Company takes hassle out of river tubing

  With the Colorado  River flowing by the city, Yuma is a natural for tubing as a way to cool off on a hot day.

   But it can be a bit of a hassle: Where do we get the tubes? Who’s going to drive? How do we get our car at the end of the day? How do we carry our cooler? Where do we start?

  Yuma River Tubing provides the answers, said owner David Johnson. The business offers a convenient meeting location, shuttle to the launching point, deluxe tubes, cooler tubes, life vests and even a tube for your dog.

  Yuma River Tubing also handles all of the logistics: You meet at West Wetlands Park (where the trips end) and they shuttle you upriver to a safe launching point. They monitor the river every day and use different launching points, based on speed and depth of the river so you’re not stuck out there all day. Restrooms and trash containers are available at the end of the trip, and your car is in a clean and monitored public parking area.

  A grand opening is planned for May 1-5. Yuma River Tubing will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The average trip is four hours and the cost is $15 per person. Kids 7-12 are $10 and kids under 6 are $2. Cooler tubes or dog tubes are $10. Senior and military discounts are offered.

  For more information, call 1-866-712-TUBE (-8823) or visit www.yumariver tubing.com.

  Yuma River Tubing has been in business for six years at three locations in eastern Washington and now has expanded to Yuma, Johnson said. The company is fully insured and hold permits from the BLM, Forest Service, National Fish Hatchery, city of Yuma and other governing agencies.

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  An exterior renovation is under way at the former National Bank building at 1800 S. 4th Ave., reported Alan Kircher, city of Yuma assistant building official.

  The building has been purchased by Mohave State Bank, which recently filed an application to bank regulators to relocate its branch office that now occupies the sixth floor of the Crescent Center.

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  Kircher also reported:

  • Construction is well under way on a new 6,000-square-foot office building at Gateway Industrial Park next to Quality Development, 2589 E. 24th St. The developer is Robert Schaffer, owner of Quality Development.

  • Plans have been submitted by Yuma Vision Center for a 7,600-square-foot building at 201 W. 28th St. just west of Walgreens.

  • Plans have been submitted to tenant improvements for a 2,600-square-foot space at Tamarack Center, 7875 E. 24th St., for EZ Tyme Exercise.

  • Permits have been issued for tenant improvements to three spaces at Pacific Plaza (across the street from Yuma Palms Regional Center). One space is for a beauty salon and a second Mementos, which will be moving from the Mervyn's Plaza. There's interest in the third space but no signed contract, said Steve Linde, developer of Pacific Plaza.

  As a side note, he said that Jeanie's Party and Costume, which relocated there, is seeing twice the traffic.

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  Bobby's Territorial Harley-Davidson was awarded Harley-Davidson Motor Company's prestigious 2008 calendar year Gold Bar & Shield Circle of Excellence Award. This award is given to the top 25 dealerships in the United States.

  Bobby's Territorial Harley-Davidson earned the award based on its sales performance of motorcycles and related products, an evaluation of customer service and satisfaction, and various operational measures.

  In 2007 Bobby's Territorial Harley-Davidson was awarded Harley-Davidson Motor Company's Silver Bar & Shield Circle of Excellence Award. "We made the top 50 in 2007 and we wanted to keep getting better," said Marty La Belle, operations manager. "It takes a great team of people to accomplish the things we have in the past few years."

  Bobby's Territorial Harley-Davidson, 2550 E. Gila Ridge Road, has been in operation in Yuma since 2002. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company has been selling Harley-Davidson products in Yuma for more than 40 years.

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  Starting Monday, the fuel pumps at the Chevron station at 32nd Street and Avenue B will be closed for about two weeks for the installation of new pumps with the latest in card reader technology and to make diesel available at all the pumps, said John Bornt, general manager for Shay Oil Co.

  The convenience store will remain open during the transition, but with shorter hours of 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Once the project is completed, the pumps and store will again be open 24 hours a day.

  "We apologize for the inconvenience," Bornt said, "but we want our customers to have the newest technology and added diesel service."

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  For "cowboy up" fun, Country Junction USA will continue to offer concerts, hayrides with campfire cookouts, horseback riding and catered family camping through May. It also is available for booking special events. For more information, call 785-4672.

  Country Junction, owned by Billy and Debbie Britain, is located 30 miles east of Yuma. Take Exit 37 off Interstate 8 and proceed one mile south.

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  Co-owner Darla Schofield invites everyone to participate in the Biggest Loser Contest at Curves, 1701 S. Avenue B.

  For the occasion, she is waiving the one-time membership fee of $149.99 and the contest is free. All participants have to do is pay the monthly dues of $30.94 for as long as they want to belong to the club - no gimmicks and no strings attached.

  The contest starts Monday. For more information, call 819-6941.

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  Veckle is a new online resource for contractors where they can share their customer experiences with each other. Veckle members have the ability to write and read reviews about customers.

  For more information, visit www.veckle.com or call 726-1283.

  Owners are Eugene Swenson, Trevor Swenson and Whitney Moore.

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  Yuma's Taco Bell restaurants will be participating in a nationwide drive by the company to raise millions of dollars to combat America’s high school dropout crisis. The restaurants will donate 15 percent of their gross sales on Thursday to the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, which is dedicated to helping teens graduate from high school.

  The one-day fundraiser is part of a $5 million annual goal to fund teen programs at Boys and Girls Clubs across the country.

  As an added bonus, customers will have a chance to win one of four $25,000 scholarships.

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