BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Boccaccio’s & Cason’s Corner Hair Salon, located at 56 Green Street in Bellows Falls, is this month celebrating the two-year anniversary of the successful Cason’s Corner addition to the longtime local business.
Originally opened in 1989 by Lori Brown, who still operates her Boccaccio’s Hair Salon in nearby Springfield, the Bellows Falls location was in danger of closing a couple of years ago, after the pandemic had hit the local community hard. However, Brown’s first-ever employee, Sheila Quelch, who had worked alongside Lori since the very beginning of her business, eagerly agreed to take over the Bellows Falls location.
Quelch then remodeled the entire workspace, and in mid-July of 2021, re-opened the solon as Boccaccio’s & Cason’s Corner.
“I started working at Boccaccio’s from the beginning, and other than co-owning another salon for a four-year stretch, I’ve worked alongside Lori for 28 years,” Sheila Quelch said in a previous interview. “I have a great emotional attachment to this salon, and was determined to find a way to keep the Bellows Falls salon open.”
This writer also recalls Sheila discussing the possibilities of how “every girl has her own idea for a dream salon.” She envisioned her salon to feature a fun area for children to get their haircut, and additionally, to especially help children with special needs such as autism, ADHD, or brain injuries, and for a very special reason.
Some five years ago, Sheila’s grandson, Cason, suffered a severe brain injury that affected his ability to sit still for long periods of time and to tolerate a lot of noise. “I was motivated to look for equipment to accommodate Cason and other children with disabilities,” Quelch said. “I found some quieter clippers and blow dryers, things that might help make the experience easier for kids.”
The remodeled salon was transformed into an open space divided between the main salon and the “Cason’s Corner” children’s area, with an additional room to be utilized as a nail salon moving forward. The kid’s area currently features a special Mickey Mouse “roadster racing chair” and colorful wall murals.
“Kids have come to us from all over the local area to get their haircut…from as far away as Rutland,” Sheila added. “Our goal was to simply help kids who have a hard time getting their hair cut, and because of Cason’s Corner, we have created a lot of great clientele relationships over the last two years.”
One happy customer said, “Both of my kids love getting their hair cut at Cason’s Corner – they ask to go get a haircut nearly every week. The hair dressers are great with them, and I am so thankful that we found this wonderful place!”
Boccaccio’s & Cason’s Corner is located at 56 Green Street in Bellows Falls, and the hours are Monday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The salon can be reached at 802-463-4495, and they are currently accepting new clients.