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Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 28, 2020 STORM | FROM PAGE 2 the damage caused in the aftermath. The downed utility poles caused power outages in both Malden and Melrose, including part of Forest Street in Malden near the Malden-Melrose city line. The outages lasted over 24 hours in those spots, Knox said. Power was restored by 10 o’clock Monday night, he added. Another downed utility pole caused a major artery in Malden – Eastern Avenue/Route 60 from Maplewood Street to Broadway – to be completely closed off for hours by Malden Police due to live wires down on the street. Power was out in that neighborhood for hours as well as on other streets in the Linden area, including Sheafe Street, where a tree split in half and fell right onto live wires, knocking out power, and further east on Route 60 on Marlboro Street. “There were four trees down on Marlboro Street alone. I had a crew down there all day [Monday],” Knox reported. Tree fell and split house on Columbia Street The Malden DPW Director said one of the worst scenes was on Columbia Street in the Maplewood neighborhood when a large tree fell directly into a house. “The tree split the house in half; it’s a miracle no one was hurt,” Knox said. It could not be determined by press time if anyone was home at the time of the Columbia Street tree down. Knox said, in all, in addition to the downed utility poles, at least 30 full trees came down around the city as a result of the storm, the most “[he] could ever recall...by far” in a single storm in Malden. The severity and havoc caused by the storm required instant mobilization of the DPW’s manpower and resources, as soon as the storm hit, Knox recounted. “I was coming home from hockey with my son and driving down Route 1, and I knew right away it was going to be a bad one,” he said. “Route 1 was flooded out in some places right away and the wind was whipping up stronger and stronger.” Knox said 12-15 DPW personnel proceeded to work around the clock from just after 5:00 Sunday night until about 4:00 Monday afternoon, answering dozens of calls and reports, mostly on the downed trees, tree limbs and felled utility poles. “We didn’t stop. Everyone worked right through night and we got assistance from Malden Police and other public safety agencies when needed,” Knox said. An outside company, Pathfinder Tree Service, was also Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 Lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net needed to assist with cleanup and safety efforts. “They sent four trucks and some backhoes; it was really necessary to get a lot of trees and limbs off the streets and away from homes as soon as possible.” Knox praised his DPW crew members and the outside company for a job well done. “Overall, we fared pretty well. We got the streets clear and were able to safely get trees away from wires and poles. I think we did a good job in a short amount of time.” Mayor, Councillors kept close watch on storm, aftermath The DPW Director noted that Mayor Gary Christenson and other elected officials were offering support from the outside, as soon as the storm hit. “He [Mayor Christenson] was the first phone call I got, right after the storm hit, to see if we needed anything,” Knox said. “I think he [the Mayor] knew right away the damage a storm of that nature could cause.” Knox said he also heard from the Ward Councillors of the hardest-hit neighborhoods – Councillors Jadeane Sica (Ward 8, Linden), David Camell (Ward 6, Maplewood) and Barbara Murphy (Forestdale, Ward 5) – as well as Ward 2’s Paul Condon, as they sought updates and offered assistance. Knox said work continues on the aftermath of the storm, as crews are now tasked with repairing sidewalks that were destroyed by the bevy of uprooted, downed trees on Marlboro Street. “It looks like a bomb hit down there, but we’ll be pouring concrete and repairing [the sidewalks] this week,” Knox said. “The Mayor asked me if I had expected the storm to be as bad as it was,” Knox said, “but there’s no way I expected that. I’m just so glad no one got hurt. There was a lot of damage out there.” SESSION | FROM PAGE 8 employee rights and to approve campaign finance reform. In building on the House’s history of leadership in climate change policy, the House passed legislation setting a statewide 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions limit, establishing environmental justice population criteria, increasing statewide renewable energy requirements and bolstering green programs for underserved populations. In keeping with the House’s commitment to the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable and at-risk children and families, in May, the House announced the formation of its Early Education and Care (EEC) Recovery Advisory Group. The group is tasked with helping address the challenges facing childcare in this new and changing landscape, and established the EEC Public-Private Trust Fund, creating an infrastructure to foster public-private and philanthropic efforts for childcare providers, including providing $500,000 for technical and small business support during the recovery process. In July, in response to growing concerns about the significant drop in reports of child abuse and neglect during the COVID-19 crisis, the House also passed legislation to strengthen oversight policies and operations at the Department of Children and Families. At the start of this session, in 2019, the House passed some landmark legislation, including a historic $1.5 billion statewide investment in public schools – known as the Student Opportunity Act. Given the long-term importance of the transportation infrastructure to the region, the House also passed a $600 million investment in new transportation funding – known as An Act relative to transportation finance. The House also passed nation-leading legislation to modernize tobacco control and ban all flavored tobacco, and legislation to reduce distracted driving. In addition, the House passed legislation to protect college students by ensuring higher education financial stability and oversight. The House also banned conversion therapy for minors, ensured no student in need would go hungry by requiring breakfast after the school bell and provided supplemental funding for women’s reproductive health organizations as a result of federal cuts to the Title X program, which was included as part of a supplemental state budget. Helping to protect the most vulnerable children and families in the Commonwealth prior to the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the House voted to lift a decades-old family welfare cap to extend cash benefits to the 8,700 Massachusetts children and their families who had previously been excluded. The House also passed legislation creating a care registry to protect persons with intellectual or developmental disability from abuse. To address the complex health and wellness needs of the Commonwealth’s 1.4 million children, the House led efforts this session passing comprehensive legislation to ensure increased access to services and a more holistic approach to children’s health and wellness supports. The House acted to address climate resiliency by advancing a $1 billion investment – known as GreenWorks – over the next 10 years to help communities across Massachusetts adopt technologies that cut greenhouse gas emissions, fortify infrastructure and reduce municipal costs. Due to the public health emergency, the House and Senate have extended the legislative session through December 31, 2020. The House passed the following legislation over the General Court’s two-year session from January 1, 2019, through July 31, 2020: An Act to facilitate the delay of the income tax filing deadline (H.4677) An Act providing additional support to those affected by the novel coronavirus through the unemployment insurance system (H.4648) An Act addressing COVID-19 data collection and disparities in treatment (H.4672) An Act relative to voting options in response to COVID-19 (H.4820) An Act making $15 million in appropriations for the fiscal year 2020 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations relating to the Coronavirus (H.4561) An Act to further address challenges faced by municipalities, school districts and state authorities resulting from COVID-19 (H.4616) An Act to address challenges faced by municipalities and state authorities resulting from COVID-19 (H.4598) An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency (H. 4647) An Act granting authority to postpone 2020 municipal elections in the Commonwealth and increase voting options in response to the declaration of emergency to respond to COVID-19 (Senate Bill 2608) An Act authorizing waiver of the one week waiting period for unemployment benefits (Senate Bill 2599) SESSION | SEE PAGE 14

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