Featured

Work proceeds on Malden’s new city hall

By Diti Kohli As the reconstruction of Malden City Hall enters its its final year, details on time of completion, parking, and security are now emerging. The exact finishing date of the new Malden city hall cannot be confirmed until the city acquires the building’s shell, according to a city official. The goal is to open the building by late 2019 or early 2020. Ron Hogan, director of the parking department and member of the municipal building committee, said the city “anticipates taking possession of the building sometime in the early April time frame.” Until then, individual offices cannot be built. Initially, the city reported they would acquire possession in March with the goal to finish construction by November 2019.  The demolition of the previous city hall, which was built in the 1970s, will reconnect the two ends of Pleasant Street and provide access to the MBTA Station at Malden Center. The new buildings, developed by Jefferson Apartment Group, will be an eclectic mix of commercial, residential, and civic sections. Retail stores will occupy 22,000 […]

Arts

MATV to host Arts and Culture Summit March 9th

Story by Diti Kohli MATV, Malden’s Media Center, calls on community members to celebrate and encourage artistic expression in the city at the Arts and Culture Summit on March 9 2019. At the event, artists and supporters will gather to meet each other, hear guest presenters, and participate in a conversation about Malden’s arts and culture ecosystem. Anne D’Urso-Rose, associate director of MATV and one of the summit’s hosts, said the objective of the summit is to connect residents, artists, businesses, and officials with each other and MATV.   Watertown City Councilor Vincent Piccirilli, who has served the city for 11 years, will deliver a featured presentation about the creation of The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts in his city. Decades ago, the building operated as a military arsenal and then as a mall until 14 years ago when the Mosesian was founded. Now, the performance space includes a theatre, as well as multiple restaurants and shops. “I think we can be inspired and learn from the collaboration and contributions of different entities […]

Featured

Homeless find refuge in Malden Warming Center

Story and photos by Diti Kohli Age 54, diabetic, and newly homeless, Rosa spent her first night in the Malden Warming Center on a frigid February evening. In late January, she lost her job as a live-in evening manager of a disabled veterans care facility that gave her only two weeks to vacate her home. Rosa does not receive unemployment benefits from her non-profit ex-employer. She survives off food stamps and has only procured enough insulin to last another month. Without the center, she would be spending her nights on the street. “I’ve always said if people are homeless, there has to be a reason they’re there,” said Rosa. “This is my reason.” According to a report from the Department of Housing and Development, Rosa is among the estimated 20,000 homeless individuals in Massachusetts. Citizens and officials in Malden, alarmed at the number of homeless in the city, have worked together to open a warming center, a place where the homeless can find respite from the winter. The center opened for the winter on Jan. […]

Events

We have more to go: Luncheon honors Dr. Martin Luther King

By Diti Kohli U.S. Senator Ed Markey, a Malden native, captivated the crowd with his speech Jan. 19 at the North Shore Black Women’s Association’s 26th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon on the weekend of Dr. King’s birthday. “Oh, how we still miss his wisdom, his position, his integrity,” Markey told participants at the luncheon, held at Anthony’s restaurant, which commemorates Dr. King and his contributions to peace, justice, and equal rights in the 1950s and 1960s. “Donald Trump tries to use hate to tear our country apart. We are reminded of why Dr. King warned us ‘There comes a time when silence is betrayal,’” said Markey. “That time is now.” The NSBWA honored Markey and three other community members during the annual event: children’s author Lesa Cline Ransome, state senator Jason M. Lewis, and business owner Allen Levine. Malden Recovery Court Judge Benjamin B. Barnes served as keynote speaker. Markey focused many of his comments on the government shutdown, then in its fifth week. At that time, multiple government organizations were closed and […]