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From YouTube: Soak Laundry Grand Opening
Description
Mayor Walsh and Michael Shaffer, the business owner of Soak Laundry Center, cut the ribbon to mark the grand opening of this innovative laundromat in Lower Mills, Dorchester.
A
Thank
you
well,
first
of
all,
I
just
want
to
thank
everybody
for
coming
today.
I
know
that
everybody
has
busy
schedules,
and
this
really
means
a
lot
to
me
and
the
fact
that
you're,
showing
all
this
support,
it
really
is
kind
of
a
memorable
day.
For
me,
I
think
a
lot
of
you
know
the
story.
Look
at
this
I
thought
I'd
put
that
on
vibrate.
A
Anyway,
I
think
a
lot
of
you
know
this
story,
but
for
those
that
you
that
don't
about
a
year
and
a
half
ago,
I
was
presented
with
an
opportunity
where
the
existing
tenant
of
this
location
did
not
want
to
renew
his
lease.
My
father
who's,
the
owner
of
the
building,
actually
asked
me
about
if
I
was
interested
in
that
as
an
opportunity,
and
actually
my
mom
is
the
one
that
actually
probably
encouraged
him
with
that.
So
I
thank
the
two
of
them
for
sure,
because
without
them
then
certainly
this
might
not
have
ever
happened.
A
Went
by
or
a
year
and
a
half
ago,
I
really
didn't
know
much
about
this
business
at
all,
and
I
really
was
interested
because
I've
always
wanted
to
own
my
own
business,
so
I
started
to
do
a
lot
of
research.
I
ended
up
contacting
a
lot
of
different
distributors
trying
to
get
some
information
just
about.
You
know
the
business
itself.
If
I
did
take
this
over
if
I
renovated
it
if
it
could
support
it.
So,
with
the
help
I
do
have
my
distributor
here
as
well,
which
is
Daniels
Equipment,
Corp
I.
A
A
After
after
making
the
decision
of
going
through
with
it,
I
took
the
laundromat
over
in
September
of
last
year
and
I
didn't
really
quite
know
what
I
was
in
for,
but
I
spent
countless
hours
here
meeting
with
everybody
all
of
the
customers.
It
was
really
important
for
me
to
just
to
understand.
You
know
what
the
landscape
was
here
and
what
people
were
looking
for,
so
I
ended
up
speaking
as
I
said
speaking
with
them
and
asking
them
what
it
was
that
they
were
looking
for.
A
The
bottom
line
is:
is
that
I
listen
to
all
their
needs,
I
told
them
what
my
plans
were
and
I
told
them.
You
know
that
I
was
gonna
turn
this
into
a
state-of-the-art
laundry
center.
A
lot
of
people
didn't
really
understand
exactly
what
I
was
going
to
do
with
it.
When
I
said
you
know,
you
know
completely
redo
it,
but
now
here
it
is.
We
have
this
beautiful,
state-of-the-art
laundry
center,
which
everybody
in
the
community
has
just
been
completely.
You
know
enamored
with,
and
it
really
is
doing
the
phenomenal
job.
A
It's
I
mean
I,
don't
need
to
talk
about
just
the
efficiency
piece,
but
it
is
20
minutes
to
do
a
wash
30
minutes
to
do
a
dry.
It
gets
people
in
and
out-
and
you
know,
look
at
laundry
is
one
of
the
oldest
chores
that
we've
all
known
our
entire
lives
right
and
the
less
you
have
to
do
with
the
better,
so
I'm
glad
that
I
could
actually,
you
know,
be
a
part
in
making
this
a
much
more
efficient
chore
for
everybody.
A
In
addition
to
that,
I've
also
I
didn't
realize
how
much
time
this
was
worth.
Gonna
require
I
want
to
lend
thanks
to
my
family,
because
they
now
realize
that,
then
you
don't
see
me
as
a
son
anymore.
So
my
sister,
my
mother
and
my
father
usually
go
out
and
Sunday
nights
with
dinner
every
single
week,
I've
been
kind
of
strapped
here
and
you
know,
but
look
at
this
has
been
the
priority.
I
really
want
to
turn
this
into
something
that
I
want
to
put
my
thumbprint
on
it
and
really
make
it
something
special
for
everybody.
A
A
Tucked
under
the
CDs
at
five
o'clock
in
the
morning,
because
before
when
I
took
this
over
I
had
to
be
up
at
4:45,
I
was
here
at
6
o'clock
and
I
was
here
till
closing
at
10
o'clock
at
night
and
honestly,
not
just
physically,
exhausting
but
just
mentally
exhausted,
so
I
can
rely
on
her.
She
knows
exactly
what
I
need
what
I
want,
and
she
does
it
better
than
me.
So.
Thank
you.
I
do
applaud
you
for
that.
A
And
so
one
last
thing
I
mean
this
is
really
incredible.
Mr.
mayor
I
mean
the
fact
that
you
would
take
the
time
out
of
your
day
to
come
here
and
to
see
my
business
I
mean
really
I.
Commend
you
I
mean
from
the
bottom
of
my
heart.
I
really
do
appreciate.
It.
I
know
that
you
have
a
million
things
that
you
do
in
the
course
of
your
day,
but
this
is
really
special
and
I
hope
that
everybody
can
appreciate
that.
But
let's
give
it
up
for
the
mayor.
B
The
street,
let
me
just
thank
Michael
and
his
family.
This
is
exciting.
You
know
I,
the
other
night
me
Laurie
walked
it
down
along
down
the
Bowery
to
get
some
meat
and
when
you
think
about
ball
mills
this
this
little
village
here
has
everything
you
can
imagine.
If
you
want
bread,
incredible,
incredible,
hamburgers
and
other
in
veggie
burgers
and
things
like
that,
you
have
Pat's
across
the
street.
You
have
four
or
five
restaurants
in
this
side
street.
B
It
is
right
within
within
this
half
a
block
and
it's
great
to
see
the
vibrancy
of
the
community
and-
and
you
know,
I
want
to
commend
youthful
for
I
was
just
talking
to
Michael
a
minute
ago
and
we're
talking
about
small
businesses
can
fit
the
big
businesses
and
what
I
see
what
big
businesses
sometimes
is
that
those
business
people
know
how
to
how
to
work
at
that.
If
something
goes
wrong,
it
doesn't
nationally
hit
them
in
the
pocketbook
there's
a
way
out
for
them.
B
They
protect
themselves
and
with
small
businesses,
a
really
family
homes
and,
and
they
everyone
invests
their
life
into
them
and
they're
kind
of
waiting
week
to
week
to
week
to
see
it
happen.
I
watched
bread
when
it
first
came
in
I
watched
it
in
the
beginning,
when
there
wasn't
a
lot
of
people
walking
in
the
front
door
and
I've
watched
it
change,
and
now,
when
I
go
in
I'm,
watching
people
coming
in
grab
a
some
meat
I'm
watching
people
come
in
and
take
out
and
I'm,
seeing
the
business
flourish
and
I'm
seeing
neighborhoods
flourish.
B
So
I
just
want
to
commend
you
for
this
today.
I
want
to
thank
Loretta
to
the
red,
is
a
residential,
very
cross.
Just
really,
you
know
one
of
our
progress
in
the
city,
so
yeah
I
want
to
congratulate
you
as
well,
and
thank
you
all
for
coming
today
and
the
neighbors
of
you
here.
Thank
you
for
accepting
these
businesses
that
you
know
without
you.
These
businesses
won't
come
here,
and
so
all
the
business
owners
here.
Thank
you
for
making
Lommel
such
a
special
place,
a
piece
of
Boston
and
the
beauty
about
this.