Two business owners in Île-des-Chênes are celebrating their community by offering free services on Saturday, May 12.
From 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., LDN Auto Service at 421 Main Street will offer free bicycle tune-ups as well as hot dogs and drinks. Kids will also have a chance to sit in a real race car and have their photos taken.
Meanwhile, at Salon 421 next door, visitors will be offered free consultations on makeup and hair. The salon will be accepting donations of hair products for a women’s shelter. Anyone making a donation will receive a 15 percent discount off any new product in the salon.
The timing of the events isn’t a coincidence, nor is the fact that the businesses are located right next to each other. Salon 421 is owned by Stacey Thomas-Niebel, while LDN Auto Service is owned by her husband, Larry Niebel.
“When we purchased this property, it was commercial property with a house on it, and we knew full well that the plan was for both of us to open businesses,” Stacey explains.
Over the past decade, both businesses got off the ground and expanded. The couple no longer lives on the premises, but they enjoy working side by side and being active members of their community. The events on May 12 are a way for the pair to reach out to the town.
At LDN Auto Service, Larry says that offering bicycle tune-ups in the spring seemed like a good way to offer some free help to others.
“A lot of the time kids come by on their bikes and ask if we can put air in the tires, and of course we do, but then as a mechanic I’ve grown up learning how to fix things, not just cars, so this seemed like a good thing to do,” he explains.
When he held this event last spring, Larry says it was mostly kids who came for the tune-up, although adults are welcome too. Shop staff will offer basic maintenance like chain adjustment and oiling, putting air in tires, and handlebar and seat adjustments to make sure bicycles are safe and ready to go for the warmer weather.
As for the race car, that belongs to Larry. “I drive a race car at the speedway, so I’m going to have it parked there so kids can come and sit in the race car, take pictures, and we’ll have a bunch of free tickets for the speedway too.”
About 60 feet over, at Salon 421, Stacey will be offering a different sort of service to help people get ready for spring and summer.
“We’re doing hair and make-up consults all day, at no charge,” she says. “Whether they want to learn a new makeup application technique, like how to do a smoky eye, or they want to learn a new way to style their hair, for example, we’ll be doing that. People can bring their own tools or products if they like, so that they can replicate it at home easily.”
She also encourages people to bring in extra hair product they aren’t using, as a donation.
“Most of us have a collection of stuff sitting around at home that we aren’t using, because we didn’t like it or we found something else,” says Stacey. “I don’t care if it’s professional or not, open or not. As long as it isn’t expired, we’ll take it and give you 15 percent off anything new you might like to buy.”
The donated products will be given to the Osborne House Women’s Shelter.
“There are a lot of women there who are at a really terrible time in their lives, who are not feeling good about themselves,” she adds. “Sometimes something like a new hairstyle can really give you a boost at a moment where you’re feeling really unhappy.”
“All in all, both events are about our community and how lucky we are to live here,” Larry says. “We just want to do something nice for people.”
