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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 17 FIRE STATION | FROM PAGE 1 it was a nice chance to enjoy a celebration with members of the community, and “Most of the time when we see residents, it’s during emergencies.” City Council President Jadeane Sica brought Malden’s offi cial best wishes to the party. “Although the needs of the department and the building have changed, one thing is certain – the caliber of the men and women of this Department remains the same,” Sica told the crowd. “On behalf of the City of Malden, I want to extend my appreciation to every member of the Department for the work they do every day to ensure the safety of our city.” The Central Station, a modby iller How SSI Can Help Low-Income Seniors and the Disabled Attendees are shown during the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Central Fire Station on Salem Street on Sunday. that included laying a cornerstone with a time capsule inside. Although the building is still going strong, the time capsule was not as lucky. Over the years, water seeped sule. Back in 1919, the city celebrated with readings, speeches, dancing and a band that performed patriotic pieces to honor fi refi ghters serving in the war. On Sunday, the Malden High School Band performed some of the same numbers, including “Over There” and the “Star Spangled Banner.” For Finn, Sunday’s celebration hit all the right notes. “I was happy that it showcased the building, but I was equally happy that it showcased all the work the men and women of the department did,” said Finn. Over the past couple of The Central Fire Station circa 1919 ern colonial brick building, replaced a mid-19th -century fi re station on Main Street. The city spent roughly $100,000 to build it, including $16,000 that went to the family of Phineas Sprague for the land. In addition to a signal system, the design for the new station featured offi ces for the chief and fi re commissioner, a community room and a voting booth where residents of the ward could cast their ballots. On August 29, 1918, the city held an offi cial groundbreaking ceremony for the station CANNABIS | FROM PAGE 7 requirements of the State Cannabis Commission, and licensing forms are all provided. Hard copies of materials are available for applicants at the Offi ce of the Mayor (17 Pleasant St. in Malden) as well as at the Offi ce of the Building Commissioner (110 Pleasant St., in Malden). Completed applications must be submitted to the Mayor’s Offi ce (17 Pleasant St.) toin and damaged many of the items made of paper, such as a photo of then Mayor Charles Blodgett, his inaugural address, a fi re department manual and a roster of fi refi ghters serving “under the colors” in World War I. “We were excited about the time capsule so were disappointed to fi nd that a lot of the items were ruined,” said Finn. Still, fi refi ghters were able to pull a few newspaper stories about the building project as well as a silver badge and a coin from 1918 from the capgether with the $200 application fee by noon on Monday, May 20, 2019. Incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed by the CLEC. Following the application deadline, the CLEC will review completed applications. Upon a successful vote to proceed by the CLEC, applicants may move on to the next set of requirements, which include conducting a community meeting, applying for a years, fi refi ghters assigned to the Central Station have been renovating the second fl oor of the building. Finn said it was a partnership with the city, which provided the materials, and the fi refi ghters, who put in the skills and sweat. It was especially sweet to show off the renovations to retired fi refi ghters who worked in the station and were impressed with the makeover. Although there are still a few more repairs that need to be done, Finn said he’s amazed every time he climbs the stairs and sees the completely remodeled top floor. “I’m so proud of the work the fi refi ghters did,” said Finn. “And they did it between calls.” special permit issued by the City Council and executing a host community agreement. Only with the successful completion of the above may applicants then submit their application to the State Cannabis Commission for state licensing approval. For further information, please visit the CLEC webpage at www.cityofmalden.org/cannabis or email cannabis@cityofmalden.org. For great advertising rates: JMitchell@advocatenews.net Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about the Supplemental Security Income program and what are the eligibility requirements? My father is very low-income, so I’m wondering if this is something he may qualify for. Searching Daughter Dear Searching, Supplemental Security Income (or SSI) is a program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash benefi ts to people that are disabled or over 65 based on fi nancial need. Currently, more than 8 million people are receiving SSI benefi ts. Here’s what you should know. Eligibility Requirements To qualify for SSI your dad must be either age 65 or older, blind or disabled, and must be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident. He must also have limited assets and income. His assets must be less than $2,000 or $3,000 for couples. This includes cash, bank accounts, other personal property, and anything else that could potentially be converted to cash. His home, household goods and one vehicle, along with life insurance policies and burial funds valued under $1,500; do not count towards countable assets. The income limit to qualify for SSI, however, is much more complicated. Countable income includes wages or any other kind of money your dad earned from working, plus money he gets from other sources like unemployment, Social Security retirement, or gifts from friends, but also, free food or shelter. In 2019, the SSI allowable income limit is $771 a month for an individual or $1,157 a month for a couple. So, if your dad’s countable income is over the SSI allowable limit (this is based on a complex set of rules and calculations – see SSA.gov/ssi/ text-income-ussi.htm) he would not qualify. But if he’s under it, he would qualify for some benefi ts depending on his countable income. To help you determine if your dad is eligible for SSI, help him take the Social Security Administration’s benefits screening test at SSAbest.benefi ts.gov. This online questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and screens for a variety of benefi ts, not just SSI. You should also know that most states – except Arizona, Mississippi, North Dakota and West Virginia – supplement the federal SSI payment with payments of their own. In some of the states that pay a supplement, your dad may qualify for the state payment even if he doesn’t meet the federal SSI eligibility criteria. How to Apply If you think that your dad is eligible for SSI, call 800-772-1213 and set up an appointment to apply at his local Social Security offi ce. To help make the application process go quickly and smoothly, your dad should bring his Social Security number; birth certifi cate or other proof of age; information about the home where he lives, such as his mortgage, or lease and the landlord’s name; payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records and other information about his income and the things he owns; his proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status; and if he is applying for SSI because he is disabled or blind, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have information related to his condition. For more information visit SSA.gov/ssi or call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and ask them to mail you a copy of publication 11000 “Supplemental Security Income (SSI).” You can also read it online at SSA.gov/ pubs/EN-05-11000.pdf. Other Assistance Programs Depending on your dad’s income, needs and location there are other financial assistance programs that may be able to help him like Medicaid, prescription drug assistance, food stamps and energy assistance. To fi nd out what he may be eligible for go to Benefi tsCheckUp.org. This is a free, confi dential Web tool that contains more than 2,500 programs. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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