THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, July 24, 2020 ~Editorial & Opinion~ Page 3 Malden School Families Heed the Call T he COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside-down in many ways and some of those who have been affected most adversely have been our most vulnerable, those at either ends of the age spectrum: Our elderly and our youth. While our senior citizen class has borne the brunt of the tragedies of illness and death which have come with COVID-19, our young people have also suff ered losses and upheavals in other ways, most notably to their social and academic progress. When COVID-19 forced the closing of school buildings and a reversion process to remote learning, via personal computers, laptops and even IPhones, it was a drastic change for Malden students and those around the world. When the Malden school year concluded in June, and, truthfully, well before that, thoughts and eyes were already focused ahead to the next school year. "What does "Back to school" look like in the fall of 2020?" has been a common refrain. While Malden Superintendent John Oteri and his staff have been working closely with the appointed Re-Entry Advisory Task Force to come up with a safe and suitable plan to return to school, they were still waiting for one key element: feedback from the families that comprise the Malden Public Schools district. That is why we celebrate the result and commend all of the nearly 80 percent of Malden school families — with nearly 4,000 responses strong—who took part in a well-planned Family Survey which asked local parents and guardians for their personal input as to thoughts, concerns and questions regarding the students for whom they provide. To reach such a high level of participation and provide such compelling data is vital for those in the Malden Public Schools charged with coming up with the best return-to-school plan. As Supt. Oteri himself pointed out, this survey was not about suggesting spending funding or assigning staffi ng, this was about the safety and health of Sen. Lewis joins colleagues in passing legislation to invest $18B in transportation infrastructure T he State Senate recently passed major legislation to invest nearly $18 billion in the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure in the coming years, in order to make the state’s roads, bridges and public transit systems more reliable and accessible to all residents. This transportation bond bill authorizes funding for highways, local roads, bridges, MBTA, regional transit authorities, rail improvements, electric vehicle grants and other transportation projects and programs. “I’m pleased that the Senate has passed this vital legislation that will make many improvements to our transportation infrastructure,” said State Senator Jason Lewis. “I was particularly pleased that I was able to secure a successful amendment to increase funding for our state’s Complete Streets program, which provides technical assistance and funding to municipalities in order to enable safe mobility access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities.” In addition to securing $50 million for the statewide Complete Streets program, Senator Lewis was successful in securing $5.2 million in local transportation earmarks for his district (local earmarks are authorized by this legislation, but the funding does not become available until it is released by Governor Charlie Baker). The legislation also includes numerous transportation policy initiatives, including eff orts to address traffi c congestion, allowing regional ballot initiatives to fund local transportation projects, improving data collection from transportation network companies, improving the bidding process for public construction projects, evaluating the potential for mileage-based revenue collection as an alternative to the current system of toll roads and gas taxes, increasing the productivity, equity and environmental sustainability of bus and rail services, and establishing regulations for scooters and e-bikes. The bill will now be reconciled with similar legislation passed by the House of Representatives before it is sent to the governor for his signature. their children, as well as their educational progress. This was visceral. Again, we commend the many families who stood up to have their say about their children's futures and also the school offi cials who conducted and monitored the survey, now to review the results. There is no substitute for AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Is Your Vehicle Blowing Hot Air on Hot Days?!! AC SPECIAL Recharge your vehicle's AC for the warm weather! Includes up to 1 LB. of Refrigerant* (*Most Vehicles/Some Restrictions May Apply) Only $69.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2012 KIA SOUL 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA One Owner, Most Power Options, 101K Miles, Warranty, Runs & Looks Great! FUN IN THE SUN! $6,500 Easy Financing Available! EddiesAutotech.com Only 104K Miles, One Owner, Most Power Options, in Excellent Condition. QUALITY & PRICE $7,250 781-321-8841 1236 EasternAve • Malden We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle! fi rst-hand information and data when determining a central plan which aff ects many. A job well done all around, as the completion of the fi nal task remains. This editorial represents the opinion of the Malden Advocate's editorial board and does not necessarily refl ect the views of this newspaper.
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