THE BUZZ: Chalet Florist says goodbye, new Garden Valley Ranch owners say hello

THE BUZZ: Chalet Florist says goodbye, new Garden Valley Ranch owners say hello|

Garden Valley Ranch acquired by new owners: Mark Grim, the owner of the magical Garden Valley Ranch rose farm - located on Pepper Rd. in North Petaluma - has sold the business after 12 years of running the place. He took over from legendary “rosarian” Rayford Reddell, who once provided roses for the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The new owners are brother-and-sister Jessica and Justin Yau. The transfer of ownership officially took place on Friday, May 12. According to new owners Jessica and Justin, everything will continue as it has, including the popular guided tours and the colorful retail shop. Mark says he plans to stay involved as an advisor.

Pacific Empire Chorus takes second place in Sparks, Nevada: Petaluma’s own barbershop-style all-female Pacific Empire Chorus attended the 42nd annual Sweet Adelines regional competition in Nevada earlier this month. They returned home with the second place prize, having competed against nineteen other choruses from within the Pacific Shores Region, which encompasses Central and Northern California, Hawaii and Southern Oregon. Pacific Empire Chorus, in existence for 53 years, rehearses every Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church on B St., and is always looking for new singers to join their award-winning ensemble. Visit Pacificempire.org.

Senior dogs paired with U.S. veterans in effort to save lives: Lily’s Legacy, a Petaluma-based non-profit seeking to find homes for aging dogs - many of which are euthanized in animal shelters - has partnered with Pets for Patriots, which runs a Companion Pet Adoption program for military veterans. According to a report distributed by Lily’s Legacy, older dogs and cats, or animals considered to have special needs,” are often put down without there having been much effort made to find appropriate homes for them. To counter this, veterans are invited to join the program, which will pair them with the perfect pet. For details, visit Lilyslegacy.org or Petsforpatriots.org.

Chalet Florist to close doors June 30: After 65 years in operation from within one of Petaluma’s most architecturally distinctive buildings, the family-owned Chalet Florist on Washington St. has announced it will be saying goodbye. Owners Joyce Silva and Kimberley Soldat-Arnew have decided to retirement, closing out an iconic family-owned business that has served Petaluma for three generations. On Friday, June 30, staff has asked longtime customers to stop in for an Irish coffee and a slice of nut bread, a longtime Chalet Florist holiday tradition.

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