azanzirsa, Author at Neighborhood View

Malden’s Cyber Cafe provides online connectivity for the city’s unconnected

November 5, 2014 azanzirsa 0

Is it a question of ownership or access to today’s internet online technology? What if you can’t afford to buy any of the many connectable devices such as laptops, tablets and smart phones? Are you then unfortunately shut out of opportunities that are only available on-line? What do you do if you don’t own any of these devices? Where do you go to get connected? Access rather than ownership to online devices is the real challenge for some of Malden’s residents. One solution that has been a refuge for many of Malden’s unconnected namely the Cyber Café located at 110 Pleasant Street. The Cyber Café was started in 2001 through a partnership among several local organizations called the Community Access Technology Coalition. The composition of this coalition includes Tri-City Community Action Program (Tri-CAP), Malden Access Television (MATV), Murray Learning Associates, Representative Christopher Fallon and The Career Place. Realizing that many of their own clients were left out of the world wide digital connectivity, the Coalition sought to bridge the gap by offering free internet and […]

Ghosts, graveyards, witches, crimes and Salem: a recipe for a book launch

October 25, 2014 azanzirsa 0

First there was the Mod Squad, then the Police Squad, and now there is the Spirit Squad which helps “rouse the dead and give a voice to the long departed.” This according to Sam Baltrusis, author of a trilogy of ghost books taking us from Boston to Cambridge, and now on to Salem the ” Witch City.” Baltrusis explores the cursed history underlying Salem’s supernatural beings in his third book on Massachusetts haunts. Neighborhood View traveled to Salem to bear witness to the launch of Baltrusis’ latest book, Ghosts of Salem. The event was held in the Great Hall at the historic and beautiful Old Town Hall, Salem Mass. The building is the earliest surviving municipal structure in Salem, dating from 1816. Different kinds of haunts are investigated in the book from haunted burial grounds, visiting several cemeteries, to restless spirits of victims of heinous crimes. What is it that attracts so many to Salem every October? They come to be scared, to be fashionable, out of curiosity or just for fun. Some fear ghosts, some dismiss them […]

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. […]

Will the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Benefit Malden?

August 25, 2014 azanzirsa 0

Certain people say the Community Preservation Act is a wonderful mechanism to help cities and towns in Massachusetts to fund open space, historic preservation, community housing, and outdoor recreation projects. Others say it’s just a way for government to circumvent Proposition 2 ½. Let us take a deeper look at what the fuss is all about. According to the CPA Coalition the “CPA is a smart growth tool that helps communities preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. CPA also helps strengthen the state and local economies by expanding housing opportunities and construction jobs for the Commonwealth’s workforce, and by supporting the tourism industry through preservation of the Commonwealth’s historic and natural resources.” The Act allows local communities to establish a Community Preservation Fund which gets generated through a local surcharge from 1 to 3% on property tax bills. At 1% this would average $15 to $44 increase per tax payer, annually. Estimated Yearly Cost to Average Malden Homeowner with a 1% CPA surcharge (based on FY2013 data, […]

Summer is no reason for children to go hungry

August 1, 2014 azanzirsa 0

Do you know any kids living in low-income households that could benefit from a nutritious, healthy lunch? Project Bread is supporting the Summer Food Service Program in Malden to provide free summer lunches for kid in need while on school vacation. The Summer Food Service Program is federally funded via the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) an agency of the USDA. On a state level most often education agencies administer the program. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are managing our program and Malden High School has been appointed to prepare and oversee the operation for the city. The program serves low-income areas where half or more of the children are from households with income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty guideline. The twelve Malden sites that are providing the Free Summer Lunch Program are: Malden High School 77 Salem Stree Lunch 11:30 – 12:30 Beebe School Park 401 Pleasant Street Lunch 12:00 – 1:00 Coytemore Lea Mt Ave MDC […]

Malden postman red flagged for stealing

July 11, 2014 azanzirsa 0

There are a number of civil service positions that necessitate public trust in the execution of duty such as those overseeing public money, police officers and postal carriers to name a few. When that trust is betrayed by acts of corruption or dishonesty, unfortunately it erodes the public confidence and taints by association the good reputation of the many hard working, law-abiding men and women performing their duties in the service to society at large. We give the trust and don’t think about it until…that trust is broken as in the case of the Malden postman who was caught stealing mail out of the blue postal collection boxes he was suppose to deliver mail from. This mailman, a 36-year-old married father of three stole 7689 pieces of mail which included gift cards, iPhones, identity cards, Christmas gifts, laptops, electronic readers and driver’s licenses. He was arrested after being observed taking mail from depository boxes in Medford and Melrose that were not on his regular route of Malden and Somerville. It’s speculated that he gained access […]

Trash talk about outsourcing Malden’s custodial jobs

June 5, 2014 azanzirsa 0

The debate regarding the fate of Malden’s school custodians has fueled some local trash talk. Should the city outsource? Also, is it about cost cutting or actual poor performance by the school custodial staff? Yes, 28 jobs are on the line. More than half of those jobs belong to Malden residents. Eight belong to residents who live in communities adjacent to Malden with these city employees averaging 16 years of service. So why is the City of Malden contemplating outsourcing these 28 full-time jobs? At Neighborhood View, we sought to investigate what thinking went into the decision—making process to privatize these custodial jobs, by interviewing the union which represents the custodians and Mayor Gary Christenson for the city. Local 888 President Mark DelloRusso went on the record to give the union’s position on the subject. However, Mayor Gary Christenson’s office informed us, “Unfortunately, he is unable to be interviewed about the current situation with the custodians in the schools. Because negotiations are on-going, he can’t discuss any topic that could possibly affect that process.” DelloRusso […]