Features

Features

A Tale of Two Festivals: Fairy Houses and Hispanic Heritage

October 9, 2026 Anne D'Urso-Rose 0
By Anne D’Urso-Rose New Englanders know that outdoor events have a short window of time to be enjoyed in these parts. So in a city like Malden with a vibrant community life, there are often overlapping events. Here’s a reflection on two events that took place on the same afternoon, Sept. 19. Fairy Houses flourish at Pine Banks Park There was no housing shortage for fairies on a sunny Saturday afternoon when families from Malden and surrounding communities gathered at Pine Banks Park for the annual Fairy House Festival.  “What I saw was four hours of parents and kids, on their hands and knees, making stuff together in the woods,” said Paul Hammersley, official photographer for the event. “And no one was on their phone.” Barbara Murphy, former Malden City Councilor and current Police Commissioner, said she started the event in 2015 “to bring children and parents back to nature.” She was inspired by the children’s storybook “Fairy Houses” by Tracy Kane and thought it would be a great idea to start a tradition here […]
Features

From anxiety to action: Malden youth can apply for Bloomberg Climate Action Fund

September 25, 2026 Kayla Bradley 0
By Kayla Bradley As rates of adolescent mental health issues have steadily grown over the last few decades, a lesser-known mental health challenge has silently brewed a storm of uncertainty. Climate anxiety, or chronic fear or distress about climate change and its impacts, has become an increasing issue for youth, including here in Malden. A recent Cambridge Health Alliance assessment found that 45% of youth in the region report high or very high mental health distress. Among the stressors identified was climate change. As the climate crisis continues to be exacerbated by human activity, the world faces severe flooding, intensified storms and extreme heat. The latter can have particular impact here in Malden, where some neighborhoods have been identified for extreme heat risk. Without adequate agency to address these threats, many youth across Malden feel uncertain of the planet’s future. Some cope with that anxiety by simply tuning out. “I find that my peers have this level of unawareness and disconnection with the climate movement,” said Kidus Tsige, a junior at Malden High School. “People […]