Guest Blog: What Is It Like to Work in the Mayor's Summer Youth Program

Over the last two summers working in the Mayor’s Office, I have learned about being in the working world -- from watching the Mayor manage our city, to learning how to interact with constituents. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to work for the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, and thankful for all it has taught me.

A main part of my job in this office is answering phone calls and helping those who walk into the Mayor’s Office. Constituent Services Representative Yan Yu taught me so much about being respectful, polite, and incredibly helpful to all who call the Mayor’s Office. These interactions helped me learn more than just the Government Center extension numbers.

Each department is responsible for certain tasks throughout the city, and the main goal is for all to work together to create the best Malden possible. Besides gaining a deep understanding of the departments in our city, I have realized my own communication skills have improved.

I am able to speak with confidence, but also ask questions when I do not know the answer. These skills will absolutely play into my future when I am out of college and on my own.

As a Class of 2013 Alumnus of Malden High School, this fall I will be starting my freshman year at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where I plan on studying Engineering. Many people have asked me why I am working in the Mayor’s Office if I want to enter the math and science field -- however, the two overlap more than most think.

Outstanding people, accounting, and management skills are looked at highly, regardless of the job field. In Engineering, I will not only be able to specialize in my lab work, but will have the resources I need to be a successful leader and manager of that lab, all because of my experience in MYSEP.

From Maldon to Malden

Dear Malden Residents,

One thing I have come to appreciate since becoming Mayor is the great history that is part of our city. From being one of the earliest colonies to declare independence to being the home of Bell Rock Cemetery where Malden’s Revolutionary War heroes rest, Malden claims a very proud history.

This was no more evident than last week when we welcomed the Choir of St. Mary’s from our sister city, Maldon, England. The Choir, led by their esteemed Director Colin Baldy, is highly regarded in both the UK and around the world. In addition to enjoying their musical talents, we were also able to share our culture and historical connection. 

What was even more impressive than having our sister city represented here in our community was the outpouring of support from our residents. St. Paul’s Church Parish has worked for nearly a year to make this week possible and the dedicated volunteers who worked in the planning or in opening up their homes to our guests have made us all proud.

From hosting a welcoming dinner at Anthony’s Restaurant to planning trips to Gloucester and the North End, the Hospitality Committee, as they have become known, treated our visitors with great care. However, I think our guests were most impressed with a trolley ride through Malden which included a tour of the Public Library, Malden High School, and the Davenport Estates. Another highlight was the publication of Malden resident and author Inna Babitskaya’s book written especially for the occasion called “From Maldon to Malden.”

Our community was surely rewarded with the Choir’s outstanding concert on Friday night. The Choir performed a number of songs including those of Benjamin Britten who is considered the greatest composer in the UK. My favorite moment came when I heard 15-year-old William Foster play the organ. He was magnificent and deserving of the standing ovation he received.

As the Choir prepared to leave our city to head back to Maldon, England, I paused and reflected once again on how privileged I was to be Mayor while they were here, but more importantly how fortunate I was to be working alongside such a dedicated group of residents who represented our city well.

To learn more about the Choir, please visit www.stmaryschoir.org.uk and to order a copy of the book From Maldon to Malden, please email Inna Babitskaya at innaab@yahoo.com. 

Working Together is Success

Dear Residents,

As we enter the summer season, it is a time to be outside enjoying activities such as walking, biking, running, and swimming. While you are outdoors, I ask that you also take note of your surroundings and inform us of any issues. From graffiti to debris to nuisance properties, your observations and input are a guaranteed way of improving our community. Left unattended, it is also a certain way that our city will never become what we all envision it can be.

We have made much progress and have worked hard with the City Council to provide myriad ways for you to communicate about what’s going on around you. Monthly E-updates, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are a few of the outlets available to notify us of issues that need to be addressed. Of course, you can always report a concern by just using the good-old fashioned telephone!

One new tool that we currently employ with much success is Commonwealth Connect, a Smartphone App that can be downloaded for free using your Apple, Android, Windows Phone or Blackberry devices. We have resolved hundreds of issues since introducing this request-based system in March. Submitting an issue through your Smartphone may only take seconds, but the positive impact on your neighborhood and city may last for years to come.

Our city will only be as good as what you put into it. By working together, we can achieve success and see results. I am certain that if each one of us takes the time to get involved then the sky will be the limit for Malden.  

Sincerely,

                                                                                 

GARY CHRISTENSON

Mayor, City of Malden

CITY SHOWS PRIDE FOR VETS

Dear Malden Residents:

As I approach my second year in office, the one thing that has become abundantly clear is that Malden cares about Veterans.

From dedicating chairs of honor to Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action in the City Council chamber and the Jenkins Auditorium to the Annual Flag Day Celebration to be held this Friday at Bell Rock Memorial Park to the upcoming rededications of memorials honoring our Korean and Vietnam Veterans and the Tartikoff family from the first World War, the Malden community remains forever grateful to the brave men and women who kept us free.

Malden’s pride and respect for those that served our country was most evident this past weekend when our City hosted The Moving Wall. Not since the dedication of the World War II Memorial at Bell Rock Memorial Park has there been such an outpouring of community spirit. It is estimated that there were nearly 3,000 visitors to Forest Dale Cemetery during the three day event and it was not without a lot of reflection for the 58,000 Patriots whose names adorn the Wall, including 19 from Malden.

This feeling of community gratitude permeates down to the next generation as we are proud of Malden High School graduate Lisa DeLacey who will be attending West Point in the fall. In her heartfelt remarks during the Memorial Day Assembly, she explained how she wants to give back to the country that has given her so much. I am certain that Lisa will continue to make us proud as she prepares for the military academy.

Many of these projects require annual funding and, the one thing the City Council and I always agree on is remembering the sacrifices made by our Veterans. For the second straight year, we will be increasing city funding to our Veterans Services Department by nearly 5 percent.

The backbone of Malden’s ongoing support and dedication to our Veterans’ issues is Kevin Jarvis, Veterans Services Director. Kevin himself fought for his country on more than one occasion and he could have stopped there, but here he is 20 years later working day in and day out to make sure Veterans receive everything they deserve. Thank you, Kevin and thank you to our Veterans for defending our land of the free and home of the brave.

Sincerely,

GARY CHRISTENSON

Mayor, City of Malden 

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE REST OF THE MAYOR'S BLOG ON THE VETERANS AND THE MOVING WALL. 

Boston Marathon Day

Dear Malden Residents,

Like the horrific events of 9/11, I will never forget where I was when I first learned about the explosions at the Boston Marathon. I received a text from Police Chief Kevin Molis asking that I call him regarding some disturbing news coming out of Boston. I couldn’t immediately respond as I was with my niece, nephew, and his friend at the movies. The next text from Kevin indicated what had transpired and I stared in utter disbelief.

My first instincts were the same as Chief Molis’s which was to offer whatever resources we had available to help in the response efforts of the City of Boston. We also increased security in and around the T station especially since the MBTA was shorthanded due to the unfolding events on Boylston Street. We also reached out to Imam Hamid Bourote of our local mosque to let him know that we would have a presence in the downtown where his organization is located. The fear was that some may rush to judgment and conclude that the bombings emanated from the Middle East.

Unfortunately, my hunch was right as a few days later an individual physically assaulted a Malden Middle Eastern woman and her child. I was relieved to learn that neither one was seriously injured, but I was also outraged that this happened in our community which is known for its hospitality of different cultures from around the world. Police Chief Kevin Molis and members of his department responded quickly and are continuing with the investigation to find who was responsible for this heinous act.

There is little doubt that these are trying times for all of us. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all those affected by the senseless tragedy at the Marathon. But I know our community and our sister city Boston like I think I do, I know that we will rise up and overcome the horrendous actions of a few. 

Sincerely,

GARY CHRISTENSON

City of Malden, Mayor

A New Way to Report City Issues!

Dear Malden Residents:

One of our goals in 2013 has come to fruition. On March 21, we introduced a new way for residents and businesses to submit their service requests to the city. Modeling the City of Boston’s successful Citizens Connect Smartphone application, Malden released its own version and even expanded the use of this initiative.

As an example, if a resident sees graffiti on the street they would normally call or email the Department of Public Works. Now, a resident can simply take a picture using their Smartphone and with one click the request is automatically sent to the Department. Once the graffiti is removed, the resident is notified on their Smartphone that the issue has been resolved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUaAwjTs7bY

We are already seeing great results from the program. Since its release, we have had 576 requests to the DPW and 543 were resolved with the balance slated for spring repairs. That equates to 94 percent of all issues being resolved via this new application and most were fixed within 24 hours. For the most part, submissions were for potholes with 278 requests followed by trash / recycling issues at 104.

This new initiative is benefiting the city in more ways than one as departments like the DPW are becoming more efficient. For instance, the DPW Director can now map out issues in the morning utilizing geo-mapping as opposed to crews just responding haphazardly as in the past. We can also see where in the city most of our issues are occurring and plan accordingly.

We want to thank Mayor Thomas Menino and the City of Boston for their leadership on this initiative which has led to Governor Patrick and Lt. Governor Murray offering to fund this application so that communities like ours can take advantage of this technology.

If you haven’t already, please download Commonwealth Connect for free from your Apple or Android device. If you do now own an Apple or Android device, you can submit requests online using our online widget.  All this can be accessed here http://www.cityofmalden.org/Resident-Issue-Reporting/. We look forward to utilizing this innovative application to improve the delivery of services for our residents!

Sincerely,

GARY CHRISTENSON

Mayor, City of Malden