Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, January 5, 2024 SWORN | FROM PAGE 1 to an unexpired vacancy as Ward 1 School Committee member. Four years later, in 2003, Christenson won the fi rst of four terms as Ward 1 Councillor. The mayor’s seat came next in 2011 and well, as they say, the rest is history, for real. “It is the honor of a lifetime that I stand before all of you this evening,” Mayor Christenson told the audience of over 300 in the Jenkins Auditorium at Malden High School Tuesday night, after he was offi cially sworn in by Malden City Clerk Carol Ann Desiderio. Mayor Christenson is the fi rst Malden mayor to be elected to four consecutive four-year terms since the mayoral years were changed, by ordinance, from two years to four years in the mid2000s. “I promise to continue to give you my all in serving the residents of Malden and to do whatever it takes to keep this community on the right path,” Mayor Christenson added. “We will continue to live our motto, ‘Strong Past, Proud Future.’” In addition to Mayor Howard, also in attendance and sitting two seats away from Christenson, was another former Malden Mayor, Ed Lucey. From Mayor Lucey’s terms of office (1992-1996) to Mayor Christenson’s latest term (20122024), some 32 years of mayoral service was represented on the Malden High stage. Some members of Malden’s State House delegation were on hand for the Inaugural Ceremonies: state Sen. Jason Lewis (D-5th Middlesex) and state Reps. Steve Ultrino (D-Malden, 33rd Middlesex) and Paul Donato (D-Malden, Medford, 35th Middlesex). Other special guests on hand and onstage for Tuesday’s event were third-year Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ligia Noriega-Murphy and members of the 2024 Inaugural Committee: Kathleen Manning Hall, Lisa Cagno, Shirley Dorai, Maria Luise, Paul Hammersley and Ron Cochran. Hall, Luise and Cochran are members of the Mayor’s Office Staff, Cagno is the City Council Clerk of Committees, Hammersley is a member of the staff of the Malden Board of Health and Dorai is Executive Assistant to the Supt. of Schools. Also serving on the Committee was outgoing Ward 5 Councillor Barbara Murphy. She and Ward 5 School Committee member Adam Weldai chose not to run for reelection in November’s municipal election. As another nod to Malden municipal service history, Tuesday evening also marked the debut of former longtime Malden City Councillor Neal Anderson as the offi cial City Messenger, whose distinctive top hat and tails got the night off to its ceremonial start. Anderson welcomed and led the soon-to-be-sworn-in Mayor, City Councillors and School Committee members onto the stage, presenting them to outgoing City Council President Barbara Murphy and Weldai “to be qualifi ed.” Members of the Malden Boy Performing the duties of City Messenger was former longtime Ward 7 Councillor/ City Council President Neal Anderson. Scouts and Girl Scouts led the auditorium in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Malden resident Jennifer Dhanjee led those in attendance in a fi tting rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our National Anthem. The evening’s Invocation was delivered by Fr. Anthony Mecha of St. Joseph’s Parish in the Maplewood neighborhood. Mayor Christenson was then sworn in by Clerk Desiderio, and after he spoke a performance was given by members of the Malden High School Choral Arts Society, under MHS Choral Arts Director Todd Cole. The Mayor then administered the swearing-in of the members of the Malden City Council and School Committee. Taking the oath of offi ce for the Need a hall for your special event? The Schiavo Club, located at 71 Tileston Street, Everett is available for your Birthdays, Anniversaries, Sweet 16 parties and more? For more info, call (857) 249-7882 The Malden High School Choral Arts Society, under the direction of Todd Cole, performed for the audience. The members of the Malden School Committee were sworn in by chairperson and Mayor Gary Christenson. Seen above, standing, pictured from left to right: Michael Drummey (Ward 1), Robert McCarthy Jr. (Ward 2), Joseph Gray (Ward 6), Keith Bernard (Ward 7) and fi rst-term member Elizabeth Hortie (Ward 5). Not shown: Vice Chairperson Jennifer Spadafora (Ward 3), Dawn Macklin (Ward 4) and Sharyn Rose-Zeiberg (Ward 8). Already sworn-in to their offi ce, pictured from left to right: In front: City Councillors Carey Macdonald (At Large), Craig Spadafora (At Large), Peg Crowe (Ward 1); in back: Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4), Ari Taylor (Ward 5) and Steve Winslow (Ward 6). (Advocate Photos/Henry Huang) Mayor Gary Christenson handled swearing-in duties for the members of the Malden City Council. Shown from left to right: Councillors Karen Colón Hayes (At Large), Amanda Linehan (Ward 3), Carey Macdonald (At Large), Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4), Ari Taylor (Ward 5), Craig Spadafora (At Large), Steve Winslow (Ward 6-City Council President-elect), Peg Crowe (Ward 1), Chris Simonelli (Ward 7), Paul Condon (Ward 2) and Jadeane Sica (Ward 8). (Advocate Photos/Henry Huang) 2024-2025 term of offi ce for the City Council were: Craig A. Spadafora (At Large), Carey McDonald (At Large), Karen Colón Hayes (At Large), Peg Crowe (Ward 1), Paul Condon (Ward 2), Amanda Linehan (Ward 3), Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4), Ari Taylor (Ward 5), Steve Winslow (Ward 6), Chris Simonelli (Ward 7) and Jadeane M. Sica (Ward 8). Sworn in for the 20242025 term of offi ce for the Malden School Committee were: Michael Drummey (Ward 1), Robert McCarthy Jr. (Ward 2), Jennifer Spadafora (Ward 3), Dawn Macklin (Ward 4), Elizabeth Hortie (Ward 5), Joseph Gray (Ward 6), Keith Bernard (Ward 7) and Sharyn RoseZeiberg (Ward 8). First-term elected offi cials included newly swornin Ward 5 Councillor Taylor, with all other Councillors returning for another term. Ward 5 School Committee member Hortie stepped in immediately after the November 7 election to fi ll the unexpired term of Weldai and will now serve her full, elected term in 2024-2025. Following the swearing-in, Pastor Gerry Whetstone of the Malden Church of the Nazarene – located in Ward 7 – delivered a prayer and blessing. The audience was then entertained by performing members of the Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, who gave a rendition of “The Dragon Dance.” Following a brief recess for organizational purposes, the members of the Malden City Coun
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