Politics

Arts

Future of Malden Center for Arts and Culture uncertain two years after Courthouse acquisition

November 12, 2024 Maria Yulikova 1

By Maria Yulikova After the city acquired the Malden District Courthouse in 2022, excitement brewed among government officials and residents alike about a potential conversion of the historic building at 89 Summer St. into the Malden Center for Arts and Culture. The Mayor’s office formed an Advisory Committee to develop a detailed proposal laying out finances, renovations and how spaces should be used. In July 2022, Malden authorities published the comprehensive Concept Plan. A Feasibility Study for the proposed Malden Center for Arts & Culture was published in September 2023. However, things have been at a standstill ever since. “We had a very tough budget year,” said Amanda Linehan, Malden Ward 3 City Councillor. “But we stay optimistic about this project. We don’t want to see it frozen anymore and our residents offer their expertise on fundraising.” Linehan says that State Representative Paul Donato has put money into the state budget for the rehab but what is needed is actually much higher. Linehan said that she was “surprised” to learn how extensive the project would […]

Featured

City eliminates upper age limit to become a Malden Police Officer

November 1, 2024 NeighborhoodView 1

By Emma Siebold  Previously, if you were 32 or older, your hopes of becoming a Malden police officer would be a distant dream. Until now.  There is no longer an upper age limit for one to become a Malden Police Officer, thanks to a petition proposed by a Malden resident and backed by Mayor Gary Christenson and Police Chief Glenn Cronin.  Bill H.2546, signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey on August 23, removed the upper age limit of 32 years to apply as an entry-level police officer, specifically for the city of Malden. Many surrounding communities, such as Revere, Everett, Medford and Somerville have no upper age limit for entry-level firefighters or police officers. The provision in Malden also previously blocked transfers from other public safety groups; a sheriff or corrections officer could not transition to the Malden Police Department if they passed the age cap.  Cronin hopes that less restrictions will open the door to a more diverse and experienced candidate pool.  “Things aren’t black and white, it’s about making decisions in the […]

Education

School Department continues to support controversial curriculum despite charges of racial insensitivity

December 13, 2023 NeighborhoodView 1

By Avieana Rivera The Malden School Committee and superintendent continued to support the district’s new curriculum at their November meeting, despite charges from parents and teachers that it is racially insensitive. Seven different educators, all members of the Malden Education Association (MEA), along with two concerned parents, spoke out against the Amplify curriculum at October’s monthly school committee meeting, which they claimed is racially insensitive and a potential civil rights violation for English language learners. Amplify ELA (English/Language Arts) is a national-for-profit curriculum and was purchased by the Malden School District for all students in grades Pre-K through 8. They said one of the more disturbing lessons for 8th graders included a passage written by 19th century abolitionist Frederick Douglass where he quotes a slave master using the N-word four times to express his displeasure of slaves being taught to read and write. “I did everything I could to prepare my students for what they were going to read. Nothing prepared me for the gasps, the looks on their faces when they saw the illustrations. […]

Featured

Malden provides support for Haitian migrant families

December 5, 2023 Maile Blume 1

By Maile Blume A rapidly growing number of Haitian migrant families are seeking shelter in Massachusetts to escape violence, poverty, and hunger — all of which have intensified since 2021 following the assassination of the former President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse. Malden joins cities throughout Massachusetts in responding to the needs of the incoming families. Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, the founder of True Alliance Center, Inc. — a Haitian-led organization dedicated to supporting migrant families — said that those arriving often do not have any family ties in the U.S. and face many challenges to finding housing and employment. “You know what’s the number one thing they told me? They need to work,” said Fleurissaint, adding, “Many of them are engineers, teachers, doctors, plumbers, professional drivers, artists — many of them had basically previous professions back home.” However, migrants seeking shelter in Massachusetts must wait for work authorizations, which can sometimes take six months to a year to receive. In the meantime, the families depend on services contracted through non-profit organizations, including shelter in motels and […]

Featured

Malden navigates growing housing crisis

October 19, 2023 Maile Blume 0

By Maile Blume Longtime Malden residents are being priced out of their homes and separated from their neighbors because of an ongoing rise in the cost of housing. In response, Malden is taking steps to address the affordable housing shortage that has emerged throughout the city. A recent film created by community members in the “Filmbuilding Malden” program – coordinated through Urban Media Arts – celebrates the diversity that characterizes Malden, but also explores how the city’s changing housing landscape is displacing the very residents that make the city so diverse. “I’m always proud of how diverse we are, but I feel that with the changes in our community, we’re pricing out working-class families that cannot afford to continue to live in a place where they have given so much and have brought just an intangible value,” said resident Zatcha Montes in the film “Green Elephant,” one of the five films in the series that explore the question “Who is Malden?” “We had a friend who recently moved who could not afford to live here, […]

Business

Plans for new behavioral health facility move forward

June 21, 2023 Shannon Garrido 0

Shannon A. Garrido It’s been over two decades since Hallmark Health officially closed Malden Hospital, effectively leaving residents on the Medford line to deal with the vacant property. After years of failed plans aiming to finally develop the former hospital, Tufts Medicine and Acadia Healthcare Company announced on June 30, 2022 that they are planning a behavioral health facility on the site. The joint venture is set to build a 144-bed inpatient facility that will address the critical need for accessible behavioral health services for patients of all ages in the Greater Boston area. Amanda Linehan, city council representative for Ward 3, where the site is located, explains that the residents are keen on developing the site as well as preserving part of the land.  “When I was going door to door asking folks what ‘would you like to see there?’ It was a mixture of preservation,” says Linehan. “[Others] would say, ‘it was great having a community hospital there, I wish we could have some type of health care or public health use.” Mayor […]