I ran into a friend at a restaurant recently and she looked just fabulous. I asked her what she had going on? Oh, she told me “I just had this great haircut from Keith Nicholson.”

That was it – her new haircut was beautifully shaped around her face. Keith Nicholson just opened a new hair salon called the Highlands Salon at 3344 Route 97 in Barryville.

It is in the small row of shops in what I believe is called the Barryville Commons where the Barryville Bottle Shop is located. I recently attended the ribbon cutting opening for the Salon held by the Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce and while sipping some nice champagne and visiting with all the other folks who came out on a pretty frosty afternoon, I had the opportunity to chat with Keith and tour his lovely salon.

Born in the great state of Kansas and cutting hair since he was nine years old (‘knee high to a grasshopper’ as Grandma Helen would say), Keith Nicholson has been a hair stylist and colorist for over thirty-eight years and has worked in salons in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York.

Being in Barryville is nothing new for Keith. He has been coming to our town since buying a house in Barryville in 2003. And over the past nineteen years he had developed a very loyal clientele for his at-home salon services.

“The opening of the salon is really just the next logical step of providing my services here in the local river communities” he told me.

The Salon is equipped with all the latest hair care products and equipment, has plenty of comfortable seating and is flooded with warm natural sunlight all of which adds to one very relaxed and serene atmosphere.

Keith said he will be assisted in the Salon by Mary, an experienced colorist who will provide the hair color, gloss and glazing services.

Since I was with Keith, I had to ask him what was the best advice he had for maintaining healthy hair during such extreme winter cold?

Keith said the key is hydration and it is important to moisturize your hair with a very good leave in conditioner. He also advised to keep yourself well hydrated and drink plenty of fluids.

Drinking fluids helps your hair to stay healthy preventing problems such as slow growth, hair loss, brittle hair shafts and split ends.”

Keith told me he was so happy to be able to offer his haircare services. “I have always loved the Town of Highland and I’m very excited about this amazing opportunity.”

The Highlands Salon is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursdays, Fridays from 11-7:00pm. And Saturdays 11-4pm. And closed on Sundays and Wednesdays. You can call the Highlands Salon at 845-243-0301 or text them. Congratulations to Keith Nicholson and the Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce as another wonderful new business opens in our town!

I hate to be a nudge, but our Country is still in the clutches of an extremely critical blood shortage. I want to remind you that on Wednesday, February 16th between the hours of 2:15-6:15pm a blood drive will be held at the Eldred Central School at six hundred Route 55 in Eldred.

To register go to www.redcross.org, click the Give Blood tab to find a donation site. I have donated blood many times without pre-registering and walk-in donors are always welcome at the donation sites. All Covid protocols are in effect and if a donor has no symptoms, they can make a blood donation after the health screening.

For additional information go to the Red Cross webpage above. Please, if you can donate blood, consider doing so to help end this shortage. See you at the Eldred School on Wednesday, February 16th!