February 2015 - Neighborhood View

PHOTOS: Malden Reads celebrates ‘One City, One Book’

February 24, 2015 neighbormedia 0

Malden Reads kicked off on Thursday, Feb. 19 in the historic Converse building of the Malden Public Library. Malden Reads, whose motto is “One City, One Book,” started in 2011 and features a new book every year. The hope is the community of Malden will read the same book and participate in community events and dinners that feature discussions of the book’s themes. The event attracted residents and readers of all ages, some first-time attendees, and others who have been coming for years and have consistently read the featured book. Those who hadn’t yet read this year’s selection, “Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore,” seemed eager to pick a copy up at the library. Siblings Rowan and Sunny Marcus been coming to Malden Reads since its inception. “Our mom brought us,” say the Rowan siblings, and she strongly encourages reading to her children. “It was good,” says Rowan of this year’s selection. “But the ending was annoying,” he says. “It wasn’t a nice ending. It was too abrupt.” Sunny says she plans to read the book soon, […]

MALDEN’S CHEFS: Ferry Street Food & Drink cycles with the seasons

February 23, 2015 escorsello 0

When you see an old English Raleigh three-speed with a basket of flowers on the handlebars and chalkboard that reads “Open” you’ll know you’ve arrived at Ferry Street Food & Drink. Pull the large wooden door open and you will find a room filled with warm, amber light reflecting off of golden wooden panels and an old map of Texas, birthplace of Jason Ladd, head chef and co-owner. Ladd recalls, “I discovered cooking as a deep love when I was a very young lad, my teen years, and stuck with it ever since.” Ladd was influenced by the Tex-Mex cooking of his homeland that you can taste in his signature dish, pork meatballs with cheddar grits in barbecue sauce. He uses a combination of cumin, cayenne, and ground chile peppers and is ever refining his barbecue sauce. In his travels and work, he was influenced by the tastes of many places. The southwest, French creole and cajun is expressed in the jambalaya, and in the Louisiana cajun dish, shrimp and grits. House-made linguine with milk […]

Malden Reads kicks off season with ‘bits & bites’ opener

February 21, 2015 neighbormedia 0

The Malden Reads season kicked off 2015 with its “bits and bites” opener at the historic Converse building of the Malden Public Library. The community gathering was a success despite attendees having to trek out into one of the snowiest winters in New England’s history. Malden Reads is a community reading program that invites the entire city to read the same book and participate in events based on its themes. The grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 19 featured light refreshments, community conversation and a chance to learn more about the Malden Reads 2015 featured selection and companion books for younger readers. The 2015 featured selection is “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.” Written by Robin Sloan, the book combines elements of fantasy, mystery, friendship and adventure while musing on the transition between new information technology and traditional print books. In the video below, guests including Mayor Gary Christenson chat with Neighborhood View reporter Kylie Garcia about the festive opening celebration. –Photos by Elizabeth Scorsello

Malden’s Suffolk Square is a forgotten Jewish enclave

February 18, 2015 sharonsantillo 277

Have you ever heard the term banker’s hours? This usually refers to being open for the shortest, most inconvenient hours. But back before Suffolk Square in Malden, Massachusetts was leveled for urban renewal, banker’s hours had a whole different meaning. Suffolk Square was a Jewish enclave in Malden, the heart of which was in the vicinity of Cross and Bryant streets and the old Lincoln Junior High School. When Elaine Lubin’s grandparents wanted to buy land in Malden, the large, established banks in Malden Square weren’t where they went for a mortgage. The Jewish bank in Suffolk Square, Progressive Workmen’s Credit Union, saw the potential in this hard-working Polish Catholic couple who had immigrated to Massachusetts from Vilna in what is now Lithuania. They approved of their plan for a small dairy farm in the area of Bowdoin Street and Bent Avenue and gave them a mortgage for the property that they then purchased from Mrs. Bent. When Elaine’s parents needed a car loan for their new blue Plymouth, they also went to Mr. Eiseman at […]

EXCLUSIVE: Former Tri-CAP exec goes on record

February 16, 2015 azanzirsa 0

While attending the annual Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon sponsored by the North Shore Black Women’s Association, Neighborhood View spoke candidly with Phillip Bronder-Giroux former executive director of Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc (Tri-CAP) and asked if he would be willing to go on record as only he could concerning his Tri-CAP departure and the agency’s possible closing. Fortunately, Bronder-Giroux agreed to an interview which in our opinion should silence the many whispered rumors that have been circulating throughout the Metro-North area. Tri-CAP is an anti-poverty agency for Malden, Medford, Everett and surrounding towns. They have been providing services to the area for 36 years. When asked what happened, Bronder-Giroux said the agency overspent their budget by approximately $500,000 and that the agency was “probably too lean at the top.” It wasn’t fraud by the executive director or anyone else in the agency as some have alluded. They have been functioning in the red for a number of reasons, namely: Tri-CAP employed a very capable comptroller who had been with the agency for more than […]

Ferry Street Food & Drink kicks off Malden Reads dinners

February 14, 2015 neighbormedia 0

Malden Eats, in collaboration with Malden Reads, is excited to announce the return of the Malden Eats Community Dinner series. We invite you to share a convivial meal, at the same time exploring themes related this year’s Malden Reads selection, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan. You do not need to have read the book to attend. On Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m., join fellow Maldonians for a fun and relaxing meal at Ferry Street Food & Drink located 118 Ferry St. in Malden. Enjoy the fine food and drink from this “gastro pub,” which refers to a bar and restaurant that specializes in high-end beer and food. The atmosphere is warm and boasts a local tavern-like vibe. Shannon and Jason Ladd opened this neighborhood hot spot last May. The duo met in culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island. Chef Jason is originally from Texas and the menu has elements from his home state, including BBQ pork meatball appetizer served over cheddar grits. Shannon, originally from upstate New York, says the menu for the Tuesday, March 3 dinner will be a garden […]

Nathan Lamb leaving helm at Malden Observer … again

February 10, 2015 annedr 0

Feel like you saw this article before? MATV’s Neighborhood View caught up with Nathan Lamb when he left his position back in the fall. He returned a couple of weeks later and explains what happened below. But now it looks like he’s leaving the post for good. We wish him well and caught up with him one more time. First off, Nathan, where are you headed? Anne– first I really want to thank you for your interest. You and Ron Cox and everyone at MATV have been great media partners throughout my tenure in Malden and I did want to thank you again for that. I’ve taken a position as a site editor at a company named Tech Target in Newton. Our mission centers on providing reliable information for companies looking to solve problems with technology. I’ll be writing and editing for a website dedicated to those topics. What happened the first time you left (in the fall)? I had been freelancing for an old colleague at a company for a couple of years and […]