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Page 6 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 2, 2021 PAYLESS OIL 877-688-7667 $2.29 March 29, 2021 SPRING Go GREEN LANDSCAPING & CONSTRUCTION LLC Lawns Cut CLEANUPS CHEAP FREE Estimates and Fully Insured $100 (COUPON YOUR CHOICE * THESE SERVICES ONLY * LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER) NEW SPRING OR FALL FLOWERS * NEW SHRUBS * TREE REMOVAL OUTSIDE PAINTING * JUNK REMOVAL * SIMPLE HANDYMAN REPAIRS * COUPON IS REDEEMABLE FOR NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Services include: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Fertilization * Mulching *Junk Removed * Aeration * New Shrubs/Trees * Demolition * Irrigation Systems * New Lawns/Sod/Seed * Dog Poop Scoping * Dethatching * Tree Removal * Masonry * Lawn Cutting * Stump Removal * Landscaping * Spring/Fall Clean Ups * Gutter Cleaning * Sealcoating * Pruning * New Fences SERVING THE NORTH SHORE 877-688-7667 9 Senior/Veteran Discounts Serving All Communities ~ Letter-to-the-Editor ~ Open letter from the Friends of Roosevelt Park and Salemwood School Community Dear Senator Lewis, Representative Ultrino, Representative Donato, Representative Lipper-Garabedian, The Friends of Roosevelt Park (FoRP) and the Salemwood School Community were very pleased to see the Governor sign the Climate Change Bill. This is an exciting and monumental event in Massachusetts history. It is equally exciting to hear there will be additional funding for communities to mitigate climate change and to support the preservation of our natural resources, including our parks and open spaces, in environmental justice communities. We (FoRP) are writing to request that funding be earmarked for the clean-up of the lead contamination at Roosevelt Park and to source additional funding to replace and maintain the natural grass park which curLaw Offices of JOSEPH D. CATALDO, P.C. “ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW” • ESTATE/MEDICAID PLANNING • WILLS/TRUSTS/ESTATES • INCOME TAX PREPARATION • WEALTH MANAGEMENT • RETIREMENT PLANNING • ELDER LAW 369 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 (617)381-9600 JOSEPH D. CATALDO, CPA, CFP, MST, ESQUIRE. AICPA Personal Financial Specialist Designee rently exists. Roosevelt Park serves as the primary play space for the students of the Salemwood School in Malden. The school population reflects the definition of an environmental justice population as written in the Climate Change Bill. (See Appendix A for school data) “Environmental justice principles”, principles that support protection from environmental pollution and the ability to live in and enjoy a clean and healthy environment, regardless of race, color, income, class, handicap, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity or ancestry, religious belief or English language proficiency, which includes: (i) the meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies, including climate change policies; and (ii) the equitable distribution of energy and environmental benefits and environmental burdens. The Malden Education Association has written to the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in opposition of the proposed project due to the effect it will have on the students at the Salemwood School concerning their socio economic status, limited English language proficiency, ethnicity and national origin of the student population. A planned renovation of this park would remove the environmental benefits, as stated in the bill, for these students and the surrounding neighborhood. “Environmental benefits-as defined in the Climate Bill”, “the access to clean natural resources, including air, water resources, open space, constructed playgrounds and other outdoor recreational facilities and venues…” Instead of removing the lead contamination across the field and remediating the park with clean soil and natural grass, the multi-million dollar planned sports complex, which will primarily benefit those outside this neighborhood and school community, will introduce additional contaminants consisting of tons of plastic turf, rubber backing and a styrofoam pad creating an environmental burden for the neighborhood and the school community. The natural resource of a grass park for community use will be extricated; plastics and microplastics will runoff into the Saugus Branch Brook culvert, a stormwater tributary to the Malden River disqualifying the hard work of cleaning up the river over the past several years. The Friends of the Malden River have written a letter of opposition to the plan to remove a natural grass park because of the negative impact a synthetic (plastic) grass field will have on the environment concerning pollution of soil and water ways, and introducing another heat island to the City of Malden. Currently, these fields are not being recycled as promised by the industry, instead, they are responsible for hundreds of used artificial turf graveyards which are storing these used fields or they are being dumped into landfills. (Appendix D see attached photos). As written in the Climate Change Bill-“Environmental burdens”, any destruction, damage or impairment of natural resources that is not insignificant, resulting from intentional or reasonably foreseeable causes, including but not limited to, air pollution, water pollution, improper sewage disposal, dumping of solid wastes and other noxious substances, excessive noise, activities that limit access to natural resources and constructed outdoor recreational facilities and venues, inadequate remediation of pollution, reduction of groundwater levels, impairment of water quality, increased flooding or storm water flows, and damage to inland waterways and water bodies, wetlands, marine shores and waters, forests, open spaces, and playgrounds from private industrial, commercial or government operations or other activity that contaminates or alters the quality of the environment and poses a risk to public health. The Malden Vulnerability Plan states that Roosevelt Park is key to mitigating flooding in the surrounding neighborhood and the Salemwood School. It also states that the park, as grass with a tree canopy, is key to mitigating a heat island effect in this densely populated neighborhood. (Appendix B) This area of Malden, Ward 5-2, has no other natural green LETTER | SEE PAGE 9

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