Community Bulletin
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BUCKHANNON — Color Bar 51 is closing for good, making it the third area business to announce a permanent closure since the July 21 flooding.
Owners Amanda “Mandy” Chidester and Brandy Ball told clients the salon took too much damage to reopen, and that they could not wait out the repairs, which might take months.
“After many heartfelt conversations, we have made one of the most difficult decisions of our lives,” they wrote. “Due to the recent flooding and the extensive damage to Color Bar 51, along with the uncertainty of how long our shop will remain closed, we have decided that it is time to close Color Bar 51 permanently and continue pursuing our individual future endeavors.”
Chidester will continue her career at Salon Meraki, located at 12 Hartman Plaza in Buckhannon, where she began seeing clients Monday. She thanked owner Sierra Pasterick “for her kindness and generosity in offering me a place to work.”
Ball is stepping away from hair.
“As for Brandy, she has made the difficult decision to step away from the hair industry at this time to focus on the next chapter of her life,” the announcement said.
The owners said they will reach out to clients individually over the coming days about appointments and next steps.
The salon was among the businesses swamped in the July 21 flooding. In the days after the water came up, the owners posted that they had about two feet of standing water still sitting inside.
“One photo can’t capture the devastation our community is facing,” they wrote at the time.
They got inside on July 23. What they found was worse than they expected.
“Unfortunately, the flood impacted nearly everything,” they wrote the next day. “Our equipment, cabinetry, walls, insulation, and other parts of the salon have sustained extensive damage and will need to be replaced before we can safely reopen.”
A week later, they decided to close permanently.
“This decision was not made lightly,” the closure announcement said. “Color Bar 51 has meant so much to both of us, and it absolutely breaks our hearts to say goodbye.”
The salon joins at least two other businesses that will not reopen. The Hillbilly Grill closed after 17 years on Stonecoal Lake Road, one of the hardest-hit roads in the county. Smoker Friendly closed its Buckhannon and Weston stores after 22 years in both towns.
Several other businesses remain temporarily closed as they complete repairs from the flooding.
The Upshur Veterinary Hospital on the Old Weston Road announced it would be temporarily closed until further notice due to damage sustained in the flooding.
“Unfortunately, we are going to be temporarily closed until further notice for repair construction. We are very sorry for this inconvenience,” the business wrote to clients. “We hope to open as soon as possible and will update you as soon as we are able.”
Robie Messenger, the owner of Pop’s Furniture, is taking custom orders from an online catalog via private message on social media. Sweet-a-Licious, located across Jawbone Park, hopes to reopen Tuesday.
On Monday, President Donald Trump agreed to release a minimum of $4.5 million for West Virginia flood recovery, which the governor’s office said would go to eligible homeowners and renters in Upshur and Lewis counties. A formal FEMA disaster declaration is still pending.
Help for damaged businesses comes through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s low-interest disaster loans, which require their own declaration. That had not been issued as of Monday.
Business owners who have not filled out the state damage survey should do so. The count of documented local losses affects how much federal help reaches Upshur County.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for every appointment, every conversation, every laugh, and every bit of support you’ve given us,” the Color Bar 51 announcement said. “Color Bar 51 was more than just a salon — it was a dream that you helped make possible, and for that we will be forever grateful.”
