School's Open! Please Drive Carefully! Vol. 32, No. 36 -FREE- www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Mayor welcomes Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary to tour Malden’s River Works Project developments Special to Th e Advocate M assachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Aff airs Secretary Rebecca Tepper recently toured the Malden River Works project site which has been awarded a $2.99 million grant from the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Program. Among those on hand to celebrate the grant award was Mayor Gary Christenson, State Senator Jason Lewis, members of the River Works steering committee including its chair Marcia Manong and architect Marie Law Adams and staff from the Offi ce of Strategic Planning and Community Development which is helping to administer the project. WATERWAYS | SEE PAGE 6 617-387-2200 Friday, September 8, 2023 BACK TO SCHOOL: Malden Public Schools welcome back district’s 6,000-plus students Mayor Christenson, Supt. Dr. Noriega-Murphy on hand to greet students, staff on fi rst day of school By Steve Freker T he doors swung open and the “welcome mat” was on full display as over 6,000 Malden Public Schools students embarked on another year of learning on Wednesday, August 30. The new school year offi cially got underway for all students in grades 1 through 12 that day, with the pre-K and kindergarten students beginning their school year yesterday. Malden Mayor Gary Christenson and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ligia Noriega-Murphy were on hand to greet the students on Day One and off er encouragement to all as they start the new school year. “I will tell all of you some advice that I received from this past year’s graduating seniors: Try everything!” Mayor Christenson said Wednesday mornBACK TO SCHOOL | SEE PAGE 12 Seeing is believing: EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Mayor Gary Christenson and State Senator Jason Lewis and others accessed the fl oating dock and the riverbank fi rsthand. SEEING IS BELIEVING: Bus/bike lanes issue on Centre Street/Rt. 60 draws packed house to City Council meeting Tuesday Council votes down call for ballot question banning transit lanes by new group — 'Keep Malden Moving' By Steve Freker O ne of the biggest turnouts in many years packed Tuesday night's fi rst meeting of the fall season for the Malden City Council. Residents on both sides of the issue of the three-yearold installation of dedicated bus-only and bicycle lanes on Malden's most heavily-traveled roadway— Centre Street/ Rt. 60 came to either express their views, or listen to others do the same. After a perhaps record-setting public comment portion of the City Council meeting which lasted for nearly 90 minutes, the points made were quite clear: A) Many Malden residents are simply fed up and overwhelmed with the oppressive and exhausting traffi c delays being experienced by thousands of motorists all day and most of the night on the Centre Street/Rt. 60 traffi c corridor; B) There is a strong, vocal and vibrant segment of the community which is very much in favor of all dedicated bus and bicycle lanes in the city of Malden, citing overall safety and the boon to the environment which they say the transit lanes provide; C) Few, if any, of the Malden City Councillors are fans of the MBTA, in any area. "I'm not against buses and bikes... but the traffi c is outrageous and uncalled-for," was common refrain by the over a dozen residents who spoke in favor of a resolution on Tuesday night's Council docket calling for the placement of a non-binding question on the November municipal election ballot calling for the elimination of bus and bike lanes on Route 60. TWO THUMBS UP: Malden High School freshmen Ryan Bowdridge (left) and Tommy Cronin (right) seemed right at home on their fi rst day of school as members of the Class of 2027. (Advocate Photo) Public invited to celebrate a decade plus of advocacy for the Malden River The Friends of the Malden KEEP MALDEN MOVING: Close to 200 residents packed Malden City Hall Council Chamber Tuesday night. While none of the 15-plus residents who spoke in favor of retaining the bus/bike lanes on Centre/Rt. 60 dispute the traffic woes widespread on that roadway, they were adamant in their support of dedicated transit lanes. The first proposed CounROUNDUP | SEE PAGE 15 River invite you to join them on Monday, September 11, between 6:30-8:00 at 200 River’s Edge Dr. in Medford, and they CELEBRATE| SEE PAGE 2 ask you to invite your friends and network to join them for light refreshments, an insight
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