Shop News: Weekly Roundup

As we all get ready to fill our bellies with the holiday bounty tomorrow, the lifestyle world still chugs on. So, this week, I have a few newsy appetizers on the menu.

First up, Rockbrook's Energy Smart, 10915 Prairie Brook Road, is now open. Omahan Paul Vonderfecht founded the green-living retail shop, which offers energy conservation products and services including lighting retrofits for homes and businesses, solar panels, wind turbines, solar hot water heaters, solar skylights and more. It is the first retailer tailored specifically toward energy conservation in the region. For more information (and to check out or buy prodicts online), visit http://energysmartcompany.com.

Also in environmental news, the city will begin mapping out its Environmental Element initiative with a public meeting Dec. 4 at the Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St., from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The initiative, announced nov. 6, will allow the city to address sustainability in its master plan; Michael Kinsley, a senior consultant with the Rocky Mountain Institute who specializes in sustainable communities and workshop design and construction, will be on hand Dec. 4 to help the initiative's local facilitators. He will deliver a keynote address; following that will be breakout sessions for each of the initiative's five targets: the natural environment, urban form/transportation, building construction, resource conservation and community health. Mayor Mike Fahey will also make comments.

Those who plan to drive to the meeting are encouraged to carpool; Metro Area Transit route 15/55 also stops nearby. For more information, call 554-4010.

Omahan Eric Hahn, record-holder for the World's Tallest Mohawk, has received worldwide attention for his hair-raising new title. AOL.com, Sodahead.com and CNN have all taken a moment to interview or otherwise feature Hahn. No, Anderson Cooper didn't beam Hahn into the studio, but he did compare the mohawk to Anderson Cooper 360 correspondent Erica Hill's 1980s mullet. Awesome. Check out the video here.

And finally, Omaha's Beauty Brands Salon Spa Superstores reported this week they raised $4,611 for Omaha Catholic Charities' The Shelter. Beauty Brands donated 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of Redken's Guts volume-boosting spray foam to the organization from Sept. 29 through Oct. 26.

Happy Thanksgiving!