Page 20 avvya yavvy eniiooravvy S iorn or v y io iori by Jim Miller How to Find Affordable Internet Services? Dear Savvy Senior, I was recently notifi ed that the Aff ordable Connectivity Program, which subsidizes my monthly internet bill, is about to end. What are my options for fi nding aff ordable home internet services now? I’m 71 years old and live primarily on my Social Security benefi ts. Barely Getting By Dear Barely, It’s unfortunate, but without additional funding from Congress, the Aff ordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is winding down and will end in mid-May. For those that aren’t familiar with this program, the ACP is a government benefi t that has provided millions of fi nancially eligible households with a discount of up to $30 per month toward their home internet service, or up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. The ACP was initially born out of a pandemic-era program called the Emergency Broadband Benefi t in 2021 and replaced six months later by the longer-term ACP when Congress devoted $14.2 billion to the program as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. More than 23 million households are currently enrolled in the ACP which has signifi cantly helped close the digital divide, as affordability has been the primary barrier that has kept most ACP benefi ciaries from getting home internet services. But funds are almost out, and a sharply divided Congress has chosen not to continue funding the program, unless they change their mind in the 11th hour. What to Do Now? A good fi rst step in securing aff ordable home internet services is to contact your current provider to fi nd out if they off er any other discounts or low-cost services that fi t your budget. If not, you should shop around. The nonprofi t organization EveryoneOn has a National Off er Locator Tool that can help you fi nd low-income discounted internet services from providers in your area. Just go to EveryoneOn.org/fi nd-off ers, type in your ZIP code and answer a few questions regarding your household fi nancial situation so the internet services you’re eligible for can be located. Some cities and states across the country are also off ering their own local versions of the ACP to help low-income households pay their internet. The best way to look for these services is by going to Google and searching for “(location) internet resources.” Check Lifeline Benefi t If you haven’t already done so, you also need to fi nd out if you’re eligible for the Lifeline program. Unlike the ACP, Lifeline is a permanently funded federal assistance program that provides a $9.25 monthly subsidy that can help pay your home internet, phone or bundled services (up to $34.25 if you live on Tribal lands). Only one benefi t is available per household. To qualify, your annual household income must be at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which is $19,683 for one person or $26,622 for two. Or, if you’re receiving certain types of government benefi ts such as Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, public housing assistance, veterans’ pension or survivors pension benefi t, or live on federally recognized Tribal lands. You can apply for Lifeline online at LifelineSupport.org, via mail or through your internet or phone provider. Or, if you need assistance call their support line at 800-234-9473. Other Options If you fi nd that you aren’t eligible for any of the lower-income services, you may still be able to save on your internet by shopping and comparing. The best way to do this is at websites like InMyArea.com, which provides a list of internet providers in your area, along with pricing and download speeds. Most providers off er plans under $50 monthly, and you can often fi nd additional discounts for things like bundling with a cellphone plan or signing an annual contract. Another way to save some money is to buy your own equipment. Most internet service providers charge around $15 per month to rent a modem and router from them. But you can buy your own for as little as $100, which will pay for itself within the fi rst year. 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. Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (MVRCS) Invitation to Bid for Demolition of a Residential Building at 31 Granite Street, Malden, MA General Bid Deadline: 5/28/2024 1:00 PM Description: School is seeking bids for the demolition of a residential building at 31 Granite Street, Malden, MA. Plans and specifications will be available on May 1st by requesting from Al Carrier (MVRCS Project Manager) by email to al@carrier-associates.com. A site walk through is scheduled for 11:00am on Monday 5/13/24 at 31 Granite Street, Malden, MA. Expect work to begin on 6/21/2024 and conclude by 8/1/2024. Bids are to be delivered to: Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, 4 Laurel Street, Malden, MA 02148 Attn.: Rick Veilleux 781 388-0222 x2005, rveilleux@mvrcs.org May 03, 2024 ~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 3, 2024 BHRC | FROM PAGE 16 the land of a large-scale condominium project during the construction phase. The bill would keep the land on the tax rolls during the constructions phase. Supporters say that this problem is more of an issue on multi-phased projects where a fi rst phase of a condominium development gets built, and for whatever reason other phases of the project languish. "I fi led the bill … to support municipal assessors as they assess their municipal property tax revenue,” said sponsor Rep. Joan Meschino (D-Hull). "We want to ensure that municipalities receive all the revenue to which they are entitled in order to fully provide for esPUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF MALDEN LICENSING BOARD A Public Hearing will be held before the Licensing Board for the City of Malden at City Hall, 215 Pleasant Street, Room 108, Malden, MA 02148 on May 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. regarding the application of Some Restaurants, Inc. d/b/a Thaiger Den, 157 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA. Application is being made for an on premises S12 Restaurant All Alcoholic Beverages License. All interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard. Lee A. Kinnon, Chairman Andrew Zeiberg, Member Paul Lee, Member Dated: May 3, 2024 ~ Legal Notice ~ REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS North Suburban Consortium 5-Year (2025-2029) Consolidated Plan Consulting Services The Malden Redevelopment Authority d/b/a City of Malden Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, as agent for and representative member of, the North Suburban Consortium (“NSC”) is soliciting proposals from qualified professional consultants to provide planning services, technical advice and assistance in connection with the preparation of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan (“Con Plan”) required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) pursuant to its HOME Investment Partnerships Program (“HOME”) and Community Development Block Grant Program (“CDBG”). The Con Plan will cover the eight communities comprising the NSC: Arlington, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere and Winthrop. The Con Plan will support the combined HOME entitlement grant for these eight communities, as well as the CDBG entitlement grants for the four member communities that receive a regular CDBG entitlement grant: Malden, Medford, Arlington, and Revere. Proposals are due 12:00 pm on May 20, 2024. To request a copy of the RFP, please email Kristina Tseng ktseng@cityofmalden.org. CITY OF MALDEN Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development April 26, May 3, 2024 sential service demands." "This is about fairness and equity,” said Kevin Rudden, Legislative Chair of the State Assessors Association. “Communities currently lose the value and property tax revenue of a condominium project during a multi-phase project, particularly if it’s delayed.That means other homeowners must make up for that lost revenue.This fi xes that so the value of the property and its revenue to the community is not lost during construction phases.” HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of April 22-26, the House met for a total of 26 hours and 57 minutes and the Senate met for a total of fi ve hours and six minutes. Mon. April 22 House11:01 a.m. to 11:17 a.m. Senate 11:19 a.m. to 11:32 a.m. Tues.April 23 No House session No Senate session Wed. April 24 House11:01 a.m. to 8:33 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. April 25 House11:02 a.m. to 8:46 p.m. Senate 12:22 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Fri. April 26 House10:00 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019.
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