News Archives - Page 19 of 47 - Neighborhood View

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 […]

AAAW hosts International Women’s Day in Malden

March 21, 2019 jlynnmcclain 0

By Jennifer McClain There were discussions of equality and income disparities. And there was also fun, celebration and dancing, specifically displaying the beauty of the Arabic culture. This was the 7th Annual International Women’s Day 2019 event hosted by the American Association for Arab Women (AAAW) on March 16 at the Malden Senior Community Center. The event was attended by about 60 people, a diverse crowd representing many different cultures. A number of Malden’s political leaders were in attendance. AAAW President Souad Akib welcomed attendees first by calling for a moment of silence and then reading from the Koran to honor those lost in the recent tragedy in New Zealand. She then launched into a call to action in honor of International Women’s Day, reciting a list of what should be done and how you can do it. “We need to make sure women are treated with respect in the workplace,” Akib said. She went on to describe how it could be accomplished: “If you are a hiring manager, interview as many women as you […]

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, […]

Featured

Work proceeds on Malden’s new city hall

February 28, 2019 ditikohli 0

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 […]

MATV to host Arts and Culture Summit March 9th

February 26, 2019 ditikohli 1

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 […]

Lunar New Year celebration kicks off Malden Reads 2019

February 24, 2019 NeighborhoodView 0

By Frances Hui This year’s selection for Malden Reads 2019, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See, was feted last month during a celebration of Lunar New Year and the coming of the Year of Pig in a day-long event that featured Asian cultural performances, workshops, artwork exhibitions and refreshments at Malden High School. The Jan. 26 event, sponsored by the Chinese Culture Connection (CCC), Malden Reads and the high school’s Asian Culture Club, drew more than 100 people, including Mayor Gary Christenson and other Malden officials. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is about a journey of a Li-yan, a young woman from a minority tribe in China, who gives up her child for adoption. At times, the story cuts between her life and her adopted child’s life in California. Li-yan eventually moves beyond the limited education of the rest of her community, leaves her traditional village, and begins to experience the modern world in the cities of China, where she becomes an integral part of the tea trade. The book is about many things: […]

Homeless find refuge in Malden Warming Center

February 18, 2019 ditikohli 6

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. […]

Arts

The Gallery leaves a legacy: Imagine something and make it happen

February 6, 2019 shrier58 3

By Robin Inman On Dec. 24, 2018, The Gallery at 480 Main St. in downtown Malden closed. For almost 13 months, following an inaugural stint in late 2016, The Gallery had functioned as a lively arts and community center, drawing in hundreds of people for retail sales, exhibitions, performances, workshops and cultural events. Ose Schwab, the owner of Malden Creates, LLC, and the “chief instigator,” primary sponsor and manager of The Gallery, recently answered some questions for Neighborhood View. Why did The Gallery close? The Gallery closed because its lease with DSF Advisors LLC, owners of 480 Main Street, came to a close. But it was also time, given the emergent complexity of The Gallery operations, to end its temporary state. It was time to consider a sustainable plan for some iteration of The Gallery for the future, with a strategic funding, staffing, outreach, business (or nonprofit) development, and marketing plan that could ensure the best outcome. In addition, my husband Marcel, who served as the financial officer and operations manager of the gift shop, […]

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

January 31, 2019 ditikohli 0

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 […]

Could Malden become a “pocket of civility” in an uncivil country?

December 27, 2018 NeighborhoodView 0

The recent midterm elections have highlighted prime examples of the dark side of American politics — the lack of civility in political discourse. Today, political debates among candidates, pundits and even around the dinner table too often turn into shouting matches, name calling and insults. Social media has become a new frontier for ever-more-appalling insults. Compromise, once the backbone of American politics, has gone the way of the passenger pigeon. As long-time Malden resident Pamela DeGroot lamented on a Facebook post, “First time in my 69 years that I am scared about the future of America …” Citizen journalists for Malden’s Neighborhood View decided to examine the issue of civility and and explore the question: Just what does it take to be polite or kind in uncivil times? MATV reached out to the community via Facebook by posting a question: “How do YOU feel about the tone of civil discourse today?” Maldonian Adam Goodwin responded: “It certainly feels like civil discourse is a lost art…discussion of any political or sensitive topics and can only be strengthened […]