At the College Barber Shop on State Street, Don Fine celebrated a 60-year milestone Thursday.

With a wit sharper than sheers, the 83-year-old snipped his first strands at Madison's College Barber Shop on March 7, 1953.

"That's a long time," said longtime client David Friedman. "And one of these days, (his wife) Josephine will let him stay home."

"I'm trying to remember how many years (I've been coming to this barber shop). Probably over 40," said Friedman.

"There's probably enough to fill three football stadiums, all the hair he's cut," said barber shop owner Larry Cobb. "But if he keeps going longer, maybe we'll retire together in a few years."

Five years ago, Fine sold the barber shop to Cobb, which meant Fine giving up the barber shop's first chair. But Cobb said Fine's influence remains a cut above the rest.

"He's like a second dad to me," Cobb said.

Area businesses collaborate for 'Wish on a Website'

A Monona woman together with three area businesses are offering their services to a lucky Dane County non-profit through a contest.

Maggie Baum of Maggie B. Communications partnered with Waterfront Graphic Design, Beth Skogen Photography and StoryFirst Media to create the "Wish on a Website" promotion, offering the opportunity of a variety of services to help out a community organization.

In a news release on her website, Baum said the idea behind the contest is to give back to the community.

"In this economic climate organizations are really fighting for resources and fundraising dollars and this is one small way we can help make their efforts go a little farther," Baum wrote.

The winner will receive a website design, a photography session with free images, a 2-minute documentary video and copywriting to help the chosen organization better reach the community.

A new project is taking root in Madison.

The Sweet Potato Project provides free sweet potatoes for planting on the condition that growers donate half of the resulting produce to a food pantry. 

Meredith Evans McAllister initiated the Madison Sweet Potato Project in late summer of 2012. Project participants, which include Madison farmers, community gardeners and home-growers, will plant their potatoes this June and donate half of the potatoes they grow to local food pantries in September and early October.

Former Kansas City resident McAllister adopted the project from her hometown and helped establish the Sweet Potato Project in the Madison community. 

“I saw this project and thought this is perfect for Madison,” McAllister said.