After two years of community engagement by MyRWA and our cohort of 13 Climate Leaders in Arlington, Malden, Chelsea, and Everett, we are excited to announce the installation of 9 cooling structures this spring as part of our Wicked Cool Mystic project!
To learn more about the engagement the Climate Leaders did, check out this newsletter from last summer.
Curious about what these solutions are and how they work? Check out our Summer 2026 Wicked Cool Newsletter below!
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Page 1:
Wicked Cool News!
July 2026
What we built!
After two years of community engagement by MyRWA and our 13 Climate Leaders in Arlington, Malden, Chelsea, and Everett, we are excited to announce the installation of 9! cooling structures this spring as part of our Wicked Cool Mystic project!
In this newsletter, you will find more information about what we’ve built this spring and the reflections of our Climate Leaders (pictured below at our holiday party :)
Photo 1: 16 people—including MyRWA staff, the 13 climate leaders, and some of their children—smile at the camera in the MyRWA office conference room.
If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to email Marissa @marissa.zampino@mysticriver.org
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Wicked Cool News!
Arlington!
What We Built! In Arlington, we built 2 shading structures in Arlington Center! Shout out to Climate Leaders Steve, Yujia, and Elena for all their hard work!
How it Works: People can sit under these structures and cool off from the heat while enjoying treats from nearby shops :)
“Seeing the shade structure go up in Arlington Center showed me that talking to people in my community about climate issues can contribute to real action. It brought me hope to think that my voice was able to help facilitate change, and I hope to be able to instill that feeling into others.” - Steve Choi
Photo 1: Two climate leaders stand behind a Mystic River Watershed Association table in front of Arlington High School engaging with a small crowd of people gathered in front.
Photo 2: Two shade structures on the sidewalk in front of shops in Arlington Center. The shade structures are made of green canvas sheets supported by four white posts. They are placed in a part of the sidewalk with little tree cover and are shading benches.
Page 3:
Wicked Cool News!
Malden!
What We Built! In Malden, we put up a shaded bus stop and added shade to the Malden Skate Park! Thank you, Climate Leaders Sonya, Kayla, and Kathleen, for all your work!
How it Works: People can sit under these structures and cool off while doing cool tricks at the skate park :)
“While these recent days of sunshine have been wonderful, they have made me even more grateful for the new heat interventions coming in Malden. One of my favorite things about this city is its walkability, but climate change is challenging that. Even my 5 minute stroll to the Orange Line can leave me covered in sweat and panting on the worst days, especially due to all the concrete absorbing heat. Cooling and shading structures will improve the lives of all Maldonians, not just those vulnerable to heat stress.” - Kayla Bradley
Photo 1: A climate leader smiles at the camera from behind a Mystic River Watershed Association table at an outdoor fair. On the table is a map covered with colorful sticky notes. In the background are colorful tents and a bounce house.
Photo 2: A wooden pergola-style shaded bus stop on the sidewalk in front of a fence with added fabric providing more shade. Behind the fence is a skate park.
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Wicked Cool News!
Chelsea!
What We Built! In Chelsea, through many engagement events, we helped install 3 shaded bus shelters! Thank you, Climate Leaders Silvia, Keydi, and Maritza, for all your hard work!
How it Works: People can sit under these structures and cool off from the heat while waiting for the bus!
Mi nombre es Maritza Perez, todo esto inició hace un año como una nueva experiencia en mi vida, he adquirido mucho conocimiento y tomado conciencia de la importancia del cambio climático y como esto nos puede afectar en nuestra salud, como lider climatica he aprendido a comunicar a mi comunidad la importancia de como poder combatir los problemas que da el cambio climático y que afectan nuestra salud, por ejemplo, hemos capacitado a nuestra comunidad a poder combatir las olas extramas de calor y de frío y de como esto puede causar daños en nuestra salud. En Chelsea tenemos el privilegio de tener un sistema moderno que nos permite medir la calidad de aire que respiramos, también contamos con instituciones que nos ayudan a plantar árboles, esto ayuda a purificar el aire y conjuntamente con este programa ayudamos no solo a nuestra comunidad si no también a nuestro planeta. También pedimos a nuestra comunidad voluntarios para ayudar a limpiar las calles de nuestra ciudad, esta actividad ayuda tambien a mantener nuestro drenajes limpios para evitar inundaciones que pongan en riesgo nuestra salud, tambien a combatir las plagas que afectan nuestra ciudad.” - Maritza Perez
Photo 1: Three people stand behind a colorful table in a grassy space. The table has toys and cooling swag like handheld misters, fans, and towels.
Photo 2: Construction workers erect wooden shaded bus stops in front of a Citizens Bank in Chelsea.
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Wicked Cool News!
Everett!
What We Built! In Everett, we added a water fountain and plantings near the Parlin Library! Thank you, Climate Leaders Caio, Rosita, Rochelle, and Juan for all your hard work!
How it Works: People can use this water fountain and sit in the shade while enjoying the library!
Photo 1: A woman sits on a bench in a shaded area next to the Parlin Library.
Photo 2: A green water fountain and water bottle refill station with the Parlin Library in the background.
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Wicked Cool News!
Thank you!
Thank you to all the Climate Leaders, the BSC Group (Casey- Lee Bastien, Catarina Martinez, Mackenzie Morrison), the Town of Arlington (David Morgan), the City of Chelsea (Emily Granoff and Kristen Homeyer), the City of Malden (Bekah McPheeters), the City of Everett (Tom Philbin, Kate Jenkins-Sullivan, Jamillah Kasuswa), and Catherine Pedemonti for all your work on this project! Without you, we would not be able to beat the heat :)
Photo Credits: MyRWA team
