Malden Congratulations MHS Class of 2021 617-387-2200 Friday, June 11, 2021 ADVOCATE Vol. 30, No. 23 -FREE- www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Malden High School graduates 402 at Macdonald Stadium as a more traditional ceremony returns By Steve Freker T he COVID-19 pandemic turns out new pieces of history like no other event in the past 100 years. Malden High School (MHS) Principal Chris Mastrangelo noted the same at the MHS Class of 2021 graduation exercises held Sunday at Macdonald Stadium, where 402 seniors received their diplomas. Class President Harriet Gerochi’s address to her classmates spurred him to point out, “This Class of 2021 has made plenty of history, but Harriet’s speech was most definitely the first time a Malden High School graduation speech began with ‘What’s up, shorties!’" To the credit of all who planned and prepared the event and all those who took part, that was the tone of the day, despite the at times oppressive heat settling in at temperatures in the mid-90s under a brilliant sunny sky. There was a clear sense of a lighter atmosphere on this highest of priority days for the Class of 2021, which was the second group of MHS seniors in a row to have lived through the “once-in100-years” COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, the speeches were to the point, while at the same time inspiring and uplifting – not to mention, efficient – as this graduation was called by many “veteran” Malden Public Schools alumni in the house the quickest in memory at one hour, 29 minutes. CAPS OFF TO MHS GRADUATING CLASS OF 2021: Malden High School graduates celebrate the end of the graduation exercises by tossing their caps into the air at Macdonald Stadium last Sunday. (Advocate photo by Josh London) Malden #1 with lowest Covid case rate of all cities in Mass. Latest two-week case numbers total 45 By Steve Freker N umbers of COVID-19 cases continue to drop across the nation and statewide as vaccination percentages by populations go up. Nowhere in Massachusetts has the number of cases shifted downward so dramatically as it has in Malden. According to the latest state numbers, Malden is ranked #1 in the state among all urban communities with the fewest case incidences, with a new low of 4.8 positive cases per 100,000 residents. Malden also leads the Return of a more traditional ceremony Sunday also marked a return GRADUATE| SEE PAGE 14 Firefighters remember the fallen in 152nd annual observance state (for urban communities) with the fewest COVID-19-positive cases, just 45 cases in the past two-week period listed by the Mass. Dept. of Public Health COVID-19 | SEE PAGE 10 REMEMBERING MALDEN’S BRAVEST: The city of Malden honored its fallen firefighters during its annual observance on Sunday. Shown marching to Forestdale Cemetery, from left to right, are: MFD Lieutenants Richard Smith, Robert Hagerty and Nicholas Hooper, Fire Captain Eric Truesdale and Firefighter David Nylin. See page 18 for story and photo highlights. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino)
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