Education

From the Streets to the River – Litter’s Effect on Malden

By Merari Flores and Nora Hounain One of the biggest problems in today’s society is acknowledging environmental issues without taking any action to address them. Walking down the street, it is easy to spot trash; however, not much is being done in order to clean it up or, at the very least, prevent the amount of litter present.  In the United States alone, according to Keep America Beautiful, there are about 50 billion pieces of trash along waterways and roadways. In Malden, Massachusetts, the problem of litter is no exception. 124568 In April 2023, Friends of the Malden River (FoMR), held a clean-up event where they were able to fill up 70 bags plus miscellaneous materials like mattress springs, bicycles, and UFO’s with riverside waste.  In 2024 alone, 4,390 pounds of trash has been collected in the Malden River Watershed as well as 4,124 pounds from trash clean-up events.  Friends of the Malden River is one of many organizations in Malden that actively push and advocate to keep the environment clean. They focus on problem-solving and […]

Business

Building Community Momentum: The future of Maplewood Square

By Joy Pearson Plans have begun to make improvements to the historic Maplewood business district in Malden. A Maplewood Square Committee of Ward 5 and Ward 6 residents has been following up on the research done in spring 2023 by the ‘Initiative on Cities,’ a capstone project for Master’s students of the Boston University Metropolitan College in City Planning and Urban Affairs. Maplewood Square is 1.5 miles east of Malden Center down Salem Street. Its name dates back to 1853 when Joshua Webster who, as surveyor, connected the Saugus railroad line to the Boston and Maine railroad.  In the mid-nineteenth century, Webster sought to establish a community in the area including 200 maple trees.  And so it was done.  Businesses grew; changes occurred.  Ten years ago, the old Saugus railroad was transformed and made into a bike and pedestrian path that crosses Maplewood Street.  Since then, the path has been part of the Northern Strand Bike Path through the Bike to the Sea organization.  It is well-used by locals and by New England bicyclists. Then and now, […]

Arts

Put Malden on the map: A growing city takes pride in its up-and-coming art scene

By Nia Harmon Since 2016, husband and wife duo Ose and Marcel Schwab have been amplifying the work of local creatives in Malden. As the outgrowth of an initiative by Ose Schwab, owner of Malden Creates LLC, The Gallery@57 and non-profit Creative Malden strive to enhance the culturally rich city through its support of local artists, writers, and musicians. “Malden has been lucky to have many art groups and initiatives throughout the years that highlight and connect its many fine artists,” writes Marcel Schwab in an email interview. “The Gallery@57 seeks to continue that work and nurture an inclusive and active artist community that is connected and informed about the opportunities available.” What originally started off as “Malden Pops Up,” a pop-up shop in an abandoned space at 480 Main St. that ran for about a year, is now the inviting storefront located at 57 Pleasant Street. “The purpose of Malden Creates LLC was to initiate opportunities for artists and performers to bring their work to Malden for money,” said Ose Schwab. “[In 2016], the […]