Muslim festival dispels myths and celebrates community

By Nia Harmon Since 2016, husband and wife duo Ose and Marcel Schwab have been amplifying the work of local creatives in Malden. As the outgrowth of an initiative by Ose Schwab, owner of Malden Creates LLC, The Gallery@57 and non-profit Creative Malden strive to enhance the culturally rich city through its support of local artists, writers, and musicians. “Malden has been lucky to have many art groups and initiatives throughout the years that highlight and connect its many fine artists,” writes Marcel Schwab in an email interview. “The Gallery@57 seeks to continue that work and nurture an inclusive and active artist community that is connected and informed about the opportunities available.” What originally started off as “Malden Pops Up,” a pop-up shop in an abandoned space at 480 Main St. that ran for about a year, is now the inviting storefront located at 57 Pleasant Street. “The purpose of Malden Creates LLC was to initiate opportunities for artists and performers to bring their work to Malden for money,” said Ose Schwab. “[In 2016], the […]

By Sky Malerba Killer Kowalski never intended to go into  professional sports. However, he eventually became one of the most feared and simultaneously admired villains in professional wrestling. For many years, he ran a popular wrestling school in Malden. This week, Killer Kowalski is the subject for Malden Arts Mondays, a two-month long celebration of artists and figures associated with Malden.  Born Edward Władysław Spulnik on Oct. 13, 1926,  Kowalski began training at a YMCA at age 14 when he was lanky and already over six feet tall. Although he planned to become an electrical engineer, he saw opportunities in the world of professional wrestling and attended a wrestling school. As a son of Polish immigrants who was raised in Ontario, he learned he could make a solid living being a wrestler. He would come to prominence when the emerging popularity of television created a golden age of professional wrestling.  Kowalski took on a number of different identities as his wrestling persona evolved, as influenced by the technique of his craft. His names cycled through different strongman archetypes: Hercules, Tarzan, the more tame […]

By Martha Bezzat Since launching in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors (MNHN) continues to make a profound impact on Malden households by connecting those in need with resources.  Formed by Malden resident Meera Krishnan — inspired by her own sister’s Newton Facebook group — her husband, AJ Kumar, and James Meickle, leader of a neighborhood mutual aid group, MNHN has blossomed from a tight knit group of “lead organizers” who interface with local and state agencies and officials to navigate larger issues. It now includes a network of “neighborhood point persons” who daily process requests through the organization’s website and Facebook page.  To date, the all-volunteer organization has helped more than 600 households with such tasks as food delivery, housing/financial assistance (through referrals to ABCD, Housing Families, CityLife, and others), and prescription pick-up. Volunteers have also managed yardwork, furniture moves, and assisting with baby equipment. Lead organizers and neighborhood point people, working from their computers, coordinate delivery volunteers (delivering weekly to now 80 households), check-in-callers, generous donors, […]