Malden man remembers the Fall of Saigon 50 years later By Kevin Jarvis, Malden Veterans Services’ Officer T wo Massachusetts veterans traveled to San Diego, California, for the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. Former Marine Cpl. John Ghilain, who was raised in Medford and now lives in Malden, along with Sgt. William Newell, of Hopkinton, made the journey to meet with their former Noncommissioned Officer in Charge Master Sergeant Juan Valdez and fellow Saigon Marine Security SAIGON | SEE PAGE 11 I EDITORIAL: In a historic year, Malden City Council makes some history of its own with charter change reform t is already a historic year, as America celebrates the 250th Former Saigon Marine Security Guard and current Malden resident John Ghilain holding flag at the American Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2015. (Photo courtesy of Veterans Services’ Officer Kevin Jarvis) Mayor Christenson, Councillor Simonelli celebrate Kierstead Park project completion Anniversary of “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” – the start of the American Revolution in 1775. On Tuesday night, the Malden City Council made some history of its own when the members unanimously approved a series of ordinances that seeks to bring the city’s charter into the 21st century and beyond. The final product, voted on by the passage of a motion by Ward 6 Councillor Stephen Winslow to ordain charter change ordinances addressing a number of organizational and other changes in the municipal structure, will now be sent to the state legislature for its approval. This action will be in the form of a home rule petition, the substance of which was also approved by a City Council vote Tuesday night. It is expected the state legislature will ultimately accept and approve Malden’s home rule petition sometime this fall, thus putting the new charter change reform package into effect before the end of the end of this calendar year. This City Council deserves praise and a Malden-sized “thank you” from its citizens and also the city’s municipal workforce for its diligence and its veritable stickto-itiveness in its journey toward Tuesday’s resulting charter reform package. This action toward Malden’s city charter modernization and, in spots, streamlining, did not transpire overnight. It began close to a decade ago, as Councillors pointed out Tuesday. Lots of City Councillors, past and present, took up the torch of charter reform at various times over the past decade, notably Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora, Paul Condon (Ward 2) and Jadeane Sica (Ward 8) in the past. Most notably, recently, were the efforts of the members of the ad hoc Charter Review Committee, which included Ward 7 Councillor Chris Simonelli, Vice Chairperson Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4) and Chairperson Stephen Winslow (Ward 6). Also serving as ex-officio members of the committee were Malden City Clerk Carol Ann Desiderio and Malden Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Ron Hogan. The Council’s Rules and Ordinance Committee, chaired by Winslow and including Councillors Amanda Linehan (Vice Chair, Ward 3), Peg CHARTER | SEE PAGE 9 Pictured from left to right: OSPCD Director Alex Pratt, Ward 6 Councillor Steve Winslow, Ward 7 Councillor Chris Simonelli, Landscape Architect Skyler Chick, Nancy Kierstead Forsythe, Landscape Architect Pam Shadley, DPW Director Bob Knox, Mayor Gary Christenson, Community Preservation Committee Chair Rachael Running, Luca Deveau-Running, Councillor-at-Large Carey McDonald, State Representative Steven Ultrino and Coach Ken Mazonson. (Courtesy photo) Special to The Advocate M ayor Gary Christenson and Ward 7 Councillor Chris Simonelli celebrated the completion of construction at Kierstead Park on Thursday, April 24. The $2.2 million project created a new playground for children of all ages and abiliPROJECT | SEE PAGE 4
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