Hair

INSIDE/OUT The first of two parts. I can count on one hand the great loves of my life, and the one I count on my little finger is a tall, brown-haired girl named Aubrey. Aubrey and I were 14 when we met. She was the first big crush of my life, and my first girlfriend. And it would have been among my happiest childhood memories were it not for the fact Aubrey turned out to be a Nazi. OK, she wasn't a real, swastika-wearing Nazi -- more a Nazi sympathizer.

When you're on your own, you can either be the tiger or the rabbit - the opportunist or the victim. A long time ago, Robert Standlee chose to be the tiger. He would mold life the way he wanted; he would make the most of the fortune that came his way. And if fortune skipped his address as it came calling, Standlee made damn sure he got its attention. “If you see yourself as a victim in any way, you're saying you don't have control. But if you have power over your life, you can forgive people and move on,” he said.

The roar of cheering students drowned out the buzz of the electric hair clippers being used to shave John Muir Middle School Principal Dan Hacking's bright pink hair into a Mohawk Wednesday at the school's Family Fun Night. Hacking had agreed to have his hair shaved and styled into a colored Mohawk if students raised $2,500 for the Red Cross to help Hurricane Katrina Victims. Assistant Principal David Cole agreed to join him if the students raised more than $3,000.

There's been a lot of hype in the media lately about gray hair. It's hip (American Idol Taylor Hicks), it's hot (CNN stud-nerd Anderson Cooper), it's superhumanly sexy (Halle Berry in "X-Men"), it's a possible sign of a thyroid disorder or a B12 deficiency if it sets in at a young age (says AOL news). Of course, that's in America. If I were getting my news from the British press, it would be "grey" hair and examples might include some secrets from Mick Jagger's hairdresser or shots of that sizzling-hot Margaret Thatcher.

Laura Sturza Candy Conery is a woman who has run her hands through Elvis' hair. And John Wayne's. More recently, her fingers have tousled the heads of Vince Vaughn and Tim Curry. As if those credits weren't enough, the owner of WigWorks Studio recently put those same hands to work on the blond tresses of a friend, creating a long, red 'do for the actress' recent film. "Her husband went 'Oh, thank you,' " Conery said of the enthusiastic response the new redhead received.

John 12:3 tells us, "Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." (Holy Bible, New International Version) Mary's act of devotion to our Lord was expensive and unusual. Not only was perfume typically poured upon someone's head, Mary used her hair to wipe Jesus' feet ? and a reputable woman in those days did not unbind her hair in public. What can we learn from this act of devotion?

INSIDE/OUT You often hear that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. But if you're a Silva and male, another certainty is that you'll go bald at an early age. All of the men in my family possessed or possess the cue-ball gene -- my father, his father, my uncles, brothers and cousins all suffered the same, hairless fate. It's a fate we were destined at birth to meet and meet soon. No one escapes. It isn't an easy thing, to be bald in a society that worships youth and beauty.

authorAuthor hopes the story will teach children lessons about family life, the true meaning of Christmas and the acts of selfless giving. Burbank author Sylvia Hysen has combined a story of selfless giving with a special message that she hopes will spread to those in need. Her self-published book "A Very Dairy Christmas" has just been released and is available on Amazon.com. It falls into the contemporary general fiction and family saga categories. The story is about dysfunctional family life and how three generations of women have a lot more in common than they thought, she said.

Mark R. Madler The television news truck outside the apartment building where Lillian Avila and her daughter, Jennifer, live did not attract much attention Friday morning, least of all from Lillian, who is used to seeing the trucks around the city. But when a camera crew and reporter with "Good Day Live" turned up at her door to inform Lillian she was the recipient of the show's "Knock, Knock, Makeover" segment, the dressmaker and seamstress had to hold back tears and calm herself.

Laura Sturza AIRPORT DISTRICT -- For a man who has held barber's shears in his fingers nearly every workday for 63 years, Peter Mora is looking forward to having time on his hands. Mora trimmed his last customer Dec. 27, after cutting men's hair for 25 years at his shop, Hairport at the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport. Cutting the hair of Lockheed employees, he had the chance to meet many high-ranking officials, but stopped short of dropping names.

When you're on your own, you can either be the tiger or the rabbit - the opportunist or the victim. A long time ago, Robert Standlee chose to be the tiger. He would mold life the way he wanted; he would make the most of the fortune that came his way. And if fortune skipped his address as it came calling, Standlee made damn sure he got its attention. “If you see yourself as a victim in any way, you're saying you don't have control. But if you have power over your life, you can forgive people and move on,” he said.

Martina Maina happened to listen to talk radio in her car a few weeks ago on her way to lunch, two things she rarely does. The founder, hair designer and make-up artist at TBirds Hair and Nail Salon in Burbank is usually so busy she skips lunch - but on Oct. 12, she was “just devastated” by the news of the Salon Meritage shooting in Seal Beach that left eight people dead. On Monday, she kicked off a fundraiser at her own salon for the families of the Seal Beach victims.

As Walmart considers what to do with the Great Indoors site near the Empire Center, the company has assured Burbank city officials that it will seek public input on amenities and store hours, should they choose to move in. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said Tuesday that the company has experience in hosting forums in cities where the mega-retailer has opened. In Washington, D.C., where Walmart is scheduled to open four stores, about 60 community meetings have been held during the past several months, he added.

Burbank business owner Stephanie Singleton says "hair is hair," but her salon day at the PATH homeless shelter in Los Angeles brightened clients' day. The scheduled "Glamour Day" was intended to expose clients to hair, makeup, photography and other services that may not be able to afford. When the other vendor canceled at the last minute, Singleton, owner of Xtending Hair in Burbank, stepped up to create a full salon day for the 10 women who attended. Singleton originally planned to teach the residents sew-in hair weaves and extension techniques to later use on their own. Although she did perform some weave services, many of the women were just excited to have their hair washed in the shampoo bowl.

Moteaze’s Salon and Spa in Burbank may well add “gallery” to its name. Located at 4021 W. Burbank Blvd., the salon mixes hair styling with the works of local artists. It held a pre-grand-opening celebration where family and friends of Moteaze, who goes only by one name, gathered to sample some of the hair salon and spa’s services. Prior to the celebration, artist-in-residence Melissa May Curtis could be found with hammer in hand as she hung her works of art on the salon’s gray walls.

BURBANK — Hundreds of students and their parents received free school supplies, dental treatments and haircuts Saturday at Earthwalk Park as part of the city’s annual Peyton-Grismer Back-to-School Celebration. Neighboring streets filled with residents and their cars well before the 10:30 a.m. kickoff as organizers unloaded 480 backpacks and binders, face paint, dental equipment and beauty supplies. Organized through the Community Development Department’s Connect with Your Community initiative, the annual block party events draw from area nonprofits and service clubs such as the Kids’ Community Dental Clinic, Boys & Girls Club and Burbank Noon Lions, with the goal of engaging residents and inspiring leadership within the five focus neighborhoods, said Community Resources Coordinator Gaby Flores.

So I’m driving home the other day and we pass a barber shop. The kids notice the candy stick-like barber pole out front and ask what that means. “I’m glad you ask,” I tell them, and proceed to enlighten them with what Wikipedia told me. “In the Middle Ages,” I start, “barbers not only cut hair, but also performed surgery and tooth extractions. Oh, and they used leeches for bloodletting. A basin at the top of the pole represented the vessel in which the leeches were kept.

NORTHWEST BURBANK — A fatal incident Saturday in which a woman stepped in front of a Metrolink train in Burbank was likely suicide, police said Monday, as officials work to speed up safety regulations on rail crossings throughout Southern California. Authorities have not released the woman’s name, but Burbank Police Department Sgt. Robert Quesada said she was a 39-year-old resident of North Hollywood. Her family had not yet been notified Monday. The Metrolink train was traveling north at 6:25 p.m. Saturday when the engineer saw a woman approach the tracks at the corner of Buena Vista Street and San Fernando Road, Quesada said.

NORTHWEST BURBANK — A fatal incident Saturday in which a woman stepped in front of a Metrolink train in Burbank was likely suicide, police said Monday, as officials work to speed up safety regulations on rail crossings throughout Southern California. Authorities have not released the woman’s name, but Burbank Police Department Sgt. Robert Quesada said she was a 39-year-old resident of North Hollywood. Her family had not yet been notified Monday. The Metrolink train was traveling north at 6:25 p.m. Saturday when the engineer saw a woman approach the tracks at the corner of Buena Vista Street and San Fernando Boulevard, Quesada said.