On May 1 the state announced Stay At Home 2.0, allowing for a partial re-opening of some businesses. My first thought was of Mane Street Salon: Seeing one of Andover’s busiest and friendliest establishments sitting dark every time I drove through town had been a painful and too-frequent reminder of the wrenching changes we’ve all faced since mid-March.

I immediately resolved to be owner Meghan Barton’s first customer when the state’s closure order expired on Monday, May 11. Not because I wanted a haircut, but because this small change … along with outdoor dining at restaurants, cautious re-opening of shops, and other provisions of Stay At Home 2.0 … would actually be an important step toward recovery for our community. Of course the Beacon had to be there!

So I made my appointment, and at 8 AM Monday morning Meghan greeted me cheerfully in the parking lot to ask the now-routine questions about my health and possible exposure to COVID. She took my temperature before we both went inside. 

This new parking-lot skit is just one of many new rules salons must follow in order to re-open. A few of the others include:
·         Only one customer per stylist in the salon; everyone else (including parents of children getting a haircut) must wait in their cars.
·         Everyone masked at all times, so no shaves, beard trims, facial waxing, etc.
·         In fact, the only services offered are haircut, root touch-up, and shampoo — but no blow dry!

Having been closed for six weeks — “It seems as though it has been an eternity!” Meghan said — the pent-up demand for even the limited range of services available has been overwhelming. Meghan had scheduled herself for a 50- or 60-hour workweek that first week in hopes of getting much of Andover looking sharp again.

But for me, seeing the lights on at Mane Street Salon means something much more important than feeling the breeze across my scalp again. It means we may all be one small step closer to some sort of “normal” returning to our community.