News and Updates
Your local resource for happenings
in and around the district.
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A Note from the Executive Director
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Thank you to everyone who attended the WRMS Annual Meeting last month on January 21st. In the packed dining hall of the
Squealing Pig Restaurant
, we enjoyed the opportunity to share highlights from the past year and look ahead at the organization's goals for 2020. It was also a pleasure to host the Boston Office of Economic Development, US Small Business Administration, US Census Bureau, and Boston Age Strong Commission, which tabled at the event and provided resources.
This year, we introduced a new business recognition program -- the inaugural
Westie Awards
. It was an honor to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of businesses in the West Roxbury Main Street district for their achievements and the positive impact they are making in the West Roxbury community. Congratulations to the following businesses on their Westies!
- Community Stewardship Award - Davis & Sawin Florist in recognition for their annual Good Neighbor Day event, giving away 10,000 roses by the dozen and raising funds for local police and firefighter bereavement funds.
- Taste of West Roxbury Award - Porter Cafe in recognition for being voted 1st place "Favorite Tasting" at the 8th Annual Taste of West Roxbury.
- Community Innovation Award - Kure Creative and Sugar Baking Company in recognition for the inception of Bramble Day, a free community event held last September with live music, entertainment, free brambles, and cookie decorating.
- Best New Storefront Signage Award - Ashmont Cleaners in recognition for a new LED-backlit sign installed this past summer in collaboration with the WRMS Design Committee.
- Business Achievement Award - Recreo Coffee & Roasterie in recognition for numerous accolades in the past year, including being ranked the #1 Coffee Shop in Massachusetts according to Yelp & Buzzfeed.
The turnout and positive energy at the WRMS annual meeting reinforced that our growing community desires a thriving and vibrant neighborhood center. There are many ways for you to support the effort, whether that's by joining one of our
volunteer committees
, attending WRMS events, becoming a
supporting WRMS member
, or simply through your support of our small business community by shopping local when you have the opportunity. Your support and involvement with WRMS in the coming year is a great way to deepen your own roots in the neighborhood while helping strengthen our community as a whole.
This edition of our monthly newsletter includes information about many of the new programs and events that WRMS is spearheading in the months to come. We're relaunching the
West Roxbury Women's Business & Networking Group
with a meeting on March 5th. We've also published the first post in a
new blog series
to highlight the untold or lesser known stories behind the businesses and business owners in the West Roxbury Main Street district. Later this month we'll announce a "call for artists" for the first ever
West Roxbury ArtWalk
. The 10-day event -- which coincides with the statewide artweek -- will pair local artists with businesses along Centre Street to display artwork in their storefront windows. A reception and artist-led tour will take place on May 8th at Brookline Bank, which is sponsoring the event. And mark your calendars for the
9th Annual Taste of West Roxbury
scheduled for
Thursday, May 28th
.
As we enter the month of February, that means love is in the air with
Valentine's Day
just around the corner. It's the perfect occasion to show some love to your favorite, local small businesses. We'll be highlighting specials and events on our instagram account (@westroxburymainstreets).
Reach out to me anytime if we can be of help or if you're interested in getting involved with the
Main Streets mission
. I hope to see you around the district!
Sincerely,
Jacob Robinson
Executive Director
WRMS
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BONAPITA
owner, Ilan Barniv, recently sat down with WRMS Marketing Committee volunteer, Jonathan Pappas, to share his story and philosophy on food in our
new blog series
.
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“Growing up, I was exposed to many different types of flavors, spices and cooking techniques because Israel is a melting pot of Mediterranean cultures,” continued Barniv. “I tried lots of different recipes when I had my catering business to see what people liked. It was basically my Bonapita test kitchen.”
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Is your West Roxbury Main Streets business interested in
being featured in a future blog post? Let us know!
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Join
Recreo Coffee and Roasterie
in
c
elebrating their
5 year anniversary
with music, prizes, cake, and the introduction of five new innovations on
Saturday, February 15th
.
Every hour there's going to be several winners at the register, if rings you are the winner of a bag of coffee or a hoodie or a mug or....who knows! 🤩 ️️
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Saturday schedule:
- 8:00 am Recreo opens and will introduce our 5 innovations.
- 8:30am 🥇 Prizes start with several winner every hour.
- 10:00am a tasting of Recreo's New Micro-lot
- 11:00 am Introducing Recreo's new Roast “Don Carlos”
- 12:00pm Birthday cake & Westie award presentation
Delicious coffee, teas and pastries all day long. Don't let others tell you about it.....EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF
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This week,
Boomerangs
announced that it will be closing its West Roxbury store location on March 21st.
We are saddened by the news and grateful to Boomerangs for their presence in the West Roxbury Main Street district over the past ten years -- and for their mission-driven focus of funding work to prevent new HIV infections and improve the lives of people already living with HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts.
WRMS has learned that the space has already been leased out for retail space with a future tenant. We have not received additional details to share at this time.
Boomerangs asked us to share the following note of appreciation to their customers and the community:
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"We are incredibly grateful to the wonderful staff at the West Roxbury Boomerangs store, and to the West Roxbury community, which welcomed us warmly when we opened in 2009. Unfortunately, that particular Boomerangs store has consistently struggled to maintain profitability, in contrast to our three other locations, which remain popular and profitable. All 14 of the store’s employees have been offered employment at one of our three other Boomerangs locations.
Over the next seven weeks, items at the West Roxbury store will be sold off at steep discounts in order to empty the store before closing. We encourage our customers to continue to visit us at our other Boomerangs locations in Jamaica Plain, the South End, and Central Square, Cambridge."
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Imperial Promotions
recently completed an interior renovation at their business on 1733 Centre Street. The updated space looks great!
Owners and brothers, Eric and Nick Grande (pictured) also launched a new website (
www.imperialpromotions.com/
) this winter, which makes uploading files and ordering your custom merchandise a breeze.
Stop by to check out their new look!
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New Intergenerational Homesharing Program Available in West Roxbury.
We are proud to support Nesterly, Age Strong Boston and Boston’s DND this month. Together we can help individuals in our community age in place through intergenerational homeshare. Join the 30 Days, 30 Signups Challenge. For information on becoming a Host, visit
www.nesterly.io/host
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Help Rosie's Place with Your Food Drive!
Click on the image to enlarge and find out how you can help support Rosie's Place through food donations.
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West Roxbury Art Association - Spring Meeting Dates Announced
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Mark your calendars for WRAA's upcoming Spring meeting and artist demonstrations.
The meetings will be from 6-8pm at the West Roxbury Library. All are welcome.
Contact Cindy Mootz (crmot19@gmail.com) to join the WRAA email list.
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Dedham Artist, Michael Moore, demonstrating an oil landscape at the WRAA December meeting.
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Poetry Workshop at the West Roxbury Branch Library (2/8 and 2/15)
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Digital Focus Day at Rockland Trust (2/27)
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- Tai Chi and Chocolate. Join Human Harmonies of West Roxbury for an evening of stress relieving movements followed by sweet treats! Come for Tai Chi, then enjoy chocolate! Get double health benefits! Adults of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend. Location: Theodore Parker Church Parish Hall, 1859 Centre Street, West Roxbury. Free. To Register, call 617-327-5100 or email christina.escoto@bodymindsystems.com. 6:30pm-7:30pm. Tuesday, February 11th.
- West Roxbury Business and Professionals Association February Meeting. The February WRBPA Meeting will be at The Corrib Pub and Restaurant. This month's guest speaker is City Councilor At-large, Michelle Wu. The meeting starts at 7:45 AM. Wednesday, February 12th.
- Councilor O'Malley's Valentine's Day Office Hours. "Be my Valentine District 6!" Stop by for a coffee with Councilor O'Malley (it's on him!). 8-9am at Local 338. Thursday, February 13th.
- Music on Centre Boston Event. "Songs and Stories Creating Connections, featuring Rev. Robert Jones, Sr., storyteller, bluesman, and 2018 Kresge Arts Fellow. Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for 21 and under. Reserve your tickets at musiconcentre@gmail.com or purchase at the door from 6:30pm on the evening of the show. Call 617-327-0542 for more information. The event starts at 7:30pm in the Theodore Parker Church Parish Hall (1859 Centre St). Friday, February 14th.
- Stretching for Spinal Health. Join Human Harmonies of West Roxbury to learn ways to keep the spine health and strong. Try gentle movements intended to increase the flexibility of the spine, keeping it supple and limber. Adults of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend. Location: Body Mind Systems (1739 Centre Street, West Roxbury). Free. To Register, call 617-327-5100 or email christina.escoto@bodymindsystems.com. 8:45am-9:45am. Saturday, February 29th.
- Elder Scam Awareness. Laura Lynn Morrissey, President of AMADA Senior Care, leads this workshop designed to help you recognize scams and schemes directed at seniors today. Join us to learn how we can work together to create a blanket of protection for those we love. This is a can’t miss presentation with (free!) lunch. 12ppm at Deutsches Altenheim. Tuesday, March 10.
- Westie Social Club’s First Event! Follow the group on Facebook. "We are excited to announce the first social of the Westie Social Club. This is open to any age and is an opportunity for local residents to get to know each other over a drink and some appetizers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Let’s see if we have some common interests and potentially meet some new friends in the area! After the first event, we will gain a better understanding of the types of social events attendees would like to see in the future. We will be sending out a link to register early next week and the cost for attending with be $10, which will go towards a glass of wine or beer, as well as a small amount of pizza courtesy of West on Center. There will be a dedicated server/bar tender working and a cash bar will be open if you would like to order additional beverages and food." The event takes place from 6-8pm at West on Centre (downstairs). Wednesday, March 11.
- The Raising of the Irish Flag. Hosted by City Councilor Matt O'Malley. 11am at Boston City Hall (3rd Floor Mezzanine). Thursday, March 12th.
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Check out a full list of local events on our
community calendar.
You can add the calendar to your own google calendar through this link.
(Let us know if your West Roxbury business or organization
has news to share in our newsletter or calendar.)
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Thank you to our annual sponsors:
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West Roxbury Main Streets is proud member of the
Main Street America
Network and an accredited Main Street Program
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The mission of West Roxbury Main Streets (WRMS) is to strengthen the economic vitality, physical appearance, and unique local character of West Roxbury's commercial district.
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Engage with us:
1842 Centre Street, #206, West Roxbury, 02132 | 617.325.6400 | info@wrms.org | wrms.org
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