“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
When President John F. Kennedy was elected President, he quickly had Congress approve the establishment of the United States Peace Corps.
Richard J. and Antionette (Tramondozzi) Port were pioneers of the Peace Corps. They were the first couple to go overseas, serving as part of Ghana Group 1, the very first cohort of Peace Corps volunteers to deploy globally in 1961. They served with 48 single men and women as secondary school teachers in Ghana, West Africa for two years from 1961 to 1963. Richard and Ann later serviced in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The United States Peace Corps is a volunteer program established by Executive Order 10924 by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. Its founding director was R. Sargent Shriver. Peace Corps volunteers have traveled to over 139 countries in order to maintain its mission: to help people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
In honor of the 65th anniversary of the Peace Corps (2026), the Malden Public Library and Malden Historical Society have collaborated on an exhibition of over 150 pieces of African art and artifacts collected by Mr. and Mrs. Port during their time in service. The collection includes signed carvings, textiles, household items, musical instruments and art. A highlight of the exhibition is four carved figures by Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, a prominent Nigerian Sculptor. In 2008 Mr. Fakeye was named a UNESCO Living Human Treasure.
The exhibition is open Mondays 6-8 pm and Wednesdays 2-4 pm or by appointment through September 30, 2026. For more information, contact the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218.
Children up to 5th grade are invited to join us on the Malden Public Library front lawn for an afternoon of tie-dye on July 31st, 2026 from 2:30-4pm! Register in advance and make your own unique t-shirt in the summer sun! Materials will be provided by the library. Be prepared to get a little messy and dress accordingly!
This event will be capped at 36 participants, so sign-up ASAP! The rain date for this event will be July 31st.
https://maldenpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/tie-dye-for-kids-4/
Join us for a “Family Movie Night in the Park at Rivers Edge” on Friday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m.. The movie will be on The Park at Rivers Edge Great Lawn adjacent to 200 River’s Edge Drive in Medford. The Great Lawn section of the park will be transformed into an outdoor movie theatre where residents and visitors of all ages are welcome to gather and enjoy a free movie night featuring Despicable Me 4. MPAA Rating PG.
The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Preotle, Lane & Associates and the Malden Public Library. Attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs for use. There will be free snacks and water provided. Wellington Station is just 0.4 miles from Rivers Edge. Free parking is available at the Rivers Edge Garage.
Please join Mayor Gary Christenson and Library Director Dora St. Martin as Malden gets into the spirit of Independence Day with an exciting events at the Malden Public Library, 36 Salem Street on Friday, June 27th.
Taking place from 5 to 6 PM on the Converse Memorial Building – Library Front Lawn, the event will include a chance to see the original Malden’s town records from the Revolutionary war period. Featured will be the May 27, 1776 document entitled “Instructions of the Inhabitants of Malden, Massachusetts to their Representatives in Congress” unanimously voted on by the townspeople of Malden to be delivered to the Second Continental Congress via their representative Ezra Sargeant. In the 1776 communication, the voting citizens of Malden renounce the Colony’s ties to the Kingdom of Great Britain and set forth their wish to become an independent “American” republic. The document is credited as a precursor to the Declaration of Independence written in July of 1776 when the Continental Congress formally declared their independence from England. Attendees will proceed to the front lawn where Local Historian and period actor Tom Coots will perform the Annual Reading of the town “Instructions.”
Join us for a “Movie Night in the Park at Rivers Edge” on Friday, June 13. The movie will be on The Park at Rivers Edge Great Lawn adjacent to 200 River’s Edge Drive in Medford. The Great Lawn section of the park will be transformed into an outdoor movie theatre where residents and visitors of all ages are welcome to gather and enjoy a free movie night featuring Moana 2 (Rated PG). The movie begins at sunset at 8:00 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Preotle, Lane & Associates and the Malden Public Library. Attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs for use. There will be free snacks and water provided. Wellington Station is just 0.4 miles from Rivers Edge. Free parking is available at the Rivers Edge Garage.