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Community Corner

Studio 786 Salon Combats Gulf Oil Spill

Melrose hair salon sending hair clippings to help absorb oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.

While watching images of the Gulf oil spill could make some people feel helpless, one local hair salon owner has become pro-active about the unfolding catastrophe.

Angela Nogueira, owner of 786 Salon and Day Spa, remembered hearing a story during the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill about how hair clippings can be used to add to the booms to help absorb oil.

"When I saw the TV news showing the explosion and all that oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico," Nogueira said, "I immediately got on the computer and started Googling."

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Nogueira said she finally found the website for Matter of Trust, an environmental non-profit organization based in California that has been helping with spills since 1998 by gathering hair clippings from across the country.  The clippings collected — not only from hair salons and barbershops, but from pet groomers and wool farmers — are then stuffed into nylon stockings, which are then added to booms that soak up the oil.

"I contacted them immediately and asked what we can do to help." Nogueira said. "So we started to collect the hair clippings that were being swept up."

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Because of the overwhelming response from all over the country, Matter of Trust has had to set up destination sites for the boxes to be shipped.  Salon 786's destination drop is Destin, FL.

"Matter of Trust contacted BP to help with shipping costs," Nogueira said. "But so far, there's been no response."

The staff at the salon decided that it wasn't worth waiting around and has already shipped out its first box on its own dime.

"It takes a lot of hair to fill even a little box," Nogueira said. "We are hoping to fill a box a month."

To get the ball rolling a little more, Salon 786 is also offering a 20 percent discount to first-time clients for coming and helping the effort. Nogueira said that several people have come in since hearing about the effort and she has even heard from another area hair salon looking to help out.

"That's been another positive about this experience," Nogueira said, "that other people have been affected and are taking up the challenge as well."

No stranger to charitable endeavors, the Saugus resident, who previously owned Shear Magic at 689 Main St., moved into the old Red Cross building at 786 Main St. in February of 2009. Since the move, she has hosted a number of events at the salon, including Pampering with a Purpose — a fundraiser for the North Suburban Child and Family Resource Network (formerly the North Suburban Family Network) — and is a big believer in giving to local causes as well.

 But Nogueira admitted the spill really hit a nerve.

"It's just so sad to see what is happening," Norgueira said. "I knew whatever the staff could do would be worthwhile."

Nogueira heard from Matter of Trust earlier this month saying how pleased the organization is with the campaign to get the word out about how the hair clippings are needed — so much so that word has spread across borders and donations are starting to pour in from all over the world.

But as good as that news is, Nogueira said there seems to be no end in sight either.

"We're talking about miles and miles of booms that need to be filled and this could go on for years and years," she said.

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