An extraordinary business owner

Midtown Plaza is a Rochester mall that was the first urban shopping mall in the country. However, when local chains McCurdy's and Sibley's shut their doors, their replacements chose not to take the downtown properties. Instead, they located exclusively in the suburban malls. That was a significant blow to the mall.

Now, an urban planner recommended demolition of the historic mall. There is another significant project involving a theatre nearby, and they recommended moving any retail onto the streets to increase outdoor foot traffic. While this may be a reasonable idea, there are no real plans. Yet, despite this, who is going to move into the plaza with this possibility?

Consequently, I'm afraid the mall has been left out to dry. Regardless, there are some very local owners that continue to move forward. The local paper featured Janet Galligan of Fauna's Gifts and Collectibles. It hightlights her extraordinary dedication despite the odds that are stacked against her.

Even further, I shopped there on the prior Black Friday and struck up a great conversation. I have since visited whenever I happen to be in the area. One time a school kid was eating lunch in her backroom. Apparently, he does so often to avoid being made fun of at lunch time. Another time she was talking to a visitor that needed help getting her medication.

She's truly an extraordinary person. Many of her most loyal visitors never have bought a thing. I suspect the close friendships have kept her going. She's most worthy of patronage in every way, she has a really unique store too. I sincerely hope this article drives local businesspeople to discover her store and propel her to greater financial success, to compliment the great success she's had in all of the other aspects.