THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, January 13, 2023 Page 13 Gov. Maura Healy Inauguration at TD Garden Outgoing Gov. Baker takes ceremonial Lone Walk By Th e Advocate (Advocate photos by Katy Rogers) O n Jan. 5, Governor Maura Healey, along with Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll celebrated their inauguration at a gala event at the TD Garden. Healey became the fi rst woman elected governor of the Commonwealth as well as the fi rst open member of the LGBTQ community to hold the offi ce. One of the highlights of the event, locally, was the EHS Marching Band preforming, along with singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile at the celebration at TD Garden. Gov. Healey, along with her family, friends and supporters, celebrated their arrival to the State House. The day before, outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker exited his offi ce on Wednesday evening for a ceremonial Lone Walk down the front steps of the State House joined by First Lady Lauren Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Second Gentleman Steve Rodolakis as they bid their farewells to supporters, colleagues, and Cabinet members for the historic event. Singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile performs Former Gov. Charlie Baker and former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito thank well-wishers outside the State House. Charlie Baker taking the ceremonial Lone Walk down the front stairs of the State House with First Lady Lauren Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Second Gentleman Steve Rodolakis. The Everett High School Marching band perform. GRANTS | FROM PAGE 12 Gov. Maura Healey addresses the audience. Everett: Gateway Park Urban Forest/Wetland Restoration ($750,000) This funding will help support the restoration of a degraded 14-acre waterfront parcel of land and create a rare public open space for low-income Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) residents in the environmental justice community of Everett. This project will remove invasive plants and other debris, reconstruct a forested coastal wetland area as a habitat and for stormwater management, reforest with native trees and other perennials, install environmental education signage in a broad range of languages and construct a pedestrian boardwalk throughout the site. “For as long as I can remember, the wetlands portion of Gov. Charlie Baker and First Lady Lauren and family thank well-wishers. Gateway Park has been neglected and overgrown,” said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “This grant will help us restore wildlife habitat and bring residents in an environmental justice community closer to nature along the Malden River and Boston Harbor waterfront.” “Everett is in desperate need of healthy open space… We can’t wait to see Gateway Park fi nished,” said Josee Genty from Everett Community Growers. MyRWA: Cooling Urban Heat Islands through Enhancing Urban Forests in Greater Boston’s Mystic River Watershed ($400,000) This funding will help mitigate the dangers of climate-driven extreme heat in vulnerable environmental justice communities, including Everett, Chelsea Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll greet the audience at the TD Garden. and East Boston. The program will support the implementation of local urban forestry plans (including the planting of 750 trees), while training youths, reentry citizens and others to perform the horticulture activities needed to establish and maintain urban trees. “This funding allows us to partner with communities to cool off some of the hottest neighborhoods in our watershed that currently have very few parks, trees, or other cooling amenities,” said MyRWA Deputy Director for Projects David Queeley. “These same neighborhoods are where many low-income BIPOC residents live due to past redlining practices and crushingly high housing prices elsewhere. Helping vulnerable residents stay safe lowers hospitalization rates and medical costs. If we can help cool off the The balloons drop during Gov. Healey's Inaugural celebration. hottest streets, or even whole neighborhoods, why wouldn’t we?” Mystic River Watershed at a Glance The 76-square-mile Mystic River Watershed stretches from Reading through the northern shoreline of Boston Harbor to Revere. It is one of New England’s most urbanized watersheds. The seven-mile Mystic River and its tributaries represented an early economic engine for colonial Boston; 10 shipyards, tide-driven mills, brickyards and tanneries along both banks of the river brought both wealth and pollution. In the 1960s, the Amelia Earhart Dam transformed much of the river into a freshwater impoundment, while construction of Interstate 93 fi lled in wetlands and dramatically changed the river’s course. Since then, many former industrial sites have been cleaned up and redeveloped into new commercial areas and residential communities. The Mystic is facing growing climate-related challenges: coastal and stormwater fl ooding, extreme storms, heat, drought and unpredictable seasonal weather. The watershed is relatively low-lying and extensively developed, making it prone to both freshwater and coastal fl ooding. Its 21 municipalities are home to 600,000 residents, including many who are disproportionately vulnerable to extreme weather: environmental justice communities, new Americans, residents of color, elders, low-income residents and employees, people living with disabilities and English-language learners.
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