Friday, April 11, 2008

Councilor rushed to hospital for suspected drug overdose



Lawrence City Councilor Grisel Silva was rushed to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after a 911 call was placed to the Lawrence Police claiming the District "B" councilor was in her car and had taken a bottle of sleeping pills. (READ TRIBUNE STORY HERE) Officers Flemming and Beauleau investigated the incident and Silva was held for observation overnight. Police said last night that Silva will most likely, not be charged with driving while under the influence. Silva's husband Nelson, refused to comment to the Valley Patriot last night, but did threaten to sue the Lawrence Police the Eagle Tribune and the Valley Patriot if the police report or the 911 call was reported to the public. Oddly enough, Councilor Silva did issue a public statement last night only minutes after the Valley Patriot website posted the story and then was hacked into, making updates to the site impossible for more than two hours. (Grisel Silva's Press Release).


***We at the Valley Patriot are interested in what YOU think about the latest Grisel Silva fiasco.

Her husband contends that this is purely a private matter and others are contending that this is just the Evil Tribune out to get her .... again. Should Grisel Silva resign from the council and tend to her enormous personal and emotional problems before trying to solve the city's problems? Is this story over the line and an invasion of her personal life? And, what if she had fallen asleep at the wheel of her car and killed someone? Shouldn't she be charged with DUI?? Does she bear any responsibility for the bad press she causes the city every time she gets crazy and does something monumentally embarrassing?


16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for Mrs. Silva. I really pray for her and her family that they can get through their perosnal issues. I also feel bad for the taxpayers of Lawrence. I think Mrs. Silva should resign as a city councilor and come back to public life when she is feeling better physically and emotionally.

Anonymous said...

I really feel this is a private issue that should not be blogged or written about in the media. It's personal and I think Tom Duggan is out to destroy the councilor. Nobody cares about Silva's psychosis as long as she can control herself at meetings.

Anonymous said...

She should RESIGN! How can she handle the major problems facing the City of Lawrence if she can't even handle he own emotional and personal problems. I think her behavior at public events and meetings should have been the first red flag that she was too ill to handle the stress of being an elected official. But now, given that she is currently trying to get her colleague Nilka Alvarez to resign as a councilor because of HER medical problems, (she has asthma) I think SILVA should be held to the standard she sets for others. She has to go, and if that means Lawrence Community Works gets a rubber stamp councilor as her replacement for the next year ...then so be it.

Anonymous said...

The fact that the Silva had no problem exposing personal details of others, called for people's resignations, publicly embarrassed city employees at council meetings, vilified police officers personally as well as the police department, spread gross rumors about John Romero and his personal life, lied about Lawrence firefighters and screamed and yelled at anyone who doesn't see things her way I think it is only right that she be held to the same standard. I agree with her on the budget, the top heavy Sullivan administration and the way the city is bumbled by our department heads, but she is the definition of the phrase "the pot calling the kettle black"

Anonymous said...

How come I posted a comment at 11am and it didn't post until 5pm. What kind of blog is this?

Anonymous said...

All anonymous postings have to be approved by me before they are posted in order to prevent slanderous postings that cross the line. I will approve postings as quick as I can and will only delete those of a harassing, threatening or overly personal nature.

Anonymous said...

I blame Tom Duggan for all this. He created Grisel Silva, he defended her, he made excuses for her (he admitted that on the radio show today in case anyone missed it), he supported her, he helped her get elected and if anyone is to blame for Silva being out of control and embarassing they city it's HIM! Now he thinks she should resign? Is that because you know whatever damage she does to the city's reputation it's because of you? LOSER!

Anonymous said...

I believe Mrs. Silva is the only one bringing the issues of this administration to light. While some see her ways disruptive she gets the missmangement of the Mayor and Police Chief out to light just as she did on the last council meeting where she exposed the police chief giving out promotions when there are dpw workers being laid off. Personal issues are just such we dont know what they are and we shouldnt be concern with them other to have her in our prayer. Any way you think the one who would replace her is any better, HA Lawrence loses either way Lawrence shut be shut down by the outside goverment 800 forclosers 25 million defict streets that look worse than dorchester shamefull....

Anonymous said...

It's a shame if we would fire every shameless freak at city hall it would be emty. Hope she is well my prayers for her and family. Tom remember your incident at the school that to was unfair yet they crusified you never giving you the chance to clear your name the head hunters are out again this is why were the laughing stock of MA there is no shame in Lawrence I hope the state takes it over and the FEDS start indictmenst starting first with John Romero..

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Because of a glitch, some of the comments posted earlier today and late last night were lost. If anyone wants to repost them I will make sure they are published here.

As a side note, to answer anonymous' question about MY scandal as a member of the Lawrence School Committee: when it became clear that my presence on the school committee was a hinderance to the committee getting important business done, even though I had broken no laws and had done nothing wrong, I did the honorable thing and I resigned. It is all a matter of whether or not you love yourself and your own elected position more than you love your city. I feel bad for Grisel Silva too, and though her misplaced anger is now aimed at me, (the guy who defended her for three years) I really do hope she gets the help she needs. In the mean time however, her bizarre behavior, both in public meetings and in the community should make it clear to everyone that she cannot seperate her personal issues from city business. She and her supporters can try to make this about me, they can attack my motives and they can even attack me personally, but none of that changes the fact that she alone is responsible for her own actions. And, if she really cared more about the city of Lawrence than she does her own ego she would do the right thing. One way or the other, I am not the enemy here, if I was, I would have posted ALL the information I have on this incident (which is extensive). I didn't do that and have no interest in doing that. Just remember THAT when trying to make this a story about how Tom Duggan is "out to get" Grisel Silva. If the Tribue had the documents I have, believe me it would have been printed and public fodder already.

Anonymous said...

Don't hold your breath waiting for Grisel Silva to do the right thing. She would never give up an ounce of publicity for the sake of her children or her husband. She would never sacrifice a thing for her husband or children. She proved that when she let Nelson take the blame in the gun issue and threw him under the bus several times in court and in the press. She didn't care enough about her kids to keep her mouth shut when it really mattered and she has stabbed in the back every person who has ever helped her. So, if you are waiting for Grisel Silva to do the right thing you have a long wait. My prayers go out to her husband and kids. The hell she puts them through is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Anonymous said...

I can't really have any confidence that she will be the person that can pull together the residents of this city if she can't even pull herself together. We need someone who at least portrays themselves professional and sane. Resign.

Anonymous said...

My prayers are with Mrs. Silva and her family. But i believe that the time has come for her to resign. She has done some great work as a city councilor over the past few years. but i believe that now she can no longer handle the pressure of being in the public eye (although we all know how much she loves publicity). She can no longer keep seperate her personal life and her councilor matters. This does mean that we would have an even worse replacement get a seat just in time for the new budget procces. but this is something that we will have to deal with because it is apparent that Mrs. silva can no longer handle the work she has been given and if she really was about doing what she thought was best for the city then she would realize that her resignation would be what was best.

Tennis Lilly said...

Tom

My original post must have been lost.

Councilor Silva's personal life is just that. Just as it's none of my business what church she attends (or doesn't attend), who she sleeps with, or what she does in her personal time. This is a private matter. Clearly she has issues. I wish her well.

I do not agree with councilor Silva on many issues.I don't care for the way she comports herself on the council, nor do I like her penchant for harsh personal attacks. Those reasons, and those alone, are sufficient if one chooses not to vote for councilor Silva. If her personal issues interfere with her PUBLIC actions and responsibilities, then by all means act to remove her from office. Until then, she is entitled to the same privacy that we all demand of ourselves.

Anonymous said...

I'm not up to speed on this story but can say the city has a severe lack of leadership, and a abundence of rubber stamps. So I'm not to inclined to be harsh on the counciler when the pickings are far and few to replace her with. As she is an elected official there is more area that should be exposed to the public, having a difficult time in life is normal, as a community and nieghbors the question should also be what can we do to help? Mybe there would be less stress if we had more honest, active participants in how our government is/isn't working.