Haircuts with Herb by Ed Belote Sr.

Herb Benjamin has been cutting hair in the town of North East, Maryland for more than forty-five years. His barbershop (just off the side of his tackle shop) has become a landmark, and all who visit appreciate Herb’s affable, witty personality. Getting a cut at Herb’s is like stepping back in time; almost like being in Mayberry — the friendship and laughter beckon you to come back for more. Push open that squeaky screen door — come on in and listen...

July/August 2011:
Friday, May 20th, 2011—“The Day Before the World Ends”

"The end of the world is nigh; 21 May, to be precise. That’s the date when Harold Camping, a preacher from Oakland, California, is confidently predicting the Second Coming of the Lord. At about 6 p.m., he reckons 2 percent of the world’s population will be immediately ‘raptured’ to Heaven; the rest of us will get sent straight to the Other Place.” — The Independent Americas

As I entered Herb’s today, I found out it was the day before the end of the world— May 21, 2011—and if it was, why was this little shop rocking with conversation and laughter? I think the answer to this is easy: everybody has such a great time at Herb’s, they wouldn’t even notice!

Sixty-seven year-old Richard Krischbaum, from Elk Neck was walking out as I walked in and in the brief time I acknowledged him, and him me, I sensed a warm friendship towards him … hopefully we will meet again, Richard.

It was almost 10:30 a.m., and every waiting chair was filled. Three or four gentlemen stuck their heads in the door, saw the crowd, and said, “I’ll catch up with you later, Herb.” (Herb shuts down at noon on Saturdays.)

That gentle soul and venerable character, 85-year-old Mr. George Rhudy, was next to sit in the “Chair of Honor”. Mr. Rhudy’s wife had been a cousin of Herb, and he quickly informed me that this was the third time he has come to Herb’s and been intercepted by me … it is my pleasure, Mr. Rhudy!

The talk soon turned to fishing—herring fishing, that is. It was generally agreed that it was a very slow year. Mr. Rhudy informed me that in a previous issue of CSM, I wrote about those smelly Herron trucks and all the commotion they caused. I had written they were “rotten” fish. He corrected me, saying, “Actually, they were iced-down fresh fish, but indeed, they did stink!”

“Back in the old days, you could tell when herring season came in; you could not find a pair of hip boots in the firehouse,” Mr. Rhudy chuckled. When it comes to North East Fire House history, very few people could match his firehouse experiences, because he recently was honored with a watch for his 70 years of service. “It was in 1942, I was sixteen years old, when I joined as a volunteer at the fire house,” said Mr. George Rhudy. “I held various positions, from administrative to dishwasher for the bingo games and I loved every minute!”

The next fellow I would like to talk about is somewhat of an enigma to me because he appears so much younger than his age—hair slightly gray, not a wrinkle on his face, sparkling eyes and the agility of a young man. People, let me introduce you to 68-year-old John Narvell, (I think I’ll dub him “Narvell the Marvel”). It’s all about great genes; his mother is still going strong at 92 years old, drives a van and remains quite active. “A lot of times, people confuse my mom with being my sister,” chuckles John.
John is from Havre de Grace. He retired in 1999 and presently does a lot of volunteer work and loves to travel. “Our best trip was a Mediterranean cruise, but I’ll never forget a two-week bus trip we took from Las Vegas to a number of western states, including Billings Montana, and at Mount Rushmore I was honored with a chance to fold our American flag at their ceremony. I have been getting my haircuts at Herb’s since I was in elementary school.”

Next in the chair came 55-year-old Bernie Keffner, a big man; it did not surprise me to learn he worked in security and surveillance at the Hollywood Casino in Perryville. “It’s a great job and I’m treated very well,” he said. “It is exciting, I saw a fellow win $47,000 on a slot.” Later, his wife Donna came in and posed for a picture with him.

I really enjoy writing this column … everyone has a story, like 83-year-old Marco Pici, a retired log-cabin builder who has built 15 cabins in the area. He came from Chester, New Jersey, and lived in a neighborhood alongside Connie Frances’s home. He even dated her! He also was friends with The Four Seasons singing group. I asked him what the secret is to living long, he replied, “Stay out of the house.”

Perhaps the most interesting character we had at Herb’s on this day was two-year-old, Jack Ryan Widdoes; a real character and very intelligent. He recited his ABC’s and counted up to ten effortlessly. He was escorted to Herb’s by his officer father, County Investigator Jerry Widdoes. Little Jack has a twin sister at home, Brook, and also a four-year-old big sister, Ashley. All these beautiful children are well protected; their mommy, Julie, is a Maryland State Police Supervisor.

Yikes! I just checked my computer’s clock and it is 8:27 p.m., Saturday 21st , and the end of the world didn’t happen, and we didn’t get raptured or sent to the other place. Herb says it’s not going to happen anyhow … got too many fish to catch! —CSM