Tim Manning (Right) reently opened Shear Fusion hair salon on Alachua's Main Street.

ALACHUA - If you’re in Alachua and need a haircut, there’s a new salon creating a lot of buzz.

Owner Tim Manning opened Shear Fusion on Nov. 2. He said he decided to open the salon after finishing cosmetology school.

“I’ve always wanted to have my own business,” he said. “I’m really good at doing hair. It just seemed like the logical thing to do.”

He said he also wanted to save money and avoid a long commute. The salon is located on Alachua’s Main Street.

“It made more sense to open something on my own that’s literally right down the road from where I live,” he said.

Manning said he’s received positive feedback from customers so far.

Alachua resident Diana Felver said she first started visiting Shear Fusion after she found out her hairdresser was relocating. Although Felver said she hasn’t had her hair done at the salon yet, she’s bought hair products from the salon.

“The products we’re getting from them -- I’m like a walking advertisement,” she said. “Everyone’s asking, ‘What did you do to your hair?’”

She said her 19-year-old daughter, Jillian, visited the salon for a haircut and dye and loved it.

“She said it was the best haircut she ever had,” Felver said. “The color is really gorgeous.”

Felver said her daughter enjoyed the salon for the atmosphere as well.

“She said Tim was the most humorous hairdresser she’s ever been to. She said he made her laugh the entire time. It was a really fun experience for her, too.”

Manning said the salons prices are affordable with highlights priced at $65, hair color at $45, women’s haircuts at $25 and men’s haircuts at $10.

Local police officers, firefighters and EMTs receive half-priced haircuts at the salon. Manning said it’s done to show gratitude.

“They’re our local heroes,” he said.

City of Alachua employees receive a 10 percent discount on services at Shear Fusion.

“We want to do something in return for all the people who bolster us up,” he said.

Manning said he hopes to keep the salon on Main Street for a long time. He said he loves the camaraderie local business owners have.

“We’re gonna be here,” he said. “I absolutely love Alachua.”

Manning thinks a small-town salon might make customers feel more at home.

“You get to know the people and you get to know their stories,” he said. “Essentially, you end up with not just customers, but friends all over the place.”

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HAWTHORNE – The Hawthorne Area Historical Society will be hosting their second Annual Hawthorne Heritage Day on Saturday, Jan. 19. The event will be a include antique cars, old-time family activities including candle dipping, rope and corn husk doll making. Great “local” barbeque by Pop Herring and music for singing and dancing will also help celebrate Hawthorne’s history. Special guest Sharon Ferraro of the Old House Network will talk about “Preservation – Opportunity from our Past for our Future at 2 p.m.

Hawthorne Heritage Day will be held at the Hawthorne Museum and Cultural Center located at 7225 S.E. 221 Street in Hawthorne from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. For further information call 352-318-1265 or 352-494-3790.

HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs City Manager Edwin Booth is expected to request the City Commission to schedule a public hearing sometime between the Jan. 10 and Jan. 24 regular commission meetings to receive comments and input from citizens regarding their ideas for the use of the old school building.

“In the past,” said Booth, “the Civic Center has acted as the community center.” Suggesting that the refurbished school building might be more centrally located, Booth said he thought the various size rooms might be ideal for meetings and other community events. However, Booth is adamant that the Commission needs to hear how the citizens feel about the use of the building before any decision is made.

Booth said he also looked into the possibility of venting and installing a stove to accommodate cooking classes or other events where food might need to be prepared. “The cost is prohibitive,” he said. “It’s in the $100,000 range, which is way too much for the City to consider.”

Due to a lack of cooking facilities at the school, the elder program will most likely remain at the Civic Center.

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Christmas was merrier this year for some area youngsters thanks to the High Springs Police Department’s annual gift giveaway. Police Department officers and employees loaded up a truck with presents for an early Christmas delivery last Wednesday.

HIGH SPRINGS – With massive support from the High Springs community, clubs and businesses, as well as the High Springs Police Department, 20 children in High Springs will have a merrier Christmas this year. High Springs Police Department Dispatch Supervisor Stephanie Hall organized this year’s gift giveaway for children who may not have had gifts without the help of the police officers and staff. “This is an annual event for the department,” explained Hall.

The gift giveaway, which began about one week prior to Christmas, is intended for children from 10 months to 16 years old, who were identified by their school or church as being in need of some Christmas cheer. “One person, who was a victim of a crime, had three children. We included her children as well,” said Hall.

More gifts and large stockings full of candy and other treats were also distributed on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 19, 2012, as uniformed police officers, Police Chief Steve Holley and Hall herself handed out beautifully wrapped packages to the children. Each family also received food items such as corn, green beans and stuffing to help round out their holiday meal.

“The Rotary Club went above and beyond as Heather Clarich obtained the donated use of the High Springs New Century Woman’s Club building, provided tons of Rotary Club volunteers and facilitated dinners for 35-40 people who met to wrap presents,” said Hall. The Rotary Club brought wrapping paper, tape and other items needed to wrap presents as well as three tables stacked with gifts.

“We had 15 people from our department, which included some family members, previous employees and one student doing ‘ride a longs’ with the department, and the Rotary Club fed us all as we wrapped presents,” said Hall.

High Springs Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Webb said she donated two big boxes of unused toys and candy canes received from Dollar Tree for the Chamber’s use in the Christmas parade as stocking stuffers for the kids. “We just didn’t use it all, so I thought it should go to others who could use it.”

The rest of the items were provided by “lots of citizens,” explained Hall, as well as from Camp Kulaqua, which donated 50 gifts, the Interact Club at Santa Fe High School, which donated toys, Eastern Star Santa Fe Chapter which donated 15 pairs of pajamas, cash and several toys, employees of the High Springs Police Department, who donated Christmas stockings, time and various other items, and cash donations from the High Springs Bridge Club, and Eric Shupe and Richard Piz of AllStar Tattoo who donated money to the department from the Halloween Tatoo Haunted Maze proceeds in October. “A very generous cash donation from High Springs Fence & Construction was also received,” said Hall. Also providing donated items were Dollar General and Family Dollar, with both companies contributing huge boxes of toys. Winn Dixie also made toy contributions and Pizza 2 Go made a financial contribution.

Two children’s gifts were donated from a detective from Gilchrist County who has a relative that works with the High Springs Police Department. Decorations and two small bags of canned goods will be passed out as well.

“There were too many donations to list them all,” said Hall, “but we used each and every donation to help make Christmas brighter for these children.”

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