Barbara Askins

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Christmas lights illuminate 125th Street in Harlem. Facing an impossibly tight budget, the board that oversees the neighborhood's main thoroughfare, 125th Street, made a difficult decision: They cut funding for holiday lights. But Barbara Askins, president and CEO of the 125th Street Business Improvement District had an idea. What if she and her staff could persuade the community to donate the $60,000 needed to decorate the entire length of the street? (Associated Press)