‘Everything But Grouchy’

Main Street Buena Vista Names Latest Contest Winners

Main Street Buena Vista has announced the winners of its Three Old Grouches contest, though this year’s selections are not necessarily old or grouchy.

Lindsey Fitzgerald, a P.E. teacher at Enderly Heights Elementary School who was a star basketball player for Parry McCluer High School in the 1990s, and Jonah Brown, an artist and former Southern Virginia University student, join veteran Old Grouch Tillie Conner as the winners of the latest Three Old Grouches contest.

“Once again, Buena Vista has proven that we have far more happy people than grouches – but the grouches we do have are exceptional,” said Jen Carpenter, executive director of Main Street Buena Vista. “And this year’s honorees are everything but grouchy. They are, quite simply, some of the best of Buena Vista.”

Fitzgerald, said Carpenter, “is a leader, a mentor, and a true role model in Buena Vista.” Named Enderly Heights Teacher of the Year in 2022 and inducted into the PMHS Hall of Fame (Class of 1998), “Lindsey’s dedication and heart shine through everything she does. Whether she’s cheering for her students, leading a classroom discussion or organizing an act of kindness, Lindsey embodies the best of small-town spirit – showing that kindness, hard work and community pride never go out of style.”

Brown came to Buena Vista as a student at SVU and, over the past seven years, has “made it his creative home,” said Carpenter. “Now a fulltime artist and painter, Jonah finds endless inspiration in the mountains, river and people of BV. He loves folk music, ultimate frisbee, caffeine, the floodwall, floating the Maury, the Parkway and a good game of Super Smash Bros. He laughs that he’s ‘a broke artist boy’ with an unpredictable sleep schedule, but his enthusiasm for Buena Vista’s growth and beauty is unwavering.”

“Each time I come back, it feels more and more like home,” he says. “I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like in another seven years.”

A lifelong Buena Vista resident, Conner has called the same house home since 1955. She’s seen plenty of changes over the decades but says “the people and the mountains stay the same,” which makes “Buena Vista the best place to live.” She worked 21 years in transportation and “loved every minute of it.” She’s an avid driver (and motorcyclist) who jokes that she’s “a wild child.” In her free time, she enjoys bowling, walking, and simply taking in the beauty of the town she’s always loved.

This is her second time being voted a Grouch – “a testament to how much the community adores her,” said Carpenter.

The lighthearted contest to name the old grouches grew out of one of Buena Vista’s most beloved bits of local lore. Back in the 1970s, John H. Dickinson Furniture and Appliances on Sycamore Avenue hung an advertisement poking fun at some friendly neighborhood squabbles that read: “Welcome to Buena Vista! 6,946 Happy People & 4 Old Grouches.”

The playful jab quickly became part of the town’s identity and eventually evolved into the well-known phrase: “6004 Happy Citizens and 3 Old Grouches.” A sign with this greeting to Buena Vista today is affixed to the former Bargain House building at one of the entrances to the city.

Main Street Buena Vista revived this tradition as a community fundraiser – “keeping the humor alive while celebrating the neighbors who make BV remarkable,” said Carpenter.

This year’s contest is raising funds for A LOVEworks Sign for Magnolia Town Square. Partnering with the Junior Woman’s Club, MSBV is directing all Grouch Contest proceeds toward paying for this sign. “This installation will serve as a welcoming, photo-ready landmark celebrating BV’s story and spirit,” said Carpenter.

The Buena Vista Police Foundation and CornerStone Bank have already made generous contributions to launch the project, she pointed out. “MSBV gladly welcomes additional donations from residents, visitors and businesses who want to help bring this signature artwork downtown.” Donations can be made at mainstreetbuenavist. org.

Carpenter encourages residents to volunteer at MSBV events and to “spot the Grouches at community celebrations and tell them thank you!”