THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, January 3, 2025 Page 17 MUSINGS | FROM PAGE 6 part of it, made me just a little less shy and opened my eyes to a wider world of personalities and lifestyles. It was the coolest thing for me back then. “I was a volunteer on a regular basis from 1970-73, and occasionally after until 1975. I was at the Pru studios a few times, but my life was moving on (and UMass moved, too, in 1975). My sense is that WBCN became more ‘professional’ with the Pru move. It was still my go to station until I moved to Amherst in 1982 for graduate school, but I wasn’t a volunteer after 1975. “Still, thanks to Phil, who was the coolest kid I knew. I saw him a couple of years ago at our 51st high school reunion. He’s still cool. He went on to invent Wi-Fi or something. And I’ll bet he can still jimmy a lock.” Just for the record, Carl, that was a wicked awesome story, and you are most definitely and officially “cool” in my book! Stay well, friend! Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to... my ’BCN story ain’t half as interesting as Carl’s but nonetheless … I’m 14, it’s the Summer of ’71, and I have not yet heard of 104.1 WBCN. I am still listening to AM radio (mostly WMEX). My mates and I are the early ’70s version of the ‘boys of summer’ and our happy hunting ground is Devir Park. And for the most part, we love our pop music and (at times) getting into mischief. We start at dawn on the baseball diamond on Bruce Field (Donut Villa honey-dipped donuts and black coffee), slowly working our way over to the hoop court on the Emerald Street side to play b-ball into the wee small hours. During these endless days and nights, some partook in reefer (sans the “madness”); some drank 12-ounce cans of Schlitz; Boone’s Farm Apple Wine for others. Not a moment wasted during those glorious, carefree days and nights filled with something new and exciting around each and every corner. But I digress... Fran Croken (the late Malden District Court Clerk Magistrate Joe Croken’s nephew and MHS Athletic HOF – Red Sox farmhand – Billy Croken’s little brother) is a classmate of ours, and he is a Devir Dawg also. He’s athletic and cool, and “chicks dig ’em.” He’s also hip and a regular listener to ’BCN in ’71. While I was listening to the Archies on ’MEX, Franny was digging Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express over at 104.1 (yeah, he was Cool with a capital C!). Franny is spending that summer in a sleeping bag at my house (long story) on the third floor on Charles Street. We get home late one Saturday night. We still got some Boone’s Farm to kill, and it is too early to call it a night. I’ve got an aging Craig Multi-Band (AMFM) Portable Radio on my dresser. A few short years later upgrading to Pioneer turntable, receiver, and tape deck with high-end Bose speakers that cranked! So, I turn the radio on and try for some Top 40 AM sounds. No luck. Franny suggests a station he’s been listening to: WBCN 104.1 on the FM dial. Okay Franny, what is FM and who is WBCN?! A life-changing experience ensues as album versions of the Doors, Allman Brothers, Pink Fairies, and Derek and the Dominoes take us until the sun rose over the Red School on Charles Street. Franny, I know I’ve thanked you in the past, but here goes for the first time in print: Thank you, Sir! You helped me transition from the Monkees to Sabbath with the turn of an FM dial. Eternally grateful I am. “Then the busy years went rushing by us...” In Maldonia, ’BCN was the soundtrack to our lives, dropping music on us from Dylan to Bob Seger to the J Geils Band to the Ramones (and everything in between)! Damn it! I miss them days! Corporate/mainstream America got its greedy mitts on indie radio and the rest, as they say, is history. But I can say – without hesitation – that it was a stonecold blast while it lasted (you kids have no idea what you missed)! As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – speaking of Devir Park... Craddock Field is back and looking downright dazzling after its first phase makeover! Malden’s finest minds came together, armed with their massive brains and the best words, to deliver something truly wonderful for the city of Malden. Bravo to everyone involved! In my very biased book, Devir Park has always been Malden’s crown jewel – a (sometimes) lush, green sanctuary nestled within these five square miles. Sure, I might be a bit prejudiced, but hey, fuhgeddaboudit! I literally grew up on that scorched patch of green near the Fells – my second home and eternal heartstring-tugger. Devir Park memories? Oh, I’ve got a treasure trove of those. Recently, I switched things up and enjoyed my Friday morning ritual – New England Coffee in hand, flanked with The Malden Advocate, Peabody Weekly News and Jewish Journal – right at Devir Park. Not my usual haunt at Forestdale Cemetery, but change is good, right? I parked on the bigleague diamond side and let the memories wash over me. The big-league diamond is on its way out, according to plans. Jack (Patel) from Sunrise Postal and his compadres use it for cricket and darn it, I still cannot warp my head around the game. • Back in the day, after a hard rain, massive mud holes would form on the infield. Some of the best “mud bowls” were on that infield diamond. • I remember Angelo Nardone (short, gruff, but very sweet) and his D.P.W. crew working the park after a downpour. They would spend hours trying to get the infield in game shape. During the ’70s many exciting Intercity League contests were played on that field – standing room only crowds, 15-20 deep most nights. After the D.P.W. left, Stevie Ring would spend time on the field getting it just right, the way his ace Dave “1970s Malden Athlete of the Decade” Caiazzo liked it. • The shade tree in right field still looms large in 2024. I, Annette Magistro, Mike Scibelli, Jay Gramolini, Patty Colangeli, Ricky DiPietro, Beth Sampson, Rose Ann Tomasello, Paul Figelski, Jimmy & Jerry Damiano, Frank Levine, Mike Upham, John Crannell, Frankie Spinelli and Greg Lucey spent many a warm summer afternoon under that tree playing whist – waiting patiently until it was our time to step to the Bandstand. • The Bandstand: a mythic landmark in the heart of ancient Devir Park, now immortalized in Edgeworth folklore. But once upon a time, it was our epicenter, the sun around which we Edgeworth yoots revolved. Memories of that sacred space are countless, though not all suited for the pages of a family newspaper (LOL). One of my most cherished recollections, however, takes me back to the early 1970s. Picture this: the park cloaked in the stillness of the midnight hour, the Bandstand standing proud MUSINGS | SEE PAGE 18 Public Note Request for Proposals: 5,000 to 6,000 sf Office Space The Metro North regional Employment Board, Inc., d/b/a MassHire Metro North Workforce Board (MNWB), is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) designed to solicit proposals from organizations interested in leasing 5,000 to 6,000 sf office space. The desired occupancy date is July 1, 2025. MNWB is only considering leasing office space in the following communities, all of which offer MBTA Rapid Transit service: Cambridge, Malden, Medford, Revere, and Somerville. The RFP and related documents can be accessed on the MNWB website: https://masshiremetronorth.org/. Proposals are due by January 20, 2024. City of Malden Massachusetts 215 Pleasant Street, Room 330 Malden, Massachusetts 02148 (781) 397-7000 ext. 2044 MALCDEN HISTORICAL COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING The Malden Historical Commission will hold a public hearing in Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA, Conference Room 105, at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, January 23, 2025, to receive public comment regarding the following: Application of Asian Community Development Corporation for a demolition permit (Permit Application #CMID-069419-2024) and Notice of Intent to demolish the building at the property known as and numbered 245 Bryant Street (City Assessor’s Parcel ID 097 424 414) which the Historical Commission has determined to be a Significant Building, in accordance with Title 4.24, Code of City of Malden (MCC), the Demolition and Alteration Delay Ordinance, for the purpose of making a determination whether the building is a Preferably Preserved Building and its demolition should be delayed, in accordance with Title 4.24, MCC, the Demolition and Alteration Delay Ordinance. The Application is available for public review on the City website at https://maldenma-energovweb.tylerhost.net/apps/SelfService#/home By: John Tramondozzi Chair Malden Historical Commission January 03, 2025
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