Maldden alld a A Vol. 30, No. 7 I den -FREECelebrating 30 Years as a household word in Malden! AD OCATV CAT AD www.advocatenews.net ~ Celebrating Black History Month ~ “THE MALDEN METEOR”: Louise Mae Stokes Fraser; Malden’s One and Only U.S. Olympian remembered Almost 90 years ago, history was made at the 1932 Olympics by a Black female athlete; unfortunately, race may have played a role in her not being able to compete (Ed. Note: Following is the second and fi nal Part 2 of a 2-part series on one of Malden’s most renowned athletes, Louise May Stokes Fraser. Part 1 appeared in last week’s Malden Advocate.) By Steve Freker t has been nearly 90 years since history was made just before the 1932 Olympic Games, when a fl edgling young runner put her hometown on the international map. Malden’s own Louise May Stokes, still just a teenager quite new to the world of organized athletics, was thrust into the national spotlight with her selection to the U.S. Olympics women’s track and fi eld contingent. Stokes, then just 18, and fellow selectee Tidye Pickett of Illinois were groundbreakers and history makers. The two teens were the fi rst-ever Black women to be selected for a U.S. Olympic Team, in this, the VIII Olympiad. It was only the second Olympics in which women were even permitted to compete in track and fi eld events. It was also only the second time the Olympics were to have been hosted in the United States, this time in Los Angeles, Calif. It would be another 52 years before the Olympics would return again to the United States, in 1984, again in L.A. Selected for two Olympic Games, never chosen to compete in an event Sadly, Stokes never got the opportunity to formally compete in an event in the Olympic Games, despite her selection to METEOR| SEE PAGE 11 Published Every Friday By Steve Freker U sually at this time of year, schoolkids in Malden and everywhere else across the country are hoping for a different kind of announcement, where classes are called off due to a "Snow Day.” On Friday, it was actually the opposite – call it a “Go Day” – and for many students, parents and caregivers in the Malden community, it was music to their ears. The Malden Public Schools Superintendent and Mayor Gary Christenson told the community on Friday that a tentative timeline has been established to return all students and staff in all grades remaining, from Grade 3 through Grade 12, to in-person learning for the fi rst time in nearly a year. “We’re pleased to announce our next phases of hybrid learning for students in grades 3-12 and are grateLEARNING| SEE PAGE 9 Seniors get their shot at vaccine Mayor Christenson will deliver his 10th State of the City Address on Feb. 23 Those wishing to attend virtual event must register with Malden Chamber of Commerce 617-387-2200 ATE Friday, February 19, 2021 Timeline announced for Malden Public Schools students’ return to in-person learning Tentative dates provide for March-April hybrid plan for all students in Grades 3-12 By Steve Freker O HAPPY DAY: Pleasant Street resident Bai-Sen Huang said he’s happy to receive his COVID-19 vaccine shot as Malden High School Nurse Maureen Vona administered the first dose. See page 10 for photo highlights. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) n the heels of “The Year Like No Other” comes Mayor Gary Christenson’s State of the City Address. Naturally, the Mayor’s 10th State of the City address, set for next Tuesday, February 23, will also be “like no other.” For the fi rst time since his fi rst annual speech as the city of Malden’s top post holder in 2012, Mayor Christenson’s adGary Christenson Mayor ADDRESS | SEE PAGE 8
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