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Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration Sat., Nov. 24, 3:30 PMPlease join Mayor Menino, SMAMS, local civic associations, your neighbors - and Mr. & Mrs. Claus! - for the annual holiday tree lighting celebration in Peabody Square. Sing-along begins at 3:30, and Mr. & Mrs. C will arrive to light the tree at 4:00. Then our renowned party in the Peabody Square Firehouse! Goody bags will be handed out to all children. Many thanks to the Chief and crew of the Peabody Square Firehouse and our many sponsors: Mayor Tom Menino; O'Brien's Market & Liquors; Store 24; Ashmont Grill; Dot-2-Dot Cafe; College Hype Sportswear; Dutch Maid Bakery; Au Bon Pain; Sheriff Andrea Cabral; Ashmont Hill Association; Ashmont Adams Association; St. Mark's Area Civic Association; Saint Mark's Parish; Fuller-Bailey Street Association; Florida Corridor Neighborhood Association; Dorchester Holiday Celebrations Committee; Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services; Boston Police Area C-11; City View Trolley; Dot Art; MBTA; Mass Convention Center Authority; and Trinity Financial.
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SMAMS is moving to Carruth Building - and we're looking for help in furnishing
The long-awaited Carruth building will be opening in January, and SMAMS will be one of the first tenants. This is a major step forward for us, since it gives us a much more prominent presence on Dorchester Ave. and will encourage walk-in visits from businesses and residents alike. SMAMS will be joined by Wainwright Bank, Flat Black Coffee, At-Home Real Estate, and Tavolo, an Italian restaurant to be managed by Chris Douglass of Ashmont Grill and Icarus fame.
Saint Mark's Parish has been one of our biggest supporters over the years, providing free rent since we began operations in 2000. St. Mark's has also provided our office furniture, so we won't be taking that with us to the Carruth. If anyone knows of a business that is upgrading their offices and has a suite of furniture available, we would love to talk with them! Please call Dan Larner in the SMAMS office at 617-825-3846 for details.
Another related, and big, event in mid-January will be the departure of Trinity's contractors! Although the T is still working on Ashmont Station, having one fewer construction crew on the site will help to ease traffic flow. Trinity has done a great job of minimizing disruptions in the area, and thanks to their aggressive construction schedule they have finished off the building much quicker than anyone would have imagined.
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SMAMS, Neponset Health Center Hiring Youth Outreach Streetworker
SMAMS and the Neponset Health Center have secured
funding to hire a youth outreach worker in the St. Mark's Area business
district. The grant was awarded by Tufts-New England Medical Center's Dorchester Health Initiative.
The outreach worker will spend 20 hours each week establishing relationships with local teens and
creating leadership, vocational and educational opportunities. The proposed
plan ties directly with SMAMS' mission to revitalize the local economy
through activities that will channel local teens' energy towards positive
outlets. SMAMS is committed to becoming a resource for the youth and getting
them involved in the community. NHC will lend its
expertise in the area of health disparities and access to care, health
education and community networks as it pertains to violence and youth.
We
will be posting a job announcement and description soon. In the
meantime, if anyone knows of a candidate who might be interested in
the job, please contact the SMAMS office at 617-825-3846.
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Real Estate Focus
By Lisa O'Neill, SMAMS Treasurer
"the main commercial corridor
serves as the "face" of the community. In other words, it
is the first thing a visitor or guest sees when entering the community.
Many of the neighborhoods are plagued with deteriorating commercial
corridors but simultaneously have an excellent stock of residential
housing. This imbalance, or blemished
"face" brings down the entire neighborhood." (Marco LiMandri, president of New City
America, Inc. 2004)
The vitality of a neighborhood's
business district affects the surrounding residential neighborhood and your home, helping it thrive or
possibly crippling it. We are very lucky here in Dorchester
with all of the wonderful changes happening in the SMAMS district.
Our own little "Urban Village" is starting to take shape after much
hard work and dedication from a group of talented individuals.
By definition, an Urban
Village is a densely populated area comprised of mixed-use buildings
with commercial and residential space, easily accessible public transportation,
and lots of pedestrian traffic. Combining residential and commercial
space, as the new Carruth building
has done, creates a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere; and living closer
to goods and services allows residents to do
their shopping right on Dorchester Ave. A beautified business district also entices boutique shops move in, reducing commercial vacancies.
An urban village also reflects
the identity of its constituents. The great local flavor that
exists here in Dorchester will certainly shine through, especially with
the Dorchester Arts Collaborative always working so hard and the addition
of our new moon in Peabody Square. Think of all the possibilities...
What does all this mean for
you? Wouldn't you want to buy a home in an area where there
is a beautiful bustling business district? A safe, well-lit, friendly
place to socialize and do your shopping? This most certainly
increases the value of your home; and if you
ever have to sell, you can be sure you will have a better chance of
getting top dollar on the sale.
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Elsewhere in Dorchester...
Public Safety Meeting for those living near the Saint Mark's Parish Campus - Tuesday, Nov. 27, 6:00 - 7:00 PM, lower hall of Saint Mark's Church, 1725 Dorchester Ave. Purpose: to set up a crime watch for those living near the campus and those who walk through the campus to or from Shawmut Station. The coordinator of the Boston Police Department's Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit will also attend. Boston City Singers Holiday Concert - Saturday, Dec. 8, 7:00 PM, Boston College High School, 150 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester. Tickets are $10. For tickets or more info, please call 617-825-0674. |
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