Local loses locks for lucre

Toni Lucas

Whispering Winds residents gathered around the lounge area there on Friday April 4 to witness an event that has not been seen in over 20 years. Their head chef James Rowley was going to get his mustache shaved.

A classic soup strainer

It all started one week earlier. According to resident beautician Jocelyne Sheen, someone asked what it would take for Rowley to bid farewell to his his face fur, and he said that if they raised money for it, he would do it. He agreed to shave his head too.

Jocelyne Sheen and James Rowley
T. Lucas photos

Whispering Winds residents saw the gauntlet thrown down, and rose to the challenge. Within one week Rowling was the recipient of a haircut that garnered $410.50 for the Whispering Winds Social Club.  The club is currently saving to create a set of horseshoe pits.

Rowley admitted to being somewhat nervous, as he had not seen his upper lip hairless in over 20 years. The fact that he had not let his wife know about this may have caused some tremors of nervousness as well.

"Should we set up the show suite?" a helpful wag offered when that tidbit was revealed. Rowley had great confidence that his wife would still recognize and accept him afterwards, so he graciously declined.

Beautician Sheen teased Rowley as she clipped the hair on his head short. The two have worked together at Whispering Winds since it opened three years ago. This was the first $400 haircut she had ever given, and she made sure the audience and Rowley were laughing and having a fine time.

She had him stand up and spin for the residents after the first strip was taken off the back, and again when his hair was gone from one side of his head. She asked him at that point if he wanted to continue. "Oh, yeah!' he exclaimed.

After the hair was gone, it was time for the mustache. Sheen presented a mirror, and Rowley got the first look at himself sans mustache in nearly two decades. He took a moment to reflect, then sung a line from the old song 'Babyface'.

Tammy Herrell helps smooth things over

Health Care Aide Tammy Herrell got into the action and was an 'aide' in shaving him smooth. Ladies in the audience reminisced about the good looks of Telly Savalas and Yul Brynner.

Nice at twice the price

After it was done Rowley was presented with two gifts. With great dignity resident Ralph Rhea gave Rowley a comb. The ladies had given a more heartwarming, or at least head-warming gift. They had knitted him a toque. 

Some of the ladies wanted to rub his head, to see if there was even a 'whisper' of a hair left.

There was great applause for Rowley, who was a great sport throughout the event. "I'd do anything for these people, they are all great," he said, smiling before heading back to the kitchen.

Hey hey good lookin'!