Thank You to Ward 5 School Committee
To the Editor:
I wanted to take a moment to give a big Thank You to Ward 5 School Committee member Marcony Almeida-Barros for helping the Devens School get funding for tablet computers so students can prepare for the MCAS. When Mr. Almeida-Barros heard the school was in need, he reached out to the Cambridge Health Alliance Foundation to see if they could help. Thankfully, they were able to make a $5,000 donation to help fund the computers.
The Devens is a small school whose students require extra attention, with a low staff to student ratio. As a mother of autistic children in the Everett Public Schools, as well as being the founder of a support group for parents of children living with autism, I appreciate Marcony’s hard work in making sure all students have the resources they need to succeed.
I thank Marcony for his hard work and his colleagues on the School Committee for accepting the donation, the Cambridge Health Alliance Foundation for their generosity, and to the teachers and staff at the Devens who work so hard for our students’ success.
Fernanda Rocha
Ferry Street
The Friends of the Malden River
To the Editor:
Recent actions by National Grid illustrate the challenges faced by community residents in Malden, Everett and Medford to be heard and valued when presenting their views for what it means to have unfettered access to the Malden River. The Friends of the Malden River (Friends), an advocacy group promoting acceptable public access to the Malden River, had requested to have its voice present during a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulatory hearing challenging DEP’s order for National Grid to comply with Chapter 91. The order required National Grid to provide amenities, long suggested by the Friends that would greatly improve the experience of visitors to the riverfront. The Friends request to have a presence at the hearing was opposed by National Grid despite demonstrated widespread support of our ideas from our diversified community.
In a decision promulgated by the Department of Environment Protect this fall, National Grid was instructed to fully comply with the requirements of Chapter 91. DEP required that National Grid build and maintain a 10-foot wide half-mile waterfront path along its property situated in Malden and Everett. National Grid was required to submit a plan within one year and complete the building of the path within two years. The DEP decision had been a rebuke to National Grid’s proposal in 2016 to build a 100-foot path and bench on the north side of its Malden/Everett location with the remaining 2,000+ feet of riverfront blocked off to the public.
The Friends had sought to join forces with the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Conservation Law Foundation as a “participant” in opposition to the appeal by National Grid of DEP’s recent community-favorable decision. (National Grid has also challenged the legal standing of Conservation Law Foundation and the Mystic River Watershed Association to participate in the appeal process!) National Grid’s actions to muzzle the Friends of the Malden River shows blatant disrespect of the Malden and Everett communities.
National Grid’s decision to appeal these requirements is being countered by the Conservation Law foundation (CLF) and legal counsel from the cities of Malden, Medford and Everett. The denial of a seat at the table for Friends, resulting from National Grid’s challenge, demonstrates their lack of corporate and social responsibility. The decision sends a chilling message to those working to better one of our area’s most valuable resources. Those most concerned and affected by the degradation and unmitigated pollution of Malden River are not being allowed to voice the concerns and vision of a restored and improved Malden River.
The Friends of the Malden River are outraged at this decision. We seek only to have quality access for area residents to the banks of the river as required under law. Our community deserves this. We expect better examples of good corporate citizenship than the one recently on display by National Grid. Help us reach our goals by joining the Friends of the Malden River and voice your support by emailing [email protected] Please visit and “like” our facebook page at Friends of the Malden River.
Hue Holley
Karen Buck
Philip Bronder-Giroux
Hue Holley
Karen Buck
Philip Bronder-Giroux