The Advocate online: www.advocatenews.net
Vol. 20, No. 9
-FREE-
www.advocatenews.net
Published Every Friday
State of the City
617-387-2200
Friday, March 1, 2019
Committee considers City Council’s rules of decorum By Barbara Taormina he City Council’s Rules and Ordinance Committee is reviewing how best to handle situations when members of the council and its committees act up. This week committee members and City Solicitor Kate Fallon began a discussion on rules of decorum for elected and appointed officials. Since the start of the year, there have been several heated moments among councillors particularly around the issue of documenting meeting minutes as required by the state’s open meeting laws. Committee Chairman Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora proposed that councillors make it clear that public bodies will function under Robert’s Rules when it comes to decorum. “I think we should accept all of Robert’s Rules unless it conflicts with our own rule
T
Mayor Gary Christenson delivered his State of the City address on Feb. 26 at Anthony’s of Malden. See Page 7 for the full address. (Photos Courtesy of the City of Malden)
2.60% APY
*
9 MONTH
2.70% APY
book,� he said. Although Robert’s rules for decorum are not spelled out in the council’s own rule book, Spadafora said that theoretically they still apply. Fallon explained that there are different types of offenses and different remedies. “There are slight offenses where the chair will just rap the gavel and rule a member out of order,�
DECORUM | SEE PAGE 5
Lawrence Memorial ER set to close next week
*
By Barbara Taormina awrence Memorial Hospital’s emergency room is closing on March 7 to make way for a new urgent care center. MelroseWakefield Healthcare, which owns the hospital, set the date to close the ER despite concerns from residents and officials in Medford and Malden that the change would create a gap in the area’s health-care infrastructure. Malden residents in need of emergency care will now go to MelroseWakefield Hospital, Winchester Hospital, Mass General or one of the Cambridge Health Alliance facilities located in Everett, Somerville or Cambridge. MelroseWakefield Healthcare, formerly Hallmark Health, is part of the Wellforce Health System, which defines itself as a “value-driven� provider that believes patients should “get the care they want, when and where they want it.� But that aspect of Wellforce’s mission took a back seat to statistics that showed the ER at Law-
L
14 MONTH
INVEST IN PEACE OF MIND. Ă…Ă?èè ĂŤĂŽ ïðÍÏ Þþ ðÍ èåĂ?ĂŽĂŞ ĂŠĂŤĂŽĂĄ Ă?ÞÍùð ÍùÎ Ă…ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðåï Íâ ÆåÏÍïüð Right by you. " & Ă„ Ă” Ă‘ Ăƒ Æ Ă™ ĂƒĂ› Ç Ă˜ Ç Ă” Ç Ă– Ă– Ă? Ăƒ " ' $ %  ! & %  % % Ă• Ăƒ ĂŽ Ç Ă? Ă• Ă– ĂŽĂ› Ă? Ă? Ăˆ Ă‹ Ç ĂŽ Æ Ă? Ăƒ ' " % &  % % $  """" *Annual Percentage Yield {APY) is accurate as of February 14, 2019 and is subject to change without notice. Fixed Rate Ă…ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå Íâ ÆåÏÍïüðï Ă?ĂŽĂĄ ĂŁĂąĂ?ĂŽĂ?êðååà âÍÎ ðäå ðåÎÊ Íâ ðäå Ă…ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå Ă?üêüÊùÊ à åÏÍïüð ðÍ ĂŤĂŹĂĄĂŞ ðäå Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Íùêð Ă?êà ðÍ ÍÞðĂ?ĂĽĂŞ ðäå ĂƒĂ’Ă› ĂĽĂŻ x# ĂƒĂ’Ă› ĂĽĂŻ ĂžĂ?ĂŻĂĄĂ ĂŤĂŞ ðäå ĂŹĂŽĂĽĂŞĂ&#x;ĂĽĂŹĂ?è Ă?êà üêðåÎåïð ĂŽĂĄĂŠĂ?ĂĽĂŞĂĽĂŞĂŁ ĂĽĂŞ ðäå Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Íùêð âÍÎ Ă? ÏåÎüÍà Íâ ĂŤĂŞĂĄ þåĂ?ĂŽ ÕùÞïðĂ?êðüĂ?è ĂŹĂĄĂŞĂ?èðþ ĂŠĂ?Ăľ Þå üÊÏÍïåà âÍÎ ĂĄĂ?Îèþ óüðäà ÎĂ?ĂłĂ?è Öäå ' ÊÍêðä Ă&#x;ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå óüèè Ă?ùðÍÊĂ?ðüĂ&#x;Ă?èèþ ÎÍèèÍòåÎ ðÍ Ă? $›ÊÍêðä Ă&#x;ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå ùêèåïï ðäå Ă&#x;ùïðÍÊåÎ Ă&#x;äÍÍïåï Ă?êÍðäåÎ ĂŹĂŽĂŤĂ ĂąĂ&#x;ð Ă?êà ðäå " ÊÍêðä Ă&#x;ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå óüèè Ă?ùðÍÊĂ?ðüĂ&#x;Ă?èèþ ÎÍèè ÍòåÎ ðÍ Ă? ÊÍêðä Ă&#x;ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå ùêèåïï ðäå Ă&#x;ùïðÍÊåÎ Ă&#x;äÍÍïåï Ă?êÍðäåÎ ĂŹĂŽĂŤĂ ĂąĂ&#x;ð Ă?ĂŤ Íùð Íâ ïðĂ?ðå à åÏÍïüðï ÅÍêïùÊåÎ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Íùêð Íêèþ Ă?ĂŞĂ Ă? ĂŠĂ?ôüÊùÊ à åÏÍïüð Íâ x # Öäå ' Ă?Íêðä Ă…ĂĄĂŽĂ°ĂĽÄœĂ&#x;Ă?ðå Ă ĂŤĂĄĂŻ êÍð Ă?ÏÏèþ ðÍ Ëêà üòüà ùĂ?è ÔåðüÎåÊåêð ĂƒĂ&#x;Ă&#x;Íùêðï ÂžĂ‹Ă”ĂƒĂŻ Â&#x;
Craig Spadafora Councillor-at-Large
Member FDIC Member SIF
rence Memorial had been experiencing a decline in patient visits with an average of only 23 cases a day. Although Malden residents who depended on Lawrence Memorial’s ER for care will no
MEMORIAL | SEE PAGE 4
$2.59 GALLON *$//21
:H DFFHSW 0DVWHU&DUG 9LVD 'LVFRYHU
3ULFH 6XEMHFW WR &KDQJH ZLWKRXW QRWLFH
*DO 0LQ +U 6HUYLFH