Beachcomber Makeover: Day of pampering refreshes deserving mom

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FENWICK ISLAND — A day of pampering allowed CeCe Rodriguez to leave her many hats of mommy, server and wife at home and enjoy a relaxing day for herself.

The Beachcomber’s makeover team met the 40-year-old at Jimmy’s Kitchen in Fenwick Island just as her shift was wrapping up.

Rodriguez has been a server at the eatery for about five years and, as any server will tell you, breakfast is probably the toughest shift. Not only are you on your feet for many hours, you’re up early and the turnover is quick.

So, if anyone deserved this makeover, it was Rodriguez, said Jimmy’s Kitchen owner Jimmy Mourlas.

“She’s a hardworking mom of two young ones, she works hard for me here at the restaurant, she just deserves it,” he said. “Doing this job for such a long time, I’m sure CeCe will appreciate it, getting all pampered.”

For Rodriguez, whose husband was diagnosed with cancer in December, the experience couldn’t have come at a better time.

It’s not every day someone surprises you with a free day of pampering — this month made possible by Creative Day Spa and K-Coast Surf Shop in Ocean City — so she was looking forward to the opportunity, she said.

“(My husband) told me to go out and have fun,” she said. “I’m excited. Just having time to myself is nice.”

After whisking Rodriguez away, the makeover team — Beachcomber style expert Nic Cirillo and photographer Amanda Rippen White — headed to Creative Day Spa, located on 137th Street in Ocean City.

The transformation

With two children and a job that starts at 6 a.m., Rodriguez said her beauty routine is pretty basic.

“I get up, I pull my hair up, I brush my teeth, I wash my face — if I remember — and I roll out,” she said with a laugh.

And while she’s never dyed her hair, she was open to stylist Lauren Metro’s suggestions. Her only request was about the cut; she needed to be able to pull her hair back for work.

Metro decided to give her hair a good trim, add some layers and apply caramel and red highlights. Rodriguez has really thick hair, so Metro took out some of that weight, which gave her hair more bounce. Layers gave it some shape.

Street Painting festival, competition returns to Kayenta

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Most art festivals feature static works on display at eye level.

Not so with this weekend’s Kayenta Street Painting Festival. The art is at your feet and in progress.

“It’s a visual art, but it’s also a performing art,” says Aimee Bonham, festival coordinator. “It brings artists and students together – and even professional street painters – to create chalk murals on the ground over a two-day period.”

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Kayenta’s Coyote Gulch Art Village in Ivins.

On Saturday, 25 school teams will compete in a variety of contests, including best master copy, best original design and most colorful as well as first-, second- and third-place awards in the two different divisions: sixth to eighth grade and ninth to 12th grade.

Each school can have up to three teams.

Rod Peterson, who teaches art at the Diamond Ranch Academy, is bringing three teams to the festival. Last year he accompanied students from SunHawk Academy, where he was teaching at the time. His students from SunHawk Academy won the high school competition in 2011 with a colorful, pop art depiction of Bob Dylan.

Peterson says there aren’t as many opportunities for art students to showcase their talents as there are for students with other talents, such as athletics.

“There’s not a heck of a lot of things like this where students can go to showcase their work,” he says. “They work really, really hard and then get the opportunity to go there and show people what they can do.”

His students have been practicing and preparing for the competition this year. One team is planning a Jimi Hendrix portrait, another will paint Ray Charles and the third team will portray a modern twist on “American Gothic.”

Peterson and his wife, Justine, are also planning to paint their own square along with the professional artists. They will most likely create a Tom Petty portrait.

In addition to teaching art, the Petersons operate Gethsemane Fine Art, specializing in religious art.

Other local artists like ceramicist Brady Richardson and painters Gina Jrel and Jeff Ham will be participating among the professional artists. Additionally there will be some visiting artists, including featured artist Genna Panzarella, who brings the title of “Maestra Madonnara” to the festival.

Grove Park Inn sold

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ASHEVILLE — After 60 years under the Sammons family ownership, the iconic Grove Park Inn is getting a new owner.

After weeks of rumors, KSL Partners confirmed Tuesday that the Denver private equity group has made a firm offer for the Grove Park. The deal is expected to close in the next 30 days.

The Denver investors plan to spend $25 million in renovations to the inn’s Great Hall and other public areas, along with the guest rooms, restaurants, meeting spaces and spa in time of the 2013 celebration of the inn’s 100th anniversary.

Following the acquisition, KSL Resorts, a leading independent hotel management company, will operate the Grove Park Inn as independent luxury resort.

“The Grove Park Inn has a deep and storied past and we understand the importance of honoring the history of the property while providing the next level of service and amenities that today’s guests demand,” said Marty Newburger, a principal of KSL Capital Partners.

Kit Cramer, president and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, praised the group’s past expertise in investing and managing luxury resorts. “We’re looking forward to learning more about what KSL has in mind in terms of the renovation. The Grove Park is iconic as far as its presence in our comunity. We’re looking forward to celebrating the hotel’s 100th anniversary.”

“We believe the experience KSL Resorts has in managing properties like The Grove Park Inn partnered with our planned capital improvement program will bring a further level of luxury, service and amenities for our guests and the community to enjoy.”

KSL Capital Partners officials reportedly flew into Asheville in February with a letter of intent to buy the historic resort.

Neither Grove Park Inn officials nor a spokeswoman for KSL could confirm the investment group’s interest in the Grove Park at the time.

Rumors have swirled about the Grove Park Resort Spa since the death of Elaine Sammons, chairwoman of the board of Sammons Enterprises, who died at age 91 in 2009. Her late husband, Charles Sammons, bought the Grove Park Inn in 1955, but it was Elaine Sammons who pushed for millions of dollars of renovations and modern amenities at the resort.

Pet spending reaches all-time high

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LOS ANGELES — Americans spent $50.96 billion on their pets in 2011.

That’s an all-time high and the first time in history more than $50 billion has gone to the dogs, cats, canaries, guppies and the like, the American Pet Products Association said in a report issued Thursday.

Food and vet costs accounted for about 65 percent of the spending. But it was a service category — one that includes grooming, boarding, pet hotels, pet-sitting and day care — that grew more than any other, surging 7.9 percent from $3.51 billion in 2010 to $3.79 billion in 2011.

APPA President Bob Vetere said 2012 should be another banner year for services, predicting it would grow 8.4 percent to an estimated $4.11 billion in 2012.

Owners are taking care of their pets, said Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, a San Diego veterinarian and author of pawcurious.com. “They are planning ahead. When they go on vacation, they want to make sure their pets are well cared for,” she said.

Spending in 2011 was up 5.3 percent from 2010, when it totaled $48.35 billion, Vetere said. He estimated 2012 sales would total $53 billion.

In 2011, people spent $19.85 billion on food, $13.41 billion on vet care, $11.77 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicines, $3.79 billion on other services and $2.14 billion on animal purchases.

In 2010, they spent $18.76 billion on food, $13.01 billion on vet care, $10.94 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicines, $3.51 billion on other services and $2.13 billion on live animal purchases.

Food sales did slow down, Vetere said, even though the 5.8 percent growth exceeded projections of 4.1 percent growth.

APPA numbers indicate that animal sales and adoptions are flattening out and the number of people who switched over to high-end food products is topping out.

Pet ownership is becoming less of an impulse decision, Vogelsang said. “I am seeing a lot of people saying, ‘This isn’t the time for us.’ People are more interested in pets than ever before, but they are taking their time, once they make the commitment, to do it right.”

Firehouse Subs sets sights on Buffalo, Rochester areas

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How many submarine sandwiches, dripping with trimmings, can the Rochester community eat?

We may find out in short order. Riding into a town already well-populated with corporate-chain sandwich makers, independent delicatessens, lunch stops, snack bars and convenience stores comes Firehouse Subs, a Florida-based chain founded by a couple of former firemen.

The company has announced plans to create 47 of the sub shops in western and central New York over the next 10 years.

The first restaurant, which specializes in hot subs and big portions, is scheduled to open in Clarence, Erie County, later this year.

“We are currently looking for franchisees in the Rochester area,” said Firehouse Subs spokesperson Julia Darrenkamp.

City’s 7th Subway on Genesee St.

Speaking of Subway, a grand opening for the city’s seventh Subway shop was held last week at 910 Genesee St.

The new Subway will serve the growing community in the Brooks Landing area, which links the University of Rochester with the city. There are 103 Subway shops in western New York, including the Rochester vicinity, and more than 36,000 in 98 countries.

The owner and latest Subway franchisee is Renu Aggarawal. The restaurant is expected to add nine jobs locally.

For information, call (585) 235-6311.

Day Spa moves down Monroe Ave.

Jane Broussard, who owns Broussards Day Spa, a full-service salon and spa in Brighton, knows something about moving a business. It’s expensive to make the physical move. And it can be expensive to advertise the move.

“It’s very costly to let the public know you are moving,” Broussard said in an email.

The following might help. The spa has moved from 1541 Monroe Ave. to 1966 Monroe Ave. in Brighton.

The new location is on the ground floor of a house several blocks from the old location, also in a house, across from The Nut House on Monroe. The new sign at the new location is going up this week.

Hours at the relocated spa are the same as at the old one: 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For information, call (585) 461-5403 or go to broussardsdayspa.net.

Spinning studio arrives on Plymouth

Exercise Express Spinning Studio is opening its doors for the first time March 10 at 228 S. Plymouth Ave.

The studio is in the same building as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, according to studio owner Karen Rogers. She is a personal trainer and fitness expert. This is her first business.

“We will have six bikes for spinning classes and I will do personal training as well,” Rogers said.

The Saturday grand opening will be from 3 to 5 p.m.

For information, call (585) 748-5503.

Boomer calendar: Feb. 19-26

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Alzheimer’s support group — Woodland Pond At New Paltz, 100 Woodland Pond Circle, No. 1, New Paltz. 3-4:15 p.m. Feb. 24. Held last Thursday of the month. Group for caregivers. Free; not limited to residents of Woodland Pond. Call 845-471-2655 to register or e-mail wendy.rudder@alz.org. www.alz.org/hudsonvalley

Italian dinner feast — American Legion Post 429, 6331 Mill St., Rhinebeck. 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Menu includes chicken Parmesan, stuffed shells, meatballs, sausage, white clam and red sauces, two pasta choices, minestrone soup, salad, bread, coffee and dessert. Tickets are $15; $13, senior citizens. 845-876-4429.

Free tax preparation help — Red Hook Public Library, 7444 S Broadway, Red Hook. 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Library will offer free tax preparation help to low- and moderate-income taxpayers. Special attention will be given to senior citizens. Help provided by AARP Tax-Aide volunteers. Appointments are required. To make an appointment, dial 211 or 1-800-899-1479. Tax help will also be held April 7. For directions to the library, call 845-758-3241.

Millerton Winter Farmers Market
— Gilmor Glass Works, 2 Main St., Millerton. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 25. Market sponsored by North East Community Center. For a list of participating vendors, visit www.neccmillerton.org/millerton_farmers_market.html

Writers group meets — Barnes Noble, 2518 South Road (Route 9), Poughkeepsie. 10 a.m. Feb. 25. Meeting of the Society of Children’s Writers. Group is open to all of those who are interested in writing and producing children’s literature. Beginners are welcome. 845-485-2224.

Book group meets — Barnes Noble, 2518 South Road (Route 9), Poughkeepsie. 7 p.m. Feb. 26. Meeting of the Hudson Valley Spiritual Enlightenment Seekers. Join this group as they discuss topics such as meditation, spirituality, reincarnation, lucid dreaming, astral projection. 845-485-2224.

Sacred chanting sessions — Unison Arts Learning Center, 68 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz. 10:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 26. Sessions are the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Chairs will be provided. $10, donation. 845-255-1559.

Mid-winter Jewish film series — Temple Beth-El, 118 South Grand Ave., Poughkeepsie. 4 p.m. Feb. 26. Screening of “The Life Times of Hank Greenberg.” As Hitler invaded Europe, a young Jewish baseball player, a member of the Detroit Tigers, challenged Babe Ruth’s home run record. Film tells the story of Hammerin’ Hank, an extraordinary baseball player who transcended religious prejudice to become an American icon. Series is held on select Sundays through March. $4 suggested contribution. Refreshments will be served. 845-454-0570.

Yoga calendar

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Yoga fundamentals — Hudson River Yoga at the Poughkeepsie Plaza, 2600 South Road (Route 9), Poughkeepsie. 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays. Class for beginners aimed at developing the fundamentals of yoga postures and breathing. $14 per class. 845-337-0020. www.hudsonriveryoga.com 845-337-0020.

Gentle stretch yoga — Everybody’s Yoga, Billings Plaza, 2419 Route 82, Studio A4, LaGrangeville. 4-5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Gentle floor stretches for all levels. Drop-ins $15. 845-592-4110. www.everybodysyoga.org

Gentle yoga — Peaceful Postures Yoga Center, Oakwood Friends School Main Building, 22 Spackenkill Road, Poughkeepsie. 10-11 a.m. Thursdays. Yoga at slow pace with detailed instruction. Suitable for all levels, including beginners. Drop-ins $15. Contact Mary Platt at 845-463-3494, or peacefulpostures@gmail.com

Gentle yoga — Benedictine Hospital Auditorium, Administrative Services Building, 105 Mary’s Ave., Kingston. 9:30-10:45 a.m. Wednesdays. For all levels. Mats are provided. Caregivers welcome. $6 per class. Call 845-339-2071, Ext. 100, to register or e-mail doris.blaha@hahv.org.

Introductory orientation workshop — Yoga Way, 985 Route 376, Brookmeade Plaza, Wappingers Falls. 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Feb. 4 and 11. Workshop lays the groundwork for postures, breath, and relaxation techniques, along with an overview and approach to this classical yoga practice. $15. Call 845-227-3223, email yogaway@earthlink.net, or visit www.yogaway.info to register.

Free community yoga class — Everybody’s Yoga, Billings Plaza, 2419 Route 82, Studio A4, LaGrangeville. 1-2 p.m. Feb. 19. Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Dutchess Outreach. 845-592-4110.

Spas add new offerings as recession eases

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Infrared saunas

Cost: $1 per minute; reduced pricing with multiple-use packages; complementary add-on for some full-service salon/spa packages.

No, you won’t emerge well done, but infrared saunas use the same technology as infrared grills to heat your body, stimulating muscle relaxation and sweating. The one-person cubicles use heating panels that emit infrared radiation instead of steam or hot air. The saunas are offered as a standalone treatment or as part of destress and detoxification packages.

People can wear clothing, a bathing suit or a robe in the sauna. They spend 20 to 30 minutes in the cubicle for a treatment. Pregnant women shouldn’t use the sauna because it involves radiation. People should take medication at least four hours before a treatment or wait until they’re done. As with any heat therapy, people are encouraged to drink plenty of water.

“We have had an infrared sauna about two years, but it’s just now starting to become popular,” said Gena White, owner of Peace of Mind Center in Shreveport. “I sold gift certificates for the sauna this year.”

She noted that a mention by Dr. Mehmet Oz probably created more interest about infrared heat therapies.

“We get a lot of people in the military, and people in the movie industry who have been all over,” White said. “This year we’ve had people coming in who said, ‘Oh, I saw that in Dallas.’”

Pint-sized pedicures

Cost: $25 for a manicure/pedicure to $45 for a makeover package (individuals); $75 per child to $550 for a party package with up to eight children.

Beauty days aren’t just for bridesmaids anymore.

Spas and salons are going after younger customers with teen and tween services and packages. Offerings range from the standard manicure/pedicure combo to themed spa parties. Some, like Children’s Escape Spa in Bossier City, focus only on youngsters. Others, like Creme de la Creme Day Spa in Shreveport, make the parties a family affair.

“We wine and dine the parents while the children are getting services,” said Ruth Caldwell, who owns the business with daughters Cristy Jones and Ashley Wagner.

Creme de la Creme Spa started with the traditional grownup services when it opened nearly two years ago, then added manicures and pedicures for the under-12 set. Besides spa services, employees provide sweet treats and costumes with the party packages. Caldwell said the spa offers sophisticated touches, like a nonalcoholic signature drink and gift bags for every party goer.

“We do one or two parties a week,” Jones said. “It’s gotten to the point where we’re going to create a whole new website just for that. People don’t mind spending the money on their kids. I think they’re kind of tired of the bowling and skating and Chuck E. Cheese. They want something different.”

Council giving expenses scrutiny

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“The difference is here, you had invoices submitted every single month and you just had blanket approval,” Shoemaker said. “As far as we’re concerned, it was just reckless or maybe being too trusting. There were no questions whatsoever.”

In Jackson, council members are asking more questions than ever.

And in a nod to their concerns, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. is changing the city’s claims procedure to give council members more time to review the docket.

“There are more and more ways that stuff could be in here that people wouldn’t even know about,” Whitwell said at a recent meeting. “We are responsible for every jot and tittle, as they say in King James terms, of what’s in this claims docket.”

The recent claims totaled $1.37 million. The most expense was $530,000 paid to Waste Management of Mississippi for citywide garbage collection. But most of the document’s 59 pages were devoted to minutia. The docket listed black pens ($2.52) and legal pads ($5.83) for the Planning and Development Office, and tater tots ($18.60) and pancakes on a stick ($20.72) for city day-care centers.

A week earlier, Whitwell called attention to a line item listed only as “petty cash – finance/travel.”

“Well, I don’t know what was done with $59 in cash,” he complained.

An expense needs the approval of four other people before it goes to the council. It goes to the employee’s immediate supervisor, the department head and the finance and legal departments before the council sees it, the mayor said.

Beginning this week, council members will receive the docket a week before they’re asked to approve it, instead of the same day.

But even with more time to ask questions,some may see it as an exercise in futility. There’d be no way of knowing for sure if some expenses are legitimate without intimate knowledge of each department’s operations.

Brandon Alderman Bruce Lee said an element of trust must be in the city’s internal controls because elected officials typically have full-time jobs.

“If you don’t have time the week before or the days before and the circuit clerk doesn’t have time to explain something that might be on the agenda, then really, you’re just kind of hanging on in the blue there,” Lee said. “And I can tell you it is not a comfortable feeling. It’s quite uncomfortable.”

Stop winter from biting your lips

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The bleak, shortened days of mid-winter aren’t the only tough part about January.

This time of year, your lips are probably crying out for attention, too.

Winter air can lack moisture, making skin and lips drier than usual, says Patricia Pol, holistic skin-care expert and aesthetician at the Weleda Store Spa in Palisades. “Combine cold, dry air with a wicked winter wind, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for dry, chapped lips.”

Yet, often, we overlook the fact that the skin on our lips is just as sensitive to the environment as any other area, even prone to skin cancer. And with cold, wintry air now the norm, you’ve got to do more than, well, just pay lip service to this neglected area.

Old standbys like Vaseline, made with petrolatum, work well as a barrier against indoor and outdoor dryness, says Dr. David E. Bank, director of The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco. Dimethicone, an ingredient in many lip treatments, is also effective, says Bank, as is Aquaphor, an all-purpose ointment.

Pol prefers to use products made with protective plant oils or beeswax. Weleda Skin Food, a multitasking moisturizer that works well on the lips, contains organic pansy, chamomile and sweet almond and sunflower-seed oils, which can nourish dry skin, says Pol. She also likes the company’s Everon lip balm and Weather Protection Cream.

To get the best effect from any kind of balm or treatment, be sure your lips are moist first, ideally with a few drops of water, suggests Bank. But resist the urge to lick them.

“Obviously it brings immediate relief, because you’re adding moisture, but it’s a double whammy, because as saliva evaporates, it takes even more of the water from the lip with it,” says Bank. Even worse, he says, saliva contains digestive enzymes that work like a solvent.

“It’s better to reach for your lip balm, and if you feel you want to moisten them, reach for some water, but don’t do it by licking.”

Keep in mind that sun damage remains a threat year-round — and that while skiiers need to be extra-vigilant about skin and lip protection, so does everyone else who goes outside.