Your Local News, Sports & More! Scan & Subscribe to Advocate News Online! Vol. 35, No. 31 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday City Council holds special meeting to discuss Mass. AG finding that Councillor Colón Hayes violated Open Meeting Law State's top lawyer warns Council any future Open Meeting Law violations will be considered 'intentional'; Requests copies of all emails, text messages, voicemails associated with Colon Hayes' actions Special to The Advocate T he Malden City Council held a special Council meeting on July 28 to address the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office's recent finding that City Councillor Karen Colón Hayes individually violated the state’s Open Meeting Law. The infraction occurred during the process of filling a vacancy on the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Committee this past fall. Mass. Attorney General AnKaren Colon Hayes Councillor at Large drea Campbell, in addition to determining the illegal actions, ordered the immediate release of allcommunications exchanged in the violation, including private text messages, emails, and voicemail transcripts as well as some Facebook screenshots. Following is a brief timeline, some of which was read off by City Clerk Carolann Desiderio, of what transpired last Fall, 2025 regarding the vacancy of the Malden seat on the Northeast school board, created by the sudden passing of James Holland, who is also the retired Malden Police Chief, on Sept. 17, 2025. — The vacancy arose in September 2025 and after a week, MEETING | SEE PAGE 5 City of Malden Hosts Annual National Night Out J 617-387-2200 Friday, August 7, 2026 THEY MADE IT! Twenty more Malden High Class of 2026 seniors earn diplomas Family, friends, city and school officials & staff congratulate Summer MHS Graduation honorees MAYOR ON STAGE: Mayor Gary Christenson addresses those in the audience at the Class of 2026 Summer Graduation. Looking on, from left to right: Malden High School Principal Michael Sabin, Ward 3 School Committee member Jennifer Spadafora, Ward 5 School Committee member Elizabeth Hortie and Asst. Supt. Komal Bhasin. (Advocate Photo) By Steve Freker F or the second time this year, he used a bit of his “inner Frank Sinatra” to get the point across, which was this: The Malden High School Class of 2026 went over and above to present themselves as unique and incomparable to the graduating classes that preDIPLOMAS | SEE PAGE 7 Special Friends of the Malden River Meeting at City Hall Topic: revisions to the building site review on the Malden River oin the Friends of the Malden River for a special meeting on FUN RESPONDERS: Malden hosted its annual National Night Out to foster a positive relationship between community members and law enforcement, fire and medical personnel at Macdonald Stadium on Tuesday night. Pictured front center, from left to right, are: Madden Mulligan, 8 months, and Maverick Mulligan, 3. Shown back row, from left to right, are: Lt. Ryan Fortier, Captain Evan Tuxbury, Officer Amanda Grenier, Mayor Gary Christenson, Officer Michael Polston, and Officer Pat Manolian. See photo highlights inside. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) Monday, August 10, 2026, from 6:00-7:30 in Malden City Hall’s Room 105 (first floor). Share your opinion, comments and ideas for this proposal of revising the zoning ordinance on the Malden River banks in Malden by the Strategic Planning Community and Development Department. The goal is to have a draft plan set by the end of August to propose to the City Council. If you cannot attend the August 10 meeting, any questions or comments can be sent via email to the Friends of the Malden River, which will present them for you. All comments are welcome before August 19. The draft plan will be presented to the public after it is revised with comments received. Malden’s Deputy Director for Business and Economic Development, Zach Lemel, will present a draft proposal to revise the zoning to promote economic development on lower Commercial Street in Malden. The intent of the revised zoning is to incentivize light industrial use development along the Malden River to increase Malden’s tax revenue in addition to providing access and open space along the Malden River. MEETING | SEE PAGE 3
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