BOISE, Idaho — Churches and retail stores can open as soon as Friday under phase one of Gov. Brad Little's four-stage reopening plan. Gyms, salons, and barbershops will have to wait until phase two to reopen, which is May 16.
KTVB spoke with several salon and barbershop owners who have differing opinions on how the governor's plan prioritizes Idaho businesses.
"There are 16 girls that work at my salon, a few of them are single moms, a few of them are the only income for their family and it has really been a struggle for them," said Carissa Crain, who owns Salon Bellissima in Meridian. "The Paycheck Protection Program, it doesn't cover overhead it only covers income and as a salon owner my income is a third of what my overhead."
Despite Crain's financial hardship, she agrees with Gov. Little's May 16 reopening date for salons for the sake of everyone's health.
"I personally know four people who have died from this and I do know it is not bad here, but I want to keep it that way and I am willing to suffer financially to keep it that way," Crain said.
Natalie Freeman who owns a small salon studio in Meridian is also okay with waiting another two and a half weeks to reopen.
"I have never successfully done anyone's hair six feet apart. My arms are not that long, it just doesn't work," she said. "I have had babies and taken maternity leave and come back and my clients are all there. I do anticipate bouncing back fully."
Ali Barber of Boise did 50 to 70 haircuts per week before he had to shut down.
"We have no income and I am the only income in my house, the only one that is making money, so it is kind of hard right now," Barber said.
He thinks the salons and barbershops should be able to open now and police themselves.
"From the beginning, I didn't think it was fair," Barber said. "I think barbershops are one of the safest places too, we clean our stuff, we sanitize all the time."
Aundrea Friedley of Nampa sympathizes with Barber.
"I think we can make decisions for ourselves and all businesses need to be open right now," Friedley said.
Friedley has friends who are stylists but is not an owner herself. She started a petition encouraging all salons to open immediately.
"I sent him that petition with almost 10,000 of his constituents signed on it, he hasn't even called," Friedley said. "I have emailed him, he hasn't sent me a letter, why? I voted for you, call me back."
While Barber agrees with businesses being able to make their own decisions, he said he will still wait until the state gives the green light for salons open.
"People can do whatever they want but we are going to follow the law," he said.
As far as how Gov. Little will enforce his reopening plan, his office sent KTVB this statement:
"As Idaho enters each stage, an order will be issued to reflect the new protocols. Referring to it as the "Stay-Home Order" would not be accurate, as not all Idahoans will be asked to stay home. It will be recommended that those that are most vulnerable stay home if they can during stages one and two. Law enforcement is encouraged to educate the public about each stage of the order; each stage will be carefully reviewed before implementation to assess enforceability."
Gretchen Parsons is an anchor, reporter and producer at KTVB since 2016. You can follow her on Instagram @gretchenparsonsKTVB or @gretchenKTVB on Twitter.
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