Malden Vol. 28, No. 31 -FREESUMMER TREAT: WARD 5 POP-UP SLUSH PARTY SEE PAGE 12 ADVOCATE www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Tenants plan to rally against rent hikes 617-387-2200 Friday, August 2 , 2019 Mayor proposes sweeping changes to Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) program Special to the Advocate M ayor Gary Christenson has proposed the elimination of the PAYT trash program and dual-stream recycling system. The new proposal calls for city-issued barrels for both trash and recycling. “I’m pleased that we were Steep rent increases for apartments at 33 Park St. have forced many long-term tenants out of their homes. By Barbara Taormina T enants of 33 Park St. plan to rally on their doorstep this Saturday at 3 p.m. to protest major rent hikes set by the building’s new owner, Andreas Tsitos of United Properties Inc. According to a Facebook page created to spread the word about the rally, the rents at 33 Park St., a 1925 brick building with a mix of 36 studio and one-bedroom apartments, have jumped by nearly 50 percent. Rally organizers say studios which were renting for $1,000 a month are now being offered for $1,500 and many long-term tenants have been driven out by the increases. Tenants who are staying put are taking a stand with the rally, which is backed by City Life/Vida Urbana, a Jamaica Plain–based nonprofit organization with a history of promoting tenants’ rights and preventing housing displacement by negotiating with landlords. United Properties manages properties owned by Tsitos, who, according to his LinkedIn page, is a real estate investor with 800 rental units in Malden, Lynn, Everett, Medford and Burlington. Tsitos’s residential properties in Malden include multiunit buildings at 39 Rockland Ave., 166 Salem St., 38 Lyme St., 2 Webster St. and 166 Mountain Ave. as well as other small multifamily properties throughout the city. In addition to residential properties, Tsitos also owns more than a dozen retail and office buildings in Malden, including 67 Maplewood St., 52-72 Summer St. and 22-44 Eastern TENANTS | SEE PAGE 14 Races are set for the city election By Barbara Taormina I t’s on. Assistant Registrar of Voters Carol Ann Desiderio has posted the list of candidates who have met the deadline and submitted their signed nomination papers, and Malden’s election season has officially begun. There were a few last-minute surprises, and disappointments for some, but there will be races and voters will have choices. The top of the ticket will be a two-man race with incumbent Mayor Gary Christenson facing a challenge from Ward 3 Councillor John Matheson. Thomas Burgess pulled paable to come up with a proposal that is acceptable to our trash provider, JRM Hauling and Recycling, Inc. (JRM) and the City,” commented Christenson. “Make no mistake about it, finding a compromise has been an ongoing and difficult task, especially considering the instability in the trash and recycling markets. It has taken more than a dozen meetings with JRM over the past several years to reach this modification.” Under his proposal, each qualifying residential unit will receive a 65-gallon covered barrel to use for their weekly MAYOR | SEE PAGE 3 Gary Christenson Mayor Our 80th Year EDUCATION Next Classes DRIVER $3.39 $2.45 GALLON GALLON We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover Price Subject to Change without notice 100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602 1 Week Class Aug. 19 CALL - ENROLL or Register Online 617-387-9121 HENRYSAUTOSCHOOL.COM EVERETT AUTO SCHOOL “Successful Key To Driving” Since 1938 Gift Certificates Available Amanda Linehan Ward 3 Candidate pers to join the race for mayor but decided against a run and spared Malden a citywide preliminary for the top spot in Julianne Orsino Ward 3 Candidate local government. In the race for the three atRACES | SEE PAGE 5
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