With hair in her roots, North Royalton native hosting noted stylist

Angela Presti, a 1999 graduate of North Royalton High School, is bringing some of the biggest names in hairstyling to Northeast Ohio.


Presti manages Scott Fisher Salon in Chagrin Falls and recently started a new venture in creating Prestige Au Courant, an agency that educates local stylists on top trends in hair.

“It’s very expensive for stylists to get to other cities for seminars, so I cut that out by welcoming the celebrity stylists to come here,” Presti said.

World renowned hairstylist Orlando Pita is Presti’s first guest. He will present his trendsetting styles at the House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., from 5-9 p.m. July 31.

During his presentation, Pita will demonstrate his technique and showcase the most recent runway styles developed for supermodels and celebrities.

Pita’s creations have been featured in Vogue, W, Vanity Fair and Allure. He created styles for the Christian Dior show in Paris, designers Tom Ford, Diane Von Furstenburg, Michael Kors and Vera Wang.

In 2004, Pita opened his salon, Orlo, in New York City. His clients include Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Beyonc and Gwyneth Paltrow.

By attending the seminar, local stylists can earn two continuing education credit hours, which go toward keeping their cosmetology license.

“Orlando Pita has such an impressive career,” Presti said. “He is one of the biggest names in hairstyling.”

Presti’s interest in cosmetology stems from her childhood. Her father and grandfathers work as barbers and her mother is a hair stylist.

“This is such an amazing industry,” Presti said. “I love fashion and the latest trends, and in order for all of that to happen, it is all about the hair. Hair has always been fascinating to me. It is an art to be able to do hair. You go many, many years before you can really call yourself an established hair stylist.”

“The industry is also always changing and growing,” Presti said. “I want to make sure everyone in Cleveland has the same opportunities to stay up-to-date. We are still a city that knows what is going on.”

Presti is able to bring celebrity stylists to Ohio by sheer persistence.

“I do a lot of calling and explaining what I want to do,” Presti said. “Orlando Pita is very much into education and making sure stylists have everything they need to know the latest trends.”

Prestige Au Courant, which translates from French to mean “always in the happening” and “in the now,” Presti explained, will host stylists every four months.

As part of the July 31 event, attendees will engage in a meet-and-greet cocktail event beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by a two-hour workshop with Pita showcasing two key signature styles. He will also take questions and share his story with the audience.

To register for the event, visit prestigeaucourant.com or call Angela Presti at (440) 539-6831. Group discounts are available. The event is open to stylists and non-stylists alike.


NEWS BY:http://www.cleveland.com/north-royalton/index.ssf/2011/07/with_hair_in_her_roots_north_r.html

Schools Turn To Fees After Drop in State Aid

As strapped public schools try to squeeze every possible dollar out of their budgets, an unpleasant reality awaits parents: They will most likely have to pay for programs and services that schools once provided free.

Consider the Keller Independent School District just north of Fort Worth, where students who ride the bus will now pay $185 each per semester. Rather than scrap busing altogether after voters rejected a property tax increase in June to make up for lost state revenue, the district opted to institute fares.

The $4 billion cut in education financing at the state level for 2012-13 means these extra charges will become increasingly common.

“We’re going to see districts charging fees for things that they have always been able to but just haven’t chosen to in the past,” said David Thompson, a former general counsel for the Texas Education Agency who now represents school districts.

Across the country, such fees also threaten to draw lawsuits — affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union in California filed in September against what it called the state’s “pay to learn” public schools — about what it means to provide a “free” public education under state constitutions.

Texas law gives districts broad authority in deciding what fees to charge students. There is one firm boundary: If it is an expense related to an activity or item required for a course grade, like textbooks, districts cannot charge for it. Basics like pens, erasers and notebooks do not count, and any charges related to activities or services where participation is voluntary — extracurricular activities, class trips and, yes, transportation — are fair game. The district must also have a process to waive or reduce fees for students who cannot afford them. Keller I.S.D., for example, will charge $100 each for students who qualify for free and reduced-cost lunches.

Michael Griffith, a school finance expert with the Education Commission on the States, said that while fees for extracurricular activities had been on the rise even before the current economic downturn, more schools were now exploring ways to pass on basic costs to parents. 

“We see a lot of evidence now that there are districts and schools pushing the line,” Mr. Griffith said.

That can often happen in letters home, he said, with teachers implying that certain supplies are required and that students cannot show up without them.

Charging fees can hurt poor students, especially those whose families just miss qualifying for a waiver, said Caroline Holcombe, a research analyst at Children at Risk, an advocacy group based in Houston.

“It’s likely money families just don’t have,” Ms. Holcombe said. “And if they are choosing between the next meal they are going to put on the table, whether they are going to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and whether they are going to allow their kids to spend time after school at an activity, that’s a tough decision.”


NEWS BY:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/us/29tteducation.html?_r=1&ref=education