St. Mark's Area Main Street

The Ashmont/Peabody Square Farmers' Market will open Friday, July 10 at ODWIN Learning Center, 1943 Dorchester Ave., directly across from Ashmont Station and the Carruth Building. The market, sponsored by SMAMS, ODWIN, Wainwright Bank and the Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition, will run every Friday through October 30, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM, rain or shine.

Market vendors include Brox Farm of Dracut, run by former Peace Corps volunteer Dave Dumaresq; Springbrook Farm of Littleton, a family farm since 1713; Flats Mentor Farm of Lancaster, a project that helps immigrant farmers get a start in the United States; and Dorchester's own Cedar Grove Gardens. Additional vendors are being recruited over the summer, with an eye toward a bakery and an artists' group.

To make this healthy food available to all, vendors will accept Food Stamps, WIC coupons, and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition coupons. Food Stamps up to $10 will be matched by "Boston Bounty Bucks."

For more information on the Grand Opening July 10, or to ask about volunteer opportunities, please call the SMAMS office at 617-825-3846.

Calling all Tigers, Duffers, and everyone in between for the first Main Street Open golf tournament Monday, June 1! $100 gets you a day of golf at Franklin Park's beautiful William Devine Golf Course; a delicious breakfast courtesy of Au Bon Pain (breakfast/sign-in at 7:00 AM; shotgun start at 8:00) and an awards lunch/barbeque afterward. This is "best ball" scoring: as long as one person in your foursome can hit the ball straight, you're in the hunt for the title! We'll have great items to raffle/auction off, and several games of skill out on the course. Hole sponsorships are also available for $100/$200. To register online, click here. For more info, please call Dan Larner in the SMAMS office, 617-825-3846.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors! Au Bon Pain; SBLI; Trinity Financial; Mt. Washington Bank; The Boston Main Streets Foundation; The Dorchester Reporter; Yankee Insurance; Tedeschi Food Shops; Hon. Marty Walsh; Hon. Maureen Feeney; The Blarney Stone; CBG Insurance; Cedar Grove Gardens; The Centre Bar; Greenhills Bakery; H. Levenbaum Insurance; Metalsmiths; The Tavern at the End of the World; Weathervane Landscaping

Dot's hottest political ticket this year is Martinis on the Avenue - Dotini Election Special!

Stop by the Blarney Stone, 1505 Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner on Thursday, October 30, 7:00 - 10:00 PM, to celebrate the election season, try out the new Presiden-tini, and support SMAMS and Fields Corner Main Street's work revitalizing our Dot Ave business districts.

To add to the fun and get warmed up for Halloween, come dressed as your favorite political character for a chance at a great prize!

Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Admission includes the Blarney's great hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and a live auction hosted by Craig Galvin.

Get your game face on to watch the Pats battle the Denver Broncos Monday, Oct. 20 at Tavolo Restaurant, 1918 Dorchester Ave, in the Carruth Building at Ashmont Station. (Free parking is available across the street at Ashmont Tire and ODWIN Learning Center.)

The fun kicks off at 7:30. We will have plenty of fan-tastic Tavolo food, and three TVs to cover the action (with one dedicated to the Sox if they're playing). We'll also have tickets for Pats games and other great items in our live auction.

Bonus - The first 100 tickets sold will be entered in a drawing for a pair of tickets to an upcoming Patriots home game! (Click on "read more" below for ticket purchase details.)

Proceeds will support SMAMS' work revitalizing our Dot Ave business district.

Congratulations to Cheri Robartes, who won the grand prize - a year's membership to the Metro Boston YMCA of her choice - in the Citywide Healthy Main Streets/"Where's Charlie?" promotion.
During July and early August, shoppers scoured Main Street districts around the city looking for the MBTA's "Charlie" emblem as part of a promotion to encourage walking in our neighborhoods. Cheri found hers at Hair Solutions Salon, 1882 Dorchester Ave (next to the Peabody Square fire station), and her name was drawn as the grand prize winner at the wrap-up celebration in Fields Corner on August 2.

Congratulations to our other local winners - Barbara Bean, Ian Haynes, Margaret Lamb and Nauze Lopes - and thanks again to our participating businesses:

* I-Wireless Communications, 1690 Dot Ave.
* Beauty Line Beauty Supplies, 1692 Dot Ave.
* Son Ha Gift Shop, 1737 Dot Ave.

Thanks to all who turned out for our Summer Wine tasting at the Ashmont Grill on August 2! Proceeds will help to fund SMAMS' work revitalizing our Dot Ave business district. Thanks also to our many sponsors:

The Ashmont Grill

Albert Winestein Wine & Cheese

Countrywide Home Loans

Mt. Washington Bank

Trinity Financial

The Boston Main Streets Foundation

Mayor Menino invites you to walk, bike, or take the T to St. Mark's Area Main Street, find the T's "Charlie," and win great prizes in the Healthy Main Streets promotion.

Look for Charlie in participating St. Mark's Area businesses from Sunday, July 27th to Friday, August 1st. If you find him, you win an MBTA pass, a $50 gift certificate to the New Balance Factory Outlet Store, and a chance at a bicycle and a year's membership to the Metro Boston YMCA branch of your choice!

SMAMS Participating Businesses:
I-Wireless Communications, 1690 Dorchester Ave.
Beauty Line Beauty Supplies, 1692 Dorchester Ave.
Son Ha Gift Shop, 1737 Dorchester Ave.
Dot-2-Dot Cafe, 1739 Dorchester Ave.
Super 99 Cent Plus Store, 1767 Dorchester Ave
JXD Furniture, 1825 Dorchester Ave.
Hair Solutions Salon, 1882 Dorchester Ave.

Thanks to all who came out for the grand opening celebrations for Dot Art's Clay Station Studio and The Dot-2-Dot Cafe on Saturday, June 28. A good crowd welcomed Mayor Menino as he cut the ceremonial ribbon at both establishments - The Clay Station at 1782 Dorchester Ave. (at the corner of Shepton Street), and the Dot-2-Dot at 1739 Dorchester Ave. (just south of St. Mark's Church). It's fitting that these two ventures held their grand openings on the same day, because they've been helping each other out since they opened earlier this year: The Dot-2-Dot displays artwork by Dot Art graduates, and Clay Station students made the dazzling tile display that adorns the Dot-2-Dot's storefront.

Thanks to all who marched and cheered on the SMAMS contingent in this year's Dot Day Parade on June 1! A special thanks to Mike Seigal and Ashmont Tire, who donated the "sweet" 1973 Mercedes that was the hit of the parade.