THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Page 7 • A: Abraham Lincoln. • Q: What’s one song to play to put yourself in a good mood? • A: “Tougher Than the Rest” — Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen. • Q: What is the one piece of advice that most changed your life? • A: An adult spends most of his waking hours at work. Figure out what you love to do and do that. • Q: What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? • A: Protect your friends from drugs and alcohol. A lot of people I grew up with have really struggled with substance abuse. Some of them are still struggling. • Q: What’s the one thing that keeps you motivated? • A: Young people with good hearts. • Q: What’s the one thing you want to be remembered for? • A: That I stood up for people that couldn’t stand up for themselves. So, there you have it! My first BIG prediction for the 2026 campaign cycle (I ain’t no Jimmy “Stinger” Cahill, but I try). The race to watch: Solet vs. Ryan for Middlesex DA. Hokey smoke! It is said in Malden Musings... • Breaking news...Malden High grad Rob Santo, who next may be seen wearing the uniform of the Medford Mustangs in the Intercity League, enjoyed a tremendous season as the designated hitter with Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida. A freshman, Santo was bothered by an injury early in the season and finally got a chance to play mid-March and got into Flagler’s last 25 games. As cleanup hitter, Santo had 34 hits, including eight home runs, a triple and five doubles, drove in 27 runs, scored 21, and batted .410. In four tourney games, Santo batted .400 (six hits in 15 at bats) with three doubles and six runs batted in. • Oh wait, that report was from June of 1983 as reported in the Malden Evening News by the inimitable Paul Leahy — ace sports scribe for the News. Rob would go on to have a Hall of Fame career with Flagler, get drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, marry well, then post-baseball start Garrick-Santo Landscape Design with his brothers Barry and Dickie “King of King Neptune” Santo. Look up the definition of “wicked good kid” in the dictionary — yes, that is Rob’s picture accompanying the definition. • Just learned last week that Robby and I live so close to each other that he could hit a 90+-mile-an-hour fastball from his abode to mine, as the crow flies, of course. • Cute little story from my high school classmate Kim Bowie Sterrett (yes, famous Malden Police Officer Noelle Bowie-Pierce’s mom) …seems her cousin Elaine (Flynn) Thomas — who grew up/ lived for many years at 74 Pine St. — mentioned to her that many years ago (early ’60s) a family had moved onto Pine Street from down South (Mississippi to be exact). One winter day, she saw the children’s mother (Dottie) showing her boys snow, for the very first time...those two little rascals turned out to be the Cioffi boys, Cliff & Bert! • Please (deity of your choice) almighty, tell me that China Garden have not locked their doors, like forever?! Please tell me this is simply a cruel joke spread by heartless, unfeeling individuals who know not the anguish and sadness this may bring to Maldonians. Please say it ain’t so! Malden Musings Vintage Sports Spotlight Redux: Malden Musings tips its Sinatra fedora hat to a real blast from the past — the 96th anniversary of the undefeated 1929 Lincoln Junior High Football Team. These were the boys from Suffolk Square — Captain Harry Berg, Abraham Miller, Joseph Weinberg, Isaac Rigmont, Tommy Lutch and Leonard Lutes — a gridiron gang that steamrolled their way to a flawless 7–0 record, outscoring opponents by an eye-popping 180–6! Their most jaw-dropping victory came in Game 4, when Lincoln absolutely flattened Centre School of Malden 88–6. That wasn’t a fluke either — the Lincoln lads went undefeated for a third straight season, piling up an astonishing 25 straight wins. Talk about a dynasty in short pants and kippah! The season capped off in grand style with the Annual Football Banquet in November of 1929, held at the Malden Club Banquet Hall (not sure where that was located) and catered by the ever-reliable Fitzgerald Brothers of Medford Street (at the corner of Pearl — the polka dot building today). Principal Galvin, sidelined by what was described as a “heavy cold,” couldn’t attend. Superintendent of Schools Mr. Marshall played toastmaster, introducing the School Committee while “popular football official” James Parker served as the night’s main speaker, dishing out hearty congratulations and “much good advice” to the young champs. Coaches Dempsey and Goodreau could barely contain their pride, praising their boys’ grit, work ethic, teamwork and “unbreakable spirit.” Each player went home with a simple but symbolic token — an engraved pencil — while Principal Galvin was gifted a gold piece, and Coach Dempsey received a gold football for his efforts. About Suffolk Square — here’s a quick primer for the uninitiated. Suffolk Square, centered around Bryant and Cross Streets, was once the beating heart of Malden’s Jewish community. The neighborhood buzzed with life: Jewish delis, synagogues, momand-pop shops and even a movie theater lined the streets (Capital?). It was warm, lively and full of character — a place where everyone knew your name (and probably your mother’s brisket recipe). Sadly, when Urban Renewal rolled through, much of that cherished neighborhood faded away. Only faint traces remain today — but its spirit, like the 1929 Lincoln boys, refuses to be forgotten; certainly not in Malden Musings. As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” — I’ve had PFC John Waden on my mind lately. His memorial sits quietly at the corner of the Fells and Charles Street — a spot I’ve walked past my entire life. Even as a kid, before I knew a single detail about who he was, I felt the weight of that place. It was sacred. It is sacred. John was only 21 when he was killed in action in Pleiku Province, South Vietnam. Twenty-one. That number alone can knock the wind out of you. What really undid me recently was a photograph I stumbled upon online: John’s face looking back, impossibly young, the unmistakMUSINGS| SEE PAGE 16 Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net
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