Mayor Walsh Celebrates Boston Main Streets at 20th Annual Awards Ceremony

BOSTON - Tuesday, June 28, 2016-  Mayor Martin J. Walsh, together with Department of Neighborhood Development Director Sheila Dillon, Chief of Economic Development John Barros, City staff, members of Boston Main Streets and community members, today celebrated the Boston Main Streets volunteers and businesses of the year at the 20th annual Boston Main Streets awards ceremony.

"Boston Main Streets has had tremendous success in helping to revitalize our community and highlight the role our small businesses play in our neighborhoods," said Mayor Walsh. "I want to congratulate all of this year's volunteers and businesses of the year, who represent some of the best and brightest leaders who have gone out of their way to help not only their organization thrive, but their entire commercial district and city thrive as well."

From among the hundreds of Main Streets volunteers who gave more than 26,000 hours of time in 2015, each district has chosen one volunteer to honor as "Volunteer of the Year."  Since the start of the program in 1995, volunteers have contributed more than 375,000 hours of their time to Main Street efforts.  

This year's Volunteers of the Year are:  

• Allston Village Main Streets - Rebecca Corso 
• Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets - Paulo DeBarros
• Brighton Main Streets - Danita Jo Talbot
• Chinatown Main Street - Shi Lan Liang
• Dudley Square Main Streets - Settenah Wright
• East Boston Main Streets - Veronica Robles
• Egleston Square Main Street - Karen Sama
• Fields Corner Main Street - Lee Adelson
• Four Corners Main Street - Michelle Merrit
• Greater Ashmont Main Street - Erica Mattison
• Greater Grove Hall Main Streets - Andre Barbour
• Hyde/Jackson Square Main Street - Arno Puskar
• Hyde Park Main Streets - Cathy Horn
• Mattapan Square Main Streets - Cynthia Lewis
• Mission Hill Main Streets - Alison Pultinas
• Roslindale Village Main Street - Marna Persechini
• Upham's Corner Main Street - Nicole Chandler
• Washington Gateway Main Street - Kristin Phelan 
• West Roxbury Main Streets - Dominic Rebelo
   

In his remarks to awardees, Mayor Walsh referred to Boston's small businesses as "economic engines for their district," providing products and services 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.  In 2015, more than 2,100 businesses have received business assistance through their local Main Streets organizations, and Boston's Main Streets districts have boasted an average 95 percent occupancy rate for the last three years.

This year's Businesses of the Year include:

• Allston Village Main Streets - Whole Heart Provisions - Rebecca Arnold & James DiSabatino
• Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets - Bobby Fish Market - Maria Ramos & Omar Lawren
• Brighton Main Streets - The Green Briar - The Briar Group
• Chinatown Main Street - Jook Sing Café - Jadine Soo Hoo & Hing Soo Hoo
• Dudley Square Main Streets - Dudley Café - Solomon & Royeka Chowdhury
• East Boston Main Streets - Dough East Boston - Kevin Curley and Michael Sanchez
• Egleston Square Main Street - Anique Nicole Hair Salon - Anique Nicole
• Fields Corner Main Street - Antonio's Pizza - Brian Chavez
• Four Corners Main Street - Sustainability Guild - Jhana Senxian
• Greater Ashmont Main Street - The Modern Dog Boston - Charles Maneikis
• Greater Grove Hall Main Streets - Covenant Creations Salon - Lakeisha Gillard
• Hyde/Jackson Square Main Street - Tails - Yessy Feliz
• Hyde Park Main Streets - Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream - Ron Covitz
• Mattapan Square Main Streets - Auto Service & Tire - Ward & Chris McKeen
• Mission Hill Main Streets - The Puddingstone Tavern - Harry Walsh
• Roslindale Village Main Street - Boston Cheese Cellar - Adam Shutes
• Upham's Corner Main Street - Boston Pizza and Grill - Aycan  "John" Gencoglu
• Washington Gateway Main Street - Anita Kurl Salon - Kandace Cummings
• West Roxbury Main Streets - B & M Auto - Mark Karafotias & Bruce Lovely

Earlier this year, Mayor Walsh launched the City of Boston's first small business plan to serve as a roadmap to guide the City's approach to supporting small businesses as they start and grow in Boston. The City of Boston has 40,000 small businesses that create 170,000 jobs and generate nearly $15 billion in annual revenue. 

About Boston Main Streets  

Developed out of a partnership between the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Boston Main Streets initiative was created 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.  Boston Main Streets is a successful model for urban commercial district revitalization that strengthens local business districts through strong organizational development, community participation, resident and merchant education and sustainable development. 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.