Carousel Clothing marks 10 years

Though Laura Worsdell Scalfani had never met her grandmother, Elsie Worsdell Jennings, she always wanted to honor her memory.

Jennings had been ahead of her time as a business partner with her husband, and Scalfani decided to follow in her footsteps by opening her own retail business on May 8, 1997, Jennings' birthday.

In the shop, she included a small memorial with some of Jennings' favorite things. She knew her grandmother loved violets and pansies, so a shelf was dedicated to display items that were decorated with these flowers.

As customers asked about the display and Scalfani shared her story, more items were added to the memorial.

"The story touched so many people that it not only made me feel closer to my grandmother, it also gave people a sense of who I am," Scalfani said.

Now, 10 years later, the shop, Carousel Clothing and Collectibles, 6094 Main St., near Youngs Road, is celebrating the anniversary of its opening with a 10th anniversary Spring Open House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6.

The event will also honor the bond between grandmothers and granddaughters, just in time for Mother's Day.

"I believe the success I have achieved in business has a lot to do with having not one but two special grandmothers, both strong and successful businesswomen," said Scalfani, whose other grandmother, Elizabeth Pavoni Scalfani, was also the owner of a retail business.

For more information , call 634-5959.