last updated January 3, 2007

2006:

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Verizon weighs in on cable battle
(Excerpts from the Malden Advocate, Friday, December 29, 2006)

Comcast Cable Services may have some competition in the near future.

Malden Mayor Richard Howard and officials from Verizon have begun to discuss the possibility of the city granting a franchise license to Verizon.

The franchise license would allow residents to choose between Comcast and Verizon for their cable television needs. The entire process will take between 12 and 16 months before Verizon would be allowed to begin offering cable service to residents.

Ward One Councillor Gary Christenson said, "Whenever you can offer residents a choice in utility suppliers it seems that both suppliers strive to offer a better quality product and the residents win."

Faced with mounting property tax increases, the Malden City Council, led by Councilor-At-Large and President of the Council Mike Sheehan along with his Finance Committee Chairman Ward 1 City Councilor Gary Christenson, unanimously passed a program to lower the tax rate on owner-occupied properties.

Beginning in fiscal year 2008, a newly passed tax incentive program will grant most homeowners a 5 percent reduction in property taxes. In addition to lessening the tax burden on Malden's citizens, the program is designed to promote home ownership and benefit people who live in the city.

For years, the City Council has been trying to figure out ways to help citizens on their property taxes but have been stymied due to the state classification of real property. Currently, large apartment buildings are paying the same tax rate as a single-family homeowner yet they significantly use more municipal services.

This newly passed program, pending the approval of Mayor Richard C. Howard, will shift a portion of the tax burden off of owner-occupied properties and on to multifamily properties, apartment buildings, and non-resident property owners. In addition to promoting home ownership, it is hoped that this change will more evenly distribute the tax burden between ratepayers across the city.

"The most important part of this program is that it benefits people who live in Malden and contribute to the community," remarked President Sheehan immediately after the vote. Finance Committee Chairman Christenson echoed Sheehan's comments stating that this program encourages home ownership rather than income property ownership.

It is expected that nearly 5,000 Malden owner-occupied properties will see a decrease in their property taxes in fiscal year 2008 which begins on July 1, 2007. The City Assessor's Office will begin preparing the phase in of this program during the next six months which will include a mailing to all ratepayers and updates on the city's website.

Sheehan and Christenson thank their colleagues on the City Council for their support and the City Assessor's Office for their help in working with the Finance Committee on this proposal.

The race is on in Ward Five, where Adam Weldai has tossed his hat in the ring to replace Greg Lucey on the Malden School Committee.

Weldai, 19, announced this weekend he wants to succeed Lucey who is leaving to run for an at-large seat on the city council.

If he wins, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the Hill Street resident. From 2001-2005 he was Malden High's student representative to the school committee, attending meetings and frequently offering up opinions on various issues.

Since learning of Lucey's decision, Weldai said he has talked to several current and former school committee members and school department officials about the possibility of running, including Marie Lucey and current Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson.

He said the feedback has been positive so far.

With little debate among city officials and no comment from Malden homeowners at a public hearing last week, the Malden City Council voted 9-2 in favor of passing a proposed .89 percent property tax increase for this year.

The rate is retroactive to July 1, when the fiscal 2007 budget was put into place ­ meaning residents should expect to see the increase spread out over two quarters rather than four.

Finance Committee Chairman and Ward One Councilor Gary Christenson said the move was "standard procedure" as Malden sets its tax rate later in the year when more information is available to the city's assessor.

The .89 percent increase in the residential rate is three cents higher than last year. The commercial rate will go up by $1.

The council also moved 1.83 percent of the tax burden from the residential to the commercial levy, in the largest tax rate shift the state would allow.

"All things considered, it could have been a lot worse," said Christenson. "In past years, I would have voted against this because we didn't shift enough on the commercial and industrial entities. This year, the percentage shift is about as high as it can be, and there was no more maneuverability."

On average, the owner of a single-family home worth $355,000 in Malden can expect a yearly tax increase of $87.27. A two-family home in Malden, worth an average $466,310, will see a $183.28 tax bill increase, and a three-family home worth $546,370 would generate $187.21 more in property taxes for the year. An average four-family home in Malden, worth $646,280, will see tax bills increase by $371.17 annually, and condominiums worth $255,000 will see a $55.36 tax bill increase next year.

Commercial and industrial properties will see a tax increase this year of $749 on average for commercial properties, and $1,514 on average for industrial sites.

While no residents attended the open meeting on the new tax rate, councilors gave heated discussion to the decision to increase the rate and change the residential-commercial split. Not all councilors supported the tax measures.

"I don't agree with the number. It just seems to go up every year, and it is too much. Quite frankly, I don't know how people can afford to live in Malden," said Ward Seven Councilor Chris Simonelli, who voted against the tax rate increase. "Maybe we need to start balancing the budget better or something. No one is talking about a new way here."

The Council also gave lengthy debate to the tax rate for apartment complexes in the city, which by definition contain nine or more units. Large downtown apartments ­ such as the new high rise on Pleasant Street ­ will actually see a $324,050 drop in their tax rate for the year, because they are classified as a residential property than commercial.

"It doesn't make sense. They are collecting income from these people living in the apartments," said Councilor Simonelli. "It is ridiculous. (Property owners) are collecting $1,100 and $1,200 a month from these people; that's a mortgage payment. It doesn't make any sense to have them classified as a residence. It should be a commercial property.

Christenson said the classification of the property is out of the council's control, but a residential tax exemption was proposed and is under consideration by the Finance Committee. The residential exemption would allow families who live in the home they own to receive tax abatement from the city.

A public meeting on the issue is scheduled for December 19th at 5 pm at City Hall.

Malden recently held its Annual Parade of Holiday Traditions to ring in the holiday season. This citywide event was made up of festive floats, state and city officials, bands playing holiday music, children handing their Christmas wish lists to marching postal carriers, and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication of the committee that helped put this event together. They are: Ward 1 School Committee Member Peg Crowe, Richard and Barbara Breen, Lois Cruikshank, Michael and Margie Drummey, Meghan Drummey, Kevin and Traci Fitzgerald, and Karl and Andra Toppi.

Their commitment to Malden was evident throughout the parade. From dedicating the parade in memory of Marine Lance Corporal Edward M. Garvin to making sure that every organization was encouraged to participate, the committee clearly defined the meanings of volunteerism and pride. We can't thank them enough for their help!

In addition to thanking the committee members, we also want to thank the community-at-large who donated their time, money, and resources to the 2006 parade and we hope you will help continue to make this event a longstanding tradition in our community.

The Malden School Committee voted at its most recent meeting to hold teachers' professional development days on the same day as all municipal, state, and federal elections.

This change was in response to a request made by the Malden City Council led by City Councillor Gary Christenson along with City Clerk Karen Anderson.

Previously, polling stations were moved out of the Ferryway School two years ago in order to help the school day be free from disturbances and to ensure the safety of the building.

The new locations did not work as well as they did at the school. Also, there was discussion that other schools were debating moving their polling stations outside of their respective school. Polling stations are required to be located within the precinct they serve or an adjacent precinct and they must be handicapped accessible. Thus, options would continue to be limited or non-existent across the city.

As a result of the School Committee's unanimous vote, all elections going forward beginning in 2007 will be held on a day when students would not be on-site and this will help avoid any confusion between school activities and voting. Also, this change will ensure that student safety not be jeopardized and educational programs not disrupted.

Additionally, polling stations that are located in schools can potentially be moved to the first floor thus making it easier for citizens to vote. Also, this change will make it easier for parent-teacher organizations to hold bake sales and raise funds for the school with the polling stations back on-site.

In addition to thanking City Clerk Karen Anderson, Councillor Christenson would like to thank his colleagues on the City Council, the Malden School Committee, School Superintendent Joan Connolly, and the teachers for working together to resolve this issue. We also thank the Robinson-Cuticura Building and the DAV for hosting elections during the interim.

On Thursday, November 2nd the Maplewood Highland Neighborhood Association held a fundraiser to raise money to aid in the development of the Joan Callahan Playground. The fundraiser was held at the Dockside Restaurant on 229 Centre Street in Malden Square. Close to 2,000 dollars was raised that evening. In addition to a number of other individuals, the Association would like to thank Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson for being in attendance.

The fire department's emergency command car is a familiar sight on the streets of Malden.

The speeding red truck responds to everything from cats in trees to three-alarm fires, and it houses the most important life-saving equipment in the city - tools the department relies upon in every emergency situation.

But fire officials say the 12-year-old truck is so outdated and in such disrepair that it is now beginning to be more of a risk than a resource for the city.

Several City Council members met with Malden fire fighters last week, prior to a meeting of the finance and public safety committees, to inspect the aging 1995 Chevy Suburban and to discuss options to replace it as soon as possible.

"When (the fire department) made their list (of needs from the capital budget), this was listed as their second highest priority," said Ward 1 City Councilor and Finance Committee Chairman Gary Christenson. "But sometimes you just have to see what they are talking about to really understand how badly they need this equipment."

The Fire Department requested $34,000 for the vehicle as part of the 2006 capital budget proposal, but Malden Mayor Richard Howard told the councilors he would "take care of" the need through other avenues in the city budget - most likely the free cash account.

The Council has since said they will draft a letter to Howard, requesting he give immediate attention to replacing the truck before it poses any danger to city residents.

"What the Council can do is look at the vehicle and draft a letter as a whole to send up to Mayor Howard requesting the funds," said Christenson. "So, I am going to put one together, have the other councilors take a look, sign it and send it upstairs (to the mayor's office). Then we just hope for the best."

Mayor Howard said he is aware there are problems with the command vehicle, and said he expects issue a list of city spending priorities by the beginning of the New Year.

"They are able to operate without it, but at the same time, if it is a piece of equipment that will help with service and rescue, it is an asset to the (fire) department," said Howard. "The department was awarded a pump truck as part of the capital budget, and should be receiving that early next year. I hope to take a look at some of the things that couldn't be done within the budget and prioritize them soon."

According to Deputy Fire Chief Jack Colangeli, the $34,000 purchase estimate is lower than what the truck will likely cost. He said the new vehicle, expected to be a Ford Expedition or a similar GM model, could run the city as much as $50,000.

The fire command vehicle is the department's first responder in all calls, whether a fire or medical emergency. It holds rescue equipment, a wide variety of tools and first-response kits, and communication and rescue devices that the department has said are becoming too advanced to comply with the current truck.

According to Fire Captain Bill Sullivan, the expected life of a fire command vehicle is usually five to seven years, because trucks older than that struggle to stay compatible with the latest rescue technology.

"The biggest issue with the age is its inability to handle the new equipment," Sullivan said to the City Council. "This thing was state-of-the-art in its time, but 11 or 12 years later we have a lot of equipment that we have purchased through homeland security grants that we can't even put in here. I would hate to see something happen that could have been prevented because that stuff is still sitting in a box."

Some of the advanced technologies Malden Fire Fighters are unable to use include powerful thermal cameras that can film through smoke, feeding to a television in the back of the vehicle, and custom laptops that allow captains to view up-to-the-second information on everything from the location of each firefighter in a building to the amount of oxygen left in each tank.

The department has installed television monitors to support he camera in the rear of the truck, but those monitors are mounted on makeshift wooden planks, and often suffer from intermittent feeds.

"I don't want to be driving around with this new equipment jerry-rigged here," said Sullivan. "The city has definitely gotten its money's worth out of this truck."

The department has also reported a host of mechanical problems with the truck, which fire officials said have cost the city thousands in repairs. Sullivan said the truck has even stalled out or lost power en route to emergency calls, and has problems keeping flashlights and other AV equipment charged.

When the command car is out of operation for repairs, the department uses a much-smaller fire prevention truck that officials said has inadequate lighting and lesser siren capabilities, making it harder to navigate through city traffic at high speeds.

Sullivan said the fire prevention truck has already suffered one traffic accident because of its reduced siren and light abilities.

"It is just too small. There aren't enough lights for the vehicle to be safe, and unfortunately, we had an incident where it was broadsided on a way to a call in what ended up being a pretty serious accident," Sullivan said. "We want to continue to operate in a professional manner and a way that is safe for our guys."

This past Saturday, the City of Malden came together for the annual Parade of Holiday Traditions. This year, the parade was dedicated to Lance Corporal Edward Garvin, who was killed in Iraq earlier this year. An honorary plaque was presented to his family at the start of the parade.

Joining the parade this year were the New England Patriots' Cheerleaders and team mascot, Pat Patriot, the Bruins Ice Dancers, several local school marching bands, and members of the Malden Police and Fire Department, former city councilor Bill Spadafora served as the parade's Grand Marshall.

Parade organizers believe that this was the largest crowd the parade has ever had.

"It is really great to see the community come together like this and see the happy faces of the children," said Councillor Gary Christenson, who was also one of the parade's organizers. "Now this is what the holidays are all about."

"This year the parade expanded," said Councillor-At-Large Craig Spadafora. "Gary (Christenson) and I decided to let the volunteers have more control and we would just enjoy the parade."

The parade concluded with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Malden postal workers collected letters to Santa from the children.

The parade officially kicks off the city's holiday festivities and on Tuesday, December 5th, the Office of the Mayor and Malden Chamber of Commerce will light the Remembrance Tree at Government Center Plaza beginning at 5 pm.

Fines will be assessed for homeowners, business owners who do not comply
(Malden Evening News, Thursday, November 30, 2006)

With winter knocking on the door, city officials are reminding local residents a new snow and ice removal ordinance is now in effect.

The ordinance ­ passed by the City Council in April ­ says home and business owners must make an effort to create a safe environment on sidewalks abutting their property.

"The owner, occupant, or agent in charge of any land or building abutting a paved sidewalkshall make said sidewalk safe and convenient for public use by removing any snow or ice accumulating thereon or by otherwise make the same safe by covering with sand or other suitable substance," the ordinance reads in part.

Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson, who pushed for passage of the ordinance, said he did so based on safety reasons.

"It really stemmed from an incident (last winter) in Ward One where a resident slipped and fell and sustained a serious knee injury," he said. "She was laid up for months."

Councilor Christenson said in addition to the slips and falls that result from unclear sidewalks, councilors feared the more severe injuries that could result from someone being forced into the street to walk and being hit by a car.

"I think the goal is to let people ­ especially school children ­ walk on the sidewalk safely," Christenson told the Malden Evening News.

Officials also said they do not intend for this ordinance to be a hardship for elderly or handicapped residents.

Christenson said the city hopes to compile a list of people ­ possibly students ­ who would be available to assist residents who may have a hard time complying with the ordinance. He said he also hopes neighbors would be willing to pitch in and help one another.

In an effort to make sure sidewalks outside city properties, and along school routes, are clean, the city purchased two Bombardiers that can clear the walkways.

According to the ordinance, residents and business owners must have their walkways cleared to provide at least 36 inches for passage within 24 hours of a storm.

Fines for noncompliance with the new ordinance will range from $25 for a first offense to $100 for three offenses or more.

"As more and more people become aware of (the ordinance) and it sinks in, I think there will be better compliance," said Councilor Christenson.

The annual Malden Holiday Parade certainly did not disappoint Saturday, as hundreds of local and area residents turned out for the festive event.

The sun-splashed, seasonal weather added to the great day had by all, with a collection of bands, floats and special appearances by colorful characters such as "Pat the Patriot," the mascot of the New England Patriots football team and "Frosty the Snowman" were on hand to thrill kids of all ages.

The Parade, which has also been known as the "Parade of Holiday Traditions," assembled on Maplewood Street in Maplewood Square and then followed through the heart of Malden along Salem Street into Malden Square and on to its finish at Malden Government Center on Pleasant Street.

Serving as Grand Marshal of this year's parade was former Ward Three City Councilor William "Bill" Spadafora, who was well-known for many years for the time and effort he spent on many civic and social events benefiting Malden, such as this parade and the fishing derby at Fellsmere Pond, among others.

Santa Claus himself was also on hand for Saturday's parade, greeting the throngs of kids who were watching the parade and personally accepting "Christmas Lists" from the kids and their parents.

The parade was first conceived by former Ward One City Councilor Eleanor Cushing, who got together a hardworking committee who planned the parade and gathered the donations for the task of putting on the parade.

The parade ceased for a time when Councilor Cushing left the Council but was revived through the efforts of present Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson and Councilor-At-Large Craig Spadafora and another group of dedicated and civic-minded committee members, many of them from the Bell Rock-Ward One neighborhood.

With another successful event under their belts, there's no doubt the Malden Holiday Parade Committee has already begun planning for next year's 2007 event.

City officials and local organizations are putting the finishing touches on a roster of holiday activities planned for Malden in coming weeks, just as the cold winds of winter start blowing through the city's streets.

The annual Parade of Holiday Traditions is set to kick off the season this Saturday, and parade organizers say they are expecting the largest parade since the event was pulled from retirement three years ago.

"We have added an additional 10 units to the parade this year. We are trying to involve as many groups as we possibly can," said Ward 1 Councilor and Parade Committee member Gary Christenson. "It will be split into four divisions, the last of which has the new units. It should go on for a couple of hours, and it will be the biggest parade yet."

The parade will begin at the Salemwood School, 529 Salem St., at 10 a.m., and will move downtown on Salem Street, across Main Street and into Malden Square, winding down at the corners of Pleasant and Washington Streets, just one block before City Hall.

Included in the parade will be several police and fire units, marching bands from several area schools and organizations, along with representatives from the city's schools, government, municipal departments and social organizations such as Girl Scouts and the North Shore Black Women's Association.

Also joining the parade will be the New England Patriots Cheerleaders, with Patriots mascot Pat the Patriot, and the Boston Bruin's Ice Dancers. The parade will close with volunteers from the U.S. Post Office in Malden collecting letters from children in the crowd, for prompt delivery to the North Pole.

While the event will be much larger this year than previous parades, Christenson said parade planners focused on including as many different holiday traditions as possible.

"We felt it was very important to try and include as many groups as we possibly could. That's why we call it the 'Holiday Traditions' parade," he said. "We want everyone included, no matter how or what you celebrate. I think we have a very diverse parade this year and we are really excited to get it going."

Christenson said he and At-Large Councilor Craig Spadafora took a more "hands-off" approach to the planning of the parade this year, and left much of the legwork to parade organizers Meghan Drummey and Kevin Fitzgerald.

"This year is definitely shaping up to be more amazing than the last two, we seem to be getting a hand on how to put these things together, but that may be just because Craig and I didn't run too much of it this year," he said. "Kevin and Meghan have really been the backbone of this whole thing, and all of the volunteers on the parade committee realty did a great job in getting everything organized and finalized. It is a really staggering amount work and we had an overwhelming need for volunteers. It is really an amazing feat what they were able to do with this parade. There is nothing like it."

The committee will honor former Ward 3 Councilor William Spadafora as the parade's Grand Marshall this year. It was Spadafora who originally organized the first Parade of Holiday Traditions in 1994, and oversaw the committee until 2001 when the city stopped having the event. Christenson and Spadafora's nephew, Craig, decided to revive the idea three years ago.

Christenson said the parade has grown each year, both in size and in interest, and he hopes to get the word out to other communities in the surrounding areas that Malden has among the largest holiday parades in greater Boston.

"The biggest thing is that it is something in the community that can really bolster everyone's spirits," said Christenson. "It is a great opportunity to increase participation and peace in the city. It is a good chance to do some good things. I hope that we were able to get the word out to as many communities as possible so that some residents from other areas can come enjoy the parade and see what Malden has to offer."

The parade will be dedicated to the memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Edward Garvin, the 20-year-old Malden native killed fighting the war in Iraq in October. Christensen said an honorary plaque would be dedicated to the family during the first stage of the parade.

Residents in wards one and seven will soon have a new place to vote when the 2007 election rolls around, thanks to a minor change on the 2007-2008 school calendar.

Reacting to a recent City Council proposal to move polling stations back into the Ferryway School, the Malden School Committee voted unanimously Monday night to line up teacher professional development days with scheduled election days. The move will affect residents of wards one and seven, whose polls recently moved from the Ferryway.

"This is just absolutely a win, win, win for everyone involved. This is really going to help make things more convenient for everyone," said Ward 1 City Councilor Gary Christenson.

The new schedule will synch up the three teacher professional development days, in which students are given a day off while teachers receive specialized training, with the primary and November election dates. The third day is lined up with a special presidential election primary day in March of 2008.

Because students will not be in the schools during voting hours, polls will not inconvenience the school day - and custodians will have a much smaller area to clean in time for the next school day.

Polls were originally moved out of the school three years ago over safety concerns. School officials said having a large number of people enter the school was difficult to monitor, and left the doors open to strangers wandering the halls.

The polls were moved to several locations, including 59 Green St. in Ward 1, and the DAV in Ward 7. While neither ward reported a drop in voting numbers after the move, both ward councilors have complained of problems with parking, space in the buildings and an inability to hold events that coincide with elections, such as bake sales.

"This is the best case scenario for everyone. The places where we moved the polling stations are just not working out like we expected them to," said Christenson. "This way, the schools are empty when people come in, which is keeping the students safe, and there is still an opportunity to have custodians come in and sweep up and get the school ready for the next day."

Several wards in the city still use the schools as polling stations, including the Linden and Beebe schools, with few complaints from voters or school administrators.

The annual Malden Holiday Parade is coming to life again this Saturday, November 25th from 10 am to 12 noon.

Floats, bands, colorful characters and "real-life" Malden notables and honorees will be featured in the parade.

Topping the list is this year's Grand Marshal, former Ward 3 City Council William "Bill" Spadafora, a longtime supporter of the parade and many other activities around the city.

The Parade, which has also been known as the "Parade of Holiday Traditions," will assemble on Maplewood Street and Branch Street in Maplewood Square, then kick off at 10 am from Maplewood Street following this route:

From Maplewood Street, into Maplewood Square, then left onto Salem Street; along the length of Salem Street, then across Main Street; right into Malden Square (Pleasant Street), and end at City Hall.

There will be free parking located at the CBD Garage, 170 Centre Street (Across from Walgreens on Route 60).

The reviewing stand will be located in front of City Hall where Mayor Richard C. Howard and other city and state officials are expected.

The parade was the brainchild of former Ward One City Councilor Eleanor Cushing, who got together a hardworking committee who planned the parade and gathered donations for the task of putting on the parade, which has been said to be in excess of $25,000.

The parade ceased for a time when Councilor Cushing left the Council but was revived through the efforts of present Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson and Councilor-At-Large Craig Spadafora and another group of dedicated and civic-minded committee members, many of them from the Bell Rock-Ward One neighborhood.

Councilor Christenson said some of the participants who are going to help Malden celebrate the holidays are:

-- Shriners Clowns and Cycles
-- Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts
-- Local and State Officials
-- Boston Gaelic Drum and Bugle Band, Liberty Jazz Band, Sons of Italy Band
-- New England Patriots Cheerleaders and Pat the Patriot
-- Costumed characters
-- Malden Public School floats, plus much, much more

Calling all kids! Want to get your letters to Santa Claus early this year? Bring them to the Parade and Santa's helpers from the Post Office will be there to collect them and mail them to the North Pole!

Councilor Christenson and the Malden Holiday Parade Committee say: See you on Parade Day and Season's Greetings!

For more information about the Holiday Parade: For groups to march or to volunteer, please contact Kevin Fitzgerald at 781-324-4229 or Fitzgerald.kevin@comcast.net.

Also, any family member who has someone from Malden serving overseas and would like their name added to the "Support Our Troops" banner and for further information about the Holiday Parade in general, please contact the number above.

One week after tabling a paper authorizing the mayor and city treasurer to go out to bond on a $3.45 million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), City Councilors unanimously endorsed the plan Tuesday.

"After all the questions were answered it became a relatively easy vote," said Malden City Council Finance Committee Chairman and Ward One Councilor Gary Christenson.

Several Councilors had questions both about items included in the proposed CIP and items left omitted.

Among the major expenditures will be $1 million for street and sidewalk repairs; $600,000 for new computers at the Salemwood School; $450,000 for a new fire truck; $150,000 for a new roof for the DPW headquarters; and $197,000 for two new Bombardier snow plows.

Among the items raising the most questions was the inclusion of new computers for the Salemwood. Several councilors queried Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joan Connolly on whether they could be financed through the regular budget, and whether it was wise to replace them all at one school or by grade across the district.

Christenson said a number of the Councilors were able to get the answers to their questions during a tour of the Salemwood earlier this week.

"Too many times we're just looking at this stuff on paper," said Christenson, "but when you can see it first hand, that makes a big difference."

Two items left out of the CIP that drew significant attention from councilors were requests from the fire department for turnout gear-the gear actually worn to fires-and money for a command car.

During Tuesday's finance meeting, Mayor Richard C. Howard confirmed to councilors it was his intention to replace a number of sets of turnout gear through other funding sources.

In a written amendment to the CIP, councilors asked the mayor to also look for a way to fund the $34,000 request for the command car.

"I believe the finance team, the mayor, and the council did a great job on this," said Christenson. "Would we have liked to have more included? Yes, but that's not always possible and I think this is a good package."

Although the record shows that they were only a few seconds apart in Sunday's finish in the "Run for Wednesday's Child" sponsored by Sheriff DiPaola, rumor has it that it was Mayor Howard who slowed up his pace to help Christenson finish the race.

That Malden Ward One City Councillor Gary Christenson wishes his brother-in-law and Malden Police Detective Erik Israelson a happy big 40th birthday today.

Both the Malden City Council and the city's Finance Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a new $2.5 million Senior Center in the former Centre Methodist Church.

The church, located on the corners of Pleasant and Washington streets in Malden Square, has been for sale since it was closed in the summer of 2005.

"We looked at quite a few sites throughout the city during the process," said Finance Committee Chairman and Ward 1 Councillor Gary Christenson. "But the biggest thing with the church was its accessibility and proximity to downtown. There is already an MBTA bus route that goes right there and there is parking available on the site. Some of our other solutions throughout the city would have called for a complete re-routing of the MBTA busses, and that is definitely something we wanted to avoid."

The $2.5 million secured for the project was from a capital improvement bond, and is almost entirely for the purchase and title of the building, with funds for renovations and code updates most likely coming from a community development block grant.

The Council is optimistic that the improvements to the building will be completed by the end of summer or early fall 2007.

A large contingent of intrepid Malden Democratic City Committee members and local activist braved threatening weather recently at Anthony's on Canal Street to promote voter participation and Party unity.

Malden Democratic Chairman Joe Lawless summed up the festivities thusly, "Good food, a good crowd, and a good cause equals a good night."

Special kudos were reserved for the event cooks who included City Councillors Gary Christenson and Paul DiPietro assisted by Democratic Treasurer Frank Molis and Vice-Chair Laurie Flynn.

In other news

The much anticipated and recently controversial Bike to the Sea path is also getting a boost from the city, as members learned that the council has drafted a letter to all local representatives and congressmen in an effort to accelerate the funding process so that the project can get off the ground.

Bike to the Sea, a local organization looking to construct a 10-mile bike trail on a defunct MBTA rail line from Saugus to Lynn, hit a snag in the funding process when the MBTA refused to sign a commitment protecting the tracks from future re-development.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in turn, has been holding the funding until the MBTA signs the commitment. The delay has resulted in several encroachments across the rail line, including parking lots, fencing and construction equipment.

The problem came to a head over the summer when the city proposed a parking lot for the new Cambridge Health Alliance clinic on Canal Street that would encroach upon the land. Ultimately, Cambridge Health agreed with the city to explore other parking options, but the circumstances again brought Bike to the Sea's problems to the forefront.

"This path has been hung up entirely too long," said Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson. "There are situations in the city of Newburyport and the town of Salisbury where they were able to convince the state to push the MBTA along in the process. That is what we want to do here with this letter so we can finally get this thing off the ground. It is a positive thing for the city and all of the controversy around it is not helping."

The letter does not mark any guaranteed action from the state or the MBTA, but should start a discussion between the city and transit officials about the status of the proceedings.

Full docket addressed; New Senior Center is focus at next meeting

Malden City Councilors returned from the summer break with a full docket Tuesday night.

When Councilors meet again next Tuesday, September 12th, members of the finance committee will hear from administration officials on what progress has been made towards acquiring land for a new senior center.

Prior to the summer recess, councilors gave Mayor Richard C. Howard "preliminary approval" to enter into discussions with the owners of the now closed Centre United Methodist Church, at the corner of Washington and Pleasant Streets, to assess the viability of buying the building to house the long needed center.

Earlier this summer, Mayor Howard told the Malden Evening News those discussions have been moving along and a purchase and sale (P&S) agreement was in place.

Finance Committee Chairman Gary Christenson (Ward One) said while he does not "anticipate" any formal votes during next week's meeting, he does expect administration officials to provide the panel with more details and specifics on the cost of acquisition and improvements.

He told the Malden Evening News he would also expect to hear a more definitive timeline on how long repairs would take.

Ward One Councilor Christenson: Have election on Saturdays

Did you ever wonder why they hold elections on Tuesdays, anyway?

Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson apparently did, since he is sponsoring a resolution to be offered at tonight's first full Malden City Council meeting since the summer break, asking that the Ordinance Committee consider a change that would allow municipal elections to be held on Saturdays.

The City Council recently gave Mayor Richard Howard permission to make an offer to purchase the Centre United Methodist Church.

An offer of $2.3 million was made following the council's vote in an emergency meeting on Tuesday, July 11 to buy the vacant church and move the Senior Center from the basement of City Hall there. The $2.3 million purchase price, according to Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson, will be composed of "a combination of grants and existing bond proceeds."

Howard's spokeswoman Deborah Burke said purchase and sale agreements will be needed if the offer is accepted, and it will take a few months to complete the final sale.

The Dedham Hot 9 will put on a free summer concert in Bell Rock Memorial Park on Main Street in Ward One, Wednesday, August 9th from 6:30 ­ 8:30 p.m. Come listen to great jazz music from some of the best high school players in the state.

Sponsored by Ward One City Councillor Gary Christenson and the Office of Mayor Richard C. Howard, this event will provide entertainment for all ages. So pack up your lawn chairs and snacks for a night of live music. Rain date will be Thursday, August 10 from 6:30 ­ 8:30 p.m.

The proposed construction of a 112-space parking lot to support the new Cambridge Health Alliance family clinic at 195 Canal St. may have hit a substantial roadblock en route to construction.

Bike to the Sea, a local organization that hopes to build a 10-mile bike path from Everett through Malden and into Lynn is crying foul after learning of the proposed lot, which would intrude on the land designated for the path, located in a vacant MBTA lot across the street from the clinic.

Cambridge Health and Bike to the Sea are both slated to meet with the Zoning Board of Appeals on July 20 to discuss the proposed lot and other options for Cambridge Health to take.

"This isn't really a matter of Cambridge Health coming in and trying to take our land," said Bike to the Sea founder Steve Winslow. "This is the city setting a high parking requirement and forcing Cambridge Health's hand in the matter. Our issue is not with Cambridge Health, it is with the obstacle that is being thrown at us by the city."

The bike path is proposed to run over an unused MBTA track along the defunct Saugus Branch that runs behind the lot, Bike to the Sea hoped to landscape the land near the tracks and create a safe buffer between the lot and the path, but now fear that a parking lot will be both unsightly and unsafe.

"The devil is in the details here," said Winslow. "It may not be in the way of our path, but what's going to happen once it is in there? We were hoping to have a 12-foot paved path with landscaping around it, we are having enough funding problems as it is and now we have to think about modifying the path because of a parking lot? Engineers are expensive, so we'd like to avoid that if we could."

The lot came into question when the City Council approved Cambridge Health's proposal for the new clinic, but discovered that city zoning laws required over 100 additional parking spaces to the 301 already on site. One of the options was the MBTA lot, but no final decision has been made.

"The city still fully supports the Bike to the Sea proposal. We wouldn't have brought up this area for Cambridge Health if we thought that it would be any problem," said Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson. "There are a few options that we have as far as avoiding the path, and there are other areas in the ward aside from this lot, so if there is any conflict with the proposed path we won't sign off on it and we'll explore something else."

Christenson noted that on-street parking is still not out of the question, and the city is still exploring shuttle services from the garage on Route 60.

This past weekend, Ward One celebrated America's independence which occurred 230 years ago. Before celebrating, we remembered those who have fought and continue to fight for the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We held a moment of silence for our armed forces, pledged allegiance to the American Flag, and listened to a sterling rendition of the National Anthem sung by Ward One's Krystal Rowley.
It was then on to the celebration of America's birthday and the "pursuit of happiness" was on full display. Children were treated to a number of games, amusements, and contests. There was also a barbeque, patriotic gift bags, and many, many raffles. Ferryway School Sixth Grade Teacher Tim Rufo went above and beyond sitting or should I say swimming in the dunk tank for a good part of the morning but Mr. Rufo got his revenge when he dunked me three straight times!
All of these festivities would not have taken place without a devoted group of volunteers. They are the unsung heroes and for one day, they worked together so that our neighborhood could celebrate our nation's birthday and take a few moments to remember those who have made this day possible.
In addition to the generosity of the volunteers, the business community and city workers also deserve a round of applause for donating their resources and supporting us every step of the way.
God bless Malden and God bless our great nation!
Gary Christenson
Ward One City Councilor

The Cambridge Health Alliance gained unanimous approval from the Malden City Council Tuesday to move forward with its plans to open a family clinic in the vacant office building at 195 Canal St.

The health care agency, which owns Whidden Hospital in Everett among other area hospitals, has signed a 10-year lease with a 10-year option at the unoccupied building, and hopes to open a $15 million family health facility that will serve as a home for medical care, prevention and education for patients of all ages within the next 12 months.

"We are overwhelmingly excited about this decision," said Dr. Randy Wertheimer, chief of family medicine. "I can't even describe the enormous amount of enthusiasm that we have for moving in to Malden, we cannot wait to get started."

The city has been in need of a facility that houses primary care physicians and emergency facilities for several years, and when Cambridge Health saw an opportunity to provide that service in a building that is just blocks from the center of the city it quickly jumped at the chance, Wertheimer said.

"We saw an opportunity to enter a community that is in need of primary care," said Wertheimer. "It is an area where we can be very accessible, just a few blocks from downtown, and we think that providing these services will fill a very large need for the city of Malden."

Along with family care practices, the facility will include a residency program taught by select clinicians, diagnostic services, ultra sounds, walk-in care and shuttle and home services to seniors. There will be no ambulance access and no emergency service, although Cambridge Health does plan to be prepared for urgent situations and walk-in emergencies when necessary. Cataldo Ambulance, the city's emergency medical response agency, maintains a dispatch garage across the street.

Cambridge Health hopes to offer aid to seniors who otherwise would not be able to receive care with a new shuttle and home visit service.

"We had to stop and ask ourselves; 'Do we really want to get rid of home visits forever?' "said Wertheimer. "It is no longer common and probably for good reason, but a lot of these seniors live alone and cannot get to us, so we are going to provide shuttle service and, when needed, we want to try and provide care to them at their homes."

Although plans have been in the works for the facility for over five years, talks with the council have accelerated over the last few months, and finally came to a head when the firm and Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson developed certain conditions for the proposal that needed to be met.

"We are very open to this facility coming to Malden, but there are several concerns about traffic, parking and how the facility will help the community," Christenson said. "They have proposed solutions to these problems and we are confident that they will go through with them. This is an opportunity that the city needs to take seriously, we have been looking for a full fledged family clinic for years."

Cambridge Health will be meeting with the Zoning Board of Appeals on July 20 to discuss traffic, parking and possibilities for shuttles and MBTA bus routes to and from the location.

Although the building has its own parking lot on site that will provide 301 parking spaces, state ordinance requires 112 additional spaces. Cambridge Health hopes to lease and develop a vacant lot across the street for the additional parking.

The council approved the special license with the understanding that six conditions would be met by Cambridge Health, aside from parking, traffic and MBTA route, Christenson also expressed concern and expectations about the affect that the clinic will have on the community.

"It was important for us to make sure that there will me no methadone clinic and no mental health clinic involved and that the alliance would give back to the community with aid for the Green Street park," he said. "We also anticipate that programs will be set up for seniors and the Alliance will remain active in the community for the length of their stay." Green Street Park is nearby in Ward 1, and in undergoing a multi-phase renovation.

Cambridge Health's proposal was enough to convince the council that these conditions would be met, and all parties involved met the unanimous vote with enthusiasm.

"I am really happy that we can finally get this underway," said Ward 6 Councilor Eileen Fay. "This really restores a sense of security to the city."

With the approval from the council the Cambridge Health now turns toward the future and attempting to be ready for the anticipated July 1, 2007 opening of the clinic.

"I am eager to get started in this community," said Werthheimer. "Malden is a beautiful, historic and diverse community that has a lot of heart and continues to grow. We are looking forward to coming in and doing what we can to make a difference and provide service that will be accessible and positive for the city."

The Malden City Council voted quickly and unanimously to accept a $138.6 million budget for fiscal 2007 Wednesday night, featuring just 13 amendments to Mayor Richard Howard's original draft.

The vote comes after weeks of meetings between the Finance Committee and leaders from several municipal departments on the needs and requirements missing from the original proposal. After gathering the needs, the committee met with Howard Tuesday and discussed each proposed amendment. In the end, 13 were accepted, including $5,000 for the firefighter's memorial, $3,000 for a bar code reader and significant increases for human resources and the widow's fund.

"The memorial was something that we had been talking about doing for years and I'm glad to see that it is finally completed," said Council President Michael Sheehan. "I want to thank the Finance Committee and everyone involved for doing such an admirable job in finalizing the budget so quickly."

Included in the budget is $8.14 million for the Fire Department, $8.25 million for police, $2.69 million for public facilities and $6.1 million for the Public Works Department. All of this comes before the July 1 deadline and amendments come without casualty to other areas of the budget.

"We are very pleased to say that all of the changes made came without the need of layoffs or cuts to other areas of the budget," said Finance Committee Chairman and Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson. "We were able to address the needs with funds allocated from many other areas within the city that did not affect the proposed funds for any other departments."

Malden Councilors expected to vote on final figure Tuesday

Finance Committee Chairman Christenson says 10 issues up for possible discussion at meeting tonight

City Councilors will meet at 5 p.m. tonight to discuss Mayor Richard C. Howard's proposed FY07 municipal budget.

Howard has sent the council a proposed budget of $138.614 million, including the water- sewer appropriation.

Councilors will also meet with the mayor himself, at 6 p.m. to make recommendations on possible additions to, or subtractions from, the budget before formally voting on it Tuesday night.

"We've completed all our meetings and we came up with 18 issues," said City Council Finance Chairman and Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson. "The finance committee spent about an hour on Tuesday night and got it down to about 10 issues."

Councilor Christenson told the Malden Evening News it is likely the list will be narrowed further before councilors meet with Mayor Howard. He said the present list of 10 issues are topics members of the finance committee wanted to explore with the full body.

Among the issues expected to be discussed are a request by the Human Resources Department for a $30,000 appropriation for training for members of various departments and a request by the building inspector for an assistant zoning officer.

A third issue expected to get an airing is a request by the school department to add funding which would allow for the hiring of math coaches.

The Ward 1 Annual July 4th Celebration will be held on Saturday, July 1st from 9 - 1 pm in the newly renovated Green Street Park on Madison Street.

This event is free thanks to the contributions of the City of Malden and many Ward 1 business sponsors.

This family event will have games, rides, and contests for best doll carriage, bicycle, and most patriotic citizen. Also, the annual crowning of Little Mr. and Little Miss Ward One will take place during the event. There will also be a barbeque and each child will receive a patriotic gift bag for attending.

A 50/50 and raffle prizes will be part of the day, including such prizes as a set of New England Patriots tickets and an iPod nano. Of course, what would the day be without the annual dunking of City Councillor Gary Christenson in his business attire and he will be joined this year by Ferryway School Sixth Grade Teacher Tim Rufo who will be in the dunk tank for the first hour.

For more information, please call Carol Ann Desiderio at 508-494-2597.

Another seemingly daily dose of inclement weather nearly postponed the 11th annual Malden Flag Day Ceremony on Wednesday June 14, but the heavy rains and unpleasant gusts of wind were not enough to squash the spirit of the day.

A modest crowd turned out for the soggy ceremony at Bell Rock Park that featured speeches from City Council members, members of the Choral Arts Society and the winner of the Ferryway School essay contest.

Threats of lightning did force the Malden High School band into cancel its performance and veterans at the Dexter House were unable to attend, but Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson and many of the other participants walked over to the house and put on a small indoor ceremony to celebrate the day.

"We had to think about putting the whole event off because the rain was causing some problems," said Christenson. "But our troops can't postpone fighting because of rain and mud, so we decided that we should do the same. I think the veterans really appreciated it."

Budget Forum Tuesday ­ On Tuesday, the public can weigh in on a proposed $119 million city budget for fiscal 2007, which starts July 1. The City Council finance committee will hold a public forum, starting at 5 p.m. in the council chamber at Malden Government Center. The committee has been meeting since May 23 with city department heads to discuss funding proposed by Mayor Richard C. Howard. The full council will probably vote on the budget at its June 27 meeting, said Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson, the finance committee chairman.

Malden Police are crediting an e-mail tip to Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson as helping leading them to execute a major drug bust on 95 Medford St. on Friday.

Six people were arrested June 9 as a result of the bust performed by Malden officers, who were assisted by police from Everett and Revere as well as the state police gang unit and officers from the federal Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Aside from an unspecified amount of crack cocaine, police also recovered two illegal handguns, a stun gun, ammunition and a wealth of material that Malden Police Lt. Thomas Swanson said was used to package drugs for the purposes of distribution.

"This was apparently a very significant source of drug sales in Malden," Swanson said. "There haven't been any more arrests made at this time, but the investigation is ongoing."

Kettia Saintlouis, 20, of 95 Medford St., Malden, Albernitz Clerge, 30, of 66 Belmont St., Malden, Carlens Rigaud, 22, of 229 Margaretta Drive, Georgetown, and Carlin Rigaud, 23, homeless, were each charged with trafficking in cocaine, while Rigaud and Clerge were also charged with conspiracy to violate the drug law.

Saitlouis, Carlens Rigaud and Carlin Rigaud were also each charged with possessing a firearm without an F.I.D. card and improperly storing a firearm, while Carlin Rigaud was also charged with possession of a class D drug. Carlens Rigaud was additionally charged with unlawful possession of ammunition and the possession of a stun gun. Both Rigaud men are brothers.

Police said Mark Davis, 39, of 4 Camden St., Lexington, was arrested as he pulled up to the house, presumably to make a drug purchase. Davis was charged with possession of a Class D drug and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. A sixth suspect, David Johnson, 24, of 47 Chapel St., Norwood was charged with possession of a Class B drug.

Christenson said he was told by grateful Malden officers that the raid was conducted just before "things could have been a lot worse," Christenson said.

"There was a Mom who thought she saw something that looked a little bit off," at 95 Medford St., Christenson said of the e-mail that spoke of a possible drug house that tipped off the investigation. The Ward 1 councilor said he maintains an e-mail address, ward1info@yahoo.com, where he encourages citizens to phone him with quality of life issues.

"After police began to investigate there was about a month-and-a-half-long investigation," Christenson said. "But in the end, it was really quickly done and it was a great job by police."

Christenson said it wasn't the first time information he has received via e-mail has led to a police arrest, but added many residents are still fearful to come forward with their concerns in light of a possible violent retribution.

"Neighbors plead with me that they don't want their names to be passed along on the e-mail, and it isn't," Christenson said, insuring any concerned citizen will be given absolute anonymity.

However, Christenson said he was still somewhat disappointed that each of the six defendants had been released on bond, especially in light of the fact that the Rigaud brothers had prior offenses. All five defendants are scheduled to appear in Malden District Court on July 12.

Christenson even confirmed that Saintlouis was even back at 95 Medford St. on Monday night - but added the drug activity he had spotted himself last month had not returned.

"It's a little disappointing that they were all released on bond, but all seems quiet, hopefully it stays that way," Christenson said.

Malden Democrats played a spirited role in the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention held Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3. The two-day Worcester gathering renominated U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy for an eighth term as well as uncontested state Treasurer Tim Cahill, state Auditor A. Joseph DiNucci and Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley for state attorney general.

Malden City Committee Chairman Joe Lawless served as teller for the Middlesex Essex District, composed of Lynnfield, Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham and Wakefield. Melrose Democrat Virginia Allen was in charge of credentials, while Malden's Christine DiPietro and Ward 3 Councilor Paul DiPietro were assistant tellers.

Malden was also represented by Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson and Ward 1 School Committee member Peg Crowe, Ward 4 Councilor Jeff Donahue, Ward 5 Councilor John Furlong, Middlesex County Sheriff Jim DiPaola, a Malden resident, and former Mayor Ed Lucey.

Lawless praised the district delegation for its cooperation and interest, nothing that unlike other districts, not one floor challenge arose, nor did any delegates refrain from any votes throughout the proceedings.

To the editor:

On behalf of Ward 1 School Committee member Peg Crowe, I want to commend the Ferryway School on its second annual Ferryway Arts Festival and Music Performance held Thursday, June 8, in the William J. Dempsey Gymnasium.

Not only was it a great show of art and music but it was also a great show because it tied together a number of MCAS principles. Students sang songs with an environmental and historical theme of which four of the songs were completely written by the students themselves. Some students read poems while others played instruments, including one student who played the piano. Plenty of creativity and teamwork was also on display particularly when the students got the crowd to enthusiastically clap along to the "Rap of the Solar System."

Downstairs from the gymnasium was the art exhibit which was accompanied by statements that the students wrote and typed themselves. The artwork brought the Ferryway School foyer area to life because it showed the beginning thoughts of the students work to the actual finished product.

Kudos to the Ferryway School for a wonderful evening in particular the art/music teacher duo of Courtney Kiley and Jaclyn Soep who deserve a big round of applause.

Gary Christenson,
Ward 1 City Councilor

Hosted by Ward One; City and State officials are on hand

The American Flag does not have the luxury of choosing what type of weather in which to fly and the Ward One Committee in charge of honoring "Old Glory" at the Flag Day ceremonies and celebration last night went the same route.

Despite a strong flurry of intermittent rain showers, host Ward One City Councillor Gary Christenson shepherded the evening's program to its conclusion.

City and State officials joined together to celebrate the spirit and essence of the American Flag and to honor what it stands for and whom and what it represents.

Malden Veterans Services Commissioner John Webster addressed the audience, among others, and extolled the significance of the American Flag and thanked and encouraged those who turned out to honor the Flag last night.

Also at last night's ceremonies and celebration was the winner of the annual essay contest among students at the Ferryway School and was recited by fifth grader Joshua Kummins.

That despite the rain and thunder last night, some hearty (and ultra-patriotic) Maldonians and other area residents stuck it out to pay homage to "Old Glory" at the "rain or shine" Flag Day ceremonies held at Bell Rock Memorial Park, hosted by Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson.

Police executing a so-called "no knock" search warrant here Friday night raided a Medford Street apartment, arresting five and confiscating two handguns, including a .44 caliber handgun.

Investigators applied for the no-knock warrant based on evidence they expected to encounter heavy resistance and that people associated with the distribution operation may have been conducting counter-surveillance, officials said this weekend.

"A search of the residence turned up "obvious evidence of packaging of a controlled substance, consistent with crack cocaine distribution," Malden Police Sgt. Kevin Molis told the Malden Evening News.

A large quantity of cash was also seized along with a 'Stop Snitching' t-shirt, in addition to an amount of cocaine consistent with trafficking weight.

Malden Police Chief Ken Coye said the raid was a result of a "lengthy investigation" into crack cocaine distribution out of 95 Medford Street. The chief described the operation as a "sizeable drug business."

Coye said the investigation was launched after complaints from neighbors were passed to Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson and then onto police.

"What this event proved is how important it is that we continue to work together," said Christenson. "The concerned neighbors who notified city officials early on that there was a potential problem at that location played a critical role in the outcome on Friday night. I thank them for their help in this matter and for caring about their neighborhood."

"It's great when the neighbors work together and provide information to the councilors," said Coye. "When we get that type of cooperation, we can get to the root of problems faster."

"I think the message of this is we encourage people to start coming forward," said one official familiar with the investigation, referring to the 'Stop Snitching' t-shirt.

The investigation and raid included not only members of the Malden Police, but officials from the state police gang unit, ATF, Saugus police and special entry teams from the Everett and Revere police departments.

"We went in very hard and very fast," Coye said. "There was no resistance."

Both Coye and Christenson also noted the landlord will be notified of the arrests and warned of the consequences of another such incident.

"Two strikes and we take you property," said Coye. "That is the case law and we intend to follow it."

Police identified four of the people taken into custody as brothers Carlin and Carlens Rigaud, Abernitz Clerge, and Kettia Saint Louis ­ a female. They will all face distribution related charges when they are arraigned in Malden District Court this morning.

The fifth person arrested was identified as David Johnson. He will face possession charges.

Councilor Christenson hosts event at Bell Rock Memorial Park, 6 p.m.

Ward One City Councillor Gary Christenson announced that on Wednesday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m., Malden will celebrate the Annual Flag Day program at Bell Rock Memorial Park on Main Street.

Historically, states and local communities have informally commemorated June 14th, 1777 as the day of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes. The Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson, however, officially established Flag Day in 1916 and in 1949 President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

On Wednesday, Malden will celebrate this tradition with a ceremony acknowledging our most cherished symbol-the American Flag-and the sacrifices made over the years to protect the Flag. The ceremony will feature a speaking program and patriotic tunes from the Malden High School Band along with a winning essay and Pledge of Allegiance by Ferryway School students.

The ambitious year-long infrastructure study has come to an end, and with it so has the moratorium preventing the construction of multi-family housing in the city.

The controversial moratorium went into effect last June 1 despite a veto by Mayor Richard Howard, who at the time was undergoing plans to raze and relocate City Hall, a move that would have come under multi-family housing zoning.

At a May 31 Planning Board meeting attended by At-Large Councilor Craig Spadafora and Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson the results of the three separate sections of the study were presented.

Of three studies performed - traffic assessment, utility structures and inventory - none said that the city wasn't capable of supporting future development based on its current infrastructure.

Aside from an overall study, the three reports also recommend various improvements to the different aspects of the city they address. The cost of the studies ran $50,000, with $25,000 going to a traffic study while $15,000 was queued for an infrastructure study and $10,000 for the inventory study.

Council Finance Chairman Christenson calls budget 'good news'

One day after Mayor Richard C. Howard delivered his proposed FY07 budget, Malden City Council Finance Chairman Gary Christenson said the document contains good news.

"Once again Malden is heading in a positive direction," said Christenson. "I have a lot of colleagues in other communities who are heading in the opposite direction."

The $199.6 million municipal budget ($138.6 with water and sewer assessments) includes increased funding for public safety, more money for education and a provision for spousal insurance for widows and widowers of city employees.

"The spousal insurance is something a number of councilors have pushed for the last couple of years," said Christenson. "It is something we were very happy to see included."

Despite heavy rain, over 200 people attended the Ward 1 Mother's Day breakfast held at Eagle's Hall this past Sunday morning. Moms were treated to breakfast catered by Spadafora's Catering and each mom received a rose as part of the morning as well.

All proceeds from this year's breakfast were donated to the Kapotas family who lost everything in a recent fire in Ward 1. Through the kindness of neighbors and friends, over $1,000 was raised from the event and will go a long way in helping the Kapotas family to rebuild. In addition to transporting 59 Green Street residents to and from the event, Malden Taxi, generously donated $250 to help the family. Donations for the Kapotas family can still be made to the Kapotas Fire Relief Fund, 21 Oxford Street, Malden, MA 02148.

In his brief remarks, Ward 1 Councillor Gary Christenson thanked the volunteers, most notably Peg Crowe, Ward 1 School Committee Member and Carol Ann Desiderio, for putting the event together and he paid special tribute to his mom Carol. Gary also thanked State Representative Paul Donato and Councilor-At-Large Craig Spadafora for their help. He concluded by recognizing the Fraternal Order of Eagles for it was them who pushed for an official Mother's Day back in 1904.
The breakfast came to a close with the drawing of raffles graciously donated by local businesses, including Ryan Family Amusements, Pasta Market Café, and Curves, and a 59 Green Street resident excitedly won the 50/50.

A large crowd was on hand recently at the Dockside Restaurant in support of the Bread of Life, a volunteer organization that serves the hungry, homeless, needy and isolated in the Malden area. Friends, staff, volunteers and board members of Bread of Life, local politicians and government workers were on hand to enjoy great food, drinks, karaoke and a fun night out while contributing to raffles to support Bread of Life.

As part of the evening, three cash prizes in the amount of $1,200, $450, and $180 were raffled off from more than 600 entries and the winners were Jacob Lukas, Walter Zajac, and William Buckley. Additionally, over $200 was raised from a raffle of gift certificates and event passes for Showcase Cinemas, New England Aquarium, Salon DeCottage, Malden, Town Line Ten Pin, Malden, Omni Theatre, Museum of Science, Avellino's Restaurant, Malden, and Kappy's, Malden. Also, the Dockside Restaurant graciously donated 10 percent of sales from the evening's event.

The Bread of Life is grateful to Jack Urbaczewski, owner of the Dockside Restaurant, and his staff, in particular, Debbie Murphy, for their hospitality. The Bread of Life also thanks Ward 1 City Councilor Gary Christenson for coordinating the event, state Rep. Chris Fallon for his substantial financial support, and of course, the many people who participated.

For information or to continue donating to the Bread of Life cause, please call Gabriella Snyder at 781-397-0404 or visit www.thebreadoflifeonline.org.

Gary J. Christenson (BS, MPA '93, JD '03) passed the Massachusetts bar exam in July 2005 and was scheduled to be sworn in this spring. He was also re-elected to a second-term on the Malden City Council this past November, racking up 92 percent of the vote. And, defying the notion that you can't go home again, he recently moved into a condominium in his former elementary school. "I actually live right above the former principal's office!"

That the Ward One Mother's Day Breakfast will be held on Sunday, May 14 from 9-11 am at the Malden Eagles Hall, 75 Meridian Street, where all mothers and children under 4 are admitted free and that all proceeds go to the Kapotas Family of 2 Loring Place, a Ward One family that lost everything in an April 21st fire.

That anyone who would like to make a donation to the Kapotas Fire Relief Fund, 21 Oxford Street, Malden, may do so and for any questions, contact Ward One City Councillor Gary Christenson.

That a Ward One Scholarship in the amount of $500 has been established by Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson and graduating Malden High School seniors who reside in Ward One and are planning on going on to higher education are eligible to apply and those interested may contact the Malden High School Guidance Department or Councilor Christenson for further information.

Come July 1 people will want to become extra cautious when it comes to taking the grocery store's shopping carts off premises. That's when a new ordinance goes into effect that will put a fine in place for anyone caught doing so.

Pending Mayor Richard Howard's approval, the new ordinance was supported by councilors in a 10-1 vote and will require local markets to corral carts or lose their property. As part of an amendment to the ordinance, those caught taking carts off of store property will face a $50 fine.

The ordinance comes in response to rising concern over abandoned shopping carts in Malden.

"The system that we have now of relying on these retail stores [to keep track of their carts] is just not working," said City Council President Michael Sheehan at an April 25 meeting.

At that meeting, councilors capped a series of sessions devoted the issue of unwieldy shopping carts by once again offering personal examples of how ill-disposed carts have served to sour Malden's neighborhoods.

Sheehan reported he was able to spot more than 40 abandoned shopping carts in a short matter of time last weekend and Ward 7 Councilor Chris Simonelli recounted a story where a funeral procession came upon a shopping cart that had been turned over on a hydrant and abandoned.

"We're doing all these things to beautify the city and then you see this," Simonelli said.

However, the long-awaited discussion did not go without controversy as Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson held on strong to his stance that the ordinance would affect seniors and other people who may have no other means of transporting their groceries.

"I feel for those people who are in need and count on being able to use these carts to survive," Christenson said.

As the sole dissenter, Christenson argued any vote should wait until councilors develop a plan to provide elderly and other in need residents with a way to transport their groceries.

Christenson said it has been proposed in past meetings that the Housing Authority purchase folding push-carts that would be available at no charge. Last night, Sheehan and Councilor-at-Large Craig Spadafora both pledged they would purchase push-carts out of their own pockets, a promise Christenson said he hoped would be remembered.

"Now that this ordinance has passed, however, I really hope that push-cart idea doesn't fall by the wayside," Christenson said. "Believe me, no one wants to beautify the city more than me, I just feel for those in need."

Christenson also argued that the ordinance was unnecessary given that local markets Stop & Shop, Super 88 and Walgreens all paid a collection agency to corral their last carts.

"I just think that if Stop & Shop and others were completely unwilling to work with us that it would be a different story," Christenson said, adding that he has always enjoyed a quick response when he phoned the retrieval service and informed them of a stray cart.

At other times, Christenson said a quick call to the Department of Public Works also did the job just as well.

But councilors said they were not enthused about asking already over-extended DPW workers to abandon other duties to dispose of shopping carts. Under the new ordinance, Malden's trash collection agency will collect the carts at no additional charge.

In addition to Christenson's failed motions, amendments put forth by Councilor-at-Large Martin Gately and Ward 6 Councilor Eileen Fay also met with defeat. Gately suggested that since city ordinances allow store owners to retrieve their property within 24 hours that stores should receive a warning before carts are confiscated.

"I see no problem in giving them 24 hours to pick up something that was stolen from them," Gately said.

Similarly, Fay asked that councilors OK an amendment that would allow people caught with shopping carts to receive a first-time warning before slapping them with a $50 fine. Fay said many people taking the carts off the property do not speak English and may have to be educated about the ordinance.

In the end both amendments failed as Sheehan urged other councilors not to alter an ordinance that had been carefully worked on in committee for some time.

After the meeting, Sheehan said he was confident that the ordinance would pass muster with the mayor and be on the books come July 1.

"I really can't see any reason why the mayor wouldn't support this," he said. "Just this morning, I saw an abandoned cart on the corner by his house."

As April vacation wound down last week and many residents capped a week of spring cleaning, Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson and a handful of volunteers took it the streets and pitched in to beautify the Ferryway School field.

"We know that this isn't going to take care of all of our problems," Christenson said of his group's efforts to clean up the field in advance the start of the girls' softball season. "It will probably stay this way for about two weeks. But we hope that when people who come to this park see how clean it is, they'll want to keep it that way. Hopefully, the next time a parent or somebody at these games has trash, they'll be looking for a trash receptacle. "

Christenson said he has organized group cleanups on a regular basis since he first took office in 2004 and although his group hasn't been able to pull off a wide-scale cleanup of the city, the group's efforts are making a difference.

"It's an issue that I've always felt very strong about, certainly since I first took office," Christenson said. "It's about promoting pride in the neighborhood. If you have that pride for your neighborhood then your neighborhood will be a better place for it."

Although Christenson said numbers for his volunteer group can run the gamut, the councilor said he usually receives a good response from people in his ward when he advertises for help via an e-mail to his constituents. While Christenson said he was enthused to see a decent number turn out for his latest cleanup, he couldn't help but hope to increase that number as he eyes even bigger projects for the summer.

"No pun intended, but this cleanup was really just a warm up for what we're going to be doing," Christenson said.

Christenson has already to put out the call for volunteers to join his group in a cleanup of Bell Rock Memorial Park in advance of the Ward 1 Mother's Day breakfast, which will be held the following day. That cleanup is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 13 at 8 a.m.

"What we're going to do, which is what we always do, is clean up that area prior to the event," Christenson said. "Other times, we try to schedule cleanups like these every two weeks or so."

Although Christenson said his call is going out for Ward 1 volunteers, he added he would gladly accept a pair of helping hands no matter which of the city they hail from. Christenson said interested residents can be added to his e-mail list by contacting him at ward1info@yahoo.com or by phone at 781-389-3148.

"I've looked for volunteers in my ward, but I wouldn't turn anybody away," Christenson said. "Hopefully, the people will see our work and keeping the city clean is something that will become embedded in their heads."

Two items passed by the City Council recently might otherwise go overlooked, but they are important to the quality of life of Malden residents.

The first, spearheaded by Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson, was the change to the city's snow and ice removal ordinance to require all residents to clear the sidewalks in front of their property. It was previously only required for businesses and residences with four or more units.

This is a good, common sense law that should have been on the books a long time ago. But, actually, it shouldn't have to be there. We hate shoveling as much as the next person, but shoveling the sidewalk in front of one's house seems as logical as clearing the driveway or the parking space; or cutting the grass and trimming the hedges. It is actually a sad day that the City Council had to go so far as to dictate that sidewalks be cleared of snow.

Of course we are sympathetic to people who, because of physical inability, cannot clear the snow, but neighbors should be willing to lend a hand. After all, what are neighbors for anyway?

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Malden City Council support ordinance change by Councilor Christenson on snow and ice removal

(Malden Evening News, Wednesday, April 12, 2006)

On Tuesday, April 4, 2006, the City Council voted 10-0 on an ordinance change sponsored by Ward 1 City Councillor Gary Christenson that will require the removal of snow and ice from all properties in the city. Prior to this amendment, the removal of snow and ice only applied to businesses and four-families and above.

Calling this change long overdue, Councilor Christenson stated that this amendment will help address a serious public safety hazard to the residents of our community. In particular, Christenson is hopeful that passage of this ordinance will assist seniors and school children who have been forced to walk in the street due to snow and ice covered sidewalks.

The Ward 1 Councilor noted that residents may also comply by covering abutting sidewalks with sand or salt. The ordinance requires that snow and ice be removed or treated within 24 hours of its accumulation on sidewalks. Violations will result in a fine. Notification of this amended ordinance will be made using Reverse 911, newspapers, city's website, MATV, and the city's winter parking regulation flyer.

Christenson is grateful for the support of Mayor Richard C. Howard, the entire City Council, including Ordinance Committee Chairman and Ward 4 City Councillor Jeffrey Donahue, City Clerk Karen Anderson who was instrumental in drafting the legislation, and city residents, notably Pat Weinthal who was severely injured when she slipped on ice during the most recent winter.

There is the old saying about one man's trash being another man's treasure, but one incident caused trash to be one man's big problem and the city is hoping to make a slight, but important, change the rules on household disposal.

Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson proposed a change to the trash regulations after a father in his ward became very upset with the man's pre-teen son found a box of adult magazines on the sidewalk waiting for the trash collector to come by. They were, as Christenson said, out in plain sight.

"I thought I'd seen it all, but this one came up last summer, and a couple of students were on their way home and lo and behold right in front of them were these pornographic magazines," Christenson said. He didn't say who the father and son were, but did say the father was pretty upset about it.

Ultimately, the Department of Public Works picked up the magazines and discarded them, said DPW Director Jeff Manship.

Since then, Christenson has worked on the city's trash ordinance to put in place a regulation that aims to keep it from happening again. His proposed change is to require that all trash be covered somehow, either in bags or barrels. That doesn't mean the discarded couch needs to be under a tarp, but anything that can fit into a bag or barrel should be in one, Christenson said.

"It probably helps us kill two birds with one stone because we are always trying to get people to keep their trash covered," he said.

Anytime loose trash is left uncovered, especially something light like magazines, it can blow around the neighborhood and become litter.

Manship said he welcomes the ordinance, which would be in addition to the regulation that all residences with three to six units must use barrels instead of bags.

"It will help us and the trash collector," he said.

The DPW routinely receives calls about trash issues. Either scavenging animals have ravaged bags and trash started blowing around, someone put out too many bags and some were left behind after pickup or any number of other reasons.

Any time the DPW gets a call about trash, someone from the department will drive by to see the problem and decide what to do next. Sometimes the DPW will collect the trash and dispose of it on its own, and sometimes the disposal results in a follow up visit from the city's Compliance Department, which can issue fines.

In fact, the Compliance Department also responded to the home where the magazines were discarded to investigate, said City Clerk Karen Anderson, who is working with Christenson on the proposed ordinance change. The key is finding a regulation that doesn't just limit itself to adult sexual material.

"It's interesting because we've have had discussions about this. It was in a cardboard box, but it was open to the public. There's tons of stuff that's offensive that has nothing to do with sex. So, we stayed away from the word pornography," Anderson said.

The City Council's Ordinance Committee approved the proposed change on Tuesday and sent it the full council for approval. Once the change goes into effect, it will give city officials more leverage in dealing with people who leave trash of any kind uncovered.

Councilors to be notified of major fires

City Councilors will soon begin receiving special notifications of major fires that occur within their wards.

Fire Commissioner Thomas Denehy said councilors' phone numbers will soon be added to the list of emergency numbers fire personnel are directed to call during emergency fires.

The move was forwarded by Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson, who said he was not alerted of a recent serious fire in his ward until nearly a week later. Christenson said he and other councilors could help families who may face potential displacement from their homes by dipping into relief funds.

Fire officials said although the Red Cross is automatically notified of major fires and that dispatchers already have numerous calls to make during major fires that councilors could be notified within 24 hours of a major fire in their ward.

Councilors to discuss notification system for major fires

City Councilors will meet with fire officials next week to discuss the possibility of devising a system to notify councilors of major fires in their ward. Proposed by Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson the system would allow councilors to notify property owners of fires as well as coordinate possible evacuation efforts.

To the editor:

I would like to thank our public safety officials who recently fought two serious fires in Ward 1. In particular, I want to thank the Malden Fire Department. Acting Fire Chief Michael Murphy, deputy fire chiefs Kevin Finn, Tom Walsh, Jack Colangeli and Bill Sullivan did a commendable job leading the department in battling these difficult fires and keeping the public informed on their progress. Of course, their success was a direct result of the firefighters who served with them on those frigid mornings and whose effort resulted in no serious injuries. Ward 1 and the entire city of Malden is grateful. Again, thank you for all that you do and keep up the great work.

Gary Christenson
Ward 1 City Councillor
Malden

City councilors will meet in full, formal session tonight beginning at 7 p.m. in city hall.

Among the items on tonight's agenda is an ordinance change that would affect the disposal of printed materials.

Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson is pushing for the change after a group of elementary school students stumbled across adult magazines placed in the trash on their way home last summer.

"These kids were coming home and along the way, visible to anyone's eyes, these magazines were right on top of the heap," said the councilor.

Christenson told the Malden Evening News the change he is pushing for would simply require any disposed printed materials be covered, even if it is just with something like a brown paper bag.

"My goal," said Christenson, "is just to have it referred to the ordinance committee for discussion and hopefully get it out to the whole council."

That one of the items discussed at last night's Malden City Council meeting was a call by Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson to strengthen the city's municipal snow and ice removal ordinances, with the matter referred to the Ordinance Committee.

Residency could soon be a requirement for department heads

Councilors approved plans to review a possible policy that could require department heads employed by the city to live in Malden. As proposed by Ward 1 Councilor Gary Christenson and At-Large Councilor Craig Spadafora, the requirement could apply to all department heads, though it was not clear if the rule would extend to both municipal and city workers. Spadafora said any rule would not extend to current department heads.

City Council Finance chair Christenson calls it a 'great start'; Malden Controller Fermano notes local aid assessments up, too

One day after Governor Mitt Romney released his proposed FY07 state budget, the Malden City Council's finance chairman said there is a lot of "potential good news" for the city.

"I think it's a great start," said Chairman and Ward One City Councilor Gary Christenson. "Chapter 70 funding is up $1.8 million over last year."

Chapter 70, or aid to schools, is pegged at $34.29 million, in Romney's budget.

In addition, a proposed uncapping of lottery funds would have Malden receiving $9.878 million. That's a $1.479 million increase over the present fiscal year.

The Massachusetts House and Senate are yet to issue their budget proposals, which traditionally differ from that of the governor.

We're up eight percent (in aid), if these numbers hold," said Councilor Christenson.

City Controller Dom Fermano, speaking Thursday afternoon, said when you factor in the local aid assessments, that nearly eight percent drops to 5.7 percent.

The largest single increase in assessments is the $845,360 jump for charter school tuition to $5.679 million, according to Massachusetts Department of Revenue documents.

"Certainly when the budget talks about increasing Chapter 70 for education and uncapping lottery aid, that's a good thing," said State Rep. Paul Donato, D-Malden, Medford.

Calling it "a good step forward," Donato said legislators will still have to look at the whole picture, and particularly the new Chapter 70 formula the governor has based his figures on.

A former budget analyst for the House Committee on Ways and Means from 1994-1998, Councilor Christenson said he knows it's possible some of what Romney is proposing may not survive the process.

Two areas in particular that may not survive a conference committee are new categories created by the governor. The first ­ a Housing Incentive Program ­ would mean almost $280,000 for the city should it create a basic amount of new housing, while the second would make the city eligible for just over $198,000 in community policing grants.

"I think the lottery aid number has at least a shot (of surviving)," said Christenson.

House leaders are expected to unveil their proposed budget in April, while the Senate has a May target date, according to officials.

New Malden City Council President Michael Sheehan last night announced his choices for committee chairmanships and vice-chairmanships. Ward One Councilor Gary Christenson will serve as chair of the Finance Committee, with outgoing chair Paul Condon (Ward Two) serving as vice-chair.

Council President Sheehan told the Malden Evening News yesterday he placed a special emphasis on budgetary matters this year and believes Christenson can play a key role in that area.

"Because of his extensive background on the school committee and dealing with budgetary issues in his outside job, I think Councilor Christenson will do a good job with the Finance Committee," said Sheehan.

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