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Bill Muise and Brian DeLacey established MNN on 3/31/16 as “News for Maldonians, by Maldonians” sourced, researched and posted as a collective by Malden residents. Malden News Network requires visitors not block MNN Administrators from (any of) their Facebook accounts, profiles, timelines or posts. Those deemed by Administrators to be troll-like in nature - harrassing, malicious, or failing to be

helpful or add value - are subject to being banned from the page. MNN was established in April 2016 by Bill Muise and Brian DeLacey, who serve as Editors. Reporting and stories are published from submissions by the Editors, Writers and Guest Essayists.

22/08/2024

21/08/2024

Our second installment of “Gaming Revenue in Malden” highlighted the “Surrounding Community Agreement” which was signed on 11/12/13. Yes, more than a decade ago!

How did that agreement come about?

Only recently, during a rare mid-summer meeting, the City Council released nearly 28 pages of Executive Session minutes related to that agreement. This record was released to the public for the first time after being archived by the City Council, far from the public eye for more than a decade. The period of time these were held secret spanned the tenure of FOUR Malden City Clerks. The current Council is nearly unrecognizable when compared to the Council of that period.

MNN’s July 26th article highlighted the timely efforts of the City Clerk’s office in obtaining the release of these records, which resulted from MNN’s request for public body minutes related to the “Surrounding Community Agreement”.

At the October 17, 2013 Executive Session, Mayor Christenson spoke to the Council about negotiations and status of the Surrounding Community. Eight members of the City Council were recorded as attending this meeting - only ONE of whom still sits on the Council today. By comparison, Mayor Christenson and three senior staffers from his office attended that meeting - all of whom have continuously worked in similar roles for the City to this day.

The one attending Councillor who is still on the Council was recorded in the minutes as saying “he was flabbergasted that this discussion was even taking place. He said that the two councillors whose wards abutted Everett weren’t here. He said that, with all due respect to the negotiating committee, he was not ready to vote.”

On the fifth page of minutes from that meeting, “The Mayor said that he was asking for the Council’s trust.” That phrase remarkably reappears on the sixth page of the minutes: “The Mayor said that the agreement was tenuous. He said that it was the first one ever done and if something changes, the offer might be withdrawn. He said he was asking for the Council’s trust.” According to the minutes:

“[T]he Mayor said that this was key in the city’s hunt for new revenue.”

Earlier today, MNN received a copy of new correspondence from the Supervisor of Records ordering the City to respond to recent public records requests from MNN in a manner consistent with that order, The Public Records Law and its Regulations. Those records that MNN sought, and now has additional support from the Supervisor of Records in obtaining, address exactly that topic that was identified as key more than a decade ago: “the city’s hunt for new revenue.”

This afternoon, MNN wrote to Mayor Christenson asking him for a response and comment on actions he’s taken since his 6/26/24 MEMORANDUM to the City Council and the City Solicitor related to the Surrounding Community Agreement.

EDITORIAL NOTE
=================
This is the third installment of MNN’s chronicle: “Gaming Revenue in Malden”.

REFERENCES
===============
July 26, 2024 story on the hunt for missing minutes
https://www.facebook.com/MaldenNewsNetwork/posts/920299760109805

You can read the minutes at the links below.

The 9/3/13 Executive Session ran for 40 minutes, with five pages of written minutes:
https://cityofmalden.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=b85ebc63-7f43-4d6a-9b0e-0dfeea1c51d3.pdf

The 10/17/13 Executive Session ran for one hour and ten minutes, producing nine pages of written minutes:
https://cityofmalden.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=1a910aa2-9a9e-4559-91b6-d8c35c4e1d21.pdf

The 10/22/13 Executive Session ran for 55 minutes, and had a seven page minute document:
https://cityofmalden.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=db0301e5-20e7-4cdb-8a3d-be75b1c78883.pdf

The 2/4/14 Executive Session was the shortest at 23 minutes with seven pages of meeting minutes:
https://cityofmalden.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=23d2ca62-257c-4d89-8fe5-16ac872e306f.pdf

21/08/2024

Here's a follow-up to MNN's August 19th article, "What’s happening with Malden’s Court Cases on Cannabis?"

MNN submitted a request to Malden’s Cannabis Licensing & Enforcement Commission for minutes related to their most recent meeting on March 19, 2024, which had not been posted to their website at the time of our August 19th article.

We received a timely and helpful response to our request from the CLEC's Clerk. They provided draft minutes and related documents. Their response noted

"the Minutes have not yet been approved by the CLEC and are therefore subject to change. Although Zoom was utilized for the meeting, the meeting was not recorded."

We've attached copies of the draft minutes and related correspondence. You'll also find a few drawings excerpted from the City's online permitting system related to one of the current applicants: DMS Trinity has proposed a Charles Street location.

20/08/2024

The grounds at Encore are breathtaking. The transformation of that site is architecturally and panoramically spectacular. Staff is out and around on the grounds meticulously maintaining the flora and gardens. Since it opened in 2019, Encore has offered an inviting visitor business setting and generated substantial tax revenues at the state and local levels.

MNN published a story in anticipation of Encore’s grand opening on June 22, 2019 - the day before it opened. As part of the process to obtain its license to operate [1], Encore was required to submit “signed agreements between the surrounding communities and the applicant setting forth the conditions to have a gaming establishment located in proximity to the surrounding communities and documentation of public outreach to those surrounding communities.” (Encore was previously known by the industry name of Wynn.)

We’ve attached screenshots of the 11-page agreement, which was signed on 11/12/13 by Mayor Gary Christenson, the City Solicitor at the time and the City Controller. The agreement spelled out the reasoning for reaching this agreement, and the terms and conditions. It involved a substantial payment of funds by Wynn to the City of Malden, “whereas Wynn desires to mitigate any adverse impacts from the development and operation of the Project … and Malden desires to mitigate any anticipated adverse impacts … and to work proactively with Wynn to capitalize on the unique nature of Malden’s community resources.”

Has Mayor Christenson, as premier signer of this agreement on behalf of Malden, fulfilled the promises of that agreement to “bring economic development to Malden, create new jobs for Malden residents and new sources of revenue for the Malden business community”?

We’ve attached a table of payments which the Casino promised to make. Future articles will discuss where that money went and how it was spent. Have those individuals who are responsible for utilizing these gaming revenues done so in the best interests of the Malden Community and in the spirit of the Surrounding Community Agreement?

This is the second installment of MNN’s chronicle: “Gaming Revenue in Malden”.

REFERENCES
===============

[1] Surrounding Community Agreements
https://massgaming.com/about/host-surrounding-communities/surrounding-community-agreements/

Wynn-Malden-Surrounding-Community-Agreement.pdf
https://massgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/Wynn-Malden-Surrounding-Community-Agreement.pdf

https://massgaming.com/regulations/revenue/

20/08/2024

Do you know what happened to the money from the Surrounding Community Agreement? After all, it’s a “Community Agreement” so people in the community should know where the money went and how it was spent, right?

If you don’t know what happened to it, that’s understandable. It’s taken us months to find out and there’s still plenty we don’t know.

Malden's accounting records millions of dollars paid to the City of Malden - from a contractual agreement struck between the City of Malden and Encore (nee Wynn) Casino nearly a decade ago - The money represents a “Community Fee” or a “Community Impact Fee”.

Labels emphasizing “Community” aren't a euphemism for money that only a small group of political insiders know about or get to privately decide how to dish out.

It appears few people have a full view of these funds.

Over the last several months Malden News Network looked into this community money. We asked where it went and how it was spent. We followed public records. We looked through public meeting archives. We listened to word-of-mouth. We dug into budget and appropriation documents. We reviewed revenue reports, check registers, bank statements, budget spreadsheets, and random email references for clues.

No single source provided a full picture. We’re not done, but what we’ve seen so far has raised real questions. So we decided to share more information in a series of stories.

This story series begins with a smattering of images from records recently obtained. In articles to follow, MNN will provide an update on what we’ve learned, what we know, and what we still don’t know about how Malden’s “casino community money” has been handled.

Members of the Malden community have a stake in this substantial amount of money. Afterall, it is a “Community Fee”. This week of the Democratic National Convention seems like a good time to look at the democratic spirit that is now on display and challenged.

EDITORIAL NOTE:
=================

This is the first installment of MNN’s chronicle: “Gaming Revenue in Malden”.

Independently, OpenCommonwealth pursued a line of inquiry into the public records related to this Surrounding Community Agreement. That inquiry, actually, led to a lawsuit searching for records related to the handling of a portion of these funds which were found in a private bank account held in the name of Malden Community Fund Committee, Inc. Records obtained by Open Commonwealth have provided a rich source of information to help provide a better understanding of how these community funds have been handled. (https://opencommonwealth.org/)

19/08/2024

What’s happening with Malden’s Court Cases on Cannabis? At just before 4:20 on 8/19/24, there was a new whiff of what was going on.

Malden seemed to indicate in a new Court filing, that the City had missed a court deadline in their DRIS litigation. Malden’s Cannabis Court Docket is looking pretty busy right now..

A City of Malden affidavit by the City Solicitor described a calendar mix-up:

“This Court sent revised orders, wherein Defendant’s opposition to the Motion to Stay was due on August 12, 2024.” Adding, “The revised date of August 12, 2024 for Defendants’ Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion to Stay, was inadvertently not docketed in the Calendar …”

Is this a scheduling oops?

The August 19th Court docket indicates a ZOOM event with Honorable Judge Diane R. Rubin is scheduled for 09/05/2024 at 02:00 PM. It’s unclear if or how the City’s August 19th “MOTION TO ENLARGE THE TIME TO FILE AN OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR STAY OF PROCEEDINGS” will impact any other event on the Court’s schedule.

Another cannabis case is also moving along. The Benevolent Botanical litigation was originally filed on 2/14/22. That case is racing to a trial date. Just a week before the DRIS-related calendar affidavit appeared, nine filings (motions and memoranda) were posted to the Benevolent-related Court Docket:

“Motions in Limine to be filed by August 12, 2024, with oppositions to be filed by September 4, 2024, and a hearing to be held on September 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. With respect to the parties' proposed alternative routes for the view, that topic to be discussed also on September 11, 2024, at which time the court will also set deadlines for filing of stipulations and agreed-upon and disputed trial exhibits. The court proposes that a view be held during the week of September 29, 2024, at a mutually convenient time, mid-day.”

Oh, and there is a field trip coming up for the parties to this case. A viewing of the proposed Benevolent Botanicals site location is scheduled with the Judge for October 1st.

And there is more news with another cannabis company - DMS Trinity, LLC. They have been active with permitting for their 36 Charles Street location. According to Malden’s Online Permitting System, https://cityofmalden.org/182/Inspectional-Services, DMS applied for and/or was issued permits related to windows, plumbing, electrical (including telephone, data, security), renovations, and IT. On July 11th they were issued a permit involving the all-important vault, and on July 30th the City issued a permit for relocating 17 sprinkler heads.

DMS originally received a SPECIAL PERMIT with 16 conditions at a public hearing before the City Council, under docket #202-22 on 4/26/22. Under Council docket number 233-23, DMS was considered for an extension to their Special Permit. According to documents from the procedural history, at the time of that extension review “no application for a building permit ha[d] been filed” and the “petition propose[d] no change to the project or plans approved with the special permit granted in Case 202-22”.

You can read the full Court filings at https://www.masscourts.org; you’ll find the DRIS and Benevolent cases in Land Court. Malden’s Cannabis Licensing & Enforcement Commission last met on March 19, 2024. Malden News Network recently submitted a request for their recent meeting minutes and media, which had not been posted to their website in the five months since that most recent meeting.

REFERENCES
===============
DRIS: “24 MISC 000281 Dris Corporation , et al. v. City of Malden Board of Appeal , et al.” set to meet with Hon. Judge Diane R. Rubin on 9/5/24. That case was originally filed on 5/20/24.

Benevolent: “22 MISC 000076 Benevolent Botanicals LLC , et al. v. City of Malden , et al. RUBIN”

Inspectional Services / Permitting
https://cityofmalden.org/182/Inspectional-Services

Public access to court cases
https://www.masscourts.org/

16/08/2024

On August 15, 2024:

"Dozens of Civil-Rights and Journalism Groups Urge the Media to Report on Rising Authoritarianism and Threats to Democracy
August 15, 2024

News outlets must refuse to cover politics with soundbites that place profit over people’s understanding of the ways in which our basic rights are at risk."

"The letter describes six best practices the media should adhere to during moments of crisis, violence and threats to U.S. democracy."

1) Identify and name authoritarian and autocratic rhetoric.
2) Cross-check, fact-check, double-check.
3) Take seriously and report rigorously on threats to the rule of law and institutions.
4) Think of the impact on audiences when packaging stories.
5) Always give more context for audiences.
6) Provide civic information.

"Only 28 percent of Americans feel “very informed” about local elections. A majority of Americans think democracy is in crisis and feel politically alienated in some fashion. News outlets like yours have a responsibility to set the record straight, provide accurate information about the process and encourage everyone to participate in democracy."

REFERENCES
==============
https://www.freepress.net/news/press-releases

https://freepress.net/news/press-releases/media-must-cover-threats-to-democracy

13/08/2024

Malden Center on a summer evening.

08/08/2024

On August 8, 2024 the City of Malden issued a General City Alert on Lead Service Line Inspection:

"Clean Water Fund and the City of Malden are teaming up to help Malden residents find out if they have a lead service line. A service line is the pipe that brings water from the street into your home. Some service lines are made of lead, and as the pipe ages, lead could get into your drinking water. To ensure your water is safe, the City of Malden is working hard to identify lead service lines and plan for their replacement.

Clean Water Fund and the City of Malden contractors will be knocking on doors from August 12th to August 16th to provide education about lead in drinking water and to set up appointments for lead service line inspections. This free inspection only takes 5 minutes!

Look for Clean Water Fund in your neighborhood the week of August 12th and set up your free lead service line inspection!
If you don’t see them, contact the City of Malden Engineering Department at (781) 397-7040 or the City of Malden consultant at (973) 525-9094 to schedule an appointment.

Together, let's keep our water safe! "

Source: https://www.cityofmalden.org/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=459

REFERENCES
=============
MNN, July 17, 2024
https://www.facebook.com/MaldenNewsNetwork/posts/pfbid0gxBtrVwQxQPJAb48qMMgUK72e4nrrYtjPzMSizALRMqcXQ6TBhkKW9MxWiao8mfFl

07/08/2024

On August 7th, sent out a highlight of their week:

"Thank you for inviting members of Boston's Violent Crimes Task Force to your celebration. Our agents & task force officers enjoyed meeting community members interested in our work to enhance public safety. We hope to see everyone next year!"

REFERENCES
==============

Source of text and photos -
12:58 PM · Aug 7, 2024
https://x.com/FBIBoston/status/1821229408922775632

Boston FBI Office:
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/boston/about

07/08/2024

Has the City of Malden been audited by the State of Massachusetts or the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, for its handling of funds changing hands under the SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AGREEMENT?

A multi-resident review of available records suggests that the City of Malden has been under-funding the Malden Community Fund, below levels contractually agreed to in the 11/12/13 SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AGREEMENT.

In addition to a total dollar amount being under-funded, the records of receipt of funds from Encore to the City of Malden suggest months of delay in making payment to the Malden Community Fund, with no appropriation, review or approval by the City Council.

This review, which is incomplete due to an incomplete collection of source documents, remains a work in progress. We invite City of Malden officials or the Directors of the Malden Community Fund Committee, Inc. (MCFCI) to explain any apparent underpayment of funds.

Records reviewed include (incomplete) financial records of payments provided by the Malden City Controller, email records, bank statements reflecting deposits made by the MCFCI, some communications from Encore, and the original terms of the agreement - which official city records indicate remain unchanged and which Mayor Christenson and others signed off on on or about November 12, 2013.

This story is developing ....

EDITORIAL NOTE
===============
We invite city officials to correct the record on this, or explain how the apparent underpayments, delays in payments and any bypass of the appropriation process (as required under Section 53 of Chapter 44 of Massachusetts General Laws) occurred.

REFERENCES
============
https://massgaming.com/

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter44/Section53
53: City, town or district funds; use and disposition

Section 53. All moneys received by any city, town or district officer or department, except as otherwise provided by special acts and except fees provided for by statute, shall be paid by such officers or department upon their receipt into the city, town or district treasury. Any sums so paid into the city, town or district treasury shall not later be used by such officer or department without specific appropriation thereof; provided, however, that (1) sums allotted by the commonwealth or a county to cities or towns for highway purposes and sums allotted by the commonwealth to cities, towns or districts for water pollution control purposes shall be available therefor without specific appropriation, but shall be used only for the purposes for which the allotment is made or to meet temporary loans issued in anticipation of such allotment as provided in section six or six A, (2) sums not in excess of $150,000 recovered under the terms of a fire or physical damage insurance policy or received in restitution for damage done to such city, town or district property may, with the approval of the chief executive officer, be used by the officer or department having control of the city, town or district property for the restoration or replacement of such property without specific appropriation during the fiscal year in which they are received or 120 days after receipt, whichever is later, and (3) sums recovered from pupils in the public schools for loss of or damage to school books, materials, electronic devices or other learning aids provided by the school committee, or paid by pupils for materials used in the industrial arts projects, may be used by the school committee for the restoration or replacement of such books or materials without specific appropriation.Section

05/08/2024

Based on a review of newly released email, scheduling documents, and related records, in the weeks and months prior to the November 2023 election, it appears Mayor Gary Christenson was involved in discussions related to the Malden Community Fund.

The Mayor was hands-on-the-keyboard involved in September 2023, helping to convene a critical meeting in the Mayor’s 4th floor Conference Room at 215 Pleasant Street.

Supporting documents of this activity are attached.

In a 6/11/24 response to a public records request by Malden News Network, we were informed that “the entity in question, “Malden Community Fund”, is a separate entity that is not under the control of the City of Malden. Therefore, there are no responsive documents of outgoing payments from the “Malden Community Fund”.”

Despite that, we see the key role the Mayor and other City employees have (recently) played in the details of specific activities including reviewing and funding grants.

As a reference timeframe, consider September 2023. City employees, apparently during regular office hours, in City buildings, were scheduling Malden Community Fund meetings. They used City of Malden Information Technology infrastructure, including City of Malden Zoom facilities in at least one instance, with considerable administrative staff assistance to juggle meetings.

At least one meeting appears to have been primarily initiated and scheduled at or by the Mayor’s direction, to be held in the 4th floor “Mayor’s Conference Room”.

Yet later in the same fiscal year, a 6/26/24 memorandum from Mayor Christenson to the full City Council and the City Solicitor, Christenson describes it this way: “To be clear, not a single dollar has been spent on City expenses, on salaries, on stipends, on campaign expenses, or anything other than the three community events …”

How does the 6/26/24 statement reconcile with the activities that sure look like they took place in September? And October?

On 9/2/23, a $5,000 Grant was issued to one group (where the advance description describes Mayor Christenson as a keynote speaker). On 10/5/23, a $3,000 Grant was issued to another group by the Malden Community Fund Committee, Inc. (using public funds obtained through the Surrounding Community Agreement between Wynn/Encore and the City of Malden.) The checks for these were signed by the President of the MCFCI, who also serves as Special Assistant to Mayor Gary Christenson.

On July 31st, a Superior Court Case was filed involving Malden Community Fund, Inc: 2481CV02011 Bruce Friedman, D/B/A OpenCommonwealth.org vs. Maria Luise, as an Individual and the Malden Community Fund, Inc. et al. That Complaint is a lawsuit involving various matters revolving around Mass General Laws Chapter 66 (ie. Public Records Law).

This recent release of new documents amounts to more than 70+ Megabytes of files. We’ve learned that past Council Member Barbara Murphy has been involved in the Malden Community Fund and a meeting invite exists between current Council President Stephen Winslow and Mayor Gary Christenson for January 4, 2024 - soon after Winslow was voted in as Council President and Christenson was sworn in as a re-elected Mayor.

EDITORIAL NOTE:
================

The source of newly released records obtained by OpenCommonwealth is available at:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zdsta9dm843cqzm1od8u2/AKyER1FDAkXOxsB0PFrVWyE?rlkey=umb5zk0hs0vkxqx2pp84fl61k&dl=0

This story is primarily based on released records now available to the public thanks to OpenCommonwealth

03/08/2024

A June 26th two page memorandum from Mayor Christenson to the City Council noted “the pending payment from Encore ... will bring the fund to over $640,000.”

On August 2nd, a May 31, 2024 bank statement of the Malden Community Fund Committee Inc - provided by its President Maria Luise to OpenCommonwealth - shows an ending balance of only $379,662.38.

How does the public reconcile this difference?

On April 21st, MNN asked a simple question: “What happened to the casino money?” The new records obtained by OpenCommonwealth on August 2nd provide new answers but raise more questions about the casino-funded community money.

On August 2nd, Maria Luise sent a large number of documents to OpenCommonwealth in response to outstanding public records requests. OpenCommonwealth made these available through their website and social media. (Links are below.) One document was an accompanying message from Luise:

“This response addresses appeals pending before the Secretary of State, identified as SPR24/1754 and SPR24/1897. The appeals relate to public records requests served on me, as president of the Malden Community Fund, for various documents.

While I continue to maintain the good faith belief that the Malden Community Fund is a separate legal entity organized in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (EIN # 84-3772801), and therefore not subject to the Public Records Law, I am providing the following documents in the interest of transparency and for the public’s beneﬁt.”

After reviewing many of these new documents, we have not yet been able to fully reconcile money flow in the “Malden Community Fund.”

Readers are invited to join in and review the available documents as this story develops.

REFERENCES
===============
See the OpenCommonwealth website at https://opencommonwealth.org/
https://opencommonwealth.org/opencommonwealth-brings-suit-against-the-malden-community-fund-inc/

All Case Documents as filed can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zdsta9dm843cqzm1od8u2/AKyER1FDAkXOxsB0PFrVWyE?rlkey=umb5zk0hs0vkxqx2pp84fl61k&dl=0

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Newly obtained information, based on meeting minutes, reveals a timeline of discussions (or lack thereof) between City of Malden officials and Mystic Valley Regional Charter School prior to the demolition of residential and business property on Lebanon Street. MNN submitted a request to MVRCS for Board minutes under Open Meeting Law. MVRCS responded promptly to that request: “Attached are minutes from 10/24/22, 1/9/23, 4/24/23, and 9/11/23 referencing your request. There are executive minutes of 6/20/23 that mention the demolition and those will be forwarded to you subject to review and possible redaction.” In the year before the recent Mayoral candidate forum, formal records kept by the MVRCS Board make clear Malden City Officials pursued a halting, on-again, off-again approach to dealing with MVRCS. This communication breakdown ultimately culminated in the demolition of 12-24 Lebanon Street. How do MVRCS minutes align with statements made by Gary Christensom at the 10/18/23 Mayoral forum (video attached)? At that forum Christenson - a candidate for re-election - stated: “No matter how you feel about the Charter School, I have not had good dealings with them myself, you must keep the lines of communication open. … [We’ve tried to] work with them … [and] once we did know that the properties were purchased by them to acquire them … We had, I’d say, about a half-dozen negotiations, and I thought there was a possibility … we stopped negotiations, we didn’t close them forever … [I]f they were to come back, if there is another opening - that relationship, I think, would allow us to get back to the table.” Did Christenson keep the lines of communication open? Not according to MVRCS minutes. MVRCS minutes record “attempts to work collaboratively with the City of Malden”. However, there are multiple references to the communication failures: “The City recently has backed away from talks” and “the City had canceled the last 5 meetings

June 5th Graduation, MHS 2023

Congratulations to the MHS Class of 2023 graduates! Here's wishing you continued success in all your activities - academic, athletic and community activities - with long lasting friendships in all the years ahead. Video credit: Tassel turn and graduate cap toss courtesy Amy Friedman.

On October 17th in City Hall, you could hear the hopeful relief of applause from behind the closed doors of the negotiating room. More smiles filled City Hall than in days past. A Tentative Agreement was reached on October 17th just before 9 PM. This clears the way for a new Malden Education Association contract. Members of the MEA and School Committee negotiating teams emerged from the room a little before 9:00 PM and met with various press and media - our video is below. The final contract language will be reviewed and ironed out in the hours ahead. The negotiation teams indicated an announcement was forthcoming for school tomorrow.

Memorial Day '22 was a great day for residents of Malden to get out. Meet. Greet. Say hello to friends. And remember those who gave their lives in service to the Country, and the City of Malden.

A bit of video from Memorial Day 2022

The music at Saturday's May-plewood Fest was really good! There were musical performances (scheduled) by Groupo Fantasia (Latin), Discompany (Dance/Funk) and Malden's Own Nick Hames Trio (Blues). Here's a minute long clip of the Trio - they had the right riffs (We only caught the Trio performance - glad to share others!) REFERENCES ============== Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tears for Fears https://youtu.be/Ij65wvAGX-c https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Wants_to_Rule_the_World

Here's some six minutes of video clips from the scene of the 1/20/22 fire at One Grove. It struck in the heart of Oak Grove. The video won't give you the cold chill, and you can't feel the wet ground under foot, or breathe in the lingering smell of smoke which worked its way into coats and clothes. But you will hopefully get a sense of the dedication and organized teamwork of the fire fighters. The video may reveal a striking and sombre quiet on the sidewalks and in the roadways all around the fire. Apart from the quiet hum of running fire engines, and the constant flow of water, very little was said apart from the occasional coordination of fire fighters. Those residents who were sprinkled around the fire mostly stood in stone cold silence. This fire changed many lives in this corner of Malden.

"The conclusion is very simple," said 96-year-old WWII veteran Vince Speranza. "Americans are born with freedom in their hearts." The Boston Wounded Vets Ride had kickstands up from the Harley Davidson parking lot in Revere at 12:30 today. A few hours later, riders roared back into Malden reaching the finish line at Anthony's on Canal Street. The roar of motorcycles was replaced by the murmur of bikers and attendees. The quieted engines were replaced by the humble voices of veterans speakng. The expansive stage was graced by remarkable veterans and unforgettable stories. Mayor Christenson was recognized and spoke before the large crowd, extending a warm welcome back to Malden. Vince Speranza, age 96, is a WWII veteran of the 101st Airborne Division, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. He set the cyclists off from the Harley Davidson shop in Revere earlier in the day with these words: "America is going to stay a free nation, while we have people like you out there. And now, gentleman, start your engines!" Speranza - an internationally recognized war hero - brought the riders back to Malden with this inspiring remarks echoing across Anthony's parking lot: "Freedom is not Free. Somebody's got to be willing to pay the price. And today the world is an even more hostile place than it used to be. And so I take my hat off to all you patriotic people here who are keeping alive the memory of people like this who have fought the good fight and guys like Andy Biggs who make sure that Americans - at least around here - don't forget that Freedom's not Free. Andrew Biggio is the founder of the Wounded Vets Ride. Biggio is a 2006 graduate of Malden Catholic, and author of the recently releaseed Editor's pick of military history books: "The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand". https://thewwiirifle.com/the-author https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/82747/vince-speranza-bastogne-legend/ https://www.army.mil/article/248560/world_war

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June 5th Graduation, MHS 2023

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