‘Hare' brained decision causes bad ‘hair' weeks

To the Editor: My mother has been a resident of Valley View since 1990. Only during a couple of hospitalizations did she ever miss her weekly beauty parlor appointment at the Valley View Beauty Shop. As a result of the layoffs of two Valley View hairdressers, however, that weekly beauty parlor appointment was eliminated for three weeks. My mother had her hair done on Nov. 18 and her next appointment was not until Dec. 9. The reason Valley View residents missed between two and three weeks of hair care was because the Valley View Beauty Shop was closed. One Valley View supervisor told me an “administrative decision” was made to close the beauty shop because one hairdresser was taking her approved vacation and the remaining hairdresser could not operate the shop alone due to safety issues. The issue of safety, in a location where there are many elderly, frail and sick residents, perm and color chemicals, scissors, hot water and other variables, makes good sense. What does not make good sense or any sense is laying off two hairdressers when the remaining two hairdressers will invariably have vacations and may even get sick. It appears this beauty shop coverage issue and the resulting staffing ramifications were never considered, when two hairdressers were part of the 35-employee layoff at the end of October. Will our beloved family members continue with reduced beauty salon services or will at least one of the hairdressers be reinstated to provide a service that allows our family members to “look good” and thereby feel better about themselves? While beauty parlor services may appear frivolous, this is one of the few pleasures our loved ones have left in life. They pay for this service with their own personal funds. It is significant to note, my telephone calls to William Pascocello, Valley View Administrator, and Edward Diana, County Executive, regarding this matter have gone unanswered. Mary Ann McDonough Otisville