Mayor Thomas M. Menino, together with Department of Neighborhood Development Director Evelyn Friedman, WPLM Easy 99.1’s “Strictly Sinatra” host Ron Della Chiesa, and the Boston Latin School Wolftones today presented awards at the Boston Main Streets (BMS) 16^th Annual Awards Ceremony, which took place at the majestic Strand Theatre in Dorchester.  Awards were presented to the 2011 Boston Main Streets Volunteers of the Year and Businesses of the Year.

“Boston Main Streets has had tremendous success helping revitalize our neighborhood commercial districts, and there are many people here tonight to thank for all their hard work in and dedication to their neighborhood commercial districts,” said Mayor Menino. "This event is special because we get to honor the people in the neighborhoods who are making our local commercial districts vibrant and welcoming places to shop and do business. I’m proud to say that thanks to you in 2011, we opened 151 new businesses that created 716 new jobs in our Main Street Districts.”

Developed out of a partnership between the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Boston Main Streets initiative was created by Mayor Menino 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.  Named by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change as one of 19 “Solutions for America,” Boston Main Streets continues to empower individuals in the small business sector to have a direct role in the economic health, physical appearance, and development of their own community.   

Today, Boston Main Streets provides funding and technical assistance to 20 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, New Orleans, Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

In 2005, Boston created the Boston Main Streets Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to produce significant advances in business development, jobs creation, storefront improvements, and overall quality of life in Boston’s neighborhood commercial districts.

From among the hundreds of Main Streets volunteers who gave more than 28,000 hours of time in 2011, each district has chosen one volunteer to honor as “Volunteer of the Year.”  Since the start of the program in 1995, over 270,000 hours of volunteer time have been contributed to Main Street efforts.  This year’s Outstanding Volunteers are:

Allston Village – Adam Femino        

Bowdoin/Geneva – Jemma Cooper

Brighton – Jeanne Levesque  

Chinatown – Michael Wong

Dudley Square – Ronette Taylor Lawrence  

East Boston – Leigh Hall

Egleston Square –Hannah Thomas    

Fields Corner – Lee Adelson

Four Corners – Micah Prescott

Greater Grove Hall-Wilber Brown                

Hyde/Jackson Square – Jason LaGorga

Hyde Park – Debbie Leuth

JP Centre/South – Caleb Hannon      

Mission Hill – Mary Todd

Roslindale Village – Jaime Pullen      

St. Mark’s Area – Len Osborne

Upham’s Corner – Michelle Waldon 

Washington Gateway –Scott Gasparello

West Roxbury – Matthew Gruber

In his remarks to awardees, Mayor Menino referred to Boston’s small businesses, as “the heart and soul of our commercial districts” that provide the products and services that are so important to the people who live and work in the neighborhoods.  Each Main Streets district has chosen one business to honor as Business of the Year. The 2011 Outstanding Businesses are:

Allston Village – Orchard Skateshop

Bowdoin/Geneva – America’s Food Basket 

Brighton – Abbotts Frozen Custard  

Chinatown – Hot Pot Buffet

Dudley Square – Dudley Department Store

East Boston – D’Parma Restaurant   

Egleston Square – Latino Beauty Salon

Fields Corner – The Blarney Stone

Four Corners – Da-Mat Laundry Services

Greater Grove Hall – Mattapan’s Finest

Hyde/Jackson Square – Crystal Fruit            

Hyde Park – Blue Hills Bank

JP Centre/South –Canary Square

Mission Hill – Mike’s Donuts

Roslindale Village – El Chavo Mexican Products

St. Mark’s Area – Ashmont Cycles   

Upham’s Corner – Borinquen Bakery           

Washington Gateway –Stella

West Roxbury – West on Centre

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