Re-Elect Ward 3 Councillor
John Matheson Election Day is Tuesday, November 7 Thank you for your valuable vote!
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Vol. 20, No. 43
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Auto repair shop owner files ethics complaint against city councillor, subcommittee By Barbara Taormina local business owner is crying foul over the way city officials have handled his license to sell used cars at his auto repair shop. Ed Bukirch, owner of AutoTech on Eastern Ave. in Malden for 27 years, believes that the City Council’s Licensing Subcommittee – and Ward 8 Councillor Jadeane Sica in particular, who is vice chair of the Licensing Subcommittee – acted improperly by first increasing his auto dealer license from five to 23 cars
Published Every Friday
By Barbara Taormina hen Richard and Barbara Breen sold their Malden home after 52 years and moved into a comfortable condo, they didn’t miss shoveling snow off the front steps, they didn’t reminisce fondly about clearing the gutters
and they didn’t share memories about changing the bulbs in the outdoor light fixtures. But one thing they did miss was their backyard garden and the unique satisfaction of growing a perfect tomato or an eye-popping scarlet chrysanthemum. But the couple has found
AutoTech owner Ed Bukirch
and then cutting it back to five cars. The committee granted the new license at the end of 2015 while Si-
Our 80th Year
DRIVER EDUCATION
City tightens tree removal hearing procedures after complaints
Next Classes
2 Weeks
By Barbara Taormina
M
Earl Street recently lost a soaring 70-foot tree to the city’s roadwork project.
a new place to put their experienced green thumbs to work. The Breens are members of the Malden Community Garden, where they have an individual raised bed garden that they say helps them stay active and keeps them stocked with all sorts of spices and vegetables. “We grow garlic, peppers, potatoes, eggplants and a few other things,” said Richard. “It’s work, but it’s good work.” “And it’s fun,” added Barbara, who said they had success with the strawberries they
GARDEN | SEE PAGE 13
COMPLAINT | SEE PAGE 15
alden’s multiyear road improvement program to repair, repave and in some cases, rebuild roads that were dug up to replace the city’s old water mains has been making steady progress. But residents who are having their roads rebuilt with freshly poured concrete sidewalks and newly installed curbs are finding the spruced-up, smooth-riding streets sometimes come
Friday, October 27, 2017
Friendships bloom at Malden’s Community garden
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Ward 5 Councillor Barbara Murphy (seated right) and gardeners take a break during last week’s fall cleanup of the Malden Community Garden to share dishes made with vegetables harvested from their garden beds.
with an unexpected cost – the trees. Earl Street is part of a batch of 24 roads that were slated for repairs and reconstruction this year. Since work began, several large shade trees on Earl Street were removed to make way for new sidewalks. But recently when crews started lopping the limbs off a stately 70-foot tree near the corner
of Earl and Dexter Streets, neighbors Lenny Merullo and Brian DeLacey stepped in. State law requires cities and towns to hold a public hearing before a public shade tree is removed. But no notices were given, and no hearings were held about that tree. Merullo told workers there was a problem and
TREE | SEE PAGE 10
November 13 1 Week
Day Class
December 26 School Vacation Week
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HENRYSAUTOSCHOOL.COM TO
E EVERETT A AUTO SCHOOL “Successful Key To Driving” Since 1938 Gift Certificates Available