September 2014 - Neighborhood View

Window Arts Malden showcases local artists

September 30, 2014 neighbormedia 0

Want a good reason to walk around downtown Malden? Window Arts Malden, the flagship project of Malden Arts, is celebrating its ninth season showcasing more than 20 local artists working with different mediums including photography, jewelry, printmaking and painting. The storefront exhibition continues through Sunday, Oct. 12. “For artists, it’s a lot of fun,” says Elizabeth Scorsello, a local creatve displaying her work at Two Paisan’s Pizzeria. “It’s a great way to get your work out there and share it with your neighbors and fellow artists.”

Malden High School principal gets new job

September 19, 2014 neighbormedia 0

Dana Brown, the principal at Malden High School, recently got a new position. Brown is now President of the Massachusetts Secondary School Administration Association (MSSAA). The MSSAA is an association representing middle and high school assistant principals and principals across Massachusetts. In his new role, Brown will be helping set the agenda for the school year and also represent the MSSAA in group meetings and conventions. He will still be the principal at Malden High School while being part of the Massachusetts Secondary School Administration Association. The MSSAA advocates for faculty and students at the state level. The MSSAA will often meet with the Commissioner of Education and sometimes the Secretary of Education for Massachusetts. The focus this year for the group will be social and emotional health of the students specifically covering mental health. Brown waited his turn through the cabinet structure that was in place. The structure was third vice president followed by second vice president after president elect then finally president. Dana Brown worked his way up the ladder to become the […]

Welcome to Malden’s Faulkner neighborhood

September 19, 2014 neighbormedia 2

A lot is happening around Malden. There’s renovation of Malden Square, new restaurants and the Malden Teen Enrichment Center. Some areas are better known than others. As a resident of Faulkner for the past 15 years, I will bring some highlights of the neighborhood I call home. What area is actually the Faulkner neighborhood? Here’s Wikipedia’s geographical definition: “The Faulkner neighborhood is generally bounded by Ferry Street on the west, the City of Everett on the South, at Dell Street on the east and Salem Street on the north. A few of the streets north of Salem Street around Pierce St are sometimes considered part of Faulkner. My “coverage” will be around Salem Street from the Salemwood school area to Franklin Street. A lot had been done in the past 15 years in the area. A dilapidated, abandoned railroad had become a beautiful, well-maintained bike path. Community gardening is happening. A new building of the Mystic Valley Charter School and field had replaced a former Chevrolet car dealer and its garage. Nice white bike crossing […]

Congresswoman Clark thanks Mass Senior Action Council

September 11, 2014 azanzirsa 0

Congresswoman Katherine Clark expressed her pleasure working with Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC) during her time at the Massachusetts Statehouse and looks forward to a continued working relationship now that she is in Congress. “It was always a good day at the statehouse when I’d see the blue t-shirts coming into the statehouse, rallying the cry, not letting legislatures forget what we are working for. Your voice has told me not only the power of grassroots advocacy, but what it means when we support our seniors like we do in Malden. MSAC Metro-North Chapter welcomed the visit from Congresswoman Katherine Clark. MSAC asked her to come and show her support with our goals to preserve the present affordable housing units, and to gain new affordable housing. Congresswoman Clark recognized the important work we are focusing on and stated “we are looking at a crisis in housing in Massachusetts.” She added that between now and 2020; about 5500 units will lose their subsidy and return to market rate. That will affect 2000 units rented by seniors. […]

Op-Ed: Hip hop from a Malden resident’s perspective

September 8, 2014 neighbormedia 0

Hip hop is the most influential culture to today’s youth globally. What is hip hop? Well, I’m glad you asked. Hip hop is the absence of rules. People study music theory, but hip hop is not theoretical. It is the practice of taking 1/100 of a sample, or a riff and completely distorting the original context, to create something that the original artist never intended or imagined. Hip hop can be a gentle ode to one’s mother or a direct threat to the powers that be around the globe in the speed of a tweet. It can be funny or ironic, or a witness to obscenely pornographic levels of uncut violence or unmitigated injustice. If it exists in the real world, it is fair game for hip hop. Hip hop is not the pop infused sounds that we hear blaring out of our speakers in the car that provoke youth to twerk. Any similarities to “hip-pop” are due to common cultural influences, “chicken or the egg” type conundrum. There will always be entertainers who mass […]

Can the Oak Grove Community Building be saved?

September 8, 2014 whitedec 0

The Oak Grove Community Building [OGCB] stands tall with weeds surrounding the building and trash and a tire in the driveway. A cardboard sign is taped to the front door with the words, “NO MEETING HERE TONIGHT.” When you hear the word community, what comes to mind? How you answer that question speaks volumes about what Malden means to you and in particular The Oak Grove Community Building. It’s doors are closed and is awaiting a decision from the Architectural Access Board (AAB) regarding its future. Many Malden residents have one question, can the Oak Grove Community Building be saved? As a member of the Oak Grove Improvement Association I certainly hope so. Built in 1928, the Oak Grove Community Building has been available to Malden residents for close to 85 years. Residents and civic groups have held meetings, performances and many special events at the historic site. The Mayor and Ward Councillor have held Public Safety Awareness Meetings in the community building. Carol Melle, current President of the Oak Grove Improvement Association [OGIA] said that the association […]

Arts

Malden’s ILC Theater puts on a show

September 6, 2014 suzannehishmeh 0

Malden’s Immigrant Learning Center Theater class recently hosted a performance event. The class is a unique learning experience for English for speakers of other languages in which conversational English is mixed with personal storytelling and sharing of participant’s experiences. This allows people to share their stories about coming to America, improves their English proficiency, and shines a light on the importance of immigrants to the community. The performance mixed humor and striking theatrical performance with moving personal experiences to make for an entertaining story and an intrigued audience. ILC has always been a safe and creative space to park dialogue about Immigration and its importance to our community while handling the voices of the people who have experienced it first-hand.