Events

Community N’ Unity vigil unites Malden

Malden responded to the violence in the U.S. with a powerful Community N’ Unity vigil on Wednesday, July 20 outside of Malden High School. Michelle Brooks-Thompson, a contestant on the third season of “The Voice,” sang a song titled, “Stand up for Love.” People who participated in the vigil did take a stand for love … holding hands in a powerful display of unity. Mayor Gary Christenson kicked off the vigil by thanking the community’s religious leaders for organizing the peaceful gathering. “I was inspired by their commitment and willingness to step forward to plan this event,” said Christenson. “In light of the violence and divisiveness that has gripped our nation, they were determined to bring our community together and help deliver a message of unity, hope and peace.” Neighborhood View interviews participants at the community vigil:

News

Weaving culture, beauty and business: Fallou’s African Braiding Salon

Growing up in Senegal, Farma Fallou would not have guessed that an everyday activity — braiding hair in the local style — would become the foundation of an American life for herself and the family she would one day have. But since her arrival in the U.S. in 2001, she has built a braiding company that has sent two daughters to college and earned her a respected place in Malden’s business community. Today, the owner of Fallou’s African Braiding Salon in Malden, Massachusetts sees a dozen or more clients each week and employs her daughters, a niece, and other skilled hair braiders part-time. “I am very grateful, and bless God every day,” says Fallou. The salon at 14 Irving Street, just off Main Street in Malden Square, is a long room with four chairs for customers and more for family members and friends to keep customers company. It is common for customers to bring a husband, mother, or friend along, as most braided hair styles take several hours to complete. Every chair has a sight line to the television where, […]

Events

RAW:Boston hosts ShanLeighHair reveal in Malden

Hair as a blank canvas? Shannon Leigh, a South Weymouth-based hair designer and recent guest on “What’s New? Malden,” approaches hair as art. Leigh’s artistic vision will be unveiled by  RAW:Boston in an art exhibit called “REVEAL” with ShanLeighHair. It’s slotted for 7 p.m. Thursday, August 25 at MIXX 360 located at 665 Broadway in Malden. Q: What is your greatest fear? SHANNON LEIGH: My greatest fear is to become my mother. I know that sounds terrible but I fear the addiction that has consumed her for the entirety of my life and I would never, ever want to put my family through that. What is the trait you most deplore? Dishonesty. I can’t stand a liar. Which living person do you most admire? Myself. I have over come so much and I use it to better myself. I live every day like its my last, and make sure that I treat people the way I want to be treated and do whatever I can to better myself. I also always, always put my kids […]

Arts

Malden Public Library’s historic gates restored

The Malden Public Library’s historic wrought-iron gates have been restored  to their original condition and returned to the Salem Street entrance where they have enclosed the walled garden, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, at the front entrance, since 1911. They were designed by Ludvig Sandoe Ipsen, purchased in 1910 from a $1,000 donation from Mrs. Lillie A.B. Hill of Malden and produced by W.A. Snow Iron Work, Inc.  L.S. Ipsen, decorative artist, was born in Denmark and a graduate of the Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen.  He arrived in Boston around 1867 and eventually moved to Malden. Expressing himself most famously in the decorative arts and illustration, Ipsen was most noted for his book covers, book titles and book plates according to The American Bookmaker, July, 1886.  His illustrated work of “Sonnets from the Portuguese,” by E.B Browning (Tribner & Co.), was described as having been decorated “with exquisite draughtmanship and engraving and designed with taste and grace such as we rarely find surpassed” by The Athenaeum Journal of Literature, Science, The Fine Arts, Music […]

Featured

Expert Larry Cultrera discusses Malden-area diners

Larry Cultrera, author of two books on classic diners, said it was love at first sight when it comes to his life-long passion. “The writing was way down the road from my initial interest,” Cultrera told What’s New Malden. “I was interested in diners from the time I was a little kid, probably four or five years old. My dad told me about diners, that they are actually pre-fabricated restaurants. They look somewhat like railroad cars but they’re not railroad cars or converted railroad cars.” Cultrera, who grew up in Medford and is currently living in Saugus,  said he would love to spot diners when his father drove him around the Boston area. “I noticed all of the diners that we had at that time in the ’50s and early ’60s,” he recalled. “And as time went on they started to disappear. By 1980 I was getting into photography and I started photographing diners as a documentation type of a thing.” Over the past 36 years, Cultrera photographed more than 800 diners. The 63-year-old author […]

Featured

TV SHOW: “What’s New? Malden” for August

In the August edition of Neighborhood View’s What’s New? Malden: See what’s on tap at Idle Hands Craft Ales,the new brewery and taproom that just opened up on Commercial Street. Travel back in time with “Classic Diners of Massachusetts” author and local expert Larry Cultrera. Learn about about a hair art event by Raw: Boston artist Shannon Leigh slotted for August and go on the hunt for Picachu in Malden thanks to the latest Pokemon Go craze. Co-hosts Sharon Fillyaw  and Sam Baltrusis from MATV’s Neighborhood View talk about hair, diners and Pokemon Go in this monthly TV show. The monthly program airs 6:30 p.m. Fridays, Noon Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays on MATV’s Channel 3 on Comcast, 28 (Verizon).  

Featured

Is Pokémon GO out of control in Malden?

What’s New Malden? Pokemon GO! It’s a new GPS-driven app that requires players to walk around in order to catch Pokemon characters. When players encounter “Pokéstops,” which are often well-known buildings or landmarks, they can collect Pokéballs to catch Pokémon or things such as lures that attract rare Pokémon. Some designated buildings are also Pokémon “gyms,” in which players can train and battle their Pokemon. There is also an augmented reality component, in which Pokémon appear to be there in real life with the use of a smartphone camera. The game broke the record for the most-used smartphone app. Most players are young teens and Millennials who grew up watching the popular show and playing the Pokémon video game. Malden is no exception to the viral craze- players can be seen chasing Pokémon especially around the main street area, whether it be individually or in a group. The game has many benefits, such as getting people to be active outdoors and the success of the augmented reality technology. The downside is that players are too […]

Events

Interfaith community unites at Ramadan Iftar meal

“We need more of this,” says Imene, from Algeria. “The world needs more of this.” And I agreed. We were sitting at the same table during the Ramadan Iftar celebration at First Parish of Malden, enjoying a meal prepared by the sisters from the Outreach Community & Reform Center (O.C.R.C.), a spiritual home for the local Muslim community in Malden. The Iftar is the evening meal eaten at sundown during Ramadan. It is the first meal eaten since before sunrise that day by practicing Muslims. This special Iftar, held on June 18, about two weeks into this year’s month-long celebration of Ramadan, was a shared meal with non-Muslims in the community, organized jointly between the O.C.R.C. and First Parish. “These are delicious,” I said, biting into what looked like a Chinese spring roll, but was filled with chopped beef and some type of cheese. “Oh, I made them,” said Imene. “I find they are always a crowd pleaser.” We agreed that all the food was delicious, much of it cooked by women from the O.C.R.C., […]

Events

Idle Hands opens brewery and taproom in Malden

Mmmm, beer good. When Idle Hands Craft Ales was kicked out of its Everett home last summer to make way for Wynn Resorts Casino, co-owner and brewer Chris Tkach expanded operations to the more spacious location at 89 Commercial Street which is a stone’s throw from the Malden Center MBTA station. Idle Hands had their grand “re-opening” on Thursday, July 7 and Tkach, along with his wife Grace, are happy with the results. “We were desperate to find a new location, so we put out feelers to a lot of cities and towns,” Tkach said. “We reached out to Kevin Duffy and sure enough, we found this wonderful property right here. It’s a perfect fit for what we’re looking to do.” The result? Pure craft beer success. Idle Hands Craft Ales has perfected their complex amber-color concoctions and local restaurants, like Nicole and Bryan Palazzolo from Mystic Station, plan to team up with the local brewery by providing food options and food trucks will regularly offer some mobile meals to hungry patrons. Hours for Idle […]

News

Rainbow flag vandalized in front of Malden UU Church

A police report was filed on July 8 by First Parish Malden stating that their rainbow flag, displayed on the lawn in front of the church building on 2 Elm Street, had been vandalized. The rainbow flag stands in support of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) pride and diversity. The flag was destroyed with multiple slits and a long slash through the fabric. Officials from First Parish state that the flag will be replaced by Saturday, July 9. Stacey Gilchrist, board president for First Parish, states: “I know that many of us are feeling disoriented by what is going on in the United States right now. There are glaring instances of hate and injustice being reported on our televisions, our computers, our phones, our newspapers. For some of us, these injustices have been a life-long experience only now brought to the national consciousness.” She continues: “Rehanging our flag is one very small way we can show our community that First Parish has hope. It lets Malden know that we see a future, and that […]