Big changes, alternative fuels coming to Dateland business

Some big changes are coming to the little gas stop, restaurant and gift shop at Dateland. Owner Roland Walker said he's planning to gut the main building to enlarge it from 5,500 square feet to 8,200 square feet and add a new gas station that likely will be the first in Yuma County to offer E85 and biodiesel fuel.
 
"Somebody has to start to offer these alternative fuels," Walker said. And with the Agrinext Ethanol Plant planned for just down the road, he figures he's as good a "somebody" as anyone.
 
He'll be redeveloping his businesses as the Dateland Travel Center to include renovating the restaurant, enclosing the courtyard to create a new gift shop, creating a convenience store in the current gift shop location and installing six new fuel pumps in the new location to include E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) and biodiesel. He'll likely convert the existing gas pumps to a card lock station.
 
Plans are now being drawn up and Walker hopes to start construction by mid-July for a November completion. Walker owns the businesses with wife Charna and his parents, who are winter visitors from Canada.
 
On another note, he said his date business continues to grow, whether online sales at dateland.com or the date shakes that are such a hit at his restaurant. He is continuously planting new trees to keep up.

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The May issue of Yuma Business Direct is now available online at businessinyuma.com.
 
The issue's cover story profiles Cindy Turrentine, owner of Dancemakers in partnership with her mother. She relates how she got into dancing and how it has shaped her and her career. Turrentine estimates that more than 15,000 students have gone through her school, where she hopes they learned valuable life lessons along with dance steps.
 
Yuma Jaycees are featured as the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Month.
 
Debbie Gwynn, manager of the Garden Cafe, answers 20 questions in the ongoing series about leaders in Yuma's hospitality industry.

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In other building activity around Yuma, Alan Kircher, assistant city building official, said plans have been approved for a new medical office for Dr. Isabel Bellot at Tuscany Plaza, No. 9. The office will be 2,481 square feet.
 
Also, plans have been submitted for a new, 4,050-square-foot office for SME at 1931 S. Arizona Ave.

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Jody Ward is still working on getting her business, Homemade Bakery, open at Mission Valley Plaza. But in the meantime, people can still enjoy her cooking and baking. She will be operating the snack bar for the Babe Ruth baseball games for ages 13-15 that are now going on.
 
"They'll be good games," she said, encouraging people to come out to watch the ballgames, root on their favorite players and hit the snack bar.
 
Games are 6 and 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Yuma Catholic High School. The competition league plays Saturdays. The season goes until mid-June, followed by the All-Stars.

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Lots are now available for purchase at Bonita Estates, a 30-lot single-family residential development at 22nd Avenue and Colorado Street where Club Latino previously was located. The location is close to Joe Henry Park, West Wetlands and the historic downtown area.
 
Developers are Martin and Leticia Ramos, who also have Martin's Landscaping.
For more information, call 782-6286 or visit www.Bonita EstatesYuma.com.

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Western Newspapers Inc. has changed its name to Western News and Info Inc., announced Joe Soldwedel, chief executive officer of the family-owned business. He said the name change is to reflect the company's involvement in all phases of news and information.
 
The company currently deals in news and information not only in newspapers but also through such publications as phone directories and magazines, broadcasting, outdoor advertising and many Web sites.
 
In Yuma, the company owns Del Outdoor Advertising Inc. and Sign Pro and half-interest in Yuma radio stations KLJZ-FM (Z93) and KJOK-AM (1400).

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Detra Dixon and Susan Desin, who have both been in the insurance business, have teamed up to handle all your Aflac needs. They've opened an office at 2170 W. 24th St. Susan is a Yuma native and Detra relocated to Yuma with the Marine Corps.
 
Aflac offers a range of supplementary insurance plans, such as cancer, accident and disability policies. They're offered primarily through the workplace, but Detra and Susan also will do direct sales.
 
Detra can be reached at 581-5499 and Susan at 446-1014. Or call the office at 819-0054.
 
Aflac is the insurance company with the famous duck in its commercials. The duck stays home when they call on clients, Detra said.

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Zumba, the latest in fitness routines, has come to the Foothills. Healthy Butz, 11805  S. Fortuna Road, has been offering free classes and now has its schedule up and running with three certified Zumba instructors.
 
Classes are offered at 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. Fridays. Babysitting is available weekdays. Cost is $6.50 to drop in for a class or you can purchase a punch card of 10 for $50 or 20 for $95 and get a free class. The center also is having membership specials.
 
"This new Latin based aerobics class is going to be HOT," said co-owner Amanda Butz. "We want anyone and everyone of all fitness levels to learn that having fun and working out are not mutually exclusive."
  
For more information, call 342-3546.

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Luis Figueroa has moved his business, Figueroa Fingerprinting and Process Service LLC, to 150 W. Court St., Suite B (right behind the law office of Candy Camarena).
 
Figueroa is an Arizona certified process server and provides process-serving services locally and throughout the United States. He also provides fingerprinting and legal courier services throughout Yuma County. Other services include notary public, copies, faxing and public/court records searches.
 
He can be reached by phone at 343-9071, fax at 783-0867 or e-mail luisfigueroa@ yumaprocessserver.com. His Web site is www.yuma processserver.com.

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A new high-end, full glossy publication for real estate professionals will be entering the Yuma market soon. Mike Bowling of Wet Paint Publishing Inc. will be begin offering Homes and Land of the Desert Southwest to help area real estate agents and offices, new homebuilders and mortgage companies market their listings and services.
 
The magazine will launch in June. It will be published every four weeks and distribute 25,000 copies throughout Yuma, Somerton, Wellton, Foothills and San Luis, Ariz., in such high-traffic locations as grocery stores, gas stations, hotels, shopping centers and restaurants. It also will be direct-mailed to people relocating to the area, home sellers, major employers, professional offices, top real estate agents and chambers of commerce.
 
Advertisers will also be given access to HomesAnd Land.com with more than 500,000 real estate listings from communities across the United States and Canada.
 
May 19 is the ad copy deadline for the first issue. To reserve space or for more information, call Bowling at 343-3003 or e-mail mikebowling@mac.com.

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Got nails? Get PersoNAILity by Sherri Evans Dahin. Aka the Nail Diva, she has opened PersoNAILity Studio for Nails in space inside Studio 7 by Karla at 2115 S. Arizona Ave., Suite 1. She has been a licensed cosmetologist specializing in nail enhancements since 1987 and previously owned Nail Diva's on Main.
 
Since then, she said, she's been working steadily, and "learning some very creative, funky new nail art techniques like 3-D, inlays and impressions," she e-mailed. Now she's looking forward to seeing past clients and meeting new ones in her new home at Studio 7.
 
Dahin's also been developing a Web site to educate consumers about what to look for when choosing a salon, such as compliance with Arizona State Board of Cosmetology laws and rules, sanitation and disinfection, and professional products.
 
For the summer, Dahin is available from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For an appointment, call 550-2836, drop her a line at sherri@personailty.com or visit her Web site at www.personaility.com.

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