COURTESY PHOTO
Ward 7 City Councilor Neal Anderson, one the longest-serving city officials in Malden city history, is seeking reelection this fall.
By STEVE FREKER
MALDEN — If ever there was a link from the past to the present in the southeastern corner of the city, Ward 7 residents would be hard-pressed to find a better one than City Councilor Neal Anderson.
He was representing the neighborhood when the former Lincoln School was up and running, the present Ferryway K-8 School was not even on the drawing board, and baseball players were still hitting home runs through the trees onto Walnut Street where the school now sits.
Anderson has announced he will seek a sixth consecutive term on the council. He is one of the longest-serving city officials in Malden history.
Anderson served as Ward 7 councilor in the early 1980s before “retiring” after seven terms in 1997. After 10 years away from the post, he returned to win back the seat which reopened in 2007 when former five-term Councilor Chris Simonelli did not seek reelection.
The Malden municipal veteran also has the distinction of being the only councilor to serve two consecutive terms as council president (2013 and 2014).
“It has been an honor to serve the people of our neighborhood for the past 30 years. I have worked hard to make Ward 7 a better place to live, work and play, and believe that my record is a good one,” Anderson said in a statement. “Based on that record, I am asking you to allow me to continue in my current service as your city councilor.”
He ran unopposed in the past two city elections, but Anderson will face at least one challenger this fall. Lifelong Ward 7 resident Scott Ciccone announced his candidacy for the seat earlier this year.
Anderson said he has helped improve the quality of life of the neighborhood he represents.
“Like all neighborhoods, ours is — and will always be — a work in progress. It is a dynamic, ever-changing place that presents both challenges and opportunities,” Anderson said. “To meet the challenges facing the neighborhood, we must be vigilant in assuring that services continue to be provided and facilities maintained.”
He listed major upgrades to neighborhood parks, an ambitious program of water pipe replacement and street and sidewalk resurfacing, and improvements to street lighting and traffic signalization as achievements during his tenure.
“I have worked with residents to maintain and expand the level of services provided on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Anderson said he has continuously sought to include ward residents in many decisions and choices affecting the future and look of the neighborhood.
“I look forward, during the coming months, to renewing old acquaintances, making new ones, and re-enlivening discussions on the needs of and possibilities for our neighborhood,” he said.
