What’s Happening on Main Streets

Courtesy Photo Anti-litter poster contest winner Amber Brown (second from left) poses with her work alongside (from left) City Councilor Mike Ross, Mission Grammar School Principal Maura Bradley and Mission Hill Main Streets Executive Director Richard Rouse.

By Richard Rouse and Barry Twomey
Special to the Gazette

Mission Hill anti-litter contest

Mission Hill Main Streets Executive Director Richard Rouse sponsored an anti-litter poster contest among K-8 students of Mission Hill. The winners are Amber Brown, a seventh-grader at the Mission Grammar School, and Angellize Rivera, a seventh-grader from the Maurice Tobin School. Angellize was congratulated by her teacher Jessica Barry and school Principal Cheryl Watson-Harris. Amber Brown was congratulated by her art teacher, Mission Grammar School Principal Maura Bradley, Rouse and Boston City Councilor Mike Ross. The posters will be distributed neighborhood-wide and each student will receive a savings bond. Angellize will be attending the Art Bound program at Mass. College of Art and Design this summer. She plans to apply to Boston Arts Academy and, after graduation, MassArt. Remember please, “Don’t Spill on the Hill”!

Mission Hill First Annual Healthy Food Festival

On June 18, Sociedad Latina, Mission Hill Main Streets, Mission Hill Health Movement and the Tobin Community Center partnered to bring the first Mission Hill Healthy Food Festival to our neighborhood. The rain held off and it turned out to be a beautiful day and the event attracted a good crowd despite the competition with the Bruins celebration and parade, Juneteenth at Franklin Park and another festival in JP.

Local restaurants contributed healthy dishes including vegetarian stuffed grape leaves from Mama’s Place; curried Chicken from Halal Indian Cuisine; healthy pasta dishes from Lilly’s Gourmet Pasta Express; soup and juice from Wok n Talk; sushi from the Sushi Station; healthy whole wheat pizzas and pineapple juice from Crispy Dough; an array of veggie pizzas from Penguin Pizza; and the best vegetarian chili around from Flann O’Brien’s. Special Thanks to Stop & Shop, Walgreens and T.G.I. Friday’s at One Brigham Circle. Additional thanks to our supporters: Harvard School of Public Health, Beth Israel Deaconess, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Northeastern University, Wentworth Institute and Youth Noise.

The verdicts are in, and the judges from Harvard School of Public Health rated Lilly’s Gourmet Express Pasta the healthiest comfort food. The freshest lunch went to the Sushi Station for their fresh cucumber and avocado rolls. The whole-grain pizza crust pizza with healthy toppings such as butternut squash from Penguin Pizza received the Most Creative award. The best soup award went to Wok n Talk for their peppery noodle-and-tofu offering. The Tastiest award went to the Boston Raw Food Living Group for their cheesecake made with cashew butter and coconut cream and their delicious and crunchy kale chips.

Avenue of the Arts Film Festival preview party

On June 18, after the MH Healthy Food Festival, locals convened at the Crossing Bar and Grill for the preview party for the Avenue of the Arts Film Festival. The Avenue of the Arts Film Festival will be held through July 22 at the West End Library.

The preview party at the Crossing was a who’s who of local activists, including Maggie Cohn; Rich Giordano; Jim Farrow; Barbara and Phil Quartier; Jim Burke; and Jim and Judith Connors. Special thanks to Susan Connors and David Nicholas for volunteering at the event. Extra special thanks to Sharon Driscoll for her generosity for hosting the event. L.B. Gratun, director of the Avenue of the Art Film Festival, debuted her song “Boston”:

“Leave your heart in Boston,
Keep your love in Boston
Though you’re far away.
Think of Boston
Wherever you are going,
Keep your juices flowing,
From New York to L.A.
Boston, find your love in Boston,
Keep your Heart in Boston,
No matter where you go.
Oh, Boston. It’s a home town
It’s always your town,
Come back to stay in Boston.

Farewell from Barry Twomey

I have been informed by the president of the board of Directors that my position as project coordinator with Mission Hill Main Streets has been eliminated due to budget restraints. I have and will always cherish my years at Mission Hill Main Streets. I have made many friends and contacts being involved in community projects. Promoting new small businesses such as The Crossing, Lilly’s Gourmet Pasta Express, The Sushi Station, Wok n Talk and others has been very rewarding. We all want to see these hard-working people make it in our community.

Co-writing the column for the Gazette and the e-newsletter and taking my own pictures has not only been fun but a wonderful learning experience.

In his first year, Rich Rouse has made Mission Hill cleaner, more festive and more patriotic. His many years in government and wealth of knowledge in urban planning have helped MHMS become one of the strongest districts in the city. I will miss his sense of humor and his many stories. It was a pleasure to work with Rich.

For many years, I have worked in community service and will continue to do so. Thanks to Mission Hill for the opportunities and the memories.

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