



News and Events in Flat Rock, Michigan
By Joe Pagano
By Joe Pagano
Walk into Shagg Salon in downtown Flat Rock Michigan and you will be greeted with a 1920s decor, leopard prints, and a friendly hello from the receptionist at the desk. It is the place Gina Dandy always dreamed of owning.
“I’ve been a stylist for more than forty years , my whole adult life – and working with my daughter Dayna is something I always wanted to do,” said Gina, “Shagg Salon is truly a dream come true!”
That dream materialized back in 2007 when Gina and her daughter Dayna Ritter purchased a beautiful 1924 historic home. For years, Gina had her eye on the unique home, knowing in her heart that the ornate design, location, and overall curb appeal would make it the perfect place for her salon. When the building went up for sale, the mother-daughter duo scooped it up. With family by their sides, Gina and Dayna began the process of remodeling the space. In June of 2009, Shagg Salon officially opened for business!
“It was overwhelming to see the place we put so much love, time, and money into creating finally open. It brought me to tears,” said Dayna, “Shagg Salon has been my mom’s dream for as long as I can remember; to help bring it to fruition was simply amazing!”
Shagg Salon grew into a staple within the Flat Rock community with a steadily growing clientele and very talented staff, but on April 15, 2018, their dream literally went up in flames as a devastating fire that ripped through the historic home. While distraught by what happened, the family of stylists were also humbled with an outpouring of community support. Flat Rock began showing support through fundraisers and other offerings to help to the Shagg crew. Aubrey’s Beauty Salon in Riverview even offered up space so the girls could continue in their crafts. For two years, Gina, Dayna, and their staff continued to service all their clients during the day while using their non-salon hours to pour everything they had, for a second time, into rebuilding their salon.
In June 2020, Shagg Salon finally reopened for business.
“The fire, the devastation, the work two times over – I would not wish that on anyone,” Gina shared, following with, “Yet we survived, and we were able to rebuild and come back. That’s no small feat.”
The new Shagg is even stronger than before with a united team of stylists, confident in their mission to be a family through hard work and love. From the beginning, Gina and Dayna’s motto has been a simple “I love you”. They are one big family: staff, clients, and the Flat Rock community. Their goal is for everyone to feel welcomed and loved when they are in their salon. To quote one of their longtime clients, “they serve kindness.” This is the vibe and energy you feel from the moment you walk in until the moment you walk out the door.
Shagg is a full-service salon offering a plethora of head-to-toe services to accommodate all your beauty wishes! Whether you are looking for a new hairstyle, extending your lashes, lessons on how to apply makeup, or a special occasion updo, Shagg Salon is here to make you feel beautiful and loved.
Shagg’s team consists of nine stylists, three assistants, a nail tech, and an extremely friendly receptionist. The Shagg team strives to be humbly talented in their crafts and pass along their knowledge to local schools of cosmetology in the area. Standing as members of their community, is very important to the Shagg family always give back to a town that has given them so much.
If you are looking for that one-of-a-kind experience that will not only have you looking amazing when you leave but also feeling loved, come visit Shagg! They offer gift certificates, monthly specials, and client referral incentives.
Shagg Salon is located at 26317 Gibraltar Rd, Flat Rock, MI 48134
(734) 782-8989
www.facebook.com/shaggsalon630/
Hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 9AM–9PM
Wednesday 9AM–9PM
Thursday 9AM–9PM
Friday 9AM–6PM
Saturday 9AM–4PM
Sunday Closed
Feature story written by Shayla Viterllo-Hopper, Flat Rock Our Hometown
By Joe Pagano
Feature story written by Shayla Viterllo-Hopper
Flat Rock Our Hometown
By Joe Pagano
Flat Rock Rite Aid is this months Featured Business
Our local Rite Aid opened in Flat Rock in 1999. That year, they purchased the corner lot of Telegraph and Gibraltar, where the Historic Smith Hotel was located. As part of the agreement in purchasing the land, Rite Aid moved the Historic Smith Hotel to The Historic Park in Flat Rock, which is now the primary museum for the Flat Rock Historical Society. Rite Aid aided in the transition of this historical building to show their commitment to Flat Rock. Now 21 years later, they are still a strong part of our community.
When meeting with their manager, Corin, and one of the employee’s, Lara, they both expressed that this Flat Rock store is been their favorite Rite Aid store to work for. They both spoke to how the friendliest, patient, and most understanding people live in Flat Rock. They expressed such love for the customers here. It shows; the store has won honor for raising more donations for the Children’s Miracle Network the last 5 years in their district. Customers donate book and movies to Children’s Miracle Network beginning in March and the program lasts for six weeks.
Rite Aid offers all your pharmaceutical needs, along with everything a drug store offers, including dry good, beverages, and seasonal items. One thing Rite Aid offers that isn’t always known is Flu Shots and Pneumonia shots. Rite Aid also offers necessary services, that may not be the most desirable thing to think about when it comes to drug use, by supplying Narcan (lifesaving overdose medicine) to those in need with no questions asked, providing lifesaving care to our community.
Rite Aid has been long standing business in Flat Rock that offers everything a community need or wants. We are happy to feature them. If you haven’t been in, please stop by. The employees are the most helpful and they have almost everything you could want.
Location:
28659 Telegraph Rd, Flat Rock, MI 48134
Hours:
Sunday -Saturday 8am- 10pm
Click Here for the Flat Rock Rite Aid Webpage.
Feature story written by Shayla Viterllo-Hopper
Flat Rock Our Hometown
Stay with the Downtown Flat Rock for the latest information on what’s happening in the area including “The 2020 Flat Rock Business Forum” coming in March.
By Joe Pagano
Flat Rock Our Hometown’s Decembers Featured Business is Strands Salon and Barbershop
Strands Salon & Barber Shop has a long history of influence with hair. The building has been a beauty or a barber shop in Flat Rock since the early 1900s. Many Flat Rock residents remember it as Club Barber Shop. Continuing this history of hair care in Flat Rock, Strands Hair Salon and Barber Shop opened in 1997 at 26318 E. Huron River Dr. Flat Rock.
Strands is a family owned business, run by Ginny Sims and Shayla Hopper. Ginny started Strands in 1979 on Grosse Ile. She moved Strands to Flat Rock in 1997. Ginny fell in love with the history of the building and Flat Rock, believing it was the perfect location. Both the community and the building embodied her beliefs, one of hard work ethic, loyalty, family and a long history.
Ginny has been in the hair business for fifty–three years, apprenticing five hairdressers and hiring countless new graduates and training them. She has owned a business for thirty–nine years and is semi-retired now. Ginny’s daughter, Shayla, manages most of the day to day. Shayla has been in the salon her whole life and carries on the family business beliefs and values every day at Strands. Recently Celebrating her mom’s 50th anniversary in the hair care business, Shayla said, “personally, I have never met anyone who has cared more about her staff or clients then my mom. Of course, I am biased, she’s my mom. But I have been in this business for twenty–two years and know she is unique. She treats people so kindly, she always told me that everyone’s money is green, never treat the CEO or homeless man any different, they come her to feel and look good. This comes from a woman who started out in Grosse Point styling Mrs. Clay Ford’s hair, now she’s in little Flat Rock. In 50 years, she’s never swayed from that belief.”
Strands recently restored the building to its original historical des
Strand Hair Salon & Barber shop has very talented hairstylists, Renae who has been with Strands for 8 years she is their top stylist, she offer an array of color, razor cuts, precision cuts, and clipper cuts. Emily is their newest stylist, is exceptional with fantasy color. Strands now has a Barber, Gail, with 41 years of experience who offers men haircuts with straight razor around the ear & neck shaves and straight razor face shaves. They also have an apprentice, Melanie who is extremely talented and can offer hair color and cuts at a discounted price.
Strands Hair Salon & Barber Shop can be reached at 734-782-6590 or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
Hours:
Tuesday 8 am – 7pm
Wednesday 8 am – 5 pm
Thursday 8 am – 8 pm
Friday 8 am – 6 pm
Saturday 10 am -4 pm
Here are a few Historic Pictures from Strands of Hair.
The first Euro-American settlers in Flat Rock were Michael Vreeland and his five grown sons between 1811 and 1820. Michael had been captured by British Rangers during the Revolutionary War and released after American independence.
The family purchased 800 acres (3.2 km2). The town was called the Village of Vreeland until 1838 when the Vreeland family sold off the majority of the land and relinquished control of the area. The Vreeland families built the first grain and lumber mill, having brought the grinding stones from New York.
Descendants of Michael Vreeland still live in the town and attend Flat Rock public schools, being the seventh generation to reside in the town their family founded.