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, celebrated the Boston Main Streets volunteers and businesses of the year at the 20th annual Boston Main June 28 – including two such awards for the South End.
“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, volunteer have contributed more than 375,000 hours of their time to Main Street efforts.
This year’s Volunteer of the Year for Washington Gateway Main Streets was Kristin Phelan, who lives in the Ink Block area and is also involved as president of the New York Streets Neighborhood Association.
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 Business of the Year Awards include for the Washington Gateway Main Streets was Anita Kurl Salon, owned by Kandace Cummings.
Full article here.
