When do local become locals here in our little town? How long do most of us have to live in a town before they are considered to be a local? What do the old timers say about it? I asked this question a while ago to my grandpa Elmer “Longmate” Who was born in his parent’s farm house in South Kingston he replied “we are local, the others are not Then he went on to say, if your family is in the Kingston cemetery then you are a local. When I asked my Dad Frank (Longmate) the same question he said a few names and then I asked him if Lynn Hammond is a local & he said “Oh yeah she is a local, when someone’s been in this town for as many years as she has then you are considered to be a local for sure. “
So with that I decided that she would be my next women business that I would highlight. I didn’t know her like one might think, but I did go to school with her daughter Vanessa and hearing stories of the bus rides she use to take going to school with my Dad & being in a small community like Kingston even when you don’t know someone well, you still “know them”, and what I know of Lynn is she is an amazing women that works hard and loves her clients and thinks of them as an extension of her family.
Lynn moved to Jefferson beach in Kingston, June 1967, She had just finished the 7th grade in Seattle when her parents decided that Kingston would be a great place to raise a family. Thinking that Seattle was too wild, for them, “but Little did they know they were moving me to party central, but that is a different story for another time.” Moving to the country must have been a real shock considering that Lynn had never been camping had moved into a tent for the summer while thier house was being built. They didn’t even have any running water or power. At the time Lynn’s father was a civilian working in VietNam.
In 1972, Lynn graduated from North Kitsap High School. Directly following, she started beauty school in Bremerton and by that time her family had moved to Hansville, There were no freeway’s then, so Lynn had to drive a very long way six days a week for a year. Completing it in 1973.
After Beauty school Lynn found herself with a job in Edmonds lasting for only three months she couldn’t take the commute any longer so she quit. Floating around to a few different salons & having life speeding past her Lynn married,became a Mom to two Children, divorced. Leading her to look at finding a place to work in down town Kingston so she could do the single mom thing and be closer to her home & kids. Lynn found a place in Kingston in the building where the sheriff’s office is now. In no time at all, she had bought the business from the owner. Soon realizing that the hardest part of owning her business is the fact that she knew absolutely nothing about running a business.
In 1989 Sue Newman joined her at the salon, brining lots of talent. They have now worked together for 20 years. Twelve years after they started to work together, they moved to the place in which Lynn fondly refers to as the hole. After four years there Lynn and Sue moved to the location where they are at still to this day. “I am very proud of the people I work with and of the way my salon has grown. We take pride in the fact that our work is very good.” Lynn considers the people that she works with her best friends, three of them were raised here, and raised their own families here, making it that much more special to work in Kingston.
Over the years Lynn has taken many business & hair classes, even becoming a Redken Certified Hair colorist, now leading her down the road to begin teaching other hairstylists. Lynn thanks her husband David, of fourteen years for being very supportive of all her adventures in business. Lynn says “It is a great feeling to be in business for 25 years in Kingston”. I don’t think being a single mother is ever easy, but the support I have received from my clients and friends has been amazing. Growing up, Lynn’s poor kids could never get away with anything because “I usually knew about it first by someone either calling me or stopping by the salon telling me all about it. Being in a small town at that time had its advantages.”
Lynn decided to stay here & raise her family. Loving the small town atmosphere and to feel like her children would feel as if they truly belonged to the community. She hopes that feeling never change’s. Sadly she feels like it isn’t a very small town anymore. But, Luckily there are people in Kingston who really feel the same way and have tried to keep that feeling of a small town alive. Being so close to the big city and yet being far enough away is the best of both worlds.
When I asked Lynn If there was one thing she would change about our town it was that when Lynn goes to the grocery store that she would actually like to know someone there besides the clerks! That part of Kingston really has changed. “Not knowing everyone anymore makes me sad” Lynn is really glad that she didn’t leave. Lynn would like to say A great big THANK YOU to KINGSTON for many years of wonderful memories and a fantastic life for her and her family, for the great support they have been given “ I tend to get pretty emotional when I think about it. “ Lynn said. I am glad that I got to meet this wonderful lady in person, after years of hearing about what amazing lady that still does my Grandma’s hair is, I am truly honored to have been given the privilege to interview and do this article on.
At press time I found out that My Grandma gets her done by Sue. So I am sorry for the mistake in the article & That Sue is Lynn's Associate not her business partner. Sorry for the mistake's.
So with that I decided that she would be my next women business that I would highlight. I didn’t know her like one might think, but I did go to school with her daughter Vanessa and hearing stories of the bus rides she use to take going to school with my Dad & being in a small community like Kingston even when you don’t know someone well, you still “know them”, and what I know of Lynn is she is an amazing women that works hard and loves her clients and thinks of them as an extension of her family.
Lynn moved to Jefferson beach in Kingston, June 1967, She had just finished the 7th grade in Seattle when her parents decided that Kingston would be a great place to raise a family. Thinking that Seattle was too wild, for them, “but Little did they know they were moving me to party central, but that is a different story for another time.” Moving to the country must have been a real shock considering that Lynn had never been camping had moved into a tent for the summer while thier house was being built. They didn’t even have any running water or power. At the time Lynn’s father was a civilian working in VietNam.
In 1972, Lynn graduated from North Kitsap High School. Directly following, she started beauty school in Bremerton and by that time her family had moved to Hansville, There were no freeway’s then, so Lynn had to drive a very long way six days a week for a year. Completing it in 1973.
After Beauty school Lynn found herself with a job in Edmonds lasting for only three months she couldn’t take the commute any longer so she quit. Floating around to a few different salons & having life speeding past her Lynn married,became a Mom to two Children, divorced. Leading her to look at finding a place to work in down town Kingston so she could do the single mom thing and be closer to her home & kids. Lynn found a place in Kingston in the building where the sheriff’s office is now. In no time at all, she had bought the business from the owner. Soon realizing that the hardest part of owning her business is the fact that she knew absolutely nothing about running a business.
In 1989 Sue Newman joined her at the salon, brining lots of talent. They have now worked together for 20 years. Twelve years after they started to work together, they moved to the place in which Lynn fondly refers to as the hole. After four years there Lynn and Sue moved to the location where they are at still to this day. “I am very proud of the people I work with and of the way my salon has grown. We take pride in the fact that our work is very good.” Lynn considers the people that she works with her best friends, three of them were raised here, and raised their own families here, making it that much more special to work in Kingston.
Over the years Lynn has taken many business & hair classes, even becoming a Redken Certified Hair colorist, now leading her down the road to begin teaching other hairstylists. Lynn thanks her husband David, of fourteen years for being very supportive of all her adventures in business. Lynn says “It is a great feeling to be in business for 25 years in Kingston”. I don’t think being a single mother is ever easy, but the support I have received from my clients and friends has been amazing. Growing up, Lynn’s poor kids could never get away with anything because “I usually knew about it first by someone either calling me or stopping by the salon telling me all about it. Being in a small town at that time had its advantages.”
Lynn decided to stay here & raise her family. Loving the small town atmosphere and to feel like her children would feel as if they truly belonged to the community. She hopes that feeling never change’s. Sadly she feels like it isn’t a very small town anymore. But, Luckily there are people in Kingston who really feel the same way and have tried to keep that feeling of a small town alive. Being so close to the big city and yet being far enough away is the best of both worlds.
When I asked Lynn If there was one thing she would change about our town it was that when Lynn goes to the grocery store that she would actually like to know someone there besides the clerks! That part of Kingston really has changed. “Not knowing everyone anymore makes me sad” Lynn is really glad that she didn’t leave. Lynn would like to say A great big THANK YOU to KINGSTON for many years of wonderful memories and a fantastic life for her and her family, for the great support they have been given “ I tend to get pretty emotional when I think about it. “ Lynn said. I am glad that I got to meet this wonderful lady in person, after years of hearing about what amazing lady that still does my Grandma’s hair is, I am truly honored to have been given the privilege to interview and do this article on.
At press time I found out that My Grandma gets her done by Sue. So I am sorry for the mistake in the article & That Sue is Lynn's Associate not her business partner. Sorry for the mistake's.
1 comment:
What a great profile. I'm a great believer in the theory that everyone has a story. Your town sounds like a wonderful place. I hope to one day visit your state, it looks so beautiful. Ann
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