June 2022 - Neighborhood View

‘Baba’ brings the Middle East to Malden

June 29, 2022 Madiha Gomaa 1

By Madiha Gomaa “Molokhia” is a thick green soup made of the leaves of Corchorus olitorius, known in English as jute mallow. It is a quite popular dish in the Middle East and something I did not think I’d find in the United States. But when I walked into Baba, Malden’s first Middle Eastern grocery store, I saw “Molokhia leaves” on one of the boxes. I quickly took a picture of it and sent it to my mom in Egypt. I soon was able to speak to store co-owner Mounir Kabbani and learn how the business started. Sixteen years ago, Mounir Kabbani and his family left Lebanon and came to the U.S. with his family hoping for better education opportunities. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in business management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, followed by a master’s degree in political science from Suffolk University, and now he runs his family business, Baba Supermarket. Mounir and his dad, Adib Kabbani, together started Baba in 2011. It’s hard to miss as it’s located next to Malden’s […]

Malden students walk out amid faculty changes, cite communication problems

June 5, 2022 Taylor Lee 0

By Taylor Lee Earlier this month, hundreds of Malden High School students walked out of classes midday to protest layoffs in the Malden public schools. The next day they held a vigil in downtown Malden attended by Malden residents and faculty. Protestors were concerned that 105 education faculty members did not have their contracts renewed. “I will continue to march and protest in honor of this,” said Juliana Davidson, a senior at Malden High School. “I will not be silenced until resolutions are solved.” “We have 105 flameless candles, representative of the 105 educational relationships extinguished by the office of the superintendent,” said Malden Education Association President Deborah Gesualdo at the vigil. “We’re leaving them here to continue to represent every single one of those people. Every single one of those educators. As an acknowledgment of what will be lost in our district.” Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ligia Noriega-Murphy released a statement on May 13 saying 63 “non-renewal letters” were sent out. She listed a variety of reasons, including performance-based cuts, low enrollment in classes and some faculty being temporary hires […]