NORTHAMPTON — Anna Bowen, who owns Strada Shoes on Main Street, recently spent half an hour helping a customer find the perfect fit, but as she was about to pay, the woman pulled the shoebox back. First, she wanted to know Bowen’s position on Picture Main Street, a controversial $43 million project to redesign downtown.
Was Bowen “bike-friendly”?
“I threaded the needle,” Bowen recalled. “I told her I was excited, but I was very nervous.’”
Bowen made the sale, but she hasn’t forgotten the implied threat: Support Picture Main Street, or else.
Jackhammers are still a ways off, but the touted
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