Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 13, 2026 Mayor announces State of the City address at the Senior/Teen Center M ayor Gary Christenson invites residents to attend Malden’s 2026 State of the City on Wednesday, March 18, at the Senior/Teen Center (7 Washington St.). This year the event is taking a new approach, with a special reception hosted by Malden teens prior to the official presentation. Residents are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to enjoy light refreshments, tour the Senior/Teen Center and meet City of Malden staff before the presentation begins. The State of the City presentation will start at 6:15 p.m., with Mayor Gary Christenson, City Council President Amanda Linehan (Ward 3) and other city officials sharing updates, key information and their vision for the community. This event is free and open to all residents. Seating is limited, so please register in advance. Walk-ins will be accommodated if space permits. Residents can register online at www.cityofmalden.org/SOC2026 or by calling City Hall at 781-397-7000 x 2001 during regular business hours (listed at www.cityofmalden.org). Sen. Lewis and Mass. Senate pass BRIGHT Act to invest in public higher education facilities S enator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass An Act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher-ed transformation (also known as the BRIGHT Act), a $3.28 billion bond bill that invests in upgrades to public higher education campuses across Massachusetts and strengthens the learning experiences of students at community colleges, state universities and UMass campuses. The BRIGHT Act modernizes facilities and addresses the backlog of deferred campus maintenance by harnessing the power of the Fair Share Amendment, a small income surtax on the state’s wealthiest residents, to back a new state bond issuance. “I was proud to help lead the passage of the Fair Share Amendment to support critical education investments just like this,” said Senator Lewis. “This bill invests in new housing, modern and sustainable infrastructure, and urgent deferred maintenance that will save the state money in years to come and upgrade facilities for the benefit of our public college students.” The funding will help cover deferred maintenance, repairs and major capital projects, including lab modernization, workforce development facilities, and climate resilience and energy efficiency priorities. The bill also provides support for public colleges and universities to turn unused campus property into housing or mixed-use developments, and to simplify the process for selling or leasing surplus land. To finance BRIGHT Act projects, this legislation dedicates $125 million per year from the Fair Share surtax on high-earning households to create and back a new special revenue bond. The state collected roughly $3 billion in total Fair Share revenues in 2025. This capital investment package builds on recent Senate-led policies to make public higher education in Massachusetts more affordable and accessible, including tuition-free community college and substantial increases to student financial aid. After passing with bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill will now be reconciled with a similar version that was previously passed by the House of Representatives before being sent to Governor Maura Healey for her signature and/or other action. Friends of MPL upcoming events Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 F ollowing are the Friends of the Malden Public Library upcoming events. Sunday, March 15, 9:30-11:30 a.m. — Book Swap event with Malden Pride at Cafe Reynard (89 Commercial St. in Malden). For the second year, the Friends of the MPL is collaborating with Malden Pride and Cafe Reynard to host a book swap event at Cafe Reynard. Bring a book or two to swap with others. Don’t have books to swap? The Friends will have books available to purchase for $1-2. Saturdays, March 21 and April 4, 10 a.m. — Book Room organization at Malden Public Library. Help us organize and sort book donations for our upcoming book sale. Educational Forum series on Proposition 2 1/2 Ballot Initiative — Malden residents are invited to attend a series of Educational Forums focused on the upcoming Proposition 2 1/2 ballot initiative special election taking place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. • Thursday, March 5, 6 p.m. at Beebe School Auditorium (401 Pleasant St. in Malden) • Monday, March 16, 6 p.m. at Ferryway School Auditorium (150 Cross St. in Malden) • Wednesday, March 25, 6 p.m. at Linden STEAM Academy Auditorium (29 Wescott St. in Malden) Friday, May 15, 7 p.m. — Wine Tasting Gala at the Converse Art Gallery. It’s hard to think about spring right now, but planning is underway for the Friends’ annual Wine Tasting Gala! The Friends of the MPL (friendsofmaldenlibrary.org/) are always looking for new volunteers to help them organize the most elegant social event in Malden! This year’s theme is Spring Bloom! Dress in your finest floral garments. The Friends are looking into nonalcoholic options, and 10% of the purchases at the Gala will go towards the Friends. There will be a silent auction featuring donations from local authors and businesses.
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