By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Howell Downtown Development Authority Board is promoting the importance of shopping local this holiday season, as local businesses and restaurants struggle to stay alive amid the continuing pandemic and recent shutdown order.

The DDA Board met virtually last week and Director Kate Litwin delivered a report reflecting on this past year and coping with the pandemic. Litwin said she appreciates the board and all of the support given this year to downtown merchants as everyone is doing what they can – but also recognizing everyone also has budgetary constraints that will just get tighter as things carry on.

Litwin commented she knows the business community is seeing that people really do care about their survival – which the merchants really appreciate.

Litwin said she hopes when people are out and about this holiday season and getting their shopping done that they support small businesses. Even if they’re not spending money or buying anything, she encouraged everyone to just pop in to say hi to local merchants and thank them for everything they’re doing to stay afloat. Litwin said everyone is working to keep the small ecosystem that they worked so hard to protect and make sure Howell stays unique to itself. She noted all of their stores are charming and they don’t have the major chain businesses to help weather the storm so it’s everyone banding together that will ensure survival.

In a written update, Litwin said it’s been a crazy year no doubt but everyone can be proud of the work done through Howell Main Street and the DDA and other partnerships to help boost small businesses in their time of need. She concluded her overall meeting report by saying they’ll hit the ground running in January.