Your Local News, Sports and Information Online. Scan & Subscribe! Vol. 35, No. 5 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Bobby Knox: Malden’s forever ‘go-to’ guy moves on to new post in Everett Longtime Malden DPW Director departs for new role as Everett’s Executive Director of City Services By Steve Freker O ne of Malden’s most well-known — and most well-liked — citizens is “just changing jobs, nothing else.” He wants to make that perfectly clear. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says emphatically. That generates one very small sigh of relief from lots of Maldonians, stretching all across the city from the Malden-Medford city line at Immaculate Conception Church to the other side of Route 1 where Malden meets Revere. But, alas, that only covers the future of where he will be residing. Unfortunately, nothing will diminish the dismay that arose around the city this past November when it was learned that longtime Malden Department of Public Works Director Bobby Knox would be departing this city to take POST | SEE PAGE 12 A Published Every Friday 617-387-2200 Friday, February 6, 2026 Malden City Council approves expenditure of $300,000 from watersewer fund to pay legal settlement City Solicitor and other municipal attorneys endorse expedited route taken by Councillors at regular meeting By Steve Freker civil lawsuit against the City of Malden was expected Longtime Malden Department of Public Works Director Bobby Knox completed nearly 33 years of employment for the City of Malden this past Friday and began a new post as Executive Director of City Services in Everett this past Monday morning. (Courtesy Photo) to be settled this week following a Malden City Council vote approving the expenditure of $300,000 to a private construction company. The City Council, at its January 27 regular meeting, voted 8-2 to fund a legal settlement in a civil suit by an Everett-based company, Tufts Construction Inc., that was first filed in 2021. The vote approved the appropriation of $300,000 from available funds from the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund retained earnings. Two Councillors challenged the use of these particular funds to pay the settlement. One ~ Excellence in the Malden Public Schools ~ WorkSmart Program helps Malden High students with future decisions Malden YWCA staff helps students envision a path for their future By Beatriz Oliveira Malden High Blue and Gold igh School is the last step before students begin making life-changing decisions as fresh young adults. A process like this can be stressful, which is why the local Malden YWCA began collaboration with Malden High School to create the WorkSmart program. WorkSmart allows for juniors and seniors to have an opportunity to explore H their career identity. In their weekly meetings, WorkSmart’s manager, Cassandra LeBrun, prepares workshops that help members connect deeper with themselves to what they hope to achieve in the future. “The main mission for WorkSmart is to help students to actually understand who they are so that they can get to a place of loving what they want to do and have longevity in their careers, and even in colPROGRAM | SEE PAGE 4 WorkSmart coordinator Cassandra LeBrun talks with Malden High students involved with the program. (Courtesy/Blue and Gold/Beatriz Oliveira Photo) Alicia McNeil Malden City Solicitor Councillor expressed concern if the appropriation from the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund “was even legal.” In the suit, Tufts Construction Inc. alleged the city did not pay invoices for construction work the company had previously performed and also that a city official provided negative references to other municipalities, causing financial loss for the company. According to an online report, a mistrial was declared in the case in August 2025 by Judge Adam Hornstine, who reportedly cited “serious misconduct” by an attorney representing the City of Malden regarding alleged references to an unrelated criminal case associated with a Tufts Construction employer. At the January 27 meeting, upon questioning by Councillors, Malden Special Counsel to the City Solicitor’s Office Mark Rumley advised Councillors to expedite action, so as to avoid PAY | SEE PAGE 5
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