WIS teacher receives haircut

In honor of “I Love to Read Month,” Joey Wollenburg–Mr. Wollenburg as he’s known to his students--got a special haircut the morning of Tuesday, March 3. The “barber” was Waseca Intermediate School (WIS) student Logan Riehm, a fifth grader who is now officially an amateur hairstylist.  

 

“I let my hair grow out for at least six months,” said Wollenburg, “My sister, Tracy Nowacki is here.” She was setting up hair cutting implements on a table. Wollenburg positioned himself in a chair ready, willing and able to go. He was draped with a professional style black apron to protect his clothes from rogue hairs. The apron was provided by hairstylist Nowacki, “I’ve been cutting hair for 27 years by now, I’m the owner of “Li’l Bit of Hair Magic” which is located across from the old Itron building.” She showed Logan, the junior barber, how to turn on the hair clippers and demonstrated what he was to do to cut hair.

 

The members of Logan’s fifth grade class were present for the event; they all took seats talking quietly and excitedly amongst themselves. Logan said about his selection, “I read some books, a lot of books. The rule is if you’re caught reading, you get issued a ticket and it goes into a bucket. They drew my name out. The book I was reading when I got caught was ‘Dead End in Norvelt.’” Asked what style of haircut he was planning for Mr. Wollenburg, he revealed, “I am giving him a reverse mohawk.” All WIS students who were "caught reading a book” were eligible for the drawing.

 

Alongside the first clipper was a second one. Said Nowacki, “I thought I should bring two just in case one breaks. I’ve got combs, brushes, hairspray, everything he needs.” She bent down and asked Logan, “Are you cutting down to the skin?” Logan nodded yes.

 

Andy Riehm, Logan’s father, was also there; this retiree from both the Army and the Waseca Federal Prison said, “Logan has been busy, last week he got to ground guide a 767 into the terminal at the airport in San Juan using those orange wands.” Andy showed a video of Logan directing the plane on his phone, then continued, “After that he got to scuba dive with stingrays and sea turtles. Then he took the Flying Dutchman zipline on the island of St. Maarten; that’s a drop of over 2,800 feet. Logan’s got a lot going on.”

 

The actual haircutting only took five minutes. Mr. Wollenburg sat patiently as Logan shaved a clear line from the front of his head straight to the back. Wollenburg said, “It’s nice with these kids because they’re into it. I don’t mind getting this haircut and living with it because it rewards reading and this is able to sneak even more reading in. This is our seventh year doing this and I’m pretty sure we’ll do it next year.”

 

After brushing the hair off both of them, the two posed for a photo. Logan was proud of the haircut he chose and of course Wollenburg was a great sport; he was smiling too.