Hitching Post Owner to Be Recognized by Two Organizations Wednesday

A local business owner is scheduled to receive two awards Wednesday night for her contributions to two local organizations.

Leslie Leahy, owner of the on Haven Street, got the call from first. She will receive the organization’s Founder’s Award. The award is given to a person or organization who embodies the goals and objectives of Creative Arts, according to Executive Director Jennifer Hart: to support the community, understand the importance of the arts and to help make them available to everyone.

Leahy has helped Creative Arts in ways big and small, Hart said. Leahy has held “fundraisers for us, donates items to our auction each year and holds shop nights” at the store for the organization, Hart said.

She also prints flyers for the organization and “gets the word out,” Hart said, about Creative Arts.

When Creative Arts was looking at the former Christian Science Church, Hart said Leahy attended a meeting.

“She goes above and beyond,” Hart said.

The award ceremony, at the free “Celebrating the Arts” night, will include a buffet and concert by about 15 students, individually and in groups. To attend, RSVP to Creative Arts at 781-942-9600.

The first time Leahy worked with Creative Arts, she said, was in the early 2000s. A group of business owners was working to organize a “Shop the Block” event, she recalled, and wanted entertainment. Someone said, “What about Creative Arts?” Small groups of students and teachers performed at different stores.

This past holiday season, Creative Arts decorated the windows of the Hitching Post for a local store window display contest.

“Creative Arts is important to the town and beyond,” Leahy said.

Leahy is also one of five local business owners who will receive a Make New Friends award from the Girl Scouts Wednesday. Leahy sold and promoted a Reading calendar put together by senior Girl Scouts, explained Michelle Kramer, leader of Senior Troop 73712. The other recipients of that award are the Olde Redding Butcher Shop; Grumpy Doyle’s; Christopher’s Restaurant; and the Daily Times Chronicle.

Leahy has owned the Hitching Post since 1997. She purchased the store, which is marking its 50^th anniversary, from Ann Wright.  She’s always worked in retail, she said, starting at the Crafty Yankee in Lexington, in 1985 when, she said, that store was small. She stayed and learned as the store grew.

But “I wanted my own place,” she said.

Hitching Post offers “good quality, classic gifts for any occasion.” Leahy tries to support local artists. Town items – like ornaments personalized for each of the town’s schools – are a "niche” product, she said. The store also sells commissioned watercolor prints of Reading buildings and Boston-themed items.

The Hitching Post “bookends” Haven Street with another shop, Sense of Wonder. People often speculate how the two shops –and shop owners -- get along, according to Leahy.

“We carry different merchandise,” Leahy said. “We sent people to each other. Talk about perfect collaboration.”

As a business owner, the Reading resident has a suggestion to help customers. When some people can’t find a place to park near her store, they continue down Haven Street, Leahy said – and don’t know how to get back to the store and the parking lot behind CVS. Leahy’s suggestion? Signs that point the way.