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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 2, 2021 Page 9 REELECTION | FROM PAGE 3 • Secured over $5M in transportation infrastructure grants; • Increased government transparency and accountability with the Open Meeting Law; • Supported public art bringing murals to Malden with the Malden Arts ArtLine; • Helped open Pleasant Street and the new state of the art City Hall; • Advocated for the new Single Stream Recycling and Trash program; On his priorities for the next term Ryan said: “Together, we can help keep our neighbors in their homes and allow seniors to age in place. Through hard work and dedication to equity and inclusion, we can empower all our residents and ensure that Malden works for everyone. By investing in and expanding Malden Public Schools, we can provide a world class education to every child. By cutting the red tape (e.g., removing the blue tarp), we can help our local small businesses recover from the economic devastation of the pandemic. Through mutual trust and respect, we can continue the fight to form a more perfect Union.” If Ryan is reelected to the Malden City Council, he will focus on the following priorities: • Continuing to expose deep rooted government corruption…no more Malden Shenanigans! • Protecting public assets: parks, schools, and other pubLETTER | FROM PAGE 6 space available to them. The adjacent neighborhood already experiences flooding due to its low lying position, an area which receives large amounts of runoff from the hills above Salem Street. Malden’s Vulnerability Plan calls for the City of Malden to “Conduct Salemwood Runoff (H&H) Analysis, Vulnerability Assessment and Feasibility Study to include consideration of nature-based infiltration technologies and other nature-based systems.” To date, this study has not been done. It is time for all of us, state leadership, municipal leadership and citizens, to sign on to the initiatives in this climate bill by recognizing the decades of damage that will occur by removing a three acre grass park, a natural resource, in one of Malden’s most congested environmental justice urban areas. Beyond the specific initiatives in the Climate Bill, there is also the consideration of plastic pollution. This type of project will burden our future generations lic buildings like the Oak Grove Community Center; and our natural resources like Waitt’s Mount, High Rock, and the Malden River/Spot Pond Brook. • Investing in our infrastructure: water, natural gas, roads, sidewalks, storm drains, and powerlines • Building safe roads for all users: pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists. • Advocating for workers’ rights and working families. • Expanding affordable homeownership opportunities so that Maldonians can age in place. • Fighting for equity and inclusion to ensure that Malden works for all residents regardless of race, gender identify, age, national origin, sexual orientation, ability, and any other protected status. The municipal election will be on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. Ward 4, Precinct 1 votes at the C.W. Holmes Early Learning Center (257 Mountain Ave) and Ward 4, Precinct 2 votes at the Markey Senior Center (7 Washington Street.) On your support, Ryan said: “I humbly ask for your vote of confidence this November. Come on Malden, let’s get to work!” You can find out more about Ryan by visiting: www.ryan-omalley.com or www.facebook.com/maldenomalley If you like the work Ryan is doing, please consider making a small donation at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rom2021 with microplastics, PFAs and plastic waste. Plastic is causing havoc in our soil and water. Artificial turf parks are part of the plastic waste problem by causing additional pollution stressors. We look forward to working with our leadership to support climate change mitigation and to improve our environment for all. It will be up to all of us, through your leadership and the leadership of the City of Malden, to develop a plan that will support the hard work put into developing this comprehensive Climate Bill. We are all charged with being stewards of our environment. We are also responsible for ensuring that we will be protecting our most vulnerable communities and populations. Sincerely yours, Friends of Roosevelt Park and the Salemwood School Community Cc Senator Ed Markey Senator Elizabeth Warren Representative Katherine Clark MVES receives grant from Meals on Wheels and PetSmart Charities to support older adults and their pets M ystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) received a $4,000 emergency pet food grant through a partnership between Meals on Wheels America and PetSmart Charities®. Funding was used to meet an increased demand for MVES’s pet-related services and to overcome infrastructure challenges amid COVID-19. MVES care managers chose consumers who needed the help the most. Through this generous grant, 20 consumers and more than 30 pet companions were helped. “While our mission remains focused on the independence and dignity of older adults, oftentimes, their best friends may be their pets. For that reason, being able to provide food resources for both people and their pet pals can make a positive difference,” said MVES CEO Daniel O’Leary. Amid stay-at-home guidance and other health and safety measures in place to protect against COVID-19, millions of older adults are experiencing the impacts of loneliness and diminished social connection. While pet ownership is known to lower instances of illness and reported feelings of loneliness among older adults and is particularly crucial during this challenging time, many face difficulties with procuring groceries, like pet food and supplies, on their own. According to a Grace, whose mother Betty is a MVES consumer and a recipient of the grant, the gift of dog food for her pet has helped her family in several ways. “Because my mother is 97 years old, and I too am a senior, we will not have to go out now to get food for our dog. We have been trying to keep our public outings to a minimum during COVID,” explains Grace. “Because our dog is on a special diet, her pet food costs a little more. This grant helped save about $170 over the next three months. The savings will go toward pet insurance and our dog’s needs. There is even a little left over for a toy or two! So the savings are a great help.” “As so many older adults became homebound practically overnight in the face of the pandemic, they also became shut off from critical social connections,” said Meals on Wheels America President/ CEO Ellie Hollander. “Meals on Wheels programs have been working around the clock to serve an influx of seniors in need of support over the past year, which includes preserving the proven powerful relationships they have with their pets. This generous funding from PetSmart Charities makes that possible.” Grace and Betty’s dog is a four-year-old rescue dog that has been with them for about a year and half. She is part Chihuahua and part terrier. “When we were asked by the MVES care manager what kind of food our dog ate, I was surprised. She then explained the grant to me and how my mother could benefit from it. At first, I thought we would receive a bag of dog food. Never did I image we would receive two large boxes of food!” said Grace. “Yes, there are savings, but more than that, it is the thought of the organization to realize that pets are one of the nearest and dearest things to folks, especially during the Pandemic.” Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. 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