Staunton Florist on Central Avenue in downtown Staunton will close at the end of March.(Photo: Laura Peters/The News Leader)Buy Photo
STAUNTON – Staunton Florist will close after more than 50 years of business and four tourism projects have received funding — here’s the buzz.
Florist
Margaret Straw starting working at Staunton Florist when she was in high school. Her father started the store 54 years ago, and she has worked there for more than 40 years.
At the end of March, she and her husband, Tedd, will be closing the store.
“The best thing really is the customers,” she said. “That’s what really rips my heart out, telling them I won’t be here.”
Straw said she has to close due to health issues. The hardest part has been saying goodbye to her customers, she said. It was a sudden decision to close, when she learned about some health issues.
“It’s really upsetting to say goodbye,” she said. “We’ve made friends with everyone.”
The store has become like home to her and her customers, family. Some customers have come and gone — she even remembers helping the cadets from Staunton Military Academy and Augusta Military Academy back in the day.
She remembers a little boy who would come in after he’d get his hair cut around the corner. He’d buy a flower for his mother.
“He still comes in today,” she said.
She worries about leaving her customers.
“We made of lot of people happy,” she said. “But you worry about when you leave … who’s going to take care of your customers?”
“We’re going to miss our customers,” Tedd Straw said.
“We’d like to thank them for their business and their friendship,” Margaret Straw added.
Funds
Food trucks, theater, magic and antiques — these all received funds from the Greater Augusta Regional Tourism’s GART grants.
GART incorporates tourism efforts from Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro. The grants are to support projects driving visitation to the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro region. The program enables up to four awards of $2,500 maximum per grant.
The 2018-19 recipients include The Virginia Food Truck Battle, Wayne Theatre Alliance, Queen City Mischief and Magic, and the Antique Shoppers Guide to SAW Region.
“GART grants are awarded to projects utilizing regional partnerships and demonstrating efforts to bring in visitors from outside of 50 miles,” Courtney Cranor, assistant director of Economic Development and Tourism in Waynesboro and current GART chair, said in a release. “All of the applicants are working hard to build events and programs that drive visitation and increase revenue. We are fortunate to have so many committed community members.”
A five-person committee of Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro tourism representatives and two representatives from Virginia Tourism Corporation met to review all applications received for the program, a release said.
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The buzz is a short recap of area business trends. Send ideas to reporter Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com or follow her @peterslaura and @peterpants.
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