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