Family salon holds grand opening

Nick Malawskey

This past weekend T.J.’s Family Haircare celebrated its grand opening on Colonnade Boulevard in Patton Township.

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The hair salon, jointly owned by Toni Campbell and Jennifer Strouse, is located among the other shops, including a bridal store, a florist and a barber, near Wegmans. Campbell said that opening her own salon has been “the best thing I ever did.”

The salon provides massages, waxing, hair styling, coloring, manicures and pedicures among other offerings. The service also includes a kid’s room, where children can play while they wait.

“This is a very customer- oriented, family-oriented business,” Campbell said, adding many of her customers also helped with the salon’s opening.

“Everyone kind of pulled together and here we are,” she said.

T.J.’s Family Haircare may be reached at 235-5555.

Insurance firm changes hands

Mountain Top Insurance in Bellefonte is under new ownership.

A few months ago, Joe Urbanick, who has owned and operated the independent firm since 1980, sold the company to Bob Gleghorn, of Lock Haven.

In a recent interview, Urbanick said that to him, it felt like the right move at the right time. He has remained with the company however, serving as the office manager for the firm’s new location at 750 E. Bishop St., Bellefonte.

While Gleghorn has assumed ownership, he has not been idle. The firm is looking to add additional insurance agents and expand its offerings within the insurance business, namely by offering more commercial policies than before.

Meadows at 25 years

I wanted to take a second and acknowledge a business-related anniversary that was marked this past week at a company in Centre County.

About 25 years ago, a handful of area psychiatrists got together to discuss an idea to create a behavioral health care center within the county.

At its inception, the center was small — about 30 people. Since then, the Meadows (and now Universal Community Behavioral Health) has grown into one of the largest employers in Centre County, employing more than 400 people through its various programs. In addition to its regular services, the center also acts as a nurse training facility and, according to its staff, generates about $12.2 million annually within the local economy.

Last Friday the center celebrated its milestone, holding an open house and luncheon at its location near Centre Hall.

Alas Saturn, I knew ye well

And finally, a note on the Saturn news last week. I learned to drive a manual transmission in a Saturn, so I was sad (and surprised) to hear that General Motors was discontinuing the brand. In a story in Saturday’s paper, you may have noticed John Sutliff mentioning that he would be seeking a different distribution agreement for his State College location.

Which means, according to sources, that while Saturn of State College will no longer be selling Saturns, do not be surprised if Sutliff continues to have a presence in this area selling new cars — quite possibly bearing the badge of an American manufacturer. But more on that later.

Nick Malawskey can be reached at 235- 3928 or nmalawsk@centredaily.com. He also writes a blog at www.centredaily.com.