Mayor Menino lauds ‘spirit of community’

Painting a rosy picture of Boston’s economy, Mayor Thomas M. Menino delivered his 10th State of the City address Tuesday night and rattled off a list of past accomplishments and new initiatives, including the addition of 190 new police officers to help combat a troubling surge in violent crime.

“I will not allow violent offenders to terrorize neighborhoods and paralyze people with fear,” Menino said, pointing out that the city has taken about 1,800 guns off city’s streets in the last year, more than double the number in 2005.

As a symbol of Menino’s commitment to what he described as the city’s “spirit of community,” his address was held at the aging Strand Theatre in Uphams Corner. In need of major renovations, the Strand, Menino explained, is about to receive a $6 million investment from city and private funds. “We are going to save the Strand,” Menino said.

“When we have captured that common commitment, we have done great things,” Menino said. “We have created thousands of units of housing. We have achieved great progress in our schools. We have improved public health. And we are leading the effort to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities.”