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Swampscott shuts down ‘non-essential’ hair salon
By Gayla Cawley | May 8, 2020
SWAMPSCOTT — A Humphrey Street hair salon was shut down Wednesday and fined after the town’s public health director looked inside the business and saw a woman getting her hair dyed.
Hair salons have been deemed non-essential businesses and have therefore been ordered closed by Gov. Charlie Baker and the town of Swampscott until May 18.
Jeff Vaughan, the town’s public health director, said he became aware of the violation at Raffaele’s Hair Salon after following up on a call from the Swampscott Police Department.
Police had been tipped off that the hair salon, located at 404 Humphrey St., had been operating on Wednesday, Vaughan said.
“I visited the location and noted through the door window that the lights were off, but a woman was in the chair with items in her hair typically used when coloring and (for) other hair maintenance,” Vaughan wrote in an email to The Item. “I spoke to (a) salon worker and stated that this act was a clear violation of a non-essential business operating (ban) and they needed to close.”
Vaughan said he issued a cease and desist order, which was posted at the salon’s door, and issued a $200 fine.
According to the state’s website, non-essential business violations may result in a civil fine up to $300 or criminal charges.
Salon owner Ralph Balducci said he was just doing a friend’s hair and had not been open for any other reason. He doesn’t plan to dispute the fine.
“I can’t dispute it because theoretically, I wasn’t supposed to be there,” said Balducci. “So, I guess I was in the wrong.”
Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald called the violation “egregious” and said it was mindless for a non-essential business to operate during a time when those activities are restricted and Swampscott is seeing its peak in cases, which includes seven recent fatalities.
“It shows a complete disregard of the welfare and the safety of the patrons and the residents of the community,” said Fitzgerald. “That’s a violation of both the town’s and the state’s order for the prohibition on non-essential business activities. Certainly, that is not something we will tolerate and will aggressively lock down on those types of breaches of public trust and public health.”
Fitzgerald said Raffaele’s has been the town’s only non-essential business violator, and he’s hopeful it will remain an isolated incident.
While Fitzgerald said he’s sympathetic to the financial impact the virus is having on small businesses, he said the restrictions are necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
Noting the comprehensive discussion that the Swampscott Select Board and Board of Health held with more than 40 small businesses impacted by the virus on Wednesday evening, Fitzgerald said “we want to be helpful, but we can’t let folks put themselves and others at risk right now.
“There needs to be protocols, things in place to mitigate the transmission of this deadly virus,” said Fitzgerald.