Mayor Dwyer Gets Haircut at Clover Salon

Mayor Dan Dwyer received his first haircut in months Tuesday from Jaclyn Emmett, owner of the recently opened Clover Salon at 261 Main St.

Dwyer scheduled the appointment at Clover Salon after the city commission by the salon to hold an event in Kellogg Park. 

Emmett, who opened the salon March 1, had requested permission from the city to offer free haircuts and styling in the park to anyone in the community. Dwyer had went to the salon Wednesday to introduce himself and explain why the city had denied its application. 

"I felt particularly bad because they are a brand new business," said Dwyer. "I didn't want to welcome a business to town by their first thing with government being this denial of this application. So when I came in to talk to them I just decided to get a haircut."

If the city allowed Clover Salon to hold an event, then it would be obligated to permit any commercial entity use of the park to promote their business. "Their application just brought up this new issue of the use of Kellogg Park," explained Dwyer. "There should be some community benefit to something that happens in the community's biggest asset, which is the park."  As it stands, there are no rules against such an event in the park, but applications are voted on by the city commission.

Dwyer said he plans to craft specific rules for the application process in order to clarify what kind of events are allowed in the park.

Clover Salon is trying other ways to promote their business, though, while being a productive part of the community. It is doing a fundraiser for children with hair loss. The salon is collecting both hair and monetary donations until Nov. 12, when it has scheduled a fundraising event that will take place at the salon.

"It would have been nice to have an event like that in the park, so we might try to submit again to see if they'll let us do that," Emmett said.