Maldden alld a A Vol. 30, No. 8 T den -FREECelebrating 30 Years as a household word in Malden! AD OCATV CAT AD www.advocatenews.net Malden City Council to Amazon: “We’re keeping an eye on you...” Ward 8 Councillor Sica spearheads pro-worker resolve as giant e-commerce fulfi llment site planned at Revere-Malden city line T Published Every Friday By Steve Freker he resiliency and the genuine community spirit shown in Malden’s response to the once in 100 years COVID-19 pandemic was a recurring theme in Mayor Gary Christenson’s 75-minute “State of the City” address. As 2020 was the “Year Like No Amanda Linehan Ward 3 Councillor By Steve Freker he news of Amazon coming to Malden’s doorstep brought more than a tear to the eye of those lamenting the demise of a longtime movie theater, whose place the online retail giant will soon take. It also elicited a strongly worded resJadeane Sica Ward 8 Councillor olution by Ward 8 Councillor Jadeane Sica, co-sponsored by the entire City Council, predicting that Amazon would expand operations into Malden in the future and advising them that this city strongly supports workers’ rights, including fair wages AMAZON | SEE PAGE 10 Other,” so was the Mayor’s 10th presentation since he was fi rst elected to the city’s top post in 2011. Delivered virtually via Zoom webinar, just over 200 were in attendance online for the event, hosted by the Malden Chamber of Commerce, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary in this city in 2021, having originated in 1891, just before the turn of the 20th century. Malden Chamber of Commerce Executive Joan Mongeau was mistress of ceremonies. Chamber of Commerce President this term is Donna Owners of the historic 15 Ferry St. office building propose moving it to adjacent parking lot Malden Historical Commission blocked demolition, seeks more info on plans for move By Steve Freker T he Malden Historical Commission wants to know more about the plans by owners of a 15 Ferry St. offi ce building to move it from its present site to an adjacent parking lot. At a regular virtual monthly meeting Monday morning, the Historical Commission members agreed to give the owners a 60-day extension, from March to May, to present a plan on how they intend to preserve the building. At an earlier meeting this past fall, the members voted to block the demolition of the wellknown Malden Square office building, citing its historical signifi cance. According to previous Gary Christenson Mayor Denoncourt of Boston Light Financial. After a humorous start, where he feigned forgetting the event was virtual and showed up to an empty Anthony’s function hall, Mayor Christenson went right into his traditional presentation, albeit virtually. He gave an overview of the 2020 year, plus the beginning of 2021, using his 617-387-2200 ATE Friday, February 26, 2021 Mayor cites resiliency, spirit of Malden in State of the City Address Onset of COVID-19 pandemic, city’s response, dominated in Malden during 2020 customary department-by-department approach. (The fulllength State of the City address is available to view by going to the city’s website – www.cityofmalden.org – then go to Mayor’s Offi ce and the link can be accessed to see the address on YouTube.) Mayor Christenson highlighted many achievements and events of note from the past year, centering much of the fi rst part of the address on the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an international tragedy which to date has claimed 500,000 lives nationwide and over 2.5 million worldwide. The Mayor praised the “resiliency, compassion and generosity” of the Malden community “which came together to help our residents who needed it most” during the pandemic in 2020. Established municipal agencies were joined by loMAYOR | SEE PAGE 9 Rep. Ultrino named vice chair of Joint Committee on Education O n February 12, House Speaker Ron Mariano The 15 Ferry St. offi ce building is believed to be one of several buildings donated to the City of Malden long ago (and later sold to private bidders) by the city’s fi rst Mayor, Elisha Converse. (Courtesy Photo) discussion, the 15 Ferry St. building, which formerly housed the law offi ces of well-known Malden Attorney and former State Representative Christopher Fallon, is believed to be one of sevHISTORIC OFFICE | SEE PAGE 4 named State Representative Steven Ultrino as the new House Vice-Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education. Ultrino will join the continuing House Chair, Representative Alice Peisch, on the committee. The Joint Committee on Education presides over all legislation regarding elementary and secondary education in the Commonwealth. Ultrino will also serve as a member of the House Committee on Wa ys and Means, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Ultrino is a lifelong education professional, beginning his career as school principal and a classroom teacher Steven Ultrino State Representative of business and economics. He then joined the Middlesex County Sheriff ’s offi ce as Director of Education, working to ULTRINO | SEE PAGE 3
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