No bidders for state trust land auction

  As testimony to the slow real estate market, there were no bidders for an auction last month of about 121 acres of state trust land located at 40th Street and Avenue 9E, said Jamie Hogue, deputy land commissioner.

  The property had been appraised at $6.2 million. It will be at least a year before the land comes up for auction again, hopefully with a recovery of the market, Hogue said.

  In contrast, New Sun Homes paid $14 million - twice the appraised value - for 160 acres two years ago after a bidding war with Elliott Homes.

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  Permits have been issued for the first phase of structural work on the former Kress building in downtown Yuma, said Alan Kircher, assistant city of Yuma building official. The permit is for moving some columns to open up the second floor, where a banquet hall and lounge will be located.

  The next phase will be for improvements to making those facilities as well as strengthening the roof where a rooftop lounge will be located. Plans also call for adding an elevator and stairs on the alley side of the building, which was purchased by Frank Ruiz, owner of Desert Best Distributing.

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  The animals at the Humane Society of Yuma are more comfortable these hot summer days thanks to the generosity of a couple of area businesses.

  A new air conditioning unit recently was donated to the Humane Society by Jorge Silva of JLE Service in San Luis, Ariz.; Alex Gallardo of AB Builders; and Bradley Holcom of AB Builders. The idea for the donation was a result of conversations with Leonor Amaya, an employee at Citizens Title and a volunteer at the Humane Society.

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  Dust Devil Athletics has moved to 12825 S. Avenue 4-1/4E directly behind the Peanut Patch off County 13th Street, announced Trisha Gerber, owner/coach. The building is twice the size as the old one, air conditioned and has an in-ground trampoline.

  Classes for ages 2-21 include trampoline and tumbling, cheer tumbling, preschool gymnastics and even a parent work-out area. Dust Devils also has a competition trampoline and tumbling team as well as Rock Solid All Stars, a competitive cheerleading team coached by Patty Federico-Quiroz.

  Open gym is every Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. for ages 1-5, and from 11 a.m. to noon for ages 6-21. Cost is $5 per child; military and multiple child discounts offered. The business can be booked for birthday parties.
  For more information, call 314-DUST (3878), visit www.dustdevilathletics.com or e-mail info@dustdevilathletics.com. Office hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

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  After two years of offering OSHA safety training and consulting services to the Yuma area, Industrial Safety Training and Compliance is making some significant changes, announced owner Chris Williams.

  The area last year experienced a large increase in injuries, fatalities and OSHA citations (including a recent heatstroke patient), Williams noted. That coupled with the significant growth expected in the next few years from San Luis to Dateland, Williams is poising his business to better meet the need for employee safety in the area.

  The company has changed its name to WorkSafeAZ and has selected Yuma as the location for its first full-time OSHA Safety Center. The Yuma Safety Center will bring to the greater Yuma area an expanded schedule of training classes as well as jobsite inspections, safety monitoring, accident investigation and prevention, and employee heat stress management products. It also will help companies create and update company safety policies and create internal safety committees.

  For more information, call Williams at 1-800-870-5913 or visit www.WorkSafeAZ.com

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  Yuma's newest Wells Fargo branch (its sixth in the Yuma area), 8225 E. 32nd St. (near the Foothills Wal-Mart Supercenter), will open for business July 14. A full-service community bank, it also will have two ATMs, a mortgage consultant, a business specialist and two online stations where customers can conduct online banking. The phone number is 317-3700.

  The branch manager will be Linda Weatherwax, who has been with Wells Fargo in Yuma for more than 35 years and most recently managed the Foothills branch. She is a member of Foothills Rotary.

  Andrew Roundtree is transferring from Lubbock, Texas, to fill the position of business specialist at the new branch. He will be able to assist smaller businesses with their financial needs from banking and lending to wealth management.

  Bonnie Bledsoe takes over as the manager for the Foothills branch at 11411 S. Fortuna Road. She previously was a service manager at the Yuma Main location on 16th Street.

  In other Wells Fargo news, Stanna Pich has been named manager for the branch at 790 Catalina Drive. Pich, a Wells Fargo veteran with more than 28 years of financial services experience, has served as a financial services representative, financial services manager, personal banker, assistant store manager and store manager for Wells Fargo and its predecessor banks in San Diego.

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 Dr. Vernon Chavez, a major with the Arizona National Guard, is back to duties as a physician with Pinnacle Healthcare, 3939 S. Avenue 3E, Suite 119. An internal medicine specialist, he is taking new patients - walk-ins accepted. For more information, call 341-4544.

  Dr. Chavez had been deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, assigned to Camp Cropper in Baghdad since January. He was welcomed home by his wife, Trinidad Lim, M.D., a physician associated with Yuma Nephrology Associates, and their three children.

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  Seen and heard:

  - STAT Uniforms, 1773 W. 24th St., has closed its doors. The phone number has been disconnected and a sign on the door says the business is "out of business."

  - Gypsy Woman is now doing readings at her home office. She can be reached at 783-7777 or visit her Web site at www.thegypsywoman.com for more information on services and products.

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  Richard Roberts is the new office manager for the RE/MAX Territory Foothills branch, 11665 S. Fortuna Road. He is an associate broker and also a licensed state real estate instructor. Roberts has been an agent with the office since October 2006.

  In other RE/MAX news, Colleen Newman received the 2007 Hall of Fame Award for earning more than $1 million in commissions during the year. German Lopez received the 100 Percent Award for earning more than $100,000 in commissions during 2007. Luis Ramirez, Veronica Carlos, Xiomara Ramirez and Suzanne Horton received the RE/MAX Territory Executive Award for earning more than $75,000 in commissions during the year.

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  MGM Design recently launched a number of new Web sites, including one for the Foothills Bank, announced Matt Molenar, president of MGM Design. The bank's new site can be viewed at www.thefoothillsbank.com.

  MGM Design has been providing the Yuma area with professional Web sites and graphic design for the past 10 years and specializes in professional business images. For more information, call 782-5915 or visit www.mgmdesign com.

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  Lost your barber and don't know where to find her? Here's the new locations for four stylists and barbers who previously worked for Antonio's Barber Shop:

  - Ana is now at Claudillo's Barber Shop, 333 W. 16th St.; call 446-3799.

  - Maria is now at Perfect Cuts Barber Shop, 18464 Main St. in Gadsden; call 488-9729.

  - Sonia is now at Keny's Barber Shop in the Southgate Mall; call 247-3071.

  - Rebeca is now at Hair Dimensions in the Mission Valley Plaza at 24th Street and Avenue C; call 783-3434.

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Report Comings and Goings to jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.