Copyright 2008

Main Streets a Tremendous Success Last week, I was honored to present appreciation awards to nearly 40 in-dividuals and businesses from across the City at the Boston Main Streets (BMS) 12th Annual Awards Ceremony, in honor of their contributions to the program over the course of the 2007 calendar year. BMS helps our business districts thrive, and in turn provide jobs for our residents, lower the costs of goods and services, and create cared for and diverse communities. Boston Main Streets has had tremendous success in helping to revitalize our neighborhood commercial districts, and there are many people to thank for all their hard work in helping us make that possible. This event was special because I got to honor the people in the neighborhoods who are making our local commercial districts vibrant and a welcoming place in which to shop and do business. I’m proud of the work they do. Developed out of a partnership between the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, I created the Boston Main Streets initiative in 1995 as the first urban, multi-district Main Streets program in the nation, with the goal of establishing thriving commercial districts throughout the City. Today, Boston Main Streets provides funding and technical assistance to 19 neighborhood-based Main Streets districts throughout the City of Boston and has served as a national model to urban areas seeking to revitalize neighborhood commercial districts including Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Detroit, and New Orleans. During the awards celebration, we lauded the hundreds of Main Streets volunteers who have collectively donated more that 16,000 hours of time to the 19 districts. Every year, each district nominates one volunteer to be honored by the City as “Boston Main Streets Volunteer of the Year.”  The following volunteers were awarded for their 2007 contributions: Anne Fitzpatrick - Allston Village Main Streets  Sharon Keyes - Bowdoin/Geneva Main Streets   Joseph Mulligan III - Brighton Main Streets                   Gilbert Ho - Chinatown Main Streets                Randy Garry - Dudley Square Main Streets      Paul Koch - East Boston Main Streets                          Anne Morton Smith - Egleston Square Main Streets                  Erica Raine - Fields Corner Main Streets                      Reverend Brilton Levy - Four Corners Main Streets                  Jennifer Spencer - Hyde/Jackson Square Main Streets                                      Robert Menapace - Hyde Park Main Streets                            Matthew Kanaracus - JP Centre/South Main Streets                 Joel Samuels - Mission Hill Main Streets                                               Charles McCarthy - Roslindale Village Main Streets                              Christopher Stanley - St. Mark’s Area Main Streets      Michelle Waldon - Upham’s Corner Main Streets                                 Donald Fleming - Washington Gateway Main Streets    Brian Kennedy - West Roxbury Main Streets I also awarded the following local businesses for their 2007 contributions: LAB Boston - Allston Village Main Streets       Irie Jamaican & American Restaurant - Bowdoin/Geneva Main Streets  Prime Realty - Brighton Main Streets                                        East Ocean City Restaurant - Chinatown Main Streets              Haley House - Dudley Square Main Streets                              First Class Beauty Salon - East Boston Main Streets                             Old Stag Tavern - Egleston Square Main Streets                                               HNN Law - Fields Corner Main Streets           Island Style Jamaican Restaurant - Four Corners Main Streets               Cafeteria Tropical - Hyde/Jackson Square Main Streets            Subway of Hyde Park -            Hyde Park Main Streets                                   Prudential Unlimited Realty - JP Centre/South Main Streets                                 Mississippi’s & Blue Water Catering - Mission Hill Main Streets Bangkok Cafe - Roslindale Village Main Streets                                    Mt. Washington Bank -            St. Mark’s Area Main Streets   Restaurant Laura - Upham’s Corner Main Streets                                 Citibank - Washington Gateway Main Streets Corrib Pub & Restaurant - West Roxbury Main Streets Finally, I presented two recipients with a “2007 Special Appreciation Award,” the first of which was given to the Boston Main Streets Foundation (BMSF) Board Chair, Torrance Childs, and the second of which was presented to ONEin3’s program director, Devin Cole, who works to connect Boston’s young adults with resources related to home buying, business development, professional networking, and civic engagement.	Past Columns

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