Editor 's note : CNN has asked its journalists across the country to offer their thoughts on how the economic crisis is affecting their cities . In this installment , Bob Crowley reports from Boston , Massachusetts . Hardware store owner Brendan Kenney says `` people who have money should go out and spend it . '' BOSTON , Massachusetts ( CNN ) -- Brendan Kenney has seen enough bad news about the economy . `` I 'm also getting tired of being worried , '' he says . His family has been running a small hardware store in Brookline , Massachusetts , just outside Boston , for about 56 years . He says business has slowed down a little , but mostly because winter is normally the slow time of year for them . Though he hopes the stimulus plan will help his and other small businesses , he believes people should n't be afraid . `` I think the American consumer holds a lot of power , '' he continues . `` I think people who have money should go out and spend it . '' Like many in the Boston area , Kenney does n't want to hear more discouraging stories and sees that as part of the problem . `` It 's just negative story after negative story , kind of creating a crisis of confidence . '' Watch Boston-area reaction to the economic slump » . South of Boston , Jose Nieto , from Plainville , has his own reasons to be discouraged . Between September and October of last year , he was laid off twice . Nieto , a civil engineer who works on road construction projects , had felt fortunate . After losing his job of 14 years , he was able to find employment after only being out of work for two weeks . After being on the new job for three weeks , however , he got called into the boss 's office . `` I said , 'Oh , no . My God , not again . ' '' He was faced with looking for work in an industry that traditionally slows down in the winter months . `` It 's more than losing your job . It gives you a feeling of rejection , '' he says . Yet , Nieto feels this is a time to learn valuable lessons , especially for those who need to dip into their savings when unemployment checks do n't cover all of the bills . `` I think a lot of people will learn from this situation , and , going forward , they 'll try to save more money . '' He has been trying to stay healthy , busy and positive . Passing the time working on projects in his basement workshop and taking yoga classes has helped him get through the rough spots , and his luck is turning . He was offered a job that starts in March . `` It is a relief , because I 'm employed , '' he says , `` however , I 'm taking a job for much less money . '' Nieto believes that most employers can not afford to hire at the salaries they could offer in the past . Like Kenney 's hardware store , Sue Stein 's American craft gallery , also in Brookline , is not seeing any major shifts in her business , yet . `` Our business has been certainly down , but not devastating , '' she says . Fire Opal , her gallery , sells everything from earrings to pottery to scarves , all made by artists from around the country . To keep her business healthy , she says , she is trying to make adjustments like buying less merchandise . But she is changing her approach to her customers as well . She says she tries to keep `` understanding that people are having a hard time and trying to find things that are more in their price range . '' Like Kenney and Nieto , Stein is also trying to stay optimistic . `` I think if we all are very careful , '' she says , `` we 'll sort of ride it out and then things will adjust . ''
Hardware store owner in Boston slams `` negative story after negative story '' Worker laid off twice in two months says he 's trying to stay positive . Layoff also brings on feelings of rejection , worker says . Gallery owner says business is down but not `` devastating ''