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Published Every Friday
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Friday, December 28, 2018
Looking back on 2018
280 Club of Salem Towers hosts Toys for Tots drive C
By Barbara Taormina
hoosing items for a yearin-review is always a challenge. People have different opinions about which stories were the most important, and what news had the biggest impact on the city. No one would argue that 2018 was a busy and eventful year. Nevertheless, the following short list contains some of year’s most important moments and issues for Malden.:
Vote16 n late August, members of Malden Rising Leaders Summer Fellowship Program presented a proposal to lower the voting age to 16 in municipal elections, and the idea quickly picked up steam. The Malden Youth Civics Council and other student groups joined forces with MRL and several city leaders including School Superintendent John Oteri threw their support behind the idea. Councilor Steve Winslow helped the students draft a petition to the state legislature to change the city charter, the first official step toward lowering the voting age. Malden voters would also have been required to approve the change through a ballot question. But in December, the City Council voted against petitioning the legislature for approval to start the process. Councilors felt they needed more input from constituents before moving forward with the proposal. Still, the campaign for Vote16 isn’t over. MRL founder and President Ted LouisJacques recently posted an online message that criticized city officials who stood in the way of change. And that’s not all. “2019 is an Election Year, campaign season is around the corner,� wrote LouisJacques. “#Vote16Initiative will be on the forefront! We will hold you accountable. Our citizens deserve better, out students deserve better, our city deserve better. Change is not painful, only resistance to change is painful. Put equity, justice and equality first, do the right thing.�
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The 280 Club of Salem Towers in Malden organized a building-wide toy drive for Toys for Tots. Toys, games, sports equipment and gift cards were some items that were donated. The items were accepted by Sgt. Joshua Wilson at an afternoon collation. Shown, from left to right, are Evelyn Kayser, Sgt. Wilson, Patti Desiderio and Maureen Fritz. (Advocate photo by Ross Scabin)
City Council discusses Lime bikes By Barbara Taormina ince they have arrived in Malden, Lime Bikes have been on 80,000 trips and logged nearly 70,000 miles. Scott Mullen, a director of Lime’s Northeast division, met with the City Council recently to talk about the bike-sharing system. Malden is one of 16 communities that has a fleet
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of “dockless� bikes available to riders thanks to a regional contract with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). Riders use an app on their cellphones to unlock bikes, which cost a $1 access fee plus a small fee based on time or mileage. “Malden has a great bike infrastructure and a great bike culture,� Mullen told councillors. Malden was the only community in the regional MAPC program to hit its projected number of rides. Mullen described Lime as a
mobility company that eases traffic on roadways, reduces carbon emissions and boosts public health. He stressed that Lime is a young company that continually monitors operations to work out any kinks and to offer new services that match a community’s needs. Councillors praised the program but asked about bikes that were being left in different places and parts of the city. “The bikes fill a gap that’s
BIKES | SEE PAGE 17
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Public Comment n hindsight, all the concerns raised about public comment at City Council meetings seem like much ado about nothing. In June, councilors voted unanimously to approve public comment, a 30-minute segment at the start of City Council meetings when the public can share their opinions and ideas about city business. And so far, it has worked as it was intended, no personal gripes, no grandstanding just an exchange of ideas and opinions. Instituting public comment was a pet project of this year’s City Council President Debbie DeMaria. It took several rounds of debate and a couple of votes but DeMaria was persistent. “This was a great win for Malden,� said DeMaria when public comment was finally approved. “I, and other councilors, look forward to another opportunity to hear from our constituents.�
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World War I Memorial long overdue tribute was finally paid to the city’s World War I veterans this year. On Veterans Day, the city dedicated a refurbished and expanded World War I monument at Devir Park. The original monument only had the names of Edgeworth residents who served during the war. The new memorial, which has two new sections and the restored original section, contains the names of all city residents who served. “Today we go back in time to pay tribute and give thanks to the men and women from Malden who fought in World War I,� said Mayor Gary Christenson during the ceremony. “We do this by dedicating a memorial on the 100th anniversary of the end of that war that will forever honor these brave heroes in one location for the first time in city history.�
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City Charter Review ast fall, the cit y announced that a consolidated and readable version of Malden’s City Charter was available on the city’s website. Although not all res-
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YEAR-IN-REVIEW | SEE PAGE 14