Comings and Goings: The Zone closes at Shilo

Yuma apparently has lost one restaurant but is gaining another.

The Zone, which had been operating at the restaurant at the Shilo, is closed, according to a note on the door. The note directs anyone interested in leasing the space to contact Sheri Boney, the Shilo Inn Hotel manager, at 782-9511.

Dale Hiles, owner of The Zone, could not be reached for comment by Comings and Goings.

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Nearby, workers were sprucing up the restaurant where Arnie's previously had been located on 16th Street at the Interstate 8 entrance.

A new Japanese restaurant, Ninja Sushi, will be opening there, hopefully within the next couple of weeks, said owner Hong Moon. The phone number will be 782-4000.

He said the restaurant will feature sushi, teriyaki and other Japanese dishes. He has 30 years' experience in the business and has three other restaurants in the Sacramento, Calif., area.

Workers have been cleaning up, fixing up and painting the building that has stood vacant for some time.

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Hector Bermudez has opened Game Zone at 423 S. 8th St., where people can come in to access the Internet or enjoy Xbox 360 by the hour or pay a daily rate. It's open seven days a week. For more information, call 276-9504.

His son, Joshua Bermudez, has his own business, Express Computer Repair, at the same location, that provides onsite computer repair and technology consultations. He can be reached at 580-8481.

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The Yuma area is one of the few communities that actually has seen more visitors this winter, reported Bob Ingram, executive director of the Yuma Visitors Bureau. He said nearly 650 more people visited the Yuma area in October and November than during the same time the previous year.

Unfortunately, that isn't reflected in hotel occupancy rates. According to information the state has provided the Yuma Visitors Bureau, Yuma-area hotel occupancy averaged 48.8 percent for November.

That's down 14.5 percent from November 2008. At the same time, though, the room supply increased by 12.4 percent, reflecting the new hotels that have opened here in recent months, Ingram noted.

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Carla Wolfe has become an in-home parties consultant for Purse Party Package under the business name Persnickety Purses by Clara. For more information and to book a party, call her at 446-3599.

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HealthSouth Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital has been recognized by HealthSouth as one of the best acute rehabilitation hospitals in the nation for patient satisfaction, services and business operations.

Of the more than 100 HealthSouth hospitals in the United States, Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital is ranked No. 2.

"We strive for excellence at our hospital because it offers a better quality of life for our patients and exceeds the expectations of medical and family caregivers in our community,” said CEO Steve Smith.

Yuma Rehabilitation, in partnership with Yuma Regional Medical Center, serves Yuma, Brawley, El Centro and the surrounding communities. Services, both inpatient and outpatient, include occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, speech/language therapy and nutritional counseling.

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Nova Home Loans in Yuma was recently recognized by a leading firm that compiles data for real estate and commercial lending as the No. 1 FHA lender and the No. 1 lender for the resale of existing homes in Yuma County for November.

Nova Home Loans is consistently in the top three for these categories, noted branch manager Todd Craig.

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The Foothills Bank of Yuma has earned a distinguished 5-Star Superior rating from BauerFinancial Inc. for the 14th consecutive quarter, based on the overall financial condition of the bank.

The 5-Star rating is the highest attainable from BauerFinancial, the nation’s bank rating firm.

Established in 1997, The Foothills Bank has been serving the Yuma area for 12 years. It operates through three offices in Yuma and on the Web at thefoothillsbank.com.

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