Page 6 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, January 26, 2024 ~ Malden Musings ~ The Dana Brown Chronicles By Peter Levine I t is said in “Malden Musings”… He’s Dana Brown, and we are not. In some circles, he’s known as the “last honest man” (well, in my circle, anyway!). You may know him as the former beloved Lawrence A. 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The second-floor unit offers 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, cathedral ceiling living room, remodeled kitchen, and hardwood floors. 46 SERINO WAY, SAUGUS OFFERED AT $725,000 TOM AMERO | (781) 608-8698 Conveniently located near a park and public transportation, with current rents below market value. (by most, anyway, insert smiley face) principal at Malden High School aka the “Super Who Got Away,” or one of the most dedicated and committed voices behind Malden Overcoming Addiction, or maybe as the MHS inspirational girls head basketball coach guiding them through their mid-90s resurgence with some of the most successful girls’ hoop years since those great teams from the 1970s, or maybe you just know him as Marie’s loving husband. Regardless. I know you know him. I know Dana as that relentlessly scrappy kid on the hoop courts at Amerige and Devir Park; the kid you wanted on your team at the “Old Y” if you wanted to stay on the court; the dirt dawg who haunted every softball diamond in Malden seeminglyseven days a week seemingly in every league, for every team (at times, much to Marie’s chagrin, insert another smiley face?). I also know him as one of the only guys (besides my brother Joe) who could get me off my recliner on a Saturday afternoon for a road trip to Rhode Island to watch a college football game. I also know him as a stand-up guy; somebody I am privileged to call friend. With that said, I asked Dana if he would put pen to paper and make me look good by searching that very large brain of his and contributing his fondest recollections on his first love, Ferryway Green (Marie is a very close second, btw). See, he loved my article a few months back on Ferryway but insisted that somebody who actually hung out there should write about it. Point taken, my friend. Dana wrote his opus on Ferryway – a delightful look back at a wonderful time in his life (and ours). It’ll be presented in two parts. So, here ya go, Malden, In the photo: future legend Paul Hammersley, current legend Bill Dempsey and Malden icon Dana Brown. Part 1 of the Dana Brown Ferryway Green Chronicles: “Please understand that my window of observation is a small one, 15-20 years tops, from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, with a little more added about the new school controversy in the 1990s. These are my memories, and some may or may not be actually connected to reality! I’m hoping this segment will spur others to write more, comment more, and share their own fabulous stories about that unique space formerly known as Ferryway Green. “Let me start by saying I could ©2024 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity. write an entire story just about the ‘characters’ of Ferryway Green, including Ricky Salmon, who along with one of his dogs ‘Balls,’ traversed the neighborhood by bike, at all hours of the day and night. The man was brilliant, certainly eccentric for his time. Someone is sure to add to this. Other older ‘guys’ I remember from the Green days included Paul Collier and the Willis kid. Barry Worcester could be found there often. Surrettes, Paglicias? I seem to remember these names as well. As it turns out these ‘men’ and some women weren’t that much older than me at the time, in some cases just 4-5 years, but I was just a boy…my family had moved from 191 Newland Street to Pratt Street when I was 6. I transferred from the Daniels School to the Belmont School. Dribbling down Pratt Street, winding around Leland Street, 3-4 minutes tops, I would be at the hoop court at the Ferryway. “Ferryway Green sits in a significant area within Malden’s neighborhoods. At 150 Cross Street it is among the closest parks to Malden High School and Malden Square. I still call it the ‘Square’ and always will, but I digress. Did you also know that for many years, on many maps, Hitchings Field is scrawled across anything to do with Ferryway Green. Will have to research that name more…and then again, the plaque at the corner of Cross and Ferry is in honor of Moses Kotler, MD. 1896-1934. Erected by the Jewish War Veterans in 1936. At the time John Devir was the mayor, and members of the Parks Commission included among others, Louis Newman…who the park is named after…hmm…I’ll have to dig in even further. “The Ferryway School, a Malden Public K-8 school now owns the 150 Cross Street address, and don’t think for a moment that everyone is over it. When the City of Malden submitted the plan to the State to build a school at the site of the park, which included plans to increase park square footage in Malden, right down the street as a matter of fact, it didn’t matter. For some the new Lincoln Commons would never take the place of the beloved Ferryway Green. At least one protester chained himself to a tree when the work commenced. To this day neighbors talk about the ‘taking’ of Ferryway Green. The loss was more than just about cutting down some trees. The large and lush trees, which wrapped around the park on Walnut, Cross, and Ferry Streets symbolized a past that was rich in history, diverse in its inhabitants and a home for many. This is where many of us grew up. “For decades Ferryway Green was juxtaposed between Belmont School and the Lincoln Elementary School/Lincoln Jr. High complex. Daniels Elementary School wasn’t that far away. Malden High School, down the street. Unlike other parks that sit in one neighborhood, the Green was really a crossover meeting place, as it literally sat in both Wards 1 and 7 and was a stone’s throw from parts of Ward 4; it atMUSINGS| SEE PAGE 7
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