Bellevue, NE Florists

Bellevue Flower Shop News

Washington court rules against florist in gay wedding case - Albuquerque Journal

After the arguments in the Supreme Court case last November, at a packed theater at Bellevue College, a large crowd of Stutzman’s supporters greeted her outside, chanting her name and waving signs that said “Justice For Barronelle.”In a February 2015 ruling, Benton County Superior Court Judge Alexander Ekstrom found that Stutzman’s refusal to provide flowers because of sexual orientation violated Washington’s anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws. The following month, Ekstrom ordered Stutzman to pay a $1,000 penalty to the state and $1 in costs and fees.Stutzman entered the florist business 30 years ago, when her mother bought a flower shop.At a press conference following the ruling, Ferguson said that under Washington law, a business is not required to provide a particular service, but if it does so for couples of the opposite sex, it must provide that service equally to same-sex couples. Ferguson noted that Stutzman is not currently selling wedding flowers, but if she were to resume that side of her business, she would not be allowed to sell to only heterosexual couples.“The state Supreme Court has made that very clear,” he said.___AP writer Gene Johnson contributed from Seattle. ... https://www.abqjournal.com/951260/washington-court-rules-against-florist-in-gay-wedding-case.html

Outpouring of support for Bellevue flower shop after graduations canceled - KMTV - 3 News Now

BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) — A Bellevue flower shop got an outpouring of support because they had a ton of flowers for graduation events.Purple Orchid Flowers says they spent $10,000 on fresh flowers for their truck for graduation ceremonies that were supposed to take place at Baxter Arena starting this weekend.On Monday, Omaha Public Schools announced summer activities and 2020 graduations were canceled.The owner took to Facebook to ask for help selling them to recoup her cost and has been overwhelmed by the response. The post has been shared about 2,000 times.“Very blessed. My favorite all-time movie even though it’s Christmas [is] It’s a Wonderful Life,” said Rachael Sjn, Owner of Purple Orchid Flowers. “Trying not to be emotional but just at the end of that movie everybody just comes in and chips in and helps him out.”Sjn says she’s getting the other half of her shipment on Wednesday and will have most of the flowers ready to pick up on Friday. If you’re interested in purchasing or for... https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/outpouring-of-support-for-flower-shop-after-graduations-canceled

Flowers that delight and surprise: Bellevue Floral Co. offers “bespoke floral artistry” - Napa Valley Register

Christina Yan, owner of Bellevue Floral Co. and Camino Goods, holds one of her floral bouquets while standing in a Napa Valley vineyard.  A floral arrangement that Christina Yan created in her Napa home.  a href="https... https://napavalleyregister.com/business/flowers-that-delight-and-surprise-bellevue-floral-co-offers-bespoke-floral-artistry/article_166fc8e2-4030-57b5-914d-462c669cdf45.html

Retired educator, florist Sylvia Richardson dies at 76 - Richmond Free Press

Sylvia D. Richardson loved the color purple. And the bubbly woman who brimmed with enthusiasm infused that color into her dual roles as an educator and a florist. During her tenure as principal of Bellevue Elementary School, Mrs. Richardson turned the historic building in Church Hill into a purple palace. She had the school’s entry door, hallways, classroom walls and building floors painted her favorite color. Purple also was the color of the house on the corner of Brookland Park Boulevard and Edgewood Avenue from which she operated a floral business, Bouquets by Sylvia, for nearly 25 years. “Purple was her chosen color because the color signifies royalty, and that was how Sylvia carried herself and also how she treated everyone with whom she came into contact,” Adeline Clarke, a longtime friend, wrote in a tribute.Mrs. Richardson died Monday, March 18, 2019, of complications from a fall at her residence, her family said. She was 76. Family and friends celebrated her life at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Tuesday, March 26. Born Sylvia Juanita Duncan in Cheraw, S.C., she came to Richmond to teach after graduating from Bennett College. In a career that spanned 37 year... http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2019/apr/05/retired-educator-florist-sylvia-richardson-dies-76/

Another gay wedding case that could go to the Supreme Court. This one's about flowers.

Ferguson said in a statement.Curt Freed, left, and his husband Robert Ingersoll, after a hearing before the state's Supreme Court on Nov. 15, 2016, in Bellevue, Washington.Elaine Thompson / AP fileBoth the state and the couple sued after Stutzman, the couple's longtime florist, arguing that she was in violation of a Washington law that makes it illegal for businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation."Discrimination based on same-sex marriage constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation," the Washington court ruled last year.Stuzman, a Southern Baptist, said providing the flowers would violate her religious beliefs and "her relationship with Jesus Christ.”She also said the law violated constitutionally protected right of free speech, asserting the flower arrangements were a form of artistic expression. Phillips had said the same about his wedding cakes."The decision to either provide or refuse to provide flowers for a wedding does not inherently express a message about the wedding," the Washington court ruled. "As Stutzman acknowledged at deposition, providing flowers for a wedding between Muslims would not necessarily constitute an endorsement of Islam, nor would providing flowers for an atheist couple endorse atheism."It also rejected her claim that the law violated her religious freedom, because it applied to the general public and was not targeted at any particular religious practice.In Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy suggested that future cases would be necessary to settle the broader debate between religious rights and discrimination."The outcome of cases like this in other circumstances must await further elaboration in the courts, all in the context of recognizing that these disputes must be resolved with tolerance, without undue disrespect to sincere religious beliefs, and without subjecting gay persons to indignities when they seek goods and services in an open market," he wrote. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/other-gay-wedding-case-could-go-supreme-court-one-s-n879906

Citizen of the Year: Catlins fantastic florist - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

J.C. Penney in Danville, where she met her husband, Tim, then a manager trainee.She and Tim married in May 1987. That October, Tim's job with the department store took them to Iowa and then Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming and Minnesota. In Nebraska, Welsh — who continued to work as a florist out west — directed community theater, served on the Miss Nebraska Pageant board of directors and directed the pageant for three years. In Wyoming, she was involved with the Cheyenne Frontier Days, billed as the world's largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration.In 2004, the couple and their young son, Tanner, moved back to Catlin to be near family. A couple of years later, Welsh opened Floral-n-Flair, a flower shop and event-planning business, in the same downtown building she started out in. She and business partner Kay Smoot also own and operate a gift boutique called Pauline's Attic.Welsh was working one evening when Stutsman popped in."Who got it, and how are we going to decorate?" she asked, thinking he'd stopped by to discuss the Citizen of the Year banquet at the Methodist Church, which she decorates.She was floored by his answer."It still hasn't sunk in," she said, the day before the banquet.While honored, Welsh was quick to acknowledge her "crew," including local high school students and residents who help her set up for community events, weddings and parties — and family. Tanner, who turns 21 this month, has autism, and Tim is his full-time caregiver and still finds time to help out at work."I wouldn't be able to do any of this without him," she said."It's always been a team effort," she continued, adding she learned that from her dad who helped out in many ways at the shop and home before he passed away a couple of years ago.Welsh recalled sitting at the family table years ago after her brother became a 1,000-yard rusher on his high school football team."My dad pointed to his picture on the front of the sports page and said, 'He wouldn't have done that without his line that blocked for him.' I've always remembered that. You can't do it alone. You have to surround yourself with good people and work as a team."... http://www.news-gazette.com/noelle-mcgee/2018-11-01/citizen-the-year-catlins-fantastic-florist.html

Society of American Florists Past President Mel Schwanke Dies at 92 - Greenhouse Grower

Florists and a recipient of the SAF Floriculture Hall of Fame Honor, passed away at his home in Fremont, NE, on Dec. 17, 2018, at the age of 92.Schwanke served as the executive director of the Nebraska Florist Society for more than 50 years and was also the Executive Director of NeMoKan — the Nebraska Missouri and Kansas Florist Association Convention, held annually for many years. He served on numerous committees, including the Retail Florists Council for SAF, and helped to create the American Floral Endowment for research and education in the flower industry.AdvertisementMel and Joey, his surviving wife of 70 years, were known throughout the floral industry for many years for their passion and dedication. They were also known as the famous matching couple, having dressed in coordinating outfits at industry events and everyday in Joey’s family business, Greens Greenhouses Inc.Schwanke served as a Marine in World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart for his service. He is survived by his wife Joey, and children Jo Heinz, Cindy McKown, and J Schwanke, along with four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Ludvigsens Funeral Home in Fremont, NE, is in charge of the services. Visitation will be Thursday Dec. 20.Brian Sparks is senior editor of Green... https://www.greenhousegrower.com/management/saf-past-president-mel-schwanke-dies-at-92/

Four Floral Businesses To Receive The Century Award In Palm Springs

The 2018 Century Award honorees are: City Line Florist in Trumbull, Connecticut; Gould's Flowers in Lockport, New York; Janousek Florist & Greenhouse, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska; and Lake Forest Flowers in Lake Forest, Illinois. "Each year when we gather at the SAF convention, we interact with business owners who have determination, vision and grit," said SAF Awards Committee Chairman Marvin Miller, Ph.D., AAF, of the Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Illinois. "But to sustain that for 100 years or more is truly an impressive feat." City Line Florist Trumbull, Connecticut City Line Florist has been owned and operated by the Roehrich/Palazzo family since 1918. When Charles Roehrich returned home from World War I, he already had a family history in the floral industry; his grandfather had grown plants in greenhouses in Stratford, Connecticut, in the late 1800s. Charles borrowed a horse and wagon and sold flowering plants and cut flowers at the entrance of St. Michaels cemetery in Stratford, eventually opening up a storefront in Bridgeport, which sat on the city line of Stratford, leading to the name, City Line Florist. In 1975, Charles' son Bob and his grandchildren, Susan and Carl, decided to move to a new location in Trumbull, where they turned an old horse barn into a charming new florist shop. Bob received the Connecticut Florist of the Year Award in 2005. City Line, located in a quaint New England town of 30,000 people,  has been voted "Best Florist in Fairfield County" for several consecutive years and won the 2018 Small Busi... http://www.perishablenews.com/index.php?article=0069973

Blooming business - Hays Daily News

When it comes to customer service, Sherfick is dedicated to going the extra mile — literally. She has traveled to meet with people all across Kansas and even Nebraska for consultations.“I tell them, ‘I’ll come to you. You have enough to deal with,’ and they love that and I don’t mind it at all,” Sherfick said.Rebekah Lee, Hays, found out the lengths Sherfick will go to for her clients. Lee originally had planned to put together the flowers for her October wedding herself, but decided to contact Sherfick three weeks before the wedding for last-minute help.“I found her through Facebook, actually, and she went above and beyond,” Lee said. “She met me two days after I messaged her to get an idea of what I wanted, and she met me three other times before the wedding. She’s amazing. She did it so quickly, and I loved them.”January is a slower month for the Unique Bouquet, but Sherfick is working on bouquets and boutonnieres with a combination of sunflowers and roses for Tiffany Antholz’s wedding that will be in Bird City on Feb. 3.“It’s been fantastic,” Antholz said of working with Sherfick. “She’s very personable. I was really nervous to begin with because I don’t like a lot of attention on myself, and she just makes it so nice. She’s just really down-to-earth and just wants to make you happy.”While Sherfick enjoys the design aspect of creating floral pieces, the real reward for her is the joy it brings to the brides.“When they see it and their eyes light up and they smile, it sometimes bring tears to my eyes because I’m so happy for them.”Those wanting to contact Sherfick can call or text her at (785) 743-8149, email her at theuniquebouquet@yahoo.com or through her website theuniquebouquet.com. http://www.hdnews.net/news/20180113/blooming-business