Dear Malden Residents,

I want to reiterate my gratitude to my colleagues on how they responded to Hurricane Sandy. I was on the ground to see firsthand the hard work and dedication of our first responders. From our Emergency Management team fielding calls and keeping our community updated to our Department of Public Works staff along with our Police and Fire Departments responding without hesitation to the dangerous conditions, I could not be prouder as Mayor and as a resident of Malden on their efforts.

The only real negative from that day was that there was another shooting near the corner of Henry and Cross Streets. The Police responded quickly and are actively investigating the incident. It appears that the parties involved knew one another although that doesn’t justify the shooting but fortunately there were no life sustaining injuries. There was some good news on the crime front as the Police Department made an arrest of two individuals for an armed robbery near the T station, an arrest of a person notorious for housebreaks, and finally, a person suspected of using a gun on someone near the Elmwood Pharmacy was tracked down to Chelsea and arrested.

While we continue to focus on ways to address crime, we are also continuing to look at ways of addressing the difficult conditions our employees are faced with on a daily basis working in City Hall and the Department of Public Works. Both facilities are in dire need of work and the time has come to develop a plan to address this problem. We are working on a plan that not only makes sense physically but also financially and I hope to update the community prior to the end of 2012 with an update.

Speaking of 2012, it’s that time of the year again. I hope you will get involved with some of the great community activities on the horizon. I have always been impressed with the number of organizations making a difference in our community. From a comedy show to benefit the Malden Public Schools to the 125^th Thanksgiving Day game between Malden and Medford to the Parade of Holiday Traditions on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, there are plenty of things to do in Malden. I hope you will get involved and thank the organizers of these events for their dedication to Malden.

One way to get be aware and get involved is to let your friends and neighbors know to follow us by submitting their email address to us or by following us on Facebook and / or Twitter. Thank you!

 

Sincerely,

GARY CHRISTENSON

Mayor, City of Malden

Malden City Hall Relocation

Dear Malden Residents,

On Tuesday, October 23^rd, I went before the City Council to brief them on my proposed plans to relocate City Hall.  I am thankful to the council for agreeing to my suggestion to issue Requests for Proposals (RFP) to explore responses to where we could relocate City government services.

As many of you know, I have long advocated moving City Hall from its current site. Beyond the fact that it’s difficult to get to and navigate once inside, the capital costs to rehabilitate the building is upwards of $15M and the ongoing operating costs will remain extremely expensive to stay.

If we receive an RFP that meets our needs and the council and I decide to accept them and leave City Hall, we will then begin a separate process seeking proposals for the redevelopment of 200 Pleasant Street. What is important to remember is that this RFP will be based upon resident input gathered from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council grant we received in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

All of these steps are efforts towards achieving our ultimate goal, which is to stimulate economic development and strengthen the downtown businesses.  Situated next to the MBTA's fifth busiest Orange Line stations, I believe the downtown area will be invigorated by the reconnection of Pleasant Street and the removal of the city hall building, giving the nearly 12,000 daily riders who use the Malden Center T Stop much easier access to our restaurants and stores.

I will update you once we get something back concrete. In the meantime, please provide us with any comments or suggestions at info@cityofmalden.org.

Sincerely,

GARY CHRISTENSON

Mayor, City of Malden

Malden Moves Forward

Crime continues to be the focus here at City Hall. 

I want to thank the Malden Police Department for responding admirably in the wake of the gun violence over the summer. Since the most recent incident on Eastern Avenue, the Police Department has held four random sweeps with outside law enforcement agencies across the city involving K-9 dogs and police motorcycles. I believe their strategy is working based on the positive feedback from the City Council and residents throughout Malden. There are more planned in the coming weeks and months. 

In the meantime, we continue to work with Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone on tracking the young adults that have been the root of the recent incidents. We are also looking at partnering with an organization to provide high-risk intervention services in an attempt to get some of these troubled young adults back on track to be contributing members of society.

Despite the challenging times, Malden is moving forward. I continue to be amazed by the upgrades made to Macdonald Stadium. This facility will benefit the entire community for generations to follow. Window Arts Malden had their annual reception last night and I am thrilled and honored with the number of Malden artists who are excited about contributing to our City! I also attended the renovated Town Line Luxury Lanes where the Decotis family invested over $1M in their business and one of their first scheduled events is to help raise funds for our student athletes.

The Malden Public Schools MCAS scores were recently released and there were three “Level 1” schools which is the highest score a school can receive and the other schools were not far behind. Speaking of our schools, I was very impressed with our high school students who fundraised over $2,800 for the Bread of Life at last weekend’s Annual Walk/Run for this organization that serves residents in need of assistance.

Again, there is no doubt we have a lot of work to do in the area of crime prevention.  The acts of kindness mentioned above are steps in the right direction to making Malden a safer and better place to live. I thank the folks who are getting involved and I thank you for reading these community newsletters.
I truly believe that by working together, we will reach the potential that this city has to offer.


Sincerely,
 
GARY CHRISTENSON
Mayor of Malden

After the Shooting off Warren Avenue

What seemed to begin as a typical Monday with a full schedule of meetings set for the morning with more in the afternoon changed with one phone call. During my second meeting of the day, an urgent note was delivered to me that a shooting had occurred in broad daylight on a main thoroughfare near a very busy restaurant.

As always, my first instinct was to call the Police Department to get the details of the incident and to make sure they had all the resources of the government they needed to investigate the incident and to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.

 

Next I contacted School Superintendent David DeRuosi to ensure our schools were appropriately locked down until the Police Department gave the all-clear for students to be outside for lunch and recess. Superintendent DeRuosi handled the situation with the utmost diligence as did our school Principals and staff.

 

My office has been working judiciously with Police officials to release information to the community as it happens. To this end, my office issued an immediate statement to the City Council and local press and posted it to the City website and social media applications Facebook and Twitter.  Thanks to a superb effort of the Malden Police Department, a suspect was apprehended within minutes of the shooting. Upon the arrest, I conferred with members of the press to further assure residents and businesses that we will continue to work on ways to make Malden a safer community.

 

During a 2 ½ hour Executive Session meeting with the City Council last Tuesday night  we discussed new initiatives to provide more of a police presence around the City. The Council voted to add additional police officers to our ranks and I am truly grateful and appreciative of their unanimous support.

Next, I met with Chief Holland and the Executive Boards of both police unions on Wednesday night to discuss further initiatives to address the recent shootings. And last Friday night there was a coordinated K-9 Sweep across Malden involving a multitude of law enforcement agencies, including K-9 units from Everett, Chelsea, Medford, Revere, Saugus, Somerville and Winchester. Valuable support was also provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, Essex Sherriff’s Office and the Metro North Gang Task Force.

More K-9 Sweeps of Malden are planned in an effort to send a strong message that we will not tolerate violence in our community. We are also looking to work with Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone to create a model that would track the young adults that are at the root of the problem in Malden and pair them up with an organization that provides high-risk intervention services.

Thank you for hanging in there with us and please continue to let Police officials know at 781-322-1212 if you notice any suspicious activity. Together we will work to build a safer Malden.

7 New Public Safety Initiatives

Dear Malden Residents,

The recent unrelated acts of violence serve to remind us that the issue of public safety needs our constant attention. I want to thank the Malden Police Department and other law enforcement agencies for working diligently to solve the recent crimes that have negatively impacted our city. I also want to re-assure you that the safety of our residents and businesses is a priority for me. From meeting weekly with Police Department officials to holding eight public safety awareness meetings around the city, I am working closely with the City Council to make sure that our community is safe. This week I announced a series of initiatives that will further assist our law enforcement officials to help prevent crime and improve public safety. They are as follows:

1.    Hire additional Police Officers – I remain committed to increasing the number of police officers. Currently, we have 74 Patrol Officers and we are in the process of hiring 4 additional officers which will bring us to 78. Tonight, I propose adding 3 more that will result in a total of 81 police officers. The funding will come from citywide positions in the budget that have yet to be filled.

 

2.    Assign more Officers to the Anti-Crime Unit – This Unit was formed in 2010 and has been tasked with working in the Malden Center Train Station area and surrounding neighborhoods primarily during the evening hours. Currently, there are 3 officers assigned to this Unit. I propose the use of overtime funding to assign 2 additional officers to this group resulting in a 5-member Unit.

 

3.    Continue surveillance camera expansion – Surveillance Cameras are an effective technique to detect and deter criminal activity. The cameras provide another means for Police Officers to have a visible presence in certain areas of the City. We presently have 18 cameras around the city. I want to expand this number by adding 12 more which will give us a total of 30 surveillance cameras. The cost of the High Definition cameras which can pan, tilt, and zoom is estimated at $5,000 per unit. I propose that the total purchase price of $60,000 be funded through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that I will forward to the City Council in September-October.

 

4.    Purchase additional License Plate Readers – License Plate Readers can rapidly identify and process thousands of license plates compared to manual checks that might only be in the hundreds. Presently, we have 5 stationary readers and 3 in our police cruisers. I want to purchase an additional 2 stationary readers and one more to be installed in our police cruisers. The cost per unit is estimated at $20,000. I propose that the total cost of $60,000 be funded through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that I will forward to the City Council in September-October.

 

5.    Purchase more unmarked cars – Unmarked vehicles allow police officers the considerable advantage of patrolling areas and carrying out surveillance efforts while not being seen. I want to purchase 2 additional vehicles. The cost per vehicle is estimated at $15,000. I propose that the total cost of $30,000 be funded through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that I will forward to the City Council in September-October.

 

6.    Install a secure, high performance wireless broadband network – This private network owned, operated and managed by the Malden Police Department would significantly enhance both emergency and normal daily public safety operations. Such a network would:

 

·         stabilize and improve the performance of  the current  Police radio system and extend its useful life;

·         expand  high performance  video surveillance into new areas of the City while retaining the existing deployed cameras;

·         provide reliable, HD quality video images that will improve investigation and crime reduction capabilities; and

·         become a platform for importing non-City video feeds from schools, retail centers, and other locations into the 911 center. This would not only assist with investigations, but also improve emergency and incident responses.

 

I propose that the cost for installing and maintaining this network, once it’s finalized, be funded through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that I will forward to the City Council in September-October.

 

7.    Reopen Residential Permit Parking Program – The benefits that such a program offers would assist in promoting public safety by preventing unwanted vehicles on city streets. Permit parking stickers would be free for those already paying excise taxes. What this program would allow us to do is collect taxes from those residents not currently paying their fair share. These new monies would then be dedicated to hiring additional Police Officers. I have asked Councillor Kinnon as the City Council’s Public Safety Chairman to begin holding hearings on this initiative.

 

More importantly than any of the initiatives outlined above is the fact that we need your help. Please notify the Police Department if you see or hear about anything that is suspicious. In the meantime, always feel free to contact me with any questions at 781-397-7000, option 6 or mayor@cityofmalden.org. 

Communication and Responsibility: Learning as a summer youth intern

Communication and Responsibility: Learning as a summer youth intern

Guest Blogger: Rumana Papia

Working as an intern at the Superintendent's office has taught me the importance of communication and responsibility. Whether it was communicating with others in the office, with teachers of the schools, or interdepartmentally with Human Resources, the Business Department, and the Mayor’s Office, communication is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy school system and city.

Communication doesn’t just stop at the end of the school day when the bell rings. Parents and guardians are encouraged to stay engaged in their children’s school life. In one occasion a concerned parent began asking me questions about the High School considering her 13 year old daughter was going to be attending the following month. It was clear to me that education was incredibly important to her. In order to provide parents and children the best possible education experience they can receive, the Superintendent’s Office consults with constituents, keeps teachers’ files maintained, and makes sure each faculty member is properly equipped with appropriate skills so that the students have the opportunity to learn to be active progressives in the modern world. It is often said “children are the future,” but in order to obtain a successful and prosperous future, teachers, parents, and most importantly, students have to work together.

My supervisors, Jo Ann and Marie, taught me important lessons through my first job experience. They work closely with Superintendent David DeRousi, and their motivation has always been and will always be the children. These respectable women taught me that it is okay to ask questions, that it is alright to be curious, they explained to me how each person and each department is responsible for a specific task and that in order to keep Malden and its residents satisfied, one must make sure everyone contributes their part.

I am very thankful to have this job experience, the lessons I learned have given me a new perspective into the school system and will stay with me forever.

Growing from Summer Youth Program

Guest Blogger: Annie Feng

My name is Annie Feng, I came from China when I was 13 years old and shortly after, I went to Malden High School. In the fall I will be a freshman in college attending the University of Massachusetts Boston. 

Through the last five weeks’ working at My Little Best Friends Daycare, I have learned a few important lessons. Patience is the most important asset to have when taking care of kids. I always love kids and playing with them. But to be a babysitter, patience is something I have increasingly gained, along with a close eye for detail. Previous to my job, I knew how to change a diaper from taking care of my sister, but at the ELC I have learned to change more than one child. It was hard for me to become accustomed to, but I gradually learned how to balance multiple tasks and pay careful attention to everything. I have also learned what to do after a child finishes a meal, and to watch the kids carefully to ensure their safety.

Another important concept at work is to teach the children what to do and what not to do in the classroom. It has been difficult adjusting to this, but as the weeks went on, I grew confident and now I feel comfortable teaching the children life lessons. One instance of this was when we took the children to the park to play. We lined up and began walking; on the way to the park I was standing in the back of the line to make sure all the kids were safe and together. One child was looking back and not where he was walking and almost hit a tree, I quickly pulled him out so he would not get hurt. I told him that he needs to pay attention where he walks. Circumstances like this happen frequently when taking care of kids; we have to be very careful. I felt grateful that I was able to help this child stray from danger.

I am very happy to have this opportunity to work at My Little Best Friends and to grow from this experience. And I believe the lessons I learned here will help me in the future no matter what kind of career I would choose.

Walkability of the City of Malden

Dear Malden Residents,

As you may know, Malden was recently ranked as the 74^th most walkable city in Massachusetts.

Working together, I believe we can increase Malden’s walkability ranking. To that end I have appointed long-time Malden resident Sharon Santillo to lead the charge on this issue. I have also recently invited enthusiastic walkers in Malden to join the Committee to make recommendations to me about better signage and improvements to our crosswalks.

Since becoming Mayor, I have walked to City Hall many times and have seen firsthand that improvements must be made, particularly along the Route 60 corridor. My hope is that the Committee will submit their report and recommendations during the next few months so we that may consider potential cost implications as we continue to build our Capital Improvement Program.  I’m confident that Sharon and the Committee will help Malden to become more pedestrian friendly and will increase our city ranking!

If you would like to join Sharon in this important effort, please email Kathleen Manning Hall in my office at kmanninghall@cityofmalden.org or mail a letter of interest to the Mayor’s Office, Attn: Kathleen Manning Hall, 200 Pleasant Street, Room 627, Malden by next Tuesday, August 14^th.

Thank you and I look forward to our work together on this important issue!

Working at the Mayor’s Office as an Intern

Guest Blogger: Robert Desantes

In my first three weeks of experience as an intern at Mayor Christenson’s Office, one lesson has become overwhelmingly clear to me. That is, teamwork is essential not only on the athletic field, but also it makes up the framework of any effective company. Although the Mayor’s Office is not a typical company so to speak, its teamwork can be compared to only that of the New England Patriots. Mayor Christenson exhibits leadership skills throughout the office analogous to those of Tom Brady, and we interns assist our supervisors much like the players on the practice squad aid the stars like Brady and Welker. Furthermore, just as every player on the Patriots contributes to winning a Super Bowl, everyone in the Mayor’s Office plays his or her own role in effectively managing and leading City Hall.

This was evident to me from day one in the office when my supervisor, Mr. Kevin Duffy, assigned me my first project. He was collecting raw data about the businesses located in downtown Malden, Medford, and Melrose in order to create a future presentation to the City Council comparing the three. In order to make this presentation a success, he assigned another intern and I to walk around the square and write down the names and addresses of every firm located in Malden Center. We then took this data and entered it into an Excel Spreadsheet to be used in his presentation. Although this raw data entry seemed tedious, it actually served a larger purpose. Not only did it create lots of face of face interaction between real businesspeople and me, a representative of City Hall, but it also allowed me to significantly contribute to an actual presentation in front of the Malden City Council.

Being an aspiring businessman myself, this project proved to be both interesting and enlightening. As an intern at the Mayor’s Office, I have been presented with the opportunity to begin building my resume before I graduate from high school. Ultimately, in just three short weeks, I am already aware that all my experiences in the Mayor’s Office will enrich all of my future working endeavors, whether they lie in the business field or not.

Summer Youth Jobs Program

I can’t think of a better way to start the new fiscal year than with our Summer Youth Jobs Program. As many of you may know, this program has been a top priority of mine and I am proud to say that as of today, we have 335 teens working for the City, nearly triple the number from last summer!

Additionally, we’ve revamped the hiring process. Applicants are now required to submit a personal statement which includes their strengths and interests and must include letters of recommendation or references. They are also required to attend an orientation to understand the City’s expectations of them. The focus of orientation is to review Job training skills, work ethic, responsibility, professional behavior, and dress code. To help prepare for a successful career, teens are encouraged to advocate for themselves by working with their supervisors to iron out scheduling issues, to turn in timesheets weekly and to take responsibility for their performance.

The results have been great! The young participants are working in various positions in City departments, schools, parks, non-profit organizations and, new this year, private businesses in Malden, Medford, Cambridge and Boston! Kids working in City Hall departments are answering phones, entering data and performing other various clerical duties. Those assisting the DPW and Cemetery are providing landscaping services as well as assisting in cleaning the inside of our public schools. We have students at Malden High providing one-on-one tutoring for students in need of academic help and assisting in PACE programs which help prepare students with various special needs to function to their potential in the community. Others are working in various after school camps and mentor programs.

Malden youth are gaining invaluable experience that will benefit them with support and guidance that will extend beyond their paychecks to develop essential job skills that will enhance their career paths. None of this would have been possible without the support of the City Council and a number of staff and volunteers. Many have worked late into the night to get this restructured program off the ground and I am truly grateful for their help. Finally, I want to thank Malden residents and local businesses for believing in this program.

I look forward to the possibility of expanding the program in an effort to keep kids working during the school year as well. Stay tuned!


Sincerely,
 
GARY CHRISTENSON
Mayor of Malden

Passing My First Budget

We are now open for business! The City Council passed my proposed budget four days before the new fiscal year began on July 1. The budget grew 1 percent outside of the School Department and it contained a lot of restructuring, consolidation, and priorities, including a heavy emphasis on our youth. Best of all, we did not use any of our reserves which today stand at $5.3M. To view the budget, please click here. I would like to thank everyone involved in helping us through the annual budget process in particular City Controller Charles Ranaghan, Human Resources Director Eleanor Cushing, Online Services and Communications Director Ron Cochran, and Human Resources Specialist Melissa Smith.


No sooner than the ink dried on the city budget we held our Annual Independence Day Celebrations around Malden. I made it to every park and I could not be prouder of the Councillors who led the events. There were games, rides, and lots of red, white, and blue. For photos from all the events, click here. The best thing about the 2012 July 4th Celebrations was that I was off the hook from going in the dunk tank! What my newfound freedom did allow me to do is be on scene for a captured red tail boa constrictor that got loose in Malden. To see the story, click here.

On a more serious note, I want to thank the Police and Fire Departments for their great response to serious incidents that occurred within the past week. Police and Fire responded to a shooting that we believe emanated from the business located at 287 Salem Street. As the Police continue to investigate, I have directed the Problem Properties Unit to issue a Cease and Desist order to the business since they did not have the proper permit to operate so they are shut down until further notice. I also want to commend the Fire Department for dousing two house fires within days without injury or loss of life. These two departments continue to make Malden proud!

Now going to try and take a little time in July and August to recharge the batteries in anticipation of what I believe will be a busy fall. We will be submitting a Capital Improvement Plan to the City Council and a plan to address Post Employment Benefits which is a financial issue affecting all cities and towns.


Sincerely,
 
GARY CHRISTENSON
Mayor of Malden

Mayor Christenson Congratulates Malden High School Girls Softball Team

Dear Malden Residents,


It was another banner year for our City’s school athletic teams but none more than the Malden High School Varsity Softball team. Their stunning record of 24-1 included five straight playoff wins and the Eastern Mass Championship.


I could not be prouder of the team as they represented everything we want in our next generation of leaders. These young women worked hard, dedicated themselves, and spent countless hours when they weren't on the field helping out on community projects.


Although they lost the state championship by a score of 1-0 in nine nail-biting innings, there is no doubt that these players have earned the admiration of our entire City and will stand as role models for all those who follow in their footsteps. I also congratulate and applaud Coach John Furlong and Assistant Coach Rosalie Esquivel Jones, and the rest of the staff for their commitment to the team and to the community.


Again, congratulations on an unbelievable season and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year! In the meantime, please click on the following link to view pictures from last week’s State Finals game - http://ow.ly/bLciQ


Sincerely,
 
GARY CHRISTENSON
Mayor of Malden