Mill Construction on the grow despite economic slowdown

  The current economic slowdown hasn't slowed down Mill Construction, which opened a fully staffed office in Yuma just 14 months ago. Since then, the Yuma team has quickly doubled and recently moved into a much larger office.

  The new office at 2577 S. Avenue 2-1/2E, Suite B, will provide an additional 1,400 square feet for the growing staff.

  As part of the office's growth, Russ Simmons, who helped open the new Yuma office as project superintendent in May 2007, was recently promoted to vice president of operations for Yuma. His wife, Deborah, serves as the office manager.

  Most recently added to the Yuma team as project managers are Shannon Pearson and Brian Shadd. Shadd, who grew up in Yuma, has 28 years' construction experience and has managed a number of large commercial projects for other general contractors.

  To assist on a few large projects, two additional longtime Mill Construction employees have relocated from the Salinas office: Bill Taylor Jr., who will act as project superintendent here, and John DeFranco, who will assist as a project manager/estimator.

  Other employees include Tim and Nellie Babbitt, who relocated to Yuma a year ago to join the company.

  Currently, the office is handling more than seven commercial construction projects throughout Arizona and Imperial County.

  For more information about Mill Construction, call Simmons at 726-6882 or visit www.millconstruc tion.com.

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  Saw something in Kirstin's Southwest Decor and wished you had bought it before the store closed? You may still be able to.

  Chet Lane, landlord for the closed store, purchased the store's inventory from bankruptcy court and is selling it off Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at sharp discounts. He will open the store, 261 S. Main St., other times by appointment.

  "There are still some nice decor items and some furniture," Lane said.

  He also is looking for either a buyer or new tenant for the building, which has 7,500 square feet on the first floor and a 5,000-square-foot basement.

 In addition, Lane has another 2,500-square-foot building available for sale or lease - where Ahh-Some Blossoms previously was located at 251 S. Main St.

 He can be reached at 329-4500 or 580-2906.

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  Halloween Express is now open for business at the Big Curve Shopping Center in the space previously occupied by Miller's Outpost.

  It's chock full of Halloween stuff from decorations to all kinds of costumes "for anything you want to be," said Nadia R. De Leon, owner of the franchise for this area.

  In addition to actual costumes, the store has wigs, makeup, latex, masks, fake blood and accessories like wands and swords to complete whatever look anyone from toddler to adult might want. That includes the latest Batman characters such as the Joker.

  The store is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week until Nov. 2. It can be reached at 726-6125.

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  Nationwide Wireless has set up shop at 2099 S. 4th Ave. (where Full Circle Health Foods formerly was located), as a vendor for all the major cellular phones such as alltel, Verizon and Nextel. It also offers prepaid phones, repairs, PC accessories, upgrades and all major phone cards. Coming soon is a gaming room.

  It's a new address and name for an existing business, said manager Majid Jajo. Previously known as Ace Cellular and Pager Communications, it had been located at 1670 S. 4th Ave.

  The shop can be reached at 539-1920.

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  Crescent Jewelers, located in The Village at Yuma Palms Regional Center, is displaying large signs proclaiming it is having a going out of business sale.

  A call to the company for comment garnered only a brisk "no comment."

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  Chile Verde, 2256 S. 4th Ave., is closed and the property is available for purchase or lease.

  If interested, call property owner Shirley Weber at 782-4349.

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  Jason and Melynda Croutch have purchased a franchise for TSS Photography for Yuma County, Imperial County, La Paz County and the east half of Riverside County.

  TSS Photography is a leader in youth activities and sports photography, school/senior portraits and event photography. The Croutches are locally based and now taking appointments to capture those special moments to keep or give as gifts.

  They also have great fundraiser items for churches, schools and other organizations.

  For more information, call Jason at 580-4597 or go online to tssphotography. com and put in the 85364 ZIP code for their Web site.

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  Gradias Construction Co. Inc., which has been in business since 1998 as a general contractor, has formed a new subsidiary, Flood Restoration and Remodeling. The new business, located at 1185 S. 4th Ave., will focus on reconstruction after water and fire damage. For more information, call owners Sylvia E. Gradias at 388-9122, or her son Eric Gradias at 503-2203.

  They've also formed a new company, Statewide Framing, that will focus on subcontracting for residential and commercial framing.

  In addition, Sylvia owns Yuma Contractors/ Engineers/Architects Custom Plan Room Services, located at 1185 S. 4th Ave, Suite E. The business, under the management of Judy Gren, produces a weekly publication for members with information about upcoming construction activity such as new building projects, earth-moving, roadwork and infrastructure. Subscribers have full use of the plan room services, and Web services will be available soon.

  For more information on the plan room, call 783-3170.

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 If your wedding photos are sitting in a box - like this columnist's - custom scrapbook designer Chardee Watowich has the solution. Owner of A Page to Remember, Watowich is expanding her offerings to include a wedding album class to be taught in October at Mementos, 1896 W. 38th Drive in the Mervyn's Shopping Center (Mementos is a craft supply store owned by Lisa Nickle).

  For more information about the wedding album class and other upcoming classes, contact Watowich at 920-4032 or chardee@ apagetoremember.com. To register, call Mementos at 782-5775.

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  Yuma Home Care Inc. has a new owner and new address. The agency, previously operated by Yuma Regional Medical Center to provide home-based health care, has been purchased by Robert and Diana Hastings and moved to 1841 W. 25th St.

  Hastings, a physical therapist, also owns Arizona Home Rehabilitation and it seemed a good fit when the other agency became available. Many of the staff were brought over with the change in ownership.

  Yuma Home Care provides in-home skilled nursing, physical therapy occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work and bath aides for patients who have returned home from the hospital or nursing home but still need some skilled care.

  The agency accepts Medicare and AHCCCS and has contracts with several private insurers.

  For more information, call 341-1300.

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  Contrary to rumors, The Children's Center, which was damaged by a ceiling fire June 25, will reopen for business, said owner Mindy McClain. It's just taking time to get through the insurance and city permitting process.

  She's hopeful reconstruction can begin in the next couple of weeks but doesn't have a target reopening date yet. Along with the repairs, she said she has some new plans for the center, including a room to care for infants.

  The day-care center is located at 1701 S. Avenue B, Suite 101, in the Plaza del Sol shopping center.

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  Ann and Sarah Farley will be holding an open house for their Silpada jewelry business that also will be a fundraiser for Hospice of Yuma. The event will be held 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 14 at 4693 W. 31st Lane.

  Silpada has just released its new 2008-2009 jewelry catalog with nearly 500 sterling silver and fine stone jewelry items, many of them never available before.

  Fifty percent of the profits from the open house will go to Hospice of Yuma to support its care of terminally ill patients.

  For more information or to book a party, call Ann or Sarah at 314-9741. To see the jewelry online, go to www.mysilpada.com/ann.farley.

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