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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
South Boston Greets Salon 120 West by Rick Winterson
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ast Saturday, October 24, a new enterprise opened its doors at 120 West Broadway. The enterprise’s name – “Salon 120 West” – evokes its location memorably; their signage points out how new and modern Salon 120 West really is, by footnoting it “ – Est. 2020 – ”. Taylor Portanova and Kasey Bertucci are the owners of Salon 120 West. They hail from Quincy and of course are both licensed and offer much experience in beauty services. For the last seven years, the two of them have worked together in the ‘burbs around the City of Boston. During our interview, they vividly described their decision to go out on their own, with Kasey describing it as “our vision”, and Taylor simply saying “passionata” – no need to translate! Senior Stylist
Mia Carbone and Apprentice Hannah Graveline round out the Salon 120 West’s staff – “At your service!” The décor at Salon 120 West is nicely done – in fact, it’s striking. Darker colors ascend from the teak-colored floors and the black leathern working seats, and then blend with warm yellows and white as they rise. Some areas of the walls are decorated with 3D leafy sprays and petals, an effective contrast. And speaking about color, Taylor and Kasey mentioned with particular pride the extensive skills in hair coloring they bring to their clients in South Boston. Be sure to ask them about it. And in addition to their dozen or so hair coloring services, their skills include cuts, styling, straightening treatments, and extensions. They asked that South Boston Online mention the precautions they plan to take while the pandemic still lurks: “At Salon 120 West, our pandemic precautions are all in place. We’ll follow every guideline.” Visits there are by
Taylor Portanova (l.), Co-Owner; Kasey Bertucci (r.), Co-Owner; with Apprentice Hannah Graveline (center). Not shown: Mia Carbone, Senior Stylist. appointment only. Phone 617-3157440; log onto salon120west.com. And if you are a couple who are reading this, you might want to arrange a joint visit for the two of you – next door to Salon
120 West, there’s a barbershop named “Blair and Blade” operated by a nice guy named Nate Barnes, a licensed master barber. His phone is 540-5208098; log onto blairandblade.genbook.com
Therapy Horses Bring Smiles to Seniors at Compass on the Bay
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hile Idaho the miniature horse may be small in stature, he performs a very important job. Residents of Compass on the Bay, a Memory Support Assisted Living Community in South Boston, recently enjoyed a visit from Idaho and the team at Lifting Spirits Miniature Therapy Horses, who travel to senior living communities and other care settings providing comfort, and a little laughter, to everyone they meet. Lifting Spirits’ therapy horses are trained to interact with people of all ages to assist in alleviating both mental
and physical stress on the body. Along with bringing joy to seniors, contact with animals has several benefits including lowering blood pressure, releasing endorphins, reducing agitation, and may even stimulate fond memories from residents’ pasts, which is particularly comforting to those experiencing memory loss. “Our miniature horses offer a really unique experience for these residents, and can be a much-needed distraction from any loneliness or challenges they may be experiencing that day,” said Toni Hadad, Founder and President of Lifting Spirits. “People can’t help but smile when we walk in. It is incredible how these little horses make such a big impact.” Compass on the Bay is a Memory Support Assisted Living community dedicated exclusively to those with memory loss. For more information on Compass on the Bay’s holistic approach to Memory Care, please visit www.CompassontheBay. com. For information on Lifting Spirits Miniature Therapy Horses, visit www.MiniTherapyHorses.net.