by Dick Matulis

The last official meeting of the Roslindale Board of Trade for the 2005-2006 year was held on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at the Sons of Italy Hall. It featured a barbecue in the outdoor courtyard with MJ Subs & Pizza supplying the grilled meats and Apollonia Restaurant supplying liquid refreshments. Lisa Modecker presided and introduced guest speaker Andre Goldberg, Director of Programs and Development at Inner City Entrepreneurs. He developed a theme on business education and how the program is being taught at Boston University.

Also at this meeting, Cambridge businessman Larry Hammel gave further details on how a “Roslindale First” campaign might be implemented. Earlier, a pilot meeting had been held for Roslindale entrepreneurs at The Cooperative Bank, courtesy of its President and CEO Paul La Douceur. On this same day, the Senior Palooza Prom had been successfully conducted at St. Nectarios Parish Hall, with around 300 in attendance.

Lisa Modecker presented Larry Hammel with a $500 check representing dues for the Board’s joining Local Roslindale First. Each neighborhood that participates will run its own campaign with support from the National Office. Each participating business will receive a decal as the Board’s steering committee maps its strategy to customize its mission. A major theme will be to encourage residents to buy locally with a lion’s share of their sales dollars remaining within the community. One merchant had a sign suggesting that everyone buy locally to save on gas. The Board hopes to have developed a direction for this new concept in time for the 2006-2007 year, with the next meeting scheduled for September 12, just as Heart Beats fall edition was being printed.

At the same time, the Board was finalizing its sponsorship of the 3rd Annual Flag Day Celebration (see article on page 11) tied into the neighborhood schools in the area, with its general session held at Adams Park. Lou Murray of New York Life, a former Board of Trade president, presided over the ceremony. Joining him on the platform were Board President Lisa Modecker and a group of distinguished guests and speakers.

The Board plans to have a float in the Annual Roslindale Parade to be held on the first Sunday in October. It will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Board’s involvement in the Roslindale community. We anticipate that Judie Leon of Travel by Judie, a longtime supporter of the Board’s activities, will be riding in the parade as the Honorary Mayor of Roslindale.

Nuvo Kitchen and Wine Bar held an open house celebrating its new name and dining policy under its owners, Pat McCormack and Rocky Rockett. They purchased the Roslindale Village restaurant, formerly called Gusto’s, and have made major improvements and innovations, including the change of name to Nuvo Kitchen and Wine Bar.

Among attendees at the celebration was Paul Feeney, owner and publisher of The Boston City Paper. Paul met our own Berna Mann, former teacher at Sacred Heart, former principal at St. Willliam School in Dorchester, and current director at Parents Alliance for Catholic Education (“PACE”), and was so taken by the Heart Beats article on her kidney donation to fellow Sacred Heart parishioner Johanny Pimentel that he reprinted it in the next issue of his newspaper.