MORE APARTMENTS = MORE TRAFFIC TIME FOR A NEW DIRECTION (Paid Political Advertisement) Vol. 28, No. 41 -FREE- www.advocatenews.net Everyone has a stake in the Ward 3 Councillor race By Barbara Taormina R esidents who have been following the candidates and campaigns in this year’s city election have been keeping an eye on the race for the Ward 3 City Council seat. Incumbent John Matheson’s decision to run for mayor rather than seeking another term on the council left a wide-open door for candidates Amanda Linehan and Julianne Orsino, two young women who are both poised to bring new voices and perspectives to the City Council. Both candidates have lengthy resumes that include their services on city committees and boards. And both have Published Every Friday 617-387-2200 Friday, October 11, 2019 In Support of a MOA AMANDA LINEHAN Ward 3 City Council Candidate established solid working relationships with city and commuELECTION | SEE PAGE 14 By Barbara Taormina G ardeners who are waiting for their last batch of tomatoes to ripen on the vine might want to consider picking them soon. According to Malden’s Director of Public Health Chris Webb, this is prime time for local rats and raccoons to feast and mate, and to avoid playing host to the local rodent bacchanal, it’s a good idea to harvest and clean up gardens and anything still left on the ground from backyard fruit trees. Webb was at this week’s City $2.45 GALLON Council meeting to talk about rats and what the city is doing to control them. “Over the past three years [rodent control] has been a constant function of our department,” said Webb, adding that before 2016, rats weren’t much of an issue. The city has a contract with General Environmental Services for pest control for public buildings and parks. Webb said the bike path has been a focal point of rodent control since it’s heavily traveled and connects so much of the city. H ELPING THOSE WHO HELP MALDEN: Malden Advocate newspaper Publisher Jim Mitchell (center) is shown making a donation to Malden Overcoming Addiction (MOA) Treasurer Domenic DiSarno and Secretary Dawn Zanazzo on Wednesday in support of the nonprofi t’s work in helping those affl icted with substance abuse. Malden joins the rat race A lot of work has also been done according to Environmental Protection Agency guidelines around schools, which, except for the parking lot at Linden, haven’t been a serious problem. Webb said that recently there have been complaints about rats along the train tracks, and the city is now working with the MBTA to monitor activity and traps set along the rail bed from Medford Street to McDonald Stadium. Over the past three years, the Health Department has fi elded 103 calls about rats and another 30 to 40 complaints have been posted on the city’s See, Click, Fix website. “The locations are always in a densely populated area,” said Webb, adding that sometimes rats are seen near but not abutting construction sites. Other complaints seem to be following the city’s road repair projects. Webb said his department is now working with the Engineering Department to monitor rodent activity which he said may increase when roads, sidewalks and drainage pipes are fully opened during reconstruction. “I’ve been receiving complaints where I’ve never received before in Ward 7,” said City Councillor Neal Anderson, who invited Webb to speak at the City Council meeting in hopes of getting some information out to the community. “Do we have more rats now, or are they just surfacing more and becoming more of a nuisance?” asked Anderson. “Both,” answered Webb. “We have more and they’re feeding better, breeding better and having bigger litters.” Webb and several councillors stressed it’s important for residents to keep waste and recycling in covered barrels and containers to cut down on the available food supply. Also, feeding pets outdoors and leaving bread and seed for birds can invite trouble. Ward 2 Councillor Paul Condon wondered why the MBTA, which collects millions of dollars in annual payments from the city, isn’t taking more responsibility for rats living along the tracks. Webb said the MBTA monitors their traps, but larger extermination efforts are diffi cult because rats don’t travel in groups and it’s diffi cult to fi nd their nests. “We’ll probably see an uptick in the couple of months,” said Webb, adding that the cold weather will bring rats out to search for food and to mate. He advised any residents who are concerned about rodents damaging their property to contact an exterminator.
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