Dierks barber shop will continue to operate

TERRICA HENDRIX
Editor

DIERKS – The legacy of Ronnie’s Barber Shop will continue to live on through Mason and Cameron Glasgow.
The couple showed interested in the barber shop soon after Ronnie Kesterson, owner of Ronnie’s Barber Shop on Main Avenue in Dierks, died Nov. 27, 2015 at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock . Kesterson was a 1963 graduate of Dierks High School and attended barber school in Little Rock.
Appointments at Ronnie’s Barber Shop were not necessary. In fact, an appointment was difficult to make as Kesterson never saw the need to have a telephone in the shop.
“My family knew Ronnie all of our lives,” Mason Glasgow began, “he cut my hair since I was old enough to get a haircut. He had been there long enough to cut four generations of hair in our family (his grandfather, father, himself and his children). Mason was raised around the Dierks area and Cameron, originally from the Hot Springs area, moved to Dierks during her 10th grade year.
The two graduated from Dierks High School in 2006. Mason is the son of Phillip and Jamie Glasgow of Newhope and Cameron’s parents are Brian and Tabatha Haley of Hot Springs.
“In December we made the official decision that we would buy the shop and I would go to barber school. There were a lot of reasons that factored into our decision. Like every decision in life, there are pros and cons to it,” he said.
He will retire from his career in law enforcement as an Arkansas State Trooper to focus on his family’s new business.
“Obviously law enforcement is a dangerous career. I have been in law enforcement for 8 ½ years. I worked two years in the jail at the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office and 6 ½ years in highway patrol with the Arkansas State Police. With three small kids and my wife at home, I get tired of constantly thinking, ‘what if something happened to me and my wife was left to raise three kids by herself, constantly trying to explain to them why their daddy isn’t at home, their ballgames, holidays, etc.?,’” he explained.
Glasgow said that constant fear was the main reason for their decision to buy the barber shop.
“I understand that law enforcement is a job that has to be done and the officers that do it will never have anything but my utmost respect. I want to do what I think is best for our family.” Mason and Cameron said that the idea of owning their own business and being able to give “back to our small community” enticed them even more.
Cameron will continue to work for the Arkansas State Police as a Driver’s License examiner and Mason will operate the barber shop.
Mason has enrolled in ABC Barber School in Hot Springs and will begin classes in February.
He estimated that the school will “take right at a year to complete and be State Board certified.” “During this time a couple of really good guys are going to keep the shop’s doors open for me three days out of the week. Slade Bissell will work in the shop on Mondays and Bob Kesterson (Ronnie’s brother) will work on Wednesdays and Fridays until I complete school. As of, Jan. 13, the shop is back open on those days.” Bob Kesterson has retired from a long career in law enforcement with the Howard County Sheriff’s Department. Kesterson has been a barber for 11 years.
The barber shop – located on Main Street in Dierks – will offer the same services (haircuts for $10 and shaves for $8) as it did when Ronnie Kesterson owned it, he confirmed. The name – Ronnie’s Barber Shop – will remain.

Within the last few weeks, The Glasgows said they have received a lot of support from family, friends, and the overall general public – especially the Dierks community.
“I want to let everyone know that the support we have seen is what will get us through the next year and we are extremely excited to get school out of the way so we can open the doors five days a week,” he said.
Mason and Cameron will celebrate eight years of marriage in February and they are the parents to three, handsome boys: Luke (3), Bentley (5), and Hunter (7).