THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 14, 2025 Page 7 successful career!” • It is so important to buy/eat Malden local (think All Season’s Table, Bikeeny Caffe, 3 Amigos, China Garden, 621 Tavern, El Potro, Superior Gas in Maplewood, and Cornucopia). Especially in these trying times. Local vendors are your neighbors, family members and more than likely your friend on Facebook. They need your support more than ever in this “Bizarro World” we live in today. Thanks for listening. • “Baby we were Born to Shuffle cautiously...” and just like that the Pride of Edgeworth, Maldonia HR Director Anthony Chiccuarelli, has hung up his (well worn) Chuck Taylors and retired. It has certainly been a long, strange trip for Anthony from running buck wild as a yoot with his gang of hooligans through the streets of Edgeworth to respectable family man, valued municipal employee and unrepentant Bruce Springsteen stalker. All kidding aside, Matt’s little brother will be missed “more than words” can express (Malden-centric word play intended). There is both sadness and joy throughout Maldonia as we celebrate Anthony’s many contributions to the community and wish him happy trails in retirement. Ready for the future, Chic? “All aboard, Nebraska’s our next stop.” Keep it gangsta, Anthony! • Last week’s birthday shoutout to Stan Langston was a “heavenly” shout-out, as Stanley passed last year in August. A US Army veteran, Stan graduated from M.H.S. along with many other free spirits and colorful classmates in that crazy Bicentennial year of 1976. Stanley excelled in track and football at M.H.S., and I remember vividly many of his athletic accomplishments at Macdonald Stadium. Rest in peace, Stanley. • First to yoller back at me with what the “Nebraska” reference means without “The Google” gets a Miller High Life on me. • Barbara Tolstrup. When the story of Maldonia is written, her name will shine at the very top. A tireless champion, a guardian of Malden’s heart and soul, she has spent decades fighting the good fight – ensuring that future generations inherit a place they can proudly call home. • Barbara Tolstrup remembers the golden afternoons of youth when the crossroads at Malden Square bustled with laughter, and The Palace of Sweets was more than a shop, it was a gathering place, a ritual, a piece of childhood frozen in time – the scent of fresh candies, the clinking of soda glasses, the hum of jukebox tunes, the bustle of classmates. • Barbara Tolstrup is Malden: its past, its present and the legacy it carries forward. Hope you are well, Barb, we are thinking of you. • Once again, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Malden Advocate President/ Publisher/Big Cheese Jim Mitchell for the privilege of contributing to this important newspaper. The Malden Advocate embodies everything a hometown paper should be – a trusted source of local news, a pillar of the community and a reliable guide in our daily lives. • In an era when misinformation runs rampant, The Advocate upholds the proud tradition of truth in journalism, following in the esteemed footsteps of David Brickman’s Malden Evening News and the regional integrity of The Boston Globe. Week after week, it delivers news you can trust. No spin, no “alternative facts,” just the real deal. As the legendary Walter Cronkite would say, “And that’s the way it is.” As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – last week, my brother Joe and I had the pleasure of crossing paths with the legendary Franny’s Friday Morning Coffee Paisans at Franny’s/Patrick’s in Maplewood Square. This tight-knit group of old friends from Maldonia gathers at one of Malden’s last true mom-and-pop breakfast joints, sipping coffee, swapping stories and keeping the spirit of the city alive – one laugh at a time. These guys (Lenny, Fred, Jackie, Ed, et al) aren’t just regulars; they’re the unofficial historians, the keepers of Malden’s past, the movers and shakers of days gone by. And let me tell you, if I had to invent a better bunch of characters, I couldn’t. Now, if you’re a frequent reader of “Malden Musings,” you already know my love for Edgeworth is about as subtle as a marching band. But in all seriousness, my devotion to every corner of Maldonia runs deep and is sincere. Sure, us Edgeworth folks never strayed very far from our insular little neighborhood, but as we step into 2025, I’m making it a point to embrace the whole of Maldonia with open arms come the future. I know you’ve heard that before; scouts honor – I’ll try (LOL). Also, I hope you’re all enjoying Chris Moro’s “Tales of Linden” contributions. I know I am. Here’s to more stories, more connections and more mornings like the one we shared at Franny’s with Maldonia’s best and brightest. Postscript 1: With that said... Apropos of absolutely nothing and just havin’ some fun with this throwback pabulum… Yes, I know it is over the top but allow me this one last time my awkward attempt at looking at Ward 2 somewhat poetically… We all know that Edgeworth is the center of the universe. If you didn’t, well, now you know. The sun doesn’t just rise over Donut Villa – it stretches, yawns and spills golden light onto the waking streets, warming the sidewalks where stories unfold. And when it finally sets beyond Macdonald Stadium, it does so in a blaze of deep reds and soft purples, as if tipping its hat to another day well spent. The air? It’s cleaner than your conscience after Sunday Mass MUSINGS| SEE PAGE 18 If We Happen To Meet By Accident ... 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