Planeload of roses stuck in warehouse

SEATTLE, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- More than 15,000 dozen roses flown to Seattle for Valentine's Day are in a warehouse after a grocery chain refused delivery because they were late.

A Guatamalan grower, Mayacrops, shipped the roses so they would arrive at Sea-Tac Airport Tuesday so the supermarkets could have them ready for spouses and significant others to buy on or before Monday, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Sunday.

But a delay in customs in Los Angeles kept the buds from arriving until Thursday, and the chain refused delivery. Now more than 182,000 assorted roses are stored in a walk-in cooler near the airport.

After Mayacrops general manager Tim Crawford was unable to find another buyer, parent company Xela Enterprises Ltd. of Toronto directed him to give the roses to area military bases and the Seattle veterans hospital.

But obstacles remain. Someone up the military chain of command must give permission to the request, and Crawford must find a way to delivery the roses.

"I've got to find something positive out of this," said Crawford, whose company lost almost $200,000 because of the late delivery. "If I can touch some people's lives -- something positive happens."