MALDEN — For years, the Asian American population has thrived here But for many community services geared toward this community — translation work or just a permanent home for a local ping pong club — they’ve had to trek to Boston’s Chinatown or even down to Quincy That‘s about to change. The Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition closed last week on a building it plans on turning into the city’s first Asian American community center The $1.3 million deal was finalized with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development After years of trying to secure a location word that the coalition had finally closed on what seems to be a former dental office on Pearl Street spread like wildfire a somewhat spontaneous celebration was quickly thrown together “The goal is to have a place where the Asian American residents of Malden can call home,” said Andrea So In Malden, around 29 percent of the population identifies as Asian the third-highest percentage in the state behind Quincy and Lexington Malden’s Asian American population is a mix of recent immigrants from China leaders of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition called their soon-to-be Pearl Street neighbors and local politicians — who they said have been very supportive throughout the process — and organized a block party that served as an opening ceremony It went off without a hitch before thunderstorms rolled in Saturday evening A spokesperson for Malden Mayor Gary Christenson read a statement on behalf of the mayor: “We not only want to congratulate GMAACC on today’s monumental milestone but also thank them for all they have done and I know will continue to do which is perfectly stated in their motto ‘Bringing Communities Together in Malden.’” cofounder of the coalition and head of the Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy of martial arts which lay on a table underneath oranges and greens at the crowd of several dozen cheerful faces “The whole community can eat it together!” Du said after a dozen people jointly holding a large carving knife sank it into the pig’s crispy back So and Du lit incense and spread rice and salt to ceremonially cleanse the structure’s energy ahead of its upcoming renovation a vinyl sign was taped to the new building to make the transformation almost official before the deed officially transfers on Monday The physical work on the building will be overseen by Lawrence Cheng a Cambridge resident involved with organizations in Chinatown Standing outside the doorway of the Pearl Street building he said he’ll take direction from the coalition but the early vision is for classroom space “Any time I see this kind of community response who helped secure the loan for the building said there weren’t many Asian American folks in the city when she was born in Malden 75 years ago She’s been glad to see the local Asian American community thrive especially with the support of the city government “People need a place where they can feel welcome and create a sense of community,” she said Sean Cotter can be reached at sean.cotter@globe.com. Follow him @cotterreporter. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information The views expressed here are the author's own Come enjoy the fun in Ward 6 for promoting stores in Maplewood Square Saturday, 6:00 pmWoburn, MA MA – MassHousing has announced $1.55 million in CommonWealth Builder funding to support the creation of five affordable condominiums for moderate-income first-time homebuyers at 272 Cross Street in Malden will transform a vacant building into a two-story structure with five energy-efficient condos Two units will be available to buyers earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI) and three to those earning up to 100% of AMI “This project turns a long-vacant property into a beacon of neighborhood stability,” said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay The development is backed by additional funding from East Cambridge Savings Bank Units will range in price from $240,370 to $352,749 and include one- and two-bedroom options The project is part of a broader effort under MassHousing’s Neighborhood Hub initiative to promote affordable homeownership and revitalize underused sites Malden native James D. Johnson returned to his hometown library to debut his Vatican-inspired novel, Gabriel il Profeta, sharing signed copies and meeting with friends and family.Steve_HankinsMalden native and author James D Johnson is welcomed Saturday to the Dunklin County Library Malden branch by friends and family.Photo by Steve Hankins Johnson and Malden resident Mick Shaw share memories Saturday at the Dunklin County Library Malden Branch.Photo by Steve Hankins staffInteresting events continued at the Dunklin County Library Malden branch on Saturday when a Malden native returned to introduce his debut book all of them on hand to welcome him home and to grab a signed copy of his first novel "It's going great," Johnson said of his reception "I'm seeing all kinds of friends and it's just a wonderful day." a Class of 1977 Malden High School grad who lives at League penned Gabriel il Profeta over the course of several years and published the book and an accompanying audiobook in 2023 The novel is the account of a young man raised and educated by Vatican priests who is blessed or cursed with extraordinary spiritual powers and his encounters among an evil religious cult The library hosted the meet and greet and signing from 10 a.m The north-of-Boston nanoroaster and “worker-owned queer cafe” opens inside Idle Hands Craft Ales “No hay revolución sin café,” says Martinez. Translation: “‘No revolution without coffee.’ I’ve heard that said and I cannot disagree.” Sometimes, revolution comes quietly, like the simple fact that Martinez and co-owner Athena Jacobowitz Teatum can physically sit on the job. “It shouldn’t be a revolutionary thing, but it very much is,” says Martinez who has worked a string of food service jobs that felt exploitative a focus on workers’ rights is a key part of the Cafe Reynard ethos Martinez and Jacobowitz Teatum plan to bring on more worker-owners—and non-owner staff too—and build the kind of workplace that doesn’t exploit its employees There are a million different ways that you could loophole your way around cooperative ethics in order to exploit people so we’re going to go with whatever union gives us the time of day.” Workers deserve protection but one primed to serve as an inclusive community gathering space that happens to have coffee-aficionado-worthy roasts “Coffee is a vector to create a social space where people can hang out and feel comfortable and safe being themselves,” says Jacobowitz Teatum “I’ve been dreaming about having a little queer cafe for a long time and our gathering spaces historically have been bars Having a place built around coffee makes it so you can have a wider range of people come in.” and worker-owner Eddy Martinez at Idle Hands The cafe takes its name from Martinez’s alter-ego, Reynard, which is in turn inspired by Reynard the Fox a recurring character in centuries of European literature (Swing by Cafe Reynard and you’ll likely find Martinez wearing a fox mask and Jacobowitz Teatum in a tail and fuzzy ears.) “Reynard is the person who I had to become in order to survive working in food service,” says Martinez and in Reynard I saw a symbol of working-class resistance The trickster always pokes the big egos; they’re always outmatched in terms of raw power “I’m just weird and was excited to be able to wear ears and a tail to work,” jokes Jacobowitz Teatum Behind the fox-inspired getup and big ideals, there’s some serious coffee sourcing and roasting going on. On the menu: a wide selection of small-batch coffees, roasted in-house, served via pour-over, cold brew, French press, and other methods, says Martinez, who’s particularly proud of a direct-trade relationship with a farm in Guatemala “We try to be as ethical and conscientious about our sourcing as we possibly can.” There are some light snacks; think avocado toast But the real plan is to work with other food vendors “especially queer POC and other marginalized groups so there’s a lot more to come on that front With Cafe Reynard’s regular cafe schedule starting this week after a few weeks of limited-schedule trial runs Martinez and Jacobowitz Teatum are figuring out a lot of the details as they go I had basically resigned myself to never working in food service again.” They had just been let go from a cafe job “under mysterious circumstances,” they say my coffee-roasting hobby started taking off and I was selling bags of coffee out of my backpack at poetry nights at the Cantab semi-illegally.” Learning that they’d need to roast on commercial real estate to turn this into a legit business and suddenly I found myself with an LLC and a board of advisors telling me to keep going met with [Idle Hands co-founder] Chris Tkach It started as just a place to roast: Martinez pays a bit of rent and a small percentage of profits to use a supply closet at the brewery says Idle Hands social media and marketing manager Josh Deering since “Idle Hands started out as the smallest brewery in the state and Eddy’s probably the smallest coffee roaster in the state right now.” Martinez wasn’t planning to open a cafe for at least another year but Idle Hands brought up the idea of running one out of the taproom as long as it doesn’t interfere with their business Cafe Reynard worker-owner Athena Jacobowitz Teatum at Idle Hands A collaboration like this feels like a natural evolution for Idle Hands, as the Malden brewery seems to host more pop-ups than nearly any space in Greater Boston. (A peek at the events calendar shows Sim’s BBQ and Bocadillos both popping up multiple times in the coming weeks not to mention other events like cribbage night and a “stitch ‘n’ bitch” craft session.) The pop-ups started sporadically when Idle Hands first moved into its Malden space almost a decade ago It was mostly food trucks out in the parking lot—logistically a bit difficult since there was a separation between the beer and the food things started really taking off when the brewery found vendors who could bring their setup right inside the taproom “When Idle Hands first opened in Everett 13 years ago,” says Deering “all [a taproom] needed was a little draft system You poured people two-ounce samples and hoped they left with a growler now you need to have the full bar setup.’ And now you need to have the full bar setup and food and events and this and that It’s tough in the brewery world these days, says Deering, with lots of closures and mergers “You have to give people a reason to keep coming out with providing the community space; and three with a ton of programming and events and great food trucks and vendors We’re really trying to ingrain this place into the community.” Says Martinez: “We’re following Idle Hands’ lead. We’re collaborating with as many people as possible, creating a third space.” Among those collaborations: the aforementioned pastry chef Kate Holowchik whose Lionheart Confections doughnuts have earned a cult following over the past few years (She’s popped up at Idle Hands herself quite a bit too.) Doughnuts will be available at Cafe Reynard at least twice a week most weeks “We would love to collaborate with anyone who shares our values and commitment to quality “I can’t believe we get to introduce people to Kate’s work A lot of people say that it’s the best doughnut they’ve ever had Martinez wants to stick to the coffee and delegate everything else “We could do everything ourselves and do it mediocre and spread ourselves thin or we could collaborate with people who know what they are doing and are passionate about it,” they say ‘Mutual aid is good for business’: That’s our whole motto.” Cafe Reynard is open inside Idle Hands from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 89 Commercial St., Malden, cafe-reynard.com, idlehandscraftales.com Where to Eat in Greater Boston in April 2025 Our Wildly Comprehensive Guide to Eating and Drinking in Fenway The Ultimate Guide to Massachusetts’ Tastiest Edibles Residents of a housing complex for seniors and people with disabilities in Malden are protesting what they say are unsafe living conditions not limited to insect and rodent infestations Tenants also say they’re fearful of being retaliated against if they complain privately owned and federally funded building at 59 Green St is known as Robinson Cuticura Mill Apartments and has residents ranging from their mid-60s to late 90s Tenants told GBH that property manager Beacon Communities set sticky traps for mice — which they told residents to remove themselves — and sprayed for bugs They said the property management company also sends someone on Wednesdays to look around Several residents said Beacon’s team have told them that rodents are ”all in your head.” They want to see formal fogging and remediation of the issues and for retaliation for their complaints to stop has been living in her apartment for 15 years About a month and ago she started noticing black bugs — and her neighbors have them too I had to go to the [property management] office because they were all in my clothes and in my hair They were everywhere,” she said in a phone call so I had to sleep under a sheet because I didn’t know what they were going to get in my ear or in my mouth or my nose.” A man affiliated with Beacon Communities sprayed some chemicals in her apartment with a bottle has heard scratching and the occasional squeal in the walls for much of this year when she felt a very sharp sensation on her toe but the toe eventually turned black and blue “I even even told them that I had this bite it’s probably all in your mind,'” she recounted of someone at the company Sawyer spends her nights with the lights on and sleeps on a recliner to be higher off the floor but is moving soon due to the rodent issue said in a statement to GBH News that their team “addresses maintenance issues and residents’ concerns Tenants also say they can’t organize or socialize because management has closed off common areas Residents created their association in 2022 those were “commandeered,” and the company avoided discussion of significant widespread concerns Tenant association President Sissy Raney said not everyone is waiting for that meeting “We’ve been trying to get a meeting with a mediator to get across to them because we have people that are literally moving out because they don’t want to live in these conditions at all,” she said “And they’re elderly people — it’s not fair.” Beacon Communities CEO Kovel told GBH News the company has been working to re-establish meetings “We welcome the resumption of meetings with the residents and we are committed to resolving these misunderstandings,” Kovel said in a statement Tenants are also concerned about retaliation They said the company will give out “write-ups” for those who complain was of a tenant who burned herself on an allegedly faulty stove their response was 'learn how to cook,'” he said she went ahead and called for an inspection They retaliated by giving her a notice to quit telling her she had to leave within 30 days So we think that is retaliation for her organizing here.” saying “Beacon Communities works every day to ensure that residents in our properties are stably housed Retaliation for any reason has never been nor would ever be a practice of Beacon’s.” Palacios believes that if a company chooses to work with seniors “We were able to fight back those evictions and we saw more and more tenants get more frustrated with the way things were going,” said Jake Taber Your essential daily newsletter delivering trusted news and can't miss programs from Boston and beyond Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Malden native James D. Johnson returns to debut his Vatican-set thriller, "Gabriel il Profeta," weaving papal secrets and paranormal intrigue, at the Dunklin County Library this Saturday.Steve_HankinsSubmittedMalden native and author James D Johnson returns to Malden for a book signing on Saturday A Malden native and published author returns home on Saturday for a celebratory presentation of his debut work penned a thriller that is both soaked in Papal exploits and drenched in paranormal intrigue is the account of a young man raised and educated by Vatican priests who is blessed or cursed with extraordinary spiritual powers and his encounters among an evil religious cult hierarchy The story was born in Johnson's head during solitary hours "I was sitting in a deer stand," Johnson said "I wasn't seeing anything at all "Nothing was moving," he continued in my head popped Gabriel walking down the halls of the Vatican He wondered what had prompted this meeting with the Pope That's what popped into my head." "I can only guess divine madness," he said with a laugh "And the story just fed on from there "I wondered where this could go," he admitted An autumn holiday trip that found him visiting Missouri's largest city resulted in his family's interest and encouragement "We came up to Saint Louis for Thanksgiving," he said That sounds pretty good!' So I just kept building on to it." The story developed and leapt eventually from Johnson's imagination to his word processor "I didn't even write anything down until about a year later when I finally got a laptop and started putting it on the computer," he explained "I shopped it around to all of the big-name publishers That lasted until a chance Internet search elicited a response from a small publisher "I signed up for a free writer's guide and they called and asked 'How far are you along with your book?'" he noted "They were surprised," he continued "They didn't care to see an example They called me back the following business day and said they wanted to publish the book and make an audiobook out of it." The story of Gabriel il Profeta begins in his youth a secret known only by the highest of Catholic clergy information chased relentlessly by Cardinal Leonetti Gabriel battles it out with the demon "Nazzar" in the Cardinal's chambers within the Vatican and the Pope all take stock of his superior spiritual authority Gabriel il Profeta is published by Fulton Books this new Japanese-Thai fusion restaurant from the Thaiger Den team is another reason to head north of Boston two of the restaurant’s nonalcoholic drinks: Momoiro Sparkle Perched on a Japanese beer crate stool under a faux cherry blossom tree, snacking on khao soi wagyu maki and sipping a fiery wasabi martini, you might forget you’re a few blocks from Malden Center. Is this Thailand? Is this Japan? It’s the best of both at Phat Thaiger, opening April 2 from the team behind last year’s impressive upscale Thai opening Where Thaiger Den is a refined destination for romantic date nights a fusion of Thai cuisine—especially from Isan the northeast—and Japanese izakaya culture: an “izankaya,” as the owners are calling it Gather with friends over DIY Japanese-style hand rolls infused with Thai flavors and luscious cuts of wagyu grilled at the table The lime atop Phat Thaiger’s spicy margarita is on fire and so is the north-of-Boston dining scene Phat Thaiger’s khao soi A5 wagyu maki with hamachi Phat Thaiger’s Secret of Yuki Onna cocktail The Phat Thaiger staff gets the restaurant ready in late March 2025 The team’s flair for dramatic presentations is no surprise if you’ve already been to Thaiger Den where several dishes arrive under smoke-filled cloches Fire is more than a cooking method at Phat Thaiger—it’s an art form and sauces that burn with intense Thai-inspired flavors But don’t expect in-your-face heat throughout the meal: Phat Thaiger aims to balance the “robust zesty flavors of Isan cuisine” with the “precision and artistry of Japanese culinary traditions,” says co-owner Nisachon Thanangthirapong Phat Thaiger’s crispy gobō (burdock root) chips or available with shio (salt) and mentaiko (pollock roe) but adds Thai herbs to the miso broth as a nod to Isan Thai cuisine’s own style of hotpot Phat Thaiger’s son-in-law agedashi tofu with tamarind sauce Phat Thaiger’s “Pretty Hot and Tempting!” (PHAT) cocktail a twist on a spicy margarita with Del Vida mezcal Further proof that Thai and Japanese cuisines can fuse with great results: The beautiful DIY temaki (hand roll) presentation—a gleaming box holding nine fillings and rice to be spooned onto crispy seaweed. The flavors of Isan’s nam tok the spicy and sour “waterfall beef,” are used with lightly torched wagyu beef the Thai inspiration leaves Isan and heads south like in the snow crab prepared in the style of a Southern crab curry Phat Thaiger’s salmon wasarb crudo: raw salmon with the restaurant’s “wasarb,” a bird’s eye chili Phat Thaiger’s som tum tard platter (papaya salad) with Japanese accents such as tamago (sweet egg) and steamed shrimp one of Phat Thaiger’s nonalcoholic options: Phat Thaiger Tea but you’re going to eat some luxurious meat “We really try to pick high-quality products,” says Thanangthirapong In addition to the maki and temaki wagyu dishes and four different cuts await tabletop grilling Best eaten rare—just a few seconds on the grill per side—the wagyu is meant to be dunked in a tangy jaew sauce the food takes a supporting role to the drinks While the food’s certainly no afterthought at Phat Thaiger the drinks do get quite a bit of emphasis—from nonalcoholic concoctions like a thai tea/matcha latte combo to creative cocktails with elaborate backstories Take the Nintendo-referencing “Bowser’s SMASH the menu bids you to “imagine [the King of the Koopas] kicking back after a long day of kidnapping princesses and causing chaos It’s the perfect drink for a villain who knows how to relax in style.” A vodka meanwhile—called “The Secret of Yuki Onna”—is an ode to the Japanese folkloric “Snow Lady” who “roams the winter nights—captivating yet dangerous,” per the menu Layers of floral and citrus flavors are meant to mirror her “ethereal beauty,” while the drink’s cloudiness is “reminiscent of the misty winter fog that surrounds her.” A variety of flavors of chu-hi (shochu highballs) and other highballs round out the offerings accompanied by the Sobacha cocktail with sobacha (buckwheat tea) While the Phat Thaiger team has mostly focused on Thai cuisine (in addition to Thaiger Den this isn’t their first foray into Japanese; they also run Malden’s Zuru Zuru Ramen and Donburi Putting the two cuisines together is “a fusion born from passion,” says Thanangthirapong “inspired by a deep love for two culinary worlds.” The goal “To create a menu that surprises and delights while honoring the authenticity of both cultures.” In less capable hands but here—in a setting that mixes classic Japanese izakaya ambiance with Thai street markets—Phat Thaiger feels like an earnest celebration at the crossroads of two cuisines Two of Phat Thaiger’s nonalcoholic drinks: On the left matcha latte with strawberry puree; on the right Phat Thaiger’s hobayaki (A5 wagyu flat iron served on a hoba leaf) and A5 wagyu teppanyaki setups Phat Thaiger’s “soft opening” is planned for April 2; watch Instagram for scheduling updates. Eventually, lunch and dinner will be served. 166 Eastern Ave., Malden, instagram.com/phat.thaiger.izankaya A version of this story appeared in the print edition of the May 2025 issue with the headline Here’s Where to Eat All Along the Boston Marathon Route Where to Eat in Greater Boston in May 2025 Thanks for visiting BOSTON -- When you've won 19 straight playoff games over four years the victories can all blur together sometimes that Malden Catholic senior guard Matt Gaffney long will remember this one The Lancers have won three straight Division 2 state championships and will get to play for a fourth this weekend most of their postseason conquests have been brutally efficient Oliver Ames can take some solace in that in overtime at UMass-Boston in thrilling semifinal that ultimately was decided by a pair of three throws from Lancers junior Aboubakar Nimaka (team-high 20 points) with 57.7 seconds left in OT OA got off to scalding start from 3-point land and led throughout the game including by 6 at halftime and by 5 entering the fourth quarter The Tigers were up in both the final minute of regulation (54-52) and OT (61-60) "This is probably the toughest playoff game I've played in," said Gaffney the Catholic Conference MVP who added 14 points we're usually up for most of the game and we just either fight teams off or pull through at the end This is really the only game where we were really down for the majority of the game." More: Welcome back: Norwell girls basketball gets redemption on Foxboro, makes D-3 final again and only one of the previous 18 was by single digits -- a 50-48 win over Somerset Berkley in last year's semifinals The Lancers' previous three wins in this year's tournament had been by 37 This is also a program that won its three state finals by scores of 95-40 72-54 and 65-42 and beat up OA in last year's first round Oliver Ames doesn't get to hang a banner in the gym saying that they gave No but amid the tears and the agonizing what-ifs the fourth-seeded Tigers (21-5) could walk out of the Clark Athletic Center with their heads held high More: Garden party on tap: MIAA sets full schedule for state hockey championship games "Words don't even describe how proud I am of that group," said coach Eric MacKinnon "They battled for that game and you look at the 25 games before that and that's who we were "We didn't even talk about the game (in the postgame locker room); we just talked about what they accomplished Senior guard Cole Craffey led the Tigers with 22 points junior Jacob Lok (9) and senior Seun Sorinmade (6) contributed to the almost-upset "That just shows how tough we were," Craffey said of OA's effort I'm just so proud of everyone on this team no matter what happened out there we kept fighting Craffey's return from prep school -- he detoured to Brimmer and May in Newton for his junior year -- accelerated the Tigers' development All these guys on the team made this last year so special for me It means so much to me to be home with all my friends that I grew up with." "He changed our program coming back this year," MacKinnon said "He was MVP of our league (Hockomock Davenport Division) Somebody was in his face all night and he still found ways to make plays OA knocked down seven 3-pointers in the first half -- two each by Lok Sorinmade and Ivanoski and one by Nate Santos off the bench Said MacKinnon: "We're a really good shooting team The Tigers eventually cooled off -- they had three 3-pointers after halftime -- and MC crept back into it forcing OT on an inside basket from Abe Camara (12 points) with 6.9 seconds left in regulation Craffey's driving basket gave OA its final lead with 1:13 left in OT before Nimaka drained a pair of free throws to win it "It shows us that we're vulnerable if we don't defend right," Gaffney said of what lessons MC can learn from this near-death experience but I think it actually will re-center us this week Oliver Ames can take this near-miss and put it on the pile with all its other accomplishments this winter -- a 13-game winning streak an historic victory over Mansfield (snapping a 27-game losing streak in the rivalry) and the knowledge that the Tigers put themselves back on the proverbial map "Oliver Ames had never been (in a state semifinal before) We're probably a rebound away from playing for a state title." Ursuline Academy's Maddy Lubov carries the ball during a game against Malden Catholic on May 2 .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Gage Nutter | gnutter@masslive.comDEDHAM — When Ursuline Academy has the ball in an opponent’s defensive end Maddy Lubov and Katie Maheu are always running escaping their defenders and trying to put points on the board The Bears’ constant off-ball movement and wins on the draw pushed them to a win Alto scored a team-high four goals for Ursuline Kaelen Beardsley scored a team-high three goals for the Lancers Friday’s game was the second time the two teams faced off this season The programs first played each other on Apr The Bears won that first matchup by a goal the Bears executed more consistently on the attack “The biggest difference was the weather,” Ursuline coach Dave Nicholson said “The first time it was 70 degrees and 10 minutes before the game it was a downpour The whole first half the girls were soaked It becomes hard to play your best in that.” Ursuline asserted itself early during Friday’s game with draw controls Lubov plays mostly attack during the club season but took on the important role of taking the draw for the Bears this spring Her draw wins early in the game kick-started Ursuline fast breaks Ursuline was dominating the time of possession battle Lubov used her height to get into the air and bring down balls off the draw and her speed to advance it down field to get transition opportunities “Maddy is a very hard competitor,” Nicholson said about Lubov Ursuline’s strong start carried over to the second quarter Following a goal from the Lancers’ Ella Panacopoulos the Bears responded with three-straight from Alto Luber and Maheu to make it 8-2 at halftime With Bear attackers cutting in front of and around the net in the first half Ursuline forced fouls from Malden Catholic defenders giving Ursuline free position opportunities Most of the team’s goals in the first half came off free positions “We have really strong drivers and cutters,” Luber said This year I feel like we are strong on offense with cuts Everyone is comfortable taking it to net and handling with both hands.” Although Ursuline outplayed the Lancers in the first half much like the first matchup between the two teams Lubov and Meera Raskin scored early in the third quarter to put the Bears ahead by seven The Lancers won more battles on the draw and got to the middle of Ursuline’s defense to generate offense Malden Catholic trailed by only three with two minutes left in the third quarter “I think we just got comfortable,” Luber said “Coach called a timeout and talked about how this happened last time (we played them) The Lancers got the game to within two goals when Rory McConnell scored with nine minutes to go in the game Alto and Lubov pushed Ursuline over the finish line sealing the win and improving its record to 7-2 on the season The Bears qualified for the postseason last spring and earned the No 10 seed in the Division III state tournament before falling to Cape Cod Academy in the Round of 16 the team’s players held a captains practice the players wrote down what they wanted to achieve this season When the upperclassmen on this year’s team were freshmen and sophomores they just wanted to make the state tournament we will go against bigger schools (in the tournament) but we have the talent at the top level,” Nicholson said I’d be thrilled if we go further than the school has ever gone Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices The Raiders and the Lancers will play at 4 p.m at the Tsongas Center in the MIAA Division 2 state final The Raiders are vying for their third state title in program's history and first since 1954 when they won it all Somerset Berkley won its first state title in 1948 Stick here for updates throughout the game Aboubakar Nimaka led the way for the Lancers with 14 points while Matt Gaffney had seven MC struggled to get shots to land throughout the afternoon Lancers three- year streak atop Division 2 comes to a close as they suffer their first loss since they fell 80-74 to Catholic Memorial on Jan The Raiders ran with their trophy to the student section to thank them for they're supporting yelling "you're the best." 6 Raiders pull off the one of the most emphatic upsets of the tournament ending the top-seeded Lancers' three-year reign atop Division 2 with a 21 point win SB are state champions for the first time since 1954 and the third time in program history Colin Mannke hits a wide open layup to cut the gap back to 20 and the Lancers call timeout Both sides are struggling to get shots to drop for the past few possessions but that's much more to the detriment of the Lancers 6:20 left in Fourth Quarter: Somerset Berkley 56 Malden Catholic 33Raiders call the first timeout of the final quarter as the Lancer have outscored them 4-2 Offense slowing a little bit now as SB looks to kill as much clock as possible Huge end to the third quarter as Dom Taylor tips it in at the buzzer off a Colten Pacheco shot outscoring the Lancers 24-11 in the quarter Looks now like there's just eight minutes separating the program from its first title in 71 years Dom Taylor has been on fire with the corner three hitting another to help the Raiders crack the half century mark on the scoreboard Timeout called by the Raiders for a cut on Finn Bjork's arm Bjork has five of his seven points of the game this quarter 4:58 in Third Quarter: Somerset Berkley 40 Malden Catholic 21Brendan McDonald and Finn Bjork are leading the for the Raiders on both ends of the court so far this quarter Bjork has four points while McDonald hit a nice under-the-leg layup The two both go to the line within 30 seconds of each other Matt Gaffney gets on the score sheet via a free throw with 4:58 left in the third quarter Malden Catholic 18After starting a little slow the Raiders heat up and don't look back as they head into the break up 14 Colten Pacheco leads the way so far with 11 points while Dom Taylor has 10 and Brendan McDonald has seven Lancers had a little more luck with getting shot to drop in the last few minutes before the half with Aboubakar Nimaka leading the way with 10 MC will hope Navy commit Matt Gaffney heats up in the second half as the defense works to slow SB Abe Camara is starting to put some points on the boards for the Lancers and just had a nice assist to an Aboubakar Nimaka layup as well Foul called against the Raiders puts the ball back in MC's hands The Lancers are getting offensive rebounds it seems everything the Raiders are putting up is going down Colten Pacheco had a nice breakaway layup to continue SB's strong first half 5:06 left in Second Quarter: Somerset Berkley 27 Malden Catholic 10Taylor hits a second-straight 3-pointer to increase the Raider lead to 17 as the Lancers call time out Dom Taylor hits a wide open through for the Raiders giving his team their biggest lead of the game so far Raiders started off the quarter hitting six of their first 14 shots then heated up to hit six of their last nine Brendan McDonald led the way in the later part of the quarter with seven points The Lancers have struggled to get shots to fall in the first quarter 3:20 left in First Quarter: Somerset Berkley 10 Malden Catholic 4Brendan McDonald hits a perfectly shot 3-pointer from the top of the key as the SB faithful erupt Dom Taylor (F); Max Finlaw (F); Finn Bjork (C); Brendan McDonald (G); Colten Pacheco (G) Abie Camara (F); Ben Howard (C); Matt Gaffney (G); Mamadou Camara (G) More: From coaching staff down to players, Somerset Berkley's chase at history a team effort Following a 19-1 record in the regular season the South Coast Conference Blue champion Raiders won their first three playoff games against No SBR pulled out a second half come-from-behind win over No 7 Masconomet Regional in the state semifinals Malden Catholic's Matt Gaffney and Mamadou Camara played in last season's Final game against Raiders The Lancers ended the regular season with a 18-1 mark 9 Doherty Memorial (4-1) and fourth-seed Oliver Ames in the state semifinal Tsongas takeover: MIAA high school boys and girls basketball state championship schedule The Lancers and Raiders went head-to-head in last season's Final Four contest Malden Catholic came away with a two-point victory and went on to win their third straight state title This is the Lancers four consective trip to the state championship game SBR is making its third trip to the state title game and first one since 1954 The Raiders won the championship that season and won their first state championship in school history in 1948 Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com Thanks for visiting LOWELL — The No. 6 Somerset Berkley boys basketball team had not won a state championship in 71 years the Raiders were not going to denied against No "It feels great right now," a jubliant SBR senior co-captain Alex Crook said after the Raiders knocked off three-time state champion No That's all we've been talking about all year It was the third championship title in school history for SBR and first true basketball state championship for the school on 625 County St championships — 1948 and 1954 — in Tech tournaments at Boston Garden "The kids came to play today," longtime SBR head coach Bob Slater said It's important for people to know how much time these kids put into it Junior Dom Taylor led the way for the Raiders (24-1) with a game-high 17 points Junior guard Colten Pacheco finished with 14 points and senior guard Brendan McDonald ended with 12 points Senior center Finn Bjork also had a double-double with 11 points and 17 rebounds FOLLOW LIVE: Updates from Somerset Berkley, Malden Catholic boys basketball state final Seventy-one years and this group of guys did it." Aboubaker Nimaka paced the Lancers with a team-high 14 points Malden Catholic top scorer Matt Gaffney was held to just 7 points and did not score his first point until 4:55 of the third quarter SBR missed its first five shots but then knocked down its next four. McDonald led the way with seven points in the quarter as the Raiders took a 14-6 lead. In the second quarter, SBR continued to blitz the Lancers and opened up a 27-10 lead with 5:06 left before halftime. Malden Catholic outscored the Raiders down the stretch, 8-4, to go into the locker room trailing, 32-18. Max Finlaw scored all of his nine points in the first half. Crook, although he did not hit the scoring sheet, did all the little things for SBR when he went into the game early in the second quarter due to Bjork collecting his second foul. Crook sustained a bloody nose, but thanks to the work of Raiders athletic trainer Susan Medeiros, he was quickly back on the floor the following series. He finished with a pair of critical steals. "Alex (Crook) is such a tough kid," Slater said. "He plays the game right. He brings us a lot of energy when he's on the court. We talk about energy all the time and he does a great job with that. He brings us a lot of energy." SBR continued its dominance in the third quarter and won the quarter easily, 24-11 to go up 54-29 with eight minutes remaining in the game. Bjork, who was in foul trouble, scored seven points along with Taylor to go up by 25 points. Taylor hit an acrobatic, follow through on a Pacheco fast break miss at the buzzer to make the score, 54-29. Pacheco, who scored just four points in the first half, added 10 points in the second half. As the minutes and seconds counted down in the fourth quarter, the Raiders fan base and bench began celebrating. They have done the impossible, avenging last season's game against Malden Catholic in the Final Four. Now the town of Somerset can celebrate its heroes. Somerset Berkley 65, Malden Catholic 44Somerset Berkley   14 18 22 11 — 65 Somerset Berkley (65): Colten Pacheco 6 0-0 14; Dom Taylor 7 0-0 17; Finn Bjork 5 1-2 11; Max Finlaw 3 1-1 9; Brendan McDonald 5 1-2 12; Alex Crook 0 0-0 0; Jacob Louro 0 0-0 0; Zachary King 0 0-0 0; Kaven DosSantos 1 0-0 2; Kelan Langlois 0 0-0 0; Brady Carpenter 0 0-0 0. Three-pointers: Taylor (3), Pacheco (2), Finlaw (2), McDonald. Malden Catholic (44): Matt Gaffney 2 3-4 7; Aboubakar Nimaka 7 0-0 14; Abie Camara 3 0-0 6; Ben Howard 1 2-2 4; Mamadou Camara 3 0-1 6; Colin Mannke 2 0-0 5; Adrian Howell 0 0-0 0; Carducci Chery 0 0-0 0; Jeremiah Figaro 1 0-0 2. Three-pointers: Mannke. Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports Windsor’s Earth Day celebration Sunday was as much about education as it was celebration as crowds filled Malden Park just days after the official observance earlier last week “It’s a day that we try to get the community to think about the earth and to not just make it one day a year but make it every day,” said Heather Taylor waste diversion coordinator with the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience “We’re looking forward to letting people have fun and hopefully everybody walks away with learning something new that they didn’t know before Whether it’s about endangered species or reminding people not  to pour fat Earth Day is now celebrated in over 192 countries worldwide local celebrations have been held since 1989 Hundreds of people showed up throughout the day at Malden Park where visitors engaged in games of Environmental Jeopardy perused native plants for sale from the many on-site vendors and discovered the various green initiatives underway in Windsor-Essex The free event offered environmental exhibits it is a reminder of our commitment to building a sustainable and thriving community for future generations,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens “I am proud of the ongoing work the City of Windsor has accomplished to examine and implement cleaner we can continue to work to protect our environment and make a positive impact on our planet.” transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMALDEN has announced the ribbon cutting and grand re-opening of their newly remodeled store in Malden the ceremony will be held at the store located at 1003 North Douglass The 25,000-square foot Harps store will offer residents of Malden and the surrounding community a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and poultry; delicious Martha Harp Golden Fresh Fried Chicken and signature bakery products such as their Martha Harp Rolls and Donuts Harps is a 100% employee-owned company that operates 148 stores in six states Thanks for visiting and a tom yum-inspired cocktail from the team behind Crying Thaiger Ancient Thai recipes meet modern techniques at Malden’s newest dining destination from the team behind nearby Crying Thaiger Although the new spot is the younger sibling it feels all grown up—refined and elegant where seven-year-old Crying Thaiger is “rustic” and “humble.” It’s akin to a tiger cub growing into “a noble creature,” as owners Nisachon Thanangthirapong and Usanus Siritararatn put it “We have refined our craft to create sophisticated artfully presented dishes,” they wrote in a statement announcing the restaurant’s opening Malden’s newest arrival offers a time-traveling region-hopping tale of Thai history and culture told dramatically by way of smoke-filled cloches raw A5 wagyu to be grilled on a lava stone and an animal-print-clad staff who lean into the tiger theme “We aim to present you with ancient recipes that they don’t do at other Thai restaurants in the United States,” says Thanangthirapong who serves as the restaurant’s general manager “We use modern techniques to infuse flavor and enhance the taste of the food,” from smoke guns to sous vide Ma-hor (“galloping horses”) at Thaiger Den—balls of turnip and toasted peanut atop pineapple Whimsical Thaiger shrimp in a spicy lime dressing at Thaiger Den Bengal Thaiger satay at Thaiger Den—seasoned minced chicken grilled on a lemongrass stalk for example: Cooked via sous vide for 18 hours for maximum tenderness and brought to the table under a smoke-filled covering alongside a roasted tomato relish (a twist on the more traditional eggplant) and the restaurant’s signature spicy jaew sauce its preparation brings it to new heights—and might tempt even the most offal-averse Roasted spinach curry with flat iron steak at Thaiger Den a dish from Phuket originally inspired by Hokkien cuisine of China’s Fujian province History buffs will appreciate dishes like the crowned watermelon bites, pla haeng tang mo, which dates back to the 14th century and nods to cuisine served to the Thai royal family. There’s also massaman curry, which is over 300 years old it’s ubiquitous at Thai restaurants in the United States but here it takes on an irresistible new form a 200-year-old dish that at first glance looks like fried rice but it’s glazed with tangy jaew sauce when warm (Try it with the juicy Berkshire pork cheek cooked via sous vide and finished on the grill.) Crowned watermelon bites (pla haeng tang mo) with a crispy topping of grilled Jaew glazed rice with Berkshire pork cheek at Thaiger Den Big flaming pots of tom yum and tom kha soups hint that Thaiger Den is a great spot to bring a group and the creative cocktail program seals the deal Classic cocktails are enhanced with Thai flavors from a jasmine tea-infused Old Fashioned to a mai-tai (called Mai-Thaiger naturally) made with the rum-like Thai spirit Mekhong Thaiger Den is serving up a tom yum-inspired cocktail each infused with the appropriate blend of Thai spices Also on the menu: Thailand’s three famous lagers (Singha including a mango sticky rice-inspired drink and cheese-foam-topped Thai tea A flaming pot of jumbo freshwater prawn tom yum (serves three) Mango sticky rice pudding with coconut ice cream at Thaiger Den sipping pandan-infused Vespers and indulging in boat noodle soup with wagyu Thaiger Den is currently open for dinner six nights a week (closed Tuesday) and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Stay tuned for expanded hours, takeout, and delivery. 157 Pleasant St., Malden, 617-488-8645, instagram.com/thaiger_den We Can’t Wait for These Greater Boston Restaurant Openings in 2025 MA-based battery maker Alsym Energy has signed a 60,000 SF lease with real estate developer Berkeley Investments (Berkeley) and its partner to expand its operations to Exchange 200 in Malden The Exchange 200 location will become the company’s official headquarters with operations continuing at Alsym’s existing Woburn facility This expansion represents the largest lease signing to date at the building which is Malden’s largest laboratory development and one of the largest new cleantech lab leases signed in Greater Boston in 2024 The lease further establishes Exchange 200 as one of the region’s key hubs of innovation in the cleantech industry and demonstrates the appeal of the building across a wide spectrum of lab- and R&D-intensive industries even as the market has seen a slowdown in life sciences demand a developer of next-generation non-flammable and affordable non-lithium batteries for stationary storage anticipates using the larger space in Malden to grow its Boston-area team while increasing its production capacity to address increasing demand for customer samples Alsym Energy is affirming the heavy demand for high performance “Expanding our operations to Malden provides us with the space needed to further advance the commercialization of our battery technology,” said Graeme Grant “This represents a significant step in our path to providing the world with safe and affordable batteries that are so desperately needed to succeed in the global energy transition Our new cutting-edge space at Exchange 200 gives us the ability to speed up our pace of innovation increase our capacity to provide samples to both existing and prospective customers And being close to so many transit options – the MBTA highways – and great local restaurants make Malden an ideal location for our employees We are thrilled to be joining the growing Malden tech and business communities.” who has fostered a welcoming business environment for lab stated he is looking forward to Alsym joining the growing ranks of innovative companies who call Malden home “We are thrilled to welcome Alsym Energy to Malden Center and applaud their mission to ensure that the future of energy will be cleaner and more affordable for people not only here in our city but all around the world,” said Christenson “Having a company like Alsym at Exchange 200 not only brings jobs and economic growth to the city but further positions Malden on a global scale as one of the top locations where cleantech and life science leaders are choosing to grow their companies and find talent We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.” Berkeley’s Senior Vice President and Director of Asset Management says innovative companies like Alsym Energy represent the type of tenant that find Exchange 200 and the city of Malden so attractive “The Boston region is a global leader across many transformative industries “Exchange 200 is engaged in leasing discussions with growing companies across these sectors because they’re attracted to the strong employment base and immediate access to rapid transit that Malden provides The same companies also need the ample power and robust infrastructure that Exchange 200 offers in order to conduct their research and to build and test their products during the current period of ‘belt-tightening’ by start-ups and venture capital-backed companies Exchange 200 offers rents at half of the cost of other competitive properties in locations like Somerville and Cambridge.” and Anslee Krouch at JLL represented Berkeley and Singerman in the Alsym Energy lease transaction at Exchange 200 “The most exciting thing about Exchange 200 is that it continues to meet the needs of a wide variety of tenants The building offers spec lab suites so young companies can conserve capital to invest in their teams and R&D And it offers shell space on lower floors that can be built out for more specialized programmatic requirements and to accommodate future tenant growth This flexibility proved to be highly successful to our lease-up strategy with Alsym Energy given they leased the two remaining spec suites as well as additional shell space in the building.” Bill Lynch and Caroline Evans of Colliers represented Alsym Energy in the transaction 2025 at 9:45 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}City Hall disclosed the details of the March event MA — The city announced that Mayor Gary Christenson’s nnual State of the City address will be held on Tuesday City leaders are inviting residents to Anthony’s function hall on 105 Canal St. for an early-morning 8 a.m. start. Residents who wish to attend are being asked to RSVP as soon as possible as seating is limited The event will be recorded and streamed on both the city’s television channel as well as Urban Media Art’s Youtube channel The city advises attendees to arrive between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. MA — The following reports were received by Malden Police between Sunday — A report of harassment on 23 Mount Vernon Park resulting in a misdemeanor charge.11:26 a.m — A report of fraud on 8 Quarry Lane resulting in a felony charge — A report of a past assault on 315 Clifton St resulting in a misdemeanor charge.10:03 a.m — A report of a motor vehicle stop on 14 Dartmouth St resulting in a misdemeanor charge.4:23 p.m — A report of a breaking and entering of a motor vehicle on 8 Bow St — A report of a suspicious package at Malden High School on 77 Salem St.12:02 p.m — A report of vandalism on 388A Eastern Ave resulting in a misdemeanor charge.12:30 p.m — A report of a motor vehicle stop on 800 Eastern Ave resulting in a misdemeanor charge.4:25 p.m — A report of past larceny on 149 Pearl St resulting in a misdemeanor charge.6:49 p.m — A report of an assault at Malden Warming Center on 529 Eastern Ave — A report of suspicious activity at U-Haul on 420 Eastern Ave.1:55 p.m resulting in a misdemeanor charge.5:52 p.m — A report of a welfare check on 438 Pleasant St was arrested on the charge of shoplifting after a report of trespassing at Stop and Shop on 99 Charles St Friday night's Division 4 Round of 16 football playoff game against No 4 Malden Catholic has to rank right up with all of them "Teams that go on the road in the first round are not suppose to win," said Frietas after the Raiders stunned the Lancers We did not have a lot of big plays on offense and we kind of grinded it out "It's something to be proud of along with the kids' work ethics The Raiders (7-2) advanced to the Round of 8 for the second consecutive season and will face No Brendan McDonald scored both touchdowns on fourth-down plays for SBR including the final one with 2:46 remaining in the contest to give the Raiders the lead for good "The last touchdown the kids called it," Freitas said "You love to see your leaders and captains tell the coach we got to go for this SBR received the opening kickoff and took nearly 10 minutes off the clock McDonald sneaked it in on fourth down for the touchdown to give the Raiders the early lead Neither team scored in the second quarter as SBR went into halftime with a 6-0 advantage The Lancers (4-5) finally got on the board with 1:30 left in the third to tie the game at 6-6 On a fourth-and-goal late in the fourth quarter the Raiders held Malden Catholic scoreless on defense the rest of the way we started to play the kind of defense I think we're capable of," said Freitas We were flying around and making hits something I'm really proud of them tonight The kids did a great job running our system." You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @Chezsports According to Belize National Forensic Sciences Executive Director Gian Cho and 26-year-old Wafae El-Arar were killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning While all three were residents of Revere, Mallah graduated from Malden High School in 2019. Read more at ABC 6 Action News This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time Cafe Reynard is described as a transgender-run worker-owned queer cafe that aims to be a community space for everyone and donuts from nearby Lionheart Confections The business is co-owned by Eddy Martinez and Athena Jacobowitz Teatum The pair is attempting to implement their philosophy of treating its employees fairly and not exploiting through laborious or financial means The name of the location originates from Reynard the Fox which Martinez said he related to heavily during his time as a food service employee as Reynard represented working-class resistance Read more at Boston Magazine 2025 at 1:03 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Malden police emphasized their duties will not change in the aftermath of harsher immigration policies (Dakota Antelman/Patch)MALDEN MA — The Malden Police Department issued a statement regarding how it will handle migrant-related situations in the wake of the inauguration of President Donald Trump and his administration The department alluded to the 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Court decision Lunn v The Commonwealth that declared local law enforcement could not detain or arrest people solely based on federal immigration detainer requests It emphasized that it will work to engage with the community to answer any questions or hesitations residents have “Our role as a local police force is to focus on enforcing local and state laws not to act as federal immigration agents,” Police Chief Glenn Cronin said in a statement “I want to assure you that our actions will remain guided by fairness and a commitment to the safety and well-being of everyone in our community.” 2025 at 3:47 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Ed Markey has served as a United States Senator since 2013 Massachusetts) announced he will be hosting a Town Hall in Malden on Saturday Markey’s representatives describe the event's purpose as giving Markey a chance to hear directly from his hometown constituents and their concerns regarding actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration related to topics such as Social Security The Town Hall will be held at Malden High School on 77 Salem St The doors will open an hour before at 1 p.m Malden Catholic has succeeded in many other athletic areas but have struggled recently on the football field Recently they took to their X account for the announcement of two new coordinators who will be on the sidelines this upcoming fall According to Malden Catholics press release their new defensive coordinator Nico Papas has over a decade of experience around football He is a former all-state defensive lineman and played at Columbia University as a four year starter Papas was most recently the defensive coordinator at Roxbury Latin He also has had a hand in recruiting at the New England Elite and West Coast Football Clinics They also welcomed their new offensive coordinator Brett Segala with his most recent experience was in New York where he was the head coach of Cortland High School the team received 11 all-league selections between the 2023 and 2024 seasons Segala's playing experience goes back to his time playing quarterback at SUNY Cortland where he still remains as the programs all-time leader in passing yards according to Malden Catholic's press release Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App TYLER ROURKETyler is a Digital Media and Journalism student at Endicott College expected to graduate with his Bachelor's degree in 2026 He has experience covering a variety of sports for multiple newspapers including The Salem Times and Gloucester Daily Times He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025 © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.