ditikohli, Author at Neighborhood View

Malden small businesses cope with financial hardship during pandemic

May 4, 2020 ditikohli 0

By Diti Kohli No one goes in or out of Mystic Station now except owners Bryan and Nicole Palazzo. The couple closed their restaurant — widely known for its craft beer, burgers, and trivia nights — on March 14 when coronavirus thundered through the state. That means there’s no raucous groups circling the bar, no servers floating about, and most importantly, no revenue. “There’s a lot of unknowns going around health-wise,” said Bryan Palazzo via phone. “We felt that, out of concern for the safety of our employees and our customers, closing entirely was the best idea.” The people behind Mystic Station, like those from hundreds of Malden businesses, are counting down the days until they can welcome customers again. Some restaurants have continued takeout and delivery in self-isolation, while other businesses explore temporary virtual services in the hopes of holding out until the pandemic subsides. But scientists and government officials are unsure when it will be safe to reopen. As of May 3, there are more than 68,000 recorded cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts, […]

Education

MaldenCORE creates platform to speak on racial inequality

May 6, 2019 ditikohli 0

By Diti Kohli Jennifer Hedrington, a Salemwood School math teacher who is Haitian American, wearily remembered missing out as a child on having a teacher who looked like her. Today she advocates alongside the Malden Community Organizing for Racial Equity to ensure the same won’t happen to any of her seventh grade students. Hedrington is a part of MaldenCORE, a community-based organization that aims to foster more diverse leadership representation in the city, especially in its schools. Starting August 2018, the groups hosts “fourth Wednesday conversations” open to the public in the Markey Senior Center dining room. Members lead inclusive conversations on issues that disproportionately affect communities of color. “The beginning of solving all issues is a conversation,” said Hedrington. “Some of these topics are frustrating and painful, but we have to go through pain to make that change happen.” Past “conversations” addressed bias in the education system, the nature of racial discrimination, and the school-to-prison pipeline that drives disadvantaged students to criminal activity. Last Wednesday, three presenters detailed the origin and history of […]

Events

Chinese Culture Connection gala celebrates CCC’s 14th year

April 29, 2019 ditikohli 0

Story and video by Diti Kohli More than 200 attendees from the greater Boston area enjoyed a ten-course dinner and celebrated the Chinese Culture Connection’s success at the organization’s 14th annual gala on April 6. The non-profit hosted the event at the Hei La Moon restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown to raise funds for future programs and honor those who made an impact that aligned with the organization’s mission of “cross-cultural understanding.” Performers in traditional garb showcased Chinese dances, karate, and tai chi, a martial art that doubles as a method of meditation, as entertainment through the night. Organizers priced one spot at each of the eight-person tables at $100 dollars––profits went directly into the CCC’s fundraising trove. Executive director Mei Hung thanked the city of Malden for aiding the organization’s efforts while reminding guests that their financial help is welcomed and needed. “Without the city’s official support, it would be very hard to do the work,” Hung said. “But this is still a fundraising event.” Guests also bid on traditional artwork and other products from sponsors […]

Featured

John Matheson mulling challenge against Christenson for mayor

April 22, 2019 ditikohli 3

Story by Diti Kohli John Matheson, four-term city councillor for Ward 3, said he will decide whether to launch an official bid for mayor before May. In a phone interview, the prospective candidate stressed his self-identification as a “populist and idealist” and said his potential platform would include policies that would expand commercial development. The councillor also plans to focus on increased ticketing, worsening street and traffic patterns, city beautification, and environmental issues, like challenging the contentious mandatory use of blue trash bags and eliminating lead pipes in homes. Matheson announced the formation of his exploratory committee to the public on March 16 via Facebook. “Residents have said the administration has ignored their issues,” said Matheson. “And the government we have now is not a government that’s for the people.” Matheson is no stranger to local politics; in addition to his four terms on the city council, he ran an unsuccessful race for state representative in 2014. If he officially posits himself as a candidate this month, Matheson will be the first to challenge the […]

Events

Malden historic fire station celebrates 100th anniversary

April 9, 2019 ditikohli 0

The city commemorated the century-mark of its oldest standing fire station on 1 Sprague Street on the afternoon of March 31. Firefighters and public officials spoke of the station’s history, and performers from Malden Public High School played at the event. Residents were also free to take tours of the building, including the newly constructed second floor, near the celebration’s end. The news clip below was produced and edited by Diti Kohli

Featured

Bread of Life nearly halfway funded to reconstruct Eastern Ave. headquarters

April 2, 2019 ditikohli 2

Story by Diti Kohli Bread of Life Malden, an organization dedicated to preventing food insecurity, effectively raised $1.4 million, or nearly 50 percent, of the required funding to reconstruct its headquarters at 54 Eastern Ave. as of March 19. Some basic services, including a food pantry, are already run out of the acquired building. Executive director Gabriella Snyder Stelmack and development director Patty Kelly informed the City Council of the organization’s progress and mission at the March 19 council meeting. The $2.9 million funding estimate for reconstruction includes the remaining loan payment on the Eastern Avenue building. The 501c3 non-profit bought the property for $750,000 in 2014 using monies from philanthropy efforts. Bread of Life’s actions to open its own headquarters follow a long history of occupying temporary meal sites. “We lost our meal site several times,” said Stelmack resignedly. “Different times we’ve been serving out of our van or truck in a parking lot. And a lot of those [past] facilities, almost all of them, have had really outdated equipment and kitchens.” A projected […]

Education

City hosts E-Vehicle Fair and Sustainability Forum

March 30, 2019 ditikohli 0

Residents explored electric vehicles at the E-Vehicle fair outside the Beebe School and First Parish Church on March 21. Officials, locals, and a representative from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation gathered at the sustainability forum to discuss transportation initiatives afterward. Organized by City Councillor-at-Large Stephen Winslow, the event hoped to initiate a “cycle of change” towards further environmental conservation in Malden. View the news video below for more information. This video was produced and edited by Diti Kohli.

Featured

City Council approves proposals for use of Community Preservation Fund

March 26, 2019 ditikohli 0

By Diti Kohli The City Council approved all eight grant applications for town projects authored by the Community Preservation Committee, or CPC, at the City Council meeting on March 19. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, $637,549 to be exact, will aid the improvement and preservation of Malden’s recreational areas. The largest grants benefitted the fields outside of the Salemwood School known as Roosevelt Park ($250,000), followed by Fellsmere Park ($75,000), the Malden Community Garden ($63,022), Trafton Park ($45,000), pocket parks in Malden Artline ($40,643), and the High Rock Memorial Park ($5,300). More than $4,000 will aid the restoration of the original plaque on Malden’s World War I Memorial and finance the addition of two bronze plaques with the names of more veterans. The Malden Public Library will use $154,364 of grant funding to restore and rehabilitate its archives. Part of this money will fund the library’s historical photograph and artwork display, as well as the digitization of town records dating back to 1600. CPC chairman Julianne Orsino beamed in the back row of the Markey Senior […]

Events

Officials denounce sexual and gender-based violence at “Stand With Us” event

March 22, 2019 ditikohli 0

By Diti Kohli City and court officials gathered on the sunlit steps of the Malden District Court on March 19, proudly adorned with petite white ribbons, to denounce domestic and sexual violence. Through a clamored array of “I do’s” and nods, each official pledged to use their position to prevent these crimes and bring justice to victims. “We promise to be part of the solution in ending violence against women and all gender-based violence,” said Mayor Gary Christenson in a statement he read to the crowd. The “Stand With Us” event coincided with the annual state-wide White Ribbon campaign, pioneered by Jane Doe Inc., Massachusetts’ coalition against sexual violence and domestic abuse. It aims to involve men in the unending fight against violence. Malden’s Department of Community Outreach and individuals within the district court worked collaboratively to organize Tuesday’s event. Mayor Christenson and the City of Malden advertised the gathering on Twitter in an effort to rally residents to participate in the pledge alongside authorities. However, no outside individuals attended. In a conversation on […]

Davenport Memorial Home serves seniors and keeps the past alive

March 15, 2019 ditikohli 0

Story by Diti Kohli After stepping into the Davenport Memorial Home, guests are greeted by smiling porpoises laid into the tile on the floor of the entrance and an intricate red rug in the foyer. Decades-old A.H. Davenport Company furniture and antiques furnish every visible corner of the building. Nestled prominently between the public library and the high school, the Salem Street mansion does not hide from Malden residents. But the senior living facility’s brick exterior and perfectly manicured lawn do not attract questions from locals. Rachel Burke, Davenport’s assistant administrator, said it is Malden’s best kept secret. “A lot of people know the building, but not what’s in the building,” she said. For 73 years, the Davenport has been a non-profit residential home for Malden senior citizens, while preserving the mansion’s centuries-old architecture and the culture it represented. The Salem Street mansion was once the family home of the Davenports, Malden natives with vast political influence who opened the First Baptist Church near the home. Patriarch A.H. Davenport founded the Davenport Furniture Company, which supplied furniture to famous clients, […]