April 2022 Newsletter

Small Business Spotlights & News
Metro Credit Union Opens West Roxbury Branch
Metro Credit Union, Massachusetts’ largest state-chartered credit union, announced the opening of its latest branch at 1985 Centre Street, West Roxbury. The location is Metro’s 17th branch overall and a new addition to the line-up of branches within the city of Boston.

The branch offers Metro’s full suite of consumer and business products, as well as access to
an ATM and coin counter. In addition, the 1985 Centre Street location includes dedicated resources for mortgage lending, commercial banking, and investment services.

“Our latest branch opening in West Roxbury will expand our current presence in Boston to more individuals,” said Robert Cashman, Metro President and CEO. “West Roxbury is a lively community of both existing and potential Metro members, and we look forward to serving all of them.”

Photo: From L-R: Marie O’Neill, Senior Vice President Engagement, Experience, and Marketing; Jake Lacey, West Roxbury Community Liaison; Robert Cashman, President and ChiefExecutive Officer; Jacob Robinson, West Roxbury Main Streets Executive Director; Stephen Russo, Branch Manager, West Roxbury
Planet Fitness Is Now Open at 1870 Centre Street
On April 5, Planet Fitness celebrated the recent opening of its sixth Boston location in West Roxbury, at 1870 Centre Street, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an event that was open to the community with tours of the new club, refreshments, raffle items, giveaways, and more. Planet Fitness also donated $1,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston in celebration of the opening. 

Through April 3rd, new members can join for $0 down and $10 a month, with no commitment. The new West Roxbury club is open and staffed 5 a.m.—10:30 p.m., seven days a week.

“After two years that reinforced how important both physical and mental wellness is for all of us, the addition of another location in Boston, this time in West Roxbury, makes perfect sense. We are excited to add a Planet Fitness to this vibrant neighborhood that needs more fitness options,” said James Innocenti, Chief Operations Officer, PF Supreme LLC. “We always aim to create a workout environment where everyone feels accepted and respected in our brand-new, state-of-the art and exceptionally clean fitness centers and look forward to welcoming the West Roxbury community.”

Photo: Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Planet Fitness West Roxbury – Pictured L-R: City of Boston West Roxbury Community Liaison Jake Lacey, Planet Fitness team members Hazel Colon and Grace Johnson, Planet Fitness area manager Carlos Torres, Planet Fitness West Roxbury general manager Nina Abrahams, Senator Michael Rush, Planet Fitness team member Azayriah Diggs, Representative Edward Coppinger, and Executive Director of West Roxbury Main Streets Jacob Robinson. PHOTO CREDIT: Nathan Fried-Lipski/Nate Photography
Delini Gelato Is Back for the Season!
Gelato fans rejoice! Here's our favorite sign that winter is over.

Delini Gelato's new hours are 1pm-8pm pm every day except Monday.

They make amazing gelato with the very best, real ingredients. Everything is made from scratch, in-store, each and every day without using pre-made flavoring gelato pastes, powder gelato base mixes, hydrogenated fats, or corn syrups of any sort.

Follow Delini Gelato on Instagram for updates and specials.
Banh Mi Oi Wants to Sponsor a Meal for Your Local Heroes
Banh Mi Oi announced a new sponsorship for local heroes.

"To us, our parents are our heroes. They sacrificed so much to help us get to where we are today and each day after that." - Banh Mi Oi owners Yeanie and Phi

Comment on Instagram who is a hero to you and why. Banh Mi Oi will add that person to a monthly drawing to sponsor a meal to their workplace.

"Let’s bring our communities together and spotlight these amazing and selfless people!"
WRMS Launches 2022 Workshop & Networking Series for Small Businesses
We had a great evening last month hosting the first of a quarterly series of workshops and networking events designed for our local small businesses in the West Roxbury Main Streets neighborhood. Our first topic was on social media trends. The event was organized by WRMS's Economic Vitality Committee.
WRMS Volunteer Spotlight
Shoutout to volunteers, Christien Polos and Sally Muspratt, for the recent maintenance and spring plantings in the Welcome to West Roxbury planter at the corner of Centre St and Belgrade Ave.

Aliesha Porcena Named Director of Small Business for the City of Boston
Porcena most recently served as the Director of Growth, Equity & Impact at Interise, a national economic development nonprofit focused on closing the racial wealth gap through small business growth. Much of her work focused on business development and working closely with the Small Business Administration to deliver programming across the country. 

Click here for the full article.
Parkway Little League Celebrating 70 Years
Over the weekend, Parkway Little League celebrated 70 years with a players parade through downtown West Roxbury. The parade started at Fallon Field in Roslindale and ended at the Parkway Little League Complex. Good luck to all the players and teams this coming season.
Upcoming Earth Day and Arbor Day Events
West Roxbury's chapter of Mothers Out Front has several upcoming events including Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations.
Celebrate Earth Day at The Arnold Arboretum
Celebrate Arbor Day weekend at Theodore Parker Church with a Tree Sapling and Seedling Giveaway
2022 Annual Poetry Contest - Friends of the West Roxbury Library
This is one of the Friends’ most popular events. This year the theme of the Poetry Contest is Faces.
 
How to enter:
Please include your name, address, phone number, age, and e-mail (if possible). Students: please include school and grade. The submission deadline is April 25th.

Submit poems one of three ways:
  • E-mail to [email protected]
  • Mail to:
  • Poetry Contest
  • West Roxbury Branch Library
  • 1961 Centre St.
  • West Roxbury, MA 02132
  • Deliver by hand to the poetry contest drop box in the West Roxbury Branch Library
Upcoming Events Around the Neighborhood
  • ONE BOSTON DAY is Friday, April 15th. This One Boston Day, we’re encouraging Bostonians to complete at least 4 of these 15 acts of kindness listsed on onebostonday.org. Share what you’re doing to spread kindness on Friday, April 15 on social media by using #OneBostonDay.

  • West Rox Bikes is hosting their first bike ride of the year this Saturday, April 16th at 2pm! Meet at the clock near Centre and Hastings (1891 Centre St). Route is about 2.8 miles and will loop around West Roxbury, including Bellevue Hill, Holy Name Church, and ending at Delini Gelato.

  • Celebrate the beauty of trees and sustainability with West Roxbury Chapter members of Mothers Out Front at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston on Friday, April 22. In honor of Earth Day, the Arboretum is hosting this Climate Action Gathering in partnership with Mothers Out Front. The gathering will take place from 11:00-11:30 in the Explorers Garden. A map showing the location of the Explorers Garden on the grounds will be included in your confirmation email when you register here.

  • Rooting for a Livable Climate on Saturday, April 30th, 11:00am-1:00pm with West Roxbury Chapter of Mothers Out Front. Join MOF for their annual giveaway of tree and other plant seedlings in front of Theodore Parker Church. In addition to plants, they'll have activities for kids, information and ways to take action. 

  • Rose's Bounty will be among thousands of virtual participants to lace up for Project Bread's 54th annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 1st. For the first time, the West Roxbury-based nonprofit will participate in the event through The Commonwealth Program which gives 60 percent of all funds raised by teams from likeminded organizations and agencies back to support their own hunger relief programs, with the remaining 40 percent applied to the statewide anti-hunger effort. Learn more on Patch.com.

  • The West Roxbury Historical Society will host a presentation from Anthony Sammarco on Monday, May 2nd, at 6:30pm at the West Roxbury Branch Library.

  • Camp Joy enrollment is open through Friday, May 6th (or until all slots are filled). The camp will operate Monday, July 11 through Friday, August 5th, from 8AM - 2PM, at the BCYF Ohrenberger Community Center in West Roxbury. Program participants must be between the ages of 3 and 15, be able to interact in a 4:1 participant to staff ratio and be a Boston resident (proof of residency will be requested.) Transportation is provided.

  • Dedham Choral Society Presents: Bravo Beethoven! on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 8:00 pm at the Holy Name Church (1689 Centre Street) Tickets: $35, seniors $30, students $20, children ages 5-12 $5. Celebrate Beethoven's 250th birthday two years late due to pandemic delays! Program: Mass in C Major, Opus 86; first movement of the “Moonlight” Sonata; “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage" [Meeres Stille und Gluckliche Fahrt] with full orchestra and soloists Katrina Holden, soprano; Caroline Olsen, mezzo soprano; Brendan Buckley, tenor; and Ulysses Thomas, bass-baritone. Audience members are required to wear masks at all times

  • Joyce Kilmer school Fundraiser with the Beantown Baggers on Saturday, May 7th from 6pm to 10pm at the Elks in West Roxbury. Sign ups starts this week. The Friends of the Kilmer is working with The Beantown Baggers, a local group that holds weekly cornhole tournaments, to throw a fundraiser for the Kilmer. The event will be May 7 from 6pm to 10pm at the Elks in West Roxbury. In order to run the tournament smoothly in the allotted time, we will be using an app called scoreholio. It is free to download and available for apple and android. If you are interested in joining in on the fun, please click on the link, download the app, and sign up to play. The tournament will be limited to 40 players so that we can finish on time. So if you are interested, sign up before it gets full. Sign up starts this week (Thursday night). Email [email protected] with questions.

  • Small Business Pop-Up Market on Saturday, May 7th at the Corrib Pub. The event will take place on the patio. Save the date! Time TBD.
Get Involved with WRMS - Join An Upcoming Volunteer Orientation
Help us make the West Roxbury Main Street district an even better place to live, work, and do business.

Join us on Tuesday, April 26th from 6-7pm over Zoom to learn about volunteer opportunities with WRMS.

Refer to the Community Calendar on wrms.org for current schedule. Learn more about volunteering with WRMS at wrms.org/volunteer-committees.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
West Roxbury Main Streets is part of Boston Main Streets and the Main Street America Network as an accredited Main Street Program.
West Roxbury Main Streets | 1842 Centre Street | 617-325-6400 | wrms.org