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Letters to the Editor

Happy customer, development officials rush to spa’s defense


I read with great dismay the lengthy, vicious letter to the editor from Geauanne M. Hill concerning the Halisi Day Spa & Salon (“Poor service, not poor branding, is Crosstown spa’s problem,” Jan. 31, 2008). I have been a regular customer since the spa’s opening, and my experience is exactly the opposite of Ms. Hill’s. Mrs. Jones is neither rude nor unprofessional. Mrs. Jones, her staff and masseuses have shown me the utmost courtesy and professionalism and are always accommodating. It is regrettable that Ms. Hill’s experience was not a happy one, but that should not deter others from experiencing and supporting this beautiful and relaxing day spa.

Joseph M. Kaigler
Sharon


We are disappointed to see that Geauanne Hill did not enjoy her trip to Halisi Day Spa & Salon, as demonstrated in her letter to the editor. But we are even more let down that The Banner published such an inflammatory letter about a local business and the owner without offering the business owner a chance to respond in the same paper.

In the 16 years that Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation has been working with local businesses, we have never seen one open and operate without challenges. Staffing has been one of the difficulties Yvonne Jones has faced, and any business owner can tell you how difficult it can be to find reliable employees to whom you can trust your business to. A brief conversation with Mrs. Jones will reveal that she was dissatisfied with how the employee who arranged this appointment had done so, and let her go not long after this incident. Other issues that the business faced when it opened, such as only being able to validate parking for an hour, had also been rectified prior to the printing of this letter.

Mrs. Jones has been a client of ours for several years, and we would never characterize her as “a rude and unprofessional person,” as Ms. Hill has. The reality is that Mrs. Jones has invested a great deal of time and money in bringing a beautiful day spa to the area. She has been meticulous in making sure her plans are in accordance with all building and health codes, so the accusations of not sanitizing utensils or paying employees baffle us.

The Banner published a wonderful article in December about the support organizations like DBEDC offer to small businesses to help address some of the many challenges they face (“Hub nonprofits cultivate small business nonprofits,” Dec. 20, 2007). We hope that going forward, you are able to present our local business owners as the active community members that they are, and offer everyone an opportunity to defend their reputation before printing a defaming letter.

Cristo Banda, Director of Neighborhood Lending Programs
Deidra MacLeod, Small Business Loan Officer
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corp.