchof Lebanon until just last year. In addition,Palestinian refugees and their descendentswho fled Israel, the West Bank, and the GazaStrip during the 1967 war and subsequentconflicts constitute nearly 10 percent ofLebanon’s population. Permanent peaceand stability in Lebanon requires asettlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The bombardment of Lebanon and itscivilians, which constitutes a gross violationof international law, began in the secondweek of July following the kidnapping oftwo Israeli soldiers by pro-PalestinianHezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.The Israeli government responded byraiding infrastructure targets in Lebanon,killing countless civilians, endangering25,000 Americans, and practically destroyingthe Lebanese airport in Beirut.

Why would Israel bomb the Beirut airportknowing that it would trap 25,000Americans? Are Israeli leaders looking todrag the United States into another MiddleEast war?

To understand these latest developments,one must understand the complicatedIsraeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel routinelydestroys the homes of innocent Palestiniancivilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,imprisons countless women and children,and regularly confiscates Palestinian landfor illegal Israeli settlements. Israel usesAmerican supplied tanks and bulldozers tocarry out these operations. Hezbollah hasoffered to release the Israeli soldiers in returnfor the release of Palestinian and Lebanesewomen and children held in Israeli jails.

Up until now, negotiations between Israeland the Palestinians, culminating with thefamous Camp David Talks in the summer of

2000, have all failed toachieve a permanent peacesettlement because Israelhas refused toacknowledge UnitedNations Security CouncilResolutions 242 and 338 asthe basis for negotiations.These Resolutionscollectively call on Israel toreturn the areas it illegally

occupied during the 1967 war (the Gaza Strip,the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and theGolan Heights). This will allow for thecreation of an independent Palestinian stateand lead to a permanent peace agreementbetween Israel and Syria.

In addition, the Arab Leagueu n a n i m o u s l y

endorsed a SaudiArabian proposal

in 2002 to makepeace with Israeland normalizerelations if itcomplies withthese twoR e s o l u t i o n s .Currently, 4m i l l i o nPalestinians areliving in exilea n dapproximately 1

m i l l i o nPalestinian citizens

of Israel are being subjected to Apartheid-like conditions.

The creation of the state of Israel in 1948constituted 78 percent of historic Palestine,while the remaining 22 percent was illegallyoccupied from the Palestinian Arabs in 1967.It is only this latter 22 percent of the landthat is now being disputed.

This past February, we witnessed a newPalestinian Authority emerge led by aHamas-majority in the Palestinian parliamentwithin the occupied Gaza Strip and WestBank. This development can be directlyexplained as a Palestinian reaction to Israelibrutality and lack of seriousness innegotiations.

While the Bush Administration rightfullydemands that Iran comply with UnitedNations Resolutions calling for it to disbandits nuclear weapons program, it turns a blindeye towards Israel.

The Israelis are in violation of UnitedNations Security Council Resolutions 242and 338, which call on Israel to return to itsJune 1967 borders. Instead of complyingwith these Resolutions, Israel continues tobuild more settlements in violation of theGeneva Protocol of 1949.

More than 54,000 acres of Palestinian landand more than 21,000 new Israeli housingsettlements have been constructed illegallysince 1993. If the Bush Administration wantsto be seen as a credible player in the regionin the eyes of the international community,then it needs to demand that all sidescomply with international mandates.

The United States gives more than $5billion a year in American tax dollars to Israel.Without our financial assistance, Israelwould likely cede to exist as an independentnation. Certainly giving this amount of

In Favor of IsraelLocal Social Studies Teacher HasAnti-Semitic View of the World

Prof. Richard Landes

Israel routinely destroysthe homes of innocentPalestinian civilians in theWest Bank and Gaza Strip,imprisons countless womenand children, and regularlyconfiscates Palestinian landfor illegal Israelisettlements.

Continued on Page 30 Continued on Page 18

“...in Deeb’s world, thePalestinians aredemocratically mindedfolks just waiting tocompromise with anaggressive imperialistneighbor who arbitrarilymurders, imprisons, andhumiliates them.”

Mill City Maulers Hold Their First Semi-Pro Game at Veterans Memorial Stadium

Supporters ofEvan O’Reilly(center) gatheredat the Dolphin onSalisbury Beachlast month to raisefunds for O’Reilly’scampaign for staterepresentat ive.O’Reil ly, arepublican fromGeorgetown, ischallenging StateRep. HarriettStanley in the 2ndEssex District.

A Grateful Community SaysGood-Bye to Sarah AlvarezA Grateful Community SaysGood-Bye to Sarah Alvarez

Lawrence Mayor Mike Sullivan and the MillCity Maulers football team present a plaqueto the Celia Family in memoriy of theLawrence High School Teacher Joe Celia.

As Sullivan walked off the field of the newlyrenovated Veterans Memorial Stadium helooked around in total amazement. “Did youever think you’d see the day?” Sullivan askedreferring to the excitement of having a semi-pro football league playing at the stadium.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself!Russ Contreras from the Boston

Globe with Hanna, The Valley Patriot’sace-reporter. Contreras tried to stealHanna away by offering her a jobwith the Globe. “We’re way betterthan the Globe,” Hanna said, laughing.

Greater Lawrence Tech Students WinNational Gold In Community Serviceat SkillsUSA Championships - Again

Greater Lawrence Tech Students WinNational Gold In Community Serviceat SkillsUSA Championships - Again

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N. Andover Residents Turnedout in Record Numbers

Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi Swore in ItermittentPolice Officers last month. Among those sworn inwere retired Lawrence police officer AnthonyLorenzo who agreed to temporarily come out ofretirement to help out his home town.

Residents of North Andover turned out in record numbersto oppose trash fees at last month’s Special Town Meeting.According to Charlie Salisbury, the Town Moderator, morepeople attended this town meeting than ever before.

Trash or Recycle?When Ted Tripp, president of

the North Andover TaxpayersAssociation, brought trash bagsfilled with newspapers to SpecialTown Meeting, (tripp was usingthem for visual effect in hisopposition to trash fees) he washeckled by the trash feeadvocates for not recycling thenewspapers in his bags. Couldwe make that up?

Valley Patriot Editor Tom Duggan finally finds a captiveaudience he can relate to. Mr. Duggan was invited to tourthe Barefoot Day Care Center in Methuen last month.

Greater Lawrence Technical School’s Community Service teamwas under a lot of pressure when they took their state gold-medalproject to the national contest, the SkillsUSA Championships, heldin Kansas City, MO, June 19-24. After all, this was the school’s fourthtrip to nationals, and they already had two national silver medalsand came home with gold in 2005.

Team members Kirssi Gonzales, Suhaiti Villa and Miseal Abreu,all of Lawrence, left the Andover school feeling nervous, but camehome jubilant, clutching gold medals and scoring 480 out of apossible 500 points in the contest. This was the highest score everlogged in the national Community Service competition, accordingto GLTS chapter advisors Ilene Karnow and Linda Cote.

Bob Kelley

Register of DeedsRegister of DeedsRegister of DeedsRegister of DeedsRegister of Deeds

18 The Valley Patriot August - 2006BusinessTruth, Life, & Politics

Paul MuranoIn the midst of round two of Capitol Hill’s debate on

government funding for embryonic stem cell research, WhiteHouse spokesman Tony Snow explained President Bush’sveto by saying that experimenting on and discarding livehuman embryos is murder. When pressed a couple dayslater Snow substituted that word for the phrase “taking ahuman life”; basically a softer way of saying the same thing.As a result talking heads across the cable universe havebeen pointing out what they see as an intellectualinconsistency, claiming that if Bush believes this to bemurder he should shut down all embryonic stem cellresearch. Is there hypocrisy in Bush’s remarks? There arethree things to consider - intellectual consistency, politics,and scientific facts.

Intellectual consistency. Even if President Bush doesbelieve the process to be murder (which is defined by all ofwestern civilization until Roe v. Wade as intentionally takingan innocent human life), he doesn’t have power to stopprivately funded research on embryos because the courtshave ruled the preborn to have no human rights. Sinceabortion is legal, experimenting on live embryos anddestroying them is not illegal. However, Bush does havethe power with his veto pen to halt more of our tax moneyto pay for this.

Politics. Why then the quick change from the term“murder” to “taking a human life”? Perhaps one reason isthat Bush doesn’t want to call millions of Americansmurderers that have experimented on embryos trying tobecome pregnant or have killed them in utero trying tobecome un-pregnant; especially those who are invinciblyignorant on these matters. It would be naïve to think thepresident doesn’t care about Republican victories in thefall, and offending people (even if by the truth) tends tomake them lash out against the messenger. Unfortunatelyto many with ill-formed consciences, legal means moral.

Facts. The argument, even among pro-lifers, is that sincemany embryos from fertility clinics are being discarded,why not use them for the betterment of humanity? First,one can never experiment on and/or kill one human beingfor the benefit of another. Secondly, by using these liveembryos you contribute to the contemporary societalmachine called the culture of death; and by feeding thismachine you contribute to its growth and are partlyresponsible for its existence. It’s similar to the spuriousclaim that it would have been okay to experiment on liveJews in Nazi concentration camps because, after all, it waslegal and they were going to die anyway. Such use of livehuman embryos is not only gravely unethical in itself, butcreates more of a demand and more of a rationale for lethalpractices to continue on the preborn.

The reason there’s even a debate is because many stilldo not recognize preborn human beings as human beings;or they do but don’t care. Let’s ignore the latter for nowbecause pure evil doesn’t follow reason. If one strips awayall religious and philosophical arguments we are left withscience. Scientific fact is something all human beings ofright mind can agree on. Science is limited to only onecertain fact regarding this issue: Every human individual -you, me, and everyone else that has ever lived - begins atconception. Every human organism begins their existenceand growth at conception, reaches full maturityapproximately 25 years later, and lives on average around80 years after conception. Placing any arbitrary point inthe human lifecycle between conception and natural deathwould be one’s own opinion based on guesses, conjectureand belief, not fact. And history has shown us that usingthe term “not fully human” was disastrous for Jews, slaves,and native Americans; as it is now with humans in theirembryonic and fetal stages. The number of preborn humansin the U.S. that will die today from a deliberate lethal act ofanother is around 5000. The same for tomorrow, and thenext day…

In the context of an era focused on terrorism, we mustdeclare that national security begins in the womb. Eachday abortion, in vitro technologies, and embryonic stemcell research kill far more human beings than 9-11 did. Byfar the most dangerous place to live today is one’s mother’swomb. The real inconsistency and horror is that many ofthose who have been born ignore this fact and forget wherethey came from. Ultimately, history will judge us primarilynot on how we fought the terrorism of radical Islam, but onhow we fought the terrorism of radical secular humanism.The former is homicide, the latter suicide. As history hasshown us, feeding the culture of death will ensure ourdemise either way.

Amid reports of a deflating housing bubble, over atMonarch on the Merrimack at the Wood Mill, developerRobert Ansin has been taking reservations months beforea model is even ready to look at.

The reason?

The best views in Lawrence, a prime location within astone’s throw of I-495, acres of green space, on siteparking, a train station rightacross the street, money-saving geothermal heating andair conditioning, and a designteam with national stature.

“I was thrilled to get Feingold and Alexander, thearchitects who supervised the restoration of Ellis Island,”Ansin says, “and Copley Wolff, the landscape architectswho are designing the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

“Since we bought the building in the fall of 2003, we’vetaken the time to do our homework,” he adds. “Our goalwas not just any development, but to create a newcommunity that would have the potential to transformLawrence.”

Ansin says that the development team he’s put in placeis a reflection of this commitment. If you look up as youdrive past the Wood Mill these days, you’ll see some ofthe work in progress.

Into the first phase of development, the 100-year-oldmill building is the largest residential mill conversion in

New England. Phase one will include 200 loft stylecondominiums, retail shops, and several floors of officespace.

Ansin says that all kinds of work is being done in thebuilding to get ready for the major construction that willbegin later this month.

“We’ve got sandblasters exposing the old brick and oak,we’re removing materials forrecycling and re-use, and we’regoing to replace every windowin the building at once,” hesays.

One of his goals is to communicate the strengths ofLawrence and the Merrimack Valley region as part of hismarketing effort. “We want to make sure that we get theword out that there this is a uniquely desirable place tolive,” Ansin says.

The Monarch marketing and communications team willalso include Aquarius Advisers, a Boston-area consultingfirm with national scope and Merrimack Valley roots, andVisual Republique, a Lawrence advertising agency whoseprincipals hail from leaders such as advertising giant HillHolliday.

“Pre-construction sales exceeded my—andeveryone’s—expectations,” says Ansin. “People of all agesare buying here. They tell us how much they love the ideaof being part of this community and the positive impactthey think it will have on the future of the city.”

Monarch on the Merrimack: Spreading Its Wings

From our friends at www.thepeoplescube.com

offers of statehood and the vast majority of the West Bankand Gaza.

As for the UN resolutions Deeb refers to repeatedly, theycall on Israel to withdraw from territories (not “the areas”)it occupied, and this in exchange for peace and recognition.

The Arabs (Palestinian leadership of Yasser Arafatincluded) rejected these conditions immediately (Three No’sof Khartoum, September 1967), and have never showedany sincere commitment to revising that position since.When Egypt did, the Israelis promptly returned Sinai, andwould have returned the Gaza Strip but Egypt refused.

The notion that Israel’s withdrawal would lead to peacehas to be one of the sillier and more dangerous claimsaround these days. Perhaps back in the 1990s, liberalseverywhere could hope that such a move would lead topeace, as long as they didn’t consult the websites thattranslated Palestinian statements in Arabic.

But in Deeb’s world, the Palestinians are democraticallyminded folks just waiting to compromise with an aggressiveimperialist neighbor who arbitrarily murders, imprisons, andhumiliates them.

The Palestinian David against the Israeli Goliath. It’s anappealing morality tale with an equally appealing solution:Israel stand down!

But what if, as the evidence Deeb does not see fit tomention suggests, the real problem is not Israel, but theArab nations’ refusal to recognize the UN’s creation of thestate of Israel (an attitude which predates by 19 years boththe “occupation” and the “illegal” settlements)?

What if Arab elites have, for over half a century now,been victimizing their own people in pursuit of Arab andMuslim honor, sacrificing their own people (especially thePalestinians) in their effort to destroy the “Zionist entity”which has humiliated them by its very existence?

What if it’s the Israeli David against the Arab Goliath,and the wars in Gaza and Lebanon right now come fromIsraeli withdrawals that Arab leaders have treated not (asDeeb would have us expect) as signs of conciliation andgenerosity, but rather as signs of weakness and invitationsto further aggression?

Then Deeb’s adoption of the “Palestinian VictimNarrative” blaming Israel actually strengthens the verypeople whom Deeb pretends to defend, the Palestinianvictims of Arab irredentism.

Then all of Mr. Deeb’s passionate policy proposalsbecome recipes for disaster – for Israel, for the Palestinianpeople, for Western democracies and any hope for a decentlife for Arab people in the grip of ruthless ruling classes.

How strange and tragic that a progressive would sidewith such retrograde forces!

Professor Landes teaches History at BostonUniversity and has set up a website to monitorthe Mainstream Media at The Second Draft. Healso maintains a blog, The Augean Stables, atwhich this article appears in expanded form withlinks to further literature.

Anti-Semetic View of the World:Continued From Page 15

August - 2006 The Valley Patriot 19

directly by having students participate inbeta trials in model classrooms. Tackling thelow MCAS scores, by getting to the core ofthe problem, could be the first target. Manycolleges and businesses could collaboratewith K-12 schools in a campus environmentby buying/renting space. The colleges,businesses and schools could share andsell best practices across the country oreven globally.

On its own, this idea is a long shot togenerate enough interest and theninvestment to develop the Center for K-12Education Excellence on the BradfordCollege campus. However, it begins to bemore realistic when you couple it with otherproposals for use of the campus. Forexample, it would be a perfect fit with aprivate Science High School beingproposed for the campus by a NorthAndover resident, and the HillviewMontessori Charter School, which is lookingfor a permanent home. Both entities couldhelp form the community needed for theCenter for Education Excellence to succeedand the schools could interact and help eachother achieve their goals. Further, all threeentities can leverage each other’s potentialfunding to purchase the campus and makethe needed renovations.

Now let’s take this thought process onestep further. The Green Chemistry Researchand Demonstration Center would also be agood match with the Center for EducationExcellence and the two schools. One of thegoals for the Green Chemistry Institute is tointroduce Green Chemistry training in K-12schools.

The schools can be a feeder system tothe Green Chemistry Institute, while theGreen Chemistry Institute can provideleading edge training to schools to givestudents an edge in a potential newindustry. A good analogy is with the biotechindustry, which is centered in Boston andCambridge. Biotech basics are being foldedinto the Boston public school curriculum.

Finally, there are some interestingpotential funding sources for the Center forK-12 Education Excellence. The NationalScience Foundation and The Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation are two of manybig funding sources for research andtechnology in education. Further, majormanufacturers such as Raytheon, GeneralElectric and IBM have been cited for theinvestment that they have made intoimproving math and science in K-12education, primarily because they predict ashortage of well trained scientists andengineers in the not too distant future.

known as social computing, that are thecatalysts.

Social computing leverages digital media,such as mobile devices, e-mail and instantmessaging to address social interaction andp o l i t i c a li s s u e s .Accordingto Wiki-p e d i a ,“ e a s yconnectionsb r o u g h tabout byc h e a pd e v i c e s ,m o d u l a rc o n t e n t ,and shared computing resources are havinga profound impact on our global economyand social structure. Individualsincreasingly take cues from one anotherrather than from institutional sources likecorporations, media outlets, religions, andpolitical bodies.” We believe that schoolsshould also be included.

Today there are only a few randomstudents with the courage to challenge thestatus quo and associate the institutionalbarriers with low test scores. However, withsocial computing, a community of students,even global, can emerge with a commonmission to find examples of best practicesin education by exploiting collaboration onthe web, and stump for better approachesin their schools. And the communitiesstarted by kids can grow to include

educators, politicians and proactive parentsto form an ecosystem for excellence ineducation.

The Department of Education and publicschools will need to respond by ceding

some control:o f f e r i n gcommunities aplatform todiscuss anddecide whatthey want, andthen providingit. The publicschools willhave torespond withthe agility to

support the Google approach to success:devise and try out many early stage “smallchunk” innovations with promise, watch,learn and iterate. Overarching, monolithicsolutions that take years to first implementand then validate just don’t work.

The Bradford College campus could be aCenter for K-12 Education Excellence thataddresses best practice teaching andlearning processes, including how to exploitsocial computing to make public educationagile enough to continuously improvebased on the interaction of the “Excellencein Education” ecosystem or community. Itcan be a best practices showcase for K-12high performance educational processesand methods and associated educationaltechnology tools.

As examples, other research areas couldinclude integration of digital media andglobal collaboration tools into classroominstruction, as well as how to securelycreate, store and access accurate andpertinent student records and profiles, sothat each student, his/her parents andappropriate educators can have thisinformation on demand to ensurecontinuous improvement and prevent kidsfrom falling through the cracks.

A key research area would be to identifywhat performance indicators or metrics canbest characterize how well a student isdoing.

This is a good example of why thecommunity addressing the problem will needto include lawmakers, so that past legalhurdles concerning access of studentrecords can be dealt with. Many schoolsystems around the world have solidcandidate approaches to this problem thatmay already qualify as best practices.

Further, the Haverhill schools and othercities in the Merrimack Valley could benefit

Another Proposal for Bradford CollegeAnother Proposal for Bradford CollegeInnovation Valley (www.ivalley.org)

Can Kids with Social Computing be Catalysts for Excellence in EducationSeth J. Itzkan, John Michitson,

Darien Crimmin

Further, the Haverhill Schoolsand other cities in theMerrimack Valley could benefitdirectly by having studentsparticipate in beta trials inmodel classrooms. Tackling thelow MCAS scores, by getting tothe core of the problem, couldbe the first target.

Business

Earlier this year we offered a potentialsolution for the Bradford College campusin Haverhill, which has been vacant forseveral years. That solution, theestablishment of a Green ChemistryResearch and Demonstration Center, theBradford Institute, is in its early planningstages. You can read the latest status athttp://www.ivalley.org/blog/. This month,we draw your attention to another potentialsolution for the campus.

The state Department of Education iscurrently bearing down on Haverhill’sschool system because of poor MCASresults across the city. Mayor James J.Fiorentini and other city leaders have calledfor a new program to require kids who failedthe MCAS to stay after school for remedialclasses. While this is likely the best shortterm action that can be taken on behalf ofthe students who failed, it obviously is notgoing to get to the cause of the underlyingproblems plaguing the Haverhill publicschools and many other school systems.

We suggest that the institutional barriersto excellence in education, such as siloedclassrooms, and a bureaucracy that doesnot offer significant incentives forinnovation and excellence may finally beshowing cracks. However, instead ofeducators, politicians and activist parentsleading the way, it may well be kids, alongwith the relentless evolution of naturalselection, and the emerging phenomenon

Seth Itzkan is president of Planet-TECH Associates,a consulting agency identifying innovations ineconomic development. Recently, Mr. Itzkan helpedThe Boston Foundation to conceptualize andimplement its Hub of Innovations tool. You can emailhim at seth.itzkan@ gmail.com.

John Michitson served as a Haverhill city councilorfor 10 years; the last two as president. He is amanager and electrical engineer at the MITRECorporation in Bedford, Mass. John and his wife, Heidi,are enjoying the childhood of their 4-year-olddaughter and 6 year-old son. jmichitson@mva.net.

Darien Crimmin, M.A., works as a freelance writer andenvironmental activist in the Boston area. He holdsa degree in Urban and Environmental Policy andPlanning from Tufts University. You can reach him atdariencrimmin@yahoo.com

The Innovation Valley initiative seeks to helpstimulate economic growth and quality-of-lifeenhancements in the Merrimack Valley. Every monthwe will report on innovative businesses, practices, andideas that are helping to make Merrimack Valley theplace to be. Look for our article in print media andonline at www.ivalley.org.

20 The Valley Patriot August - 2006

Leadershipin the Army:

Leadershipon the

Council:

— Protected Methuen’s air and water bypreventing construction of a local power plant.Linda is an Environmental advocate endorsedby the Sierra Club of Massachusetts.

— Chaired the recycling and trash committeethat saved Methuen millions of tax dollars.

— Spearheaded the effort that brought theYMCA to Methuen.

— Sponsored legislation adopted by CityCouncil to control growth and preserve openspace, saving millions of tax dollars. Achievedsignificant results in both West Methuen andalong the Merrimack River.

— Led the effort to reduce noise pollution inour City.

I ask for your vote on 19 September!

The Committee to ElectLinda Dean Campbell

(Jackie Bolduc, Treasurer)42 Sugar Pine Lane Methuen, Massachusetts 01844

Email: campbellmethuen@comcast.net

Website: www.campbellformethuen.com

Phone: 978.989.0722

Sincerely,

— 8 ½ years of active service as acommissioned officer and paratrooper, bothoverseas and at Fort Bragg, NC.

— Final Assignment: Chief of the IntelligenceAnalysis Unit for XVIIIth Airborne Corps, theArmy’s rapid deployment force.

Education:

— Master of Arts, International Relations,University of Southern California

— Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa, HonorsHistory, UMASS, Amherst

Affiliations:

— St. Monica’s Parish;

— Marsh School PTO;

— Methuen YMCA Board of Directors;

— Exchange Club;

— Methuen Democratic Town Committee;

— Forest Lake Association; &

— Merrimack Residents for the Environment.

— The American Legion

LINDA DEAN CAMPBELLA True Leader To Represent Methuen

Integrity Solutions Results

August - 2006 The Valley Patriot 21MethuenUnenrolled & Pro-Life, Ken Henrick Wants to

Represent Methuen in the LegislatureValley Patriot Staff

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Mike Condon’s First Annual‘Boy’s Night’ Smoke Out

(Under the Big Top)

at the Sweetheart Iat the Sweetheart Iat the Sweetheart Iat the Sweetheart Iat the Sweetheart InnnnnnnnnnFriday August 4, 2006

Join us for a great night out! - RESERVE TODAY!

978-682-7012

Meet the Miller Lite Girls!

$100.00 per person (limited Seating)WIN A

WEEKEND ATFOXWOODS!

Hors d’oeuvers 4pm - 6pmDinner (N.E. Clambake) @6pm

* Cash Bar *Entertainment* Raffles -

*Cigars (Rocky Patel Pkg.)

Join Methuen Mayor Bill Manzifor a Summer Boat Cruise

Tursday, August 17, 2006 - 7PM-10PM - Boarding at 6:30PM Sharp

He has spent most of his life serving thepublic. As a Marine, an educator, acommunity activist, an elected official, anda man who has shown he can top the ticketin Methuen, Ken Henrick says he is readyto take on state politics and isn’t afraid tospeak his mind on controversial issues.

Henrick has served three terms as a WestEnd city councilor, is currently in his thirdterm on the Methuen School Committee andhis second term on the Greater LawrenceTechnical School Committee. He has alsoserved on the Essex County SelectiveService Board and the Lawrence Council forChildren.

He is married, has five children and twelvegrandchildren.

At 67 years old, the retired educator sayshe wants to represent Methuen at the StateHouse as an unenrolled candidate for staterepresentative.

So while the Democrat candidates fightout a four-way race in the Septemberprimary, Henrick says he is saving hisenergy for the general election.

I am running as an unenrolled candidate,”Henrick says proudly. “I was a Democrat allmy life but the Democratic Party today isjust too damned liberal. They are almostsocialists. The party left me a long time agoand so I am running unenrolled with aguarantee to be on the final ballot againstBob Andrew (the Republican) and whoeverwins the Democrat Primary.”

Asked what his main issues and goalsare as a state representative candidate,Henrick says he is pro-life. “I have alwaysbeen pro-life and I always will. I know thatis not too popular in Massachusetts, but Ifeel very strongly in preserving human life.I’ve never been afraid to say what I reallybelieve and I have never shied away fromdoing what I think is right, and a politicalcampaign is not going to change that.”

“When they asked me what werethe words I wanted to put on theballot next to my name, I listedveteran, conservative and pro-life,” he recalls.

“But when I went toAshburton Place to turn in mynomination signatures,they argued with methat pro-life wasactually two words tostop me from using it.Finally, they had to goverify it with someoneand they let me keep it.It was worth fightingfor. There are so few pro-life candidatesrunning in this state. It is sad, really.”

Henrick says he opposes abortion exceptin those very rare cases where there is anissue with the life of the mother or in a caseof rape or incest. He also opposesembryonic stem cell research, but insiststhat he is not opposed to all stem cellresearch. “Some of the research they havedone with adult stem cells is amazing and Ihope we can steer the research in thatdirection so that we are not taking a humanlife while trying to find ways to save others.”

Henrick is a life-long educator, servingas a guidance councilor for 27 years at theGreater Lawrence Technical School. Witha bachelor ’s degree in industrialmanagement and a master’s degree ineducation counseling, Henrick sayseducation is very important to him and willbe a main part of his platform.

He opposes the MCAS requirement forgraduation, supports teachers unions,opposes vouchers and charter schools,and will not support building a newMethuen High School.

“I have given that MCAS test severaltimes. And I believe this 100 percent: a great

many teachers couldn’t passMCAS if they took it forever.

When it first came out, itsounded all wonderful and itwas going to raiseexpectations and all that. Butsince I have gotten an

education on the test itself, Ihave seen that there are

some kids who will neverbe able to pass that testno matter how manytimes they take it. Whenyou look at kids like inLawrence, which is 90%Latino, how are theygoing to pass that test?”

Henrick added that he thought eachschool district should administer its owntype of MCAS test tailored to its studentpopulation. “Let each district with differentpopulations come up with their own criteriafor their own kids. For the state to say whoshould graduate and who shouldn’t isn’tright. There are some great kids who try ashard as they can and they can pass all theirsubjects, but they can never pass it. Never.”

“Let’s face it, a lot of teachers are lenient,especially in a vocational school. You havea lot of good kids who come in and try hardand a lot of teachers are going to pass themthrough because they try so hard and itwould be a shame to hold them back. Butfor the state to hold them back isn’t right.”He said he opposes vouchers and charterschools because it takes money away frompublic education and leaves the publicschool kids behind.

Henrick grew up in Lawrence and movedto Methuen 23 years ago. He said thecondition of Methuen High School has tobe addressed in the next staterepresentative’s term. “I would favorrenovating the school over building a newone. It is just too expensive and the statemoney is drying up. We have 1,800 kids inone facility that is 30 years old and we haveto do something, but building a new schoolis too extravagant. It’s an old building, butnot too old to fix it up and put these kids ina building that serves them well.”

Henrick says the key to winning the staterepresentative race and serving as an

effective representative after the election isproviding “exceptional constituentservices.”

“When people call me, I keep a book ofevery call. I take their name and number andreturn every single call. That is what peoplereally want. We are always going to disagreewith people on issues, but when the voterpicks up the phone does yourrepresentative get back to you? Do they dothe follow up? Do they address yourconcerns? That is what people want in arepresentative and I am gong to give it tothem.”

Henrick also says he is strong supporterof referendum petitions. “When thelegislature killed the gay marriage vote, itwas wrong. Agree with it or not, the peopledemanded a vote and it is up to us to makesure they get it. It should have been put onthe ballot. That may cost me votes, but sobe it. The voters have the right to vote on itwhether I agree with them or not. I am goingto make sure they get representation out ofme when issues like that come up. The samething goes for the 5% income tax rollback.”

“Especially with the surplus money wehave, let’s give it back to the people. Likeeverything else in the state, temporarymeans permanent. There is no such thingas a temporary tax.”

Henrick says that if he wins a seat at theState House he will have to give up at leastone of his other elected positions. “But Iwill deal with that when the time comes. It isimportant to work with the mayor and I willdo that,” he added.

Henrick supports universal health care.“I truly think we should have health carefor every single individual in this state. Lookat the billions we spend in Iraq; we arethrowing money away like it’s nothing. Lookat the billions wasted on the Big Dig. Believeme, we can certainly afford to insureeveryone. We find the money when we wantto and I think it’s time we want to.”

Henrick’s son Brian is managing hiscampaign and is holding a fundraiser onOctober 2nd at Jackson’s Restaurant.Henrick topped the ticket in almost everyprecinct in the last election and says hehopes to do the same this year.

Newburyport Whale Watch54 Merrimack St.Newburyport, MA

Suggested Contribution: $50, Hors d’oeuvres & Cash Bar

RSVP by08/07/06

For Tickets call 978-686-4385