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Malden Have a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving! ADVOCATE Vol. 28, No. 48 -FREEMalden’s 16th www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Annual Parade of Holiday Traditions & Christmas Tree Lighting 617-387-2200 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Malden prepares to take on Medford for 132nd year By Justin McAllister M alden High School and Medford will battle for the 132nd time on Thanksgiving morning in the second-longest continuous high school football rivalry in the nation. This year's game will be played at Medford High's Hormel Stadium on Locust Street in Medford with the traditional 10 o'clock start Thursday morning, November 28. Malden leads the series, 6655 (with 10 ties) and is looking to make it five wins in a row for the Blue and Gold and back-to-back wins on the season on Thursday. Malden topped Tech Boston in its last game for its first win of the season, while Medford (010) is seeking its first win under first-year head coach John Curley. Malden won last year's 131st game at Macdonald Stadium in Malden by a 28-25 final score. Medford is led by junior quarSanta greets Malden residents during last year’s Parade of Holiday Traditions. (Photo Courtesy of Paul Hammersley) terback Aiden Barry, who leads the team is scoring (seven touchdowns) leading riusher Dash Exateur, Donovan Charles is the third captain at 6-5, 275 and holds down the line as a two-way tackle. Malden is led by co-captain seniors Jerry Mervil, Jamari Youman, Peterson Maxis and Ishmael Sylus. Youman is ranked fourth in the state in Division 1 touchdown receptions (10) and seventh is scoring (84 points). Youman also has two defensive touchdowns, one on an interception return and a punt return for a touchdown. Other seniors playing in their final game for the Tornadoes are linemen Ray Duggan and Sebastien Blanc, and defensive back Kahli Hardmond. "The seniors are really looking forward to the Thanksgiving game as it will be the last time they will get to suit up with their classmates and teammates," second-year Malden head coach Steve Freker said. "We hope that the Malden fans come out strong to support our team." Tickets for the game are $5.00 in advance on sale at Malden High School Athletic Office, 77 Salem St., Malden. All tickets are $7.00 on the day of the game at Hormel Stadium. Debate on Malden Hospital triggers Open Meeting Law complaints By Barbara Taormina O ver the past 16 months, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office of Open Government received and reviewed five complaints on meetings, discussions and records related to the Malden Hospital site and determined there have been four violations of the state’s Open Meeting Law. Four of the complaints involved Malden officials and the Malden Hospital Site Development Committee. The fifth complaint centered on communication and deliberation among members of Medford’s Ad Hoc Subcommittee for Malden Hospital. All five complaints were filed by Ward 3 resident Brian DeLacey, who has long been involved in local political and community issues. DeLacey currently reports local news on the Malden News Network on Facebook, and he recently launched Malden After Dark, a public forum on topics of interest to Malden, which is also on Facebook. Open Meeting Law guarantees the public’s access to most municipal meetings, minutes and records in order to ensure transparency in local government. DeLacey feels his string of complaints and the responses from the Attorney General demonstrate how the law supports the public’s right to access and information and protects communities from decisions and policies made behind closed doors without the public knowledge or input. “Some of the issues are fundamental to the nature of our Democracy,” he said. “In various ways these determinations address key elements of Open Meeting Law.” The first of the five complaints focused on the minutes from two meetings of the Malden Hospital Site Committee held in January and March of 2018. In July, DeLacey filed a complaint with the committee about the minutes, which he said were incomplete and inadequate. The committee revised the minutes, added missing information and released the corrected records on Sept. 12. Still, five days later DeLacey filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office about the original version of the minutes. Nearly one year later, in a letter dated Sept. 9, 2019, Assistant Attorney General Sarah Chase informed the city that the Malden Hospital Site Redevelopment Committee had violated the Open Meeting Law by failing to include the time and place of the meetings and a summary of the discussions that took place in the original minutes. However, because the committee had already revised the minutes, Chase said the AG’s office considered the complaint resolved. In December 2018, DeLacey filed a second complaint with the attorney general regarding an email Ward 3 Councillor John Matheson, chairperson of the Malden Hospital Site Development Committee, sent to City Solicitor Kathryn Fallon, Assistant Solicitor John McNaught and eight follow councillors. In the email, Matheson thanked McNaught for his work on the first Open Meeting Law complaint and suggested DeLacey had filed it “with the “intention of harassment.” Matheson recommended that councillors “comply strictly to the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, without any additional courtesies such as uploading committee meeting minutes online which can then be used to generate additional [open meeting law] complaints. It is unfortunate that it has come to this but necessary.” The Attorney General’s Office determined that Matheson violated Open Meeting Law by deliberating with a quorum of the City Council outside of a public meeting. Although Matheson did not intend for his email to generate any deliberation, according to the AG’s office simply sending an opinion to a quorum of the City Council is considered deliberation. The complaint about the Hospital Committee’s inadequate minutes was not an issue under consideration by the City Council, but the AG’s office explained deliberation covered any public business under the City Council’s jurisdiction. The AG’s office added that Matheson’s advice on how to avoid future Open Meeting Law complaints was also clearly public business under the City Council’s jurisdiction. DeLacey’s next complaint, filed in February of this year, involved a meeting notice for the Malden Hospital Site Development Committee. The only item on the agenda was continued discussions on citizen engagement for the development of the hospital site. According to DEBATE | SEE PAGE 4

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