Good afternoon.

I'm Catherine White, Executive Director of the Neurochell Chamber of Commerce, and I'm thrilled to be here today at the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Master Barber Lounge.

Shout out to owner Cody Gonzalez, who is just investing in New Rochelle and bringing a lot of life to this area of Main Street, kind of down at the lower end, but it's being revitalized, and we're thrilled.

We have many other people here with us to support the grand opening, of course, including Mayor Yadir Ramos Herbert.

From the Office of Economic Development, we have the director, Kevin Kane.

I have Fire Chief Andy Sandor here with us, keeping everyone safe.

Yay!

From the New Rochelle Downtown Bid, we have Kevin Rucker.

And representing the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce is Joel Francis from Webster Bank.

We also have with us Martha Lopez, who is not only a city council representative for the city of New Rochelle, but she is the director of women and minority owned businesses for Westchester County.

And now I'd like to bring up the mayor to say a few words of welcome.

It's so much fun to be here today.

I got the privilege of meeting Cody two or three weeks ago at another ribbon cutting for another small business member and just chatting with him right now.

And New Rochelle attended New Rochelle High School, spent a lot of time in New Rochelle coming back and literally investing literally on Main Street in this beautiful space, right?

Yeah, we can clap dad.

I'm down.

I love it.

I love it.

And just there's so much warmth and professionalism and like an elevated sense of an opportunity in these doors.

I hope everyone gets a chance to really take a look at the attention to detail he put in.

I love that he's spotlighting one of our own artists, Mona, right as you walk in.

I can see her work in aesthetic.

Um I love that other small business owners, Casa Roma here.

So there's such a new row vibe here that you're bringing that sense of supporting community, but also elevation and class.

And so thank you for like striking that chord.

Thank you for choosing home to invest in, and whatever we can do to support you, we will.

Congratulations.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

And now from Westchester County government, I'd like to bring up Martha Lopez.

Thank you, thank you.

And economic development is very important to us in the county, and the county executive is very proud to know that women and minority-owned businesses also get a piece of the pie.

We want to support you, we want to see how we can work together in collaboration.

Actually, there's a big event coming up that is a connexpo.

It's going to be on June 2nd.

You have to come so that you learn about different uh you know opportunities, funding opportunities and resources.

And as our mayor said, you know, thank you for choosing Neurochell as your home for this wonderful business.

And congratulations, and I love it when it's in my district.

Thank you.

And now, of course, I'd like to bring up the man of the hour, Cody Gonzalez.

Woo!

How are you doing?

I'm Cody Gonzalez, owner of Master Barber Lounge.

I just want to let you know it's been a long rough years, long nights, long days to get to where I'm at now.

We got rain, but it is what it is.

We still here.

I appreciate you all.

I appreciate all my friends and family for being here.

I appreciate my clients because not only are they my clients, they are my biggest supporters, and without them, I wouldn't be here right now.

Um I'm a barber shop, man.

Uh I'm a barber owner.

I'm not in competition with nobody.

I support all my local barber shops out here, and I hope they all do great and we all raise each other to the top and stick together.

I'm all about the community.

I'm all about giving back, and I'm gonna do my best to do my part for New Rochelle, New York.

And words of Sam Cook, it's been a long time coming, but change has come, and I appreciate you all.

God bless.

Thank you, Cody.

And as he points out, there's room for everyone, 80,000 people here.

That's a lot of hair to cut.

So Cody, come back up.

We have a presentation now from Joe Francis Webster Bank representing the Chamber of Commerce.

Joel.

Thank you very much.

So on behalf of the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, I'd like to present Cody of Master Barber Lounge with the certificate of recognition.

Welcome him to the city of New Rochelle.

We wish him well and we will support you from now on.

Appreciate it.

Okay, so it's raining, so let's just move this forward.

As we say, now it's time.

Let's cut a ribbon.

Three, two, one.

Thank you all.

God bless.