New McDonald’s opens on eastside [The Wenatchee World, Wash.]

Oct. 01--East Wenatchee

New McDonald's opens on eastside

East Wenatchee McDonald's fans had to curb their burger lust for nearly a week when the eastside McD's moved from its longtime location to a new building located right across the street.

The restaurant at 280 Valley Parkway closed Sept. 12 and reopened Sept. 18 in its jazzy new building at 201 Valley Mall Parkway.

Owner Chuck Hillis, who also owns most of the other McDonald's in North Central Washington, said the new building has an updated design that includes a side-by-side drive-through lane, a new front counter set-up and digital menu boards to help speed customer service.

Hillis said a grand opening for the new restaurant will be held Oct. 5 to 7 with various activities and promotions, including a visit from Ronald McDonald.

Hillis has been in the McDonald's business for 27 years and owned local outlets for a decade. East Wenatchee's new building is part of the national company's push to remodel or rebuild more than 1,000 restaurants this year.

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Spokane

USDA sets prices for insured grain crops

Harvest prices for grain crops covered by federal insurance plans were announced last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Winter and spring wheat prices topped the list at $8.69 a bushel, with barley at $7.26 a bushel, fall canola at $0.283 per pound and fall rapeseed at $0.307 per pound.

The prices are for crops in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska covered by Multi-Peril Crop Insurance and Revenue Protection plans, policies issued by the USDA'sRisk Management Agency.

For additional program details, growers should contact their insurance agent or Jo Lynne Seufer, regional risk management specialist in Spokane, at (509) 228-6320.

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Wenatchee

County helps say bye-bye to bad stuff

Folks at Chelan County'sSolid Waste Department are ready to deal with all that gunk you don't want to touch or sniff or even look at wrong.

Stuff such as hazardous wastes like old fuels and oils, solvents and paints, mercury amalgams, caustic inks and other not-so-friendly materials sometimes generated by local businesses.

On Oct. 5, the department will hold the Chelan County Small Quantity Generator Event. Here's how it works:

Businesses that generate up to 2,200 pounds of dangerous wastes per year may qualify as a Small Quantity Generator. Owners or managers should check with Chelan County Public Works (667-6415) to see if you qualify and to pre-register.

When registered, you'll need to haul materials that day to the Chelan County maintenance shop at 210 Easy St. The event isn't free, but prices are discounted.

"This is really a pretty good deal for small businesses," said Brenda Harn, solid waste coordinator. "The prices are right to get rid of hazardous wastes."

On Oct. 6, the county will accept hazardous wastes from the general public.

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Wenatchee

Yoga studio opens downtown

They're young yogis with a new studio just a few weeks old, but their enthusiastic advice borders on age-old wisdom.

"Yoga is different for each and every person," said Dakota Shae, co-owner of iLa Yoga with his wife, Bridget. "Each person brings something different to it, and each person takes something different away."

The two 25-year-old teachers, with yoga certificates from the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, offer eight different types of classes (nearly 30 classes weekly) at their downtown Wenatchee studio.

"We've learned so much in the last few years through our instructors and our travels," said Bridget. She and Dakota grew up in Wenatchee and have family here. "We wanted to come back and share what we love about yoga with the valley we've loved since we were kids."

A four-week introductory series to basic yoga for beginners was held last month. More experienced students (novice through advanced) will find classes in power yoga, pre-natal yoga, kids yoga, hot yoga, flow yoga, relaxing yoga, recovery yoga and a handful more. There's even a stand-up paddle board yoga class for those of you who don't mind a little water with your Warrior Pose.

The pair also has plans to offer workshops and retreats that focus on specific aspects of yoga, and to invite guest teachers for special classes.

"The variety means there are classes for people of different ages and abilities," said Bridget. "There's no competition here. No pressures or obligations. We teach a way of moving that connects you to yourself, physically and mentally."

Dakota explained that "iLa" -- pronounced ee-La -- is an acronym that stands for inspire, love and authenticity.

The Shaes designed their studio as "open, airy and breezy" with earth-tone colors, a bamboo floor and natural light. They've also added a small boutique that carries yoga supplies -- an organic clothing line, mats, blankets, blocks and eye pillows (made by the Shaes' own grandmothers) -- along with a selection of oils, scents, candles and handmade jewelry. On the drawing board: a massage treatment room.

"This studio is our dream," said Dakota. "A roomful of local people learning about and doing yoga. It's been a lot of work, but this is what we returned home to do."

Details: iLa Yoga, 13 Orondo Ave., Wenatchee. Info: Call 670-2384, or visit ilayoga.com. The studio held its grand opening in late September.

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NCW

Have you heard? ... Business bulletins

Wenatchee Paint Supply, 134 N. Mission St., closed Aug. 11 but reopened just six days later under new ownership as Standard Paint, a Yakima-based company now with six stores in Washington and Oregon. Regan Myers, one of the company's managing partners, said the Wenatchee store will continue to feature Benjamin Moore paints and soon add Pittsburgh Paints to its line-up. Info: 663-8574.

SeaPort Airlines, which flies a daily Wenatchee-to-Yakima-to-Portland route, will launch a new in-flight magazine beginning Nov. 1. Not yet titled, the magazine will feature travel articles on cities and regions in the SeaPort network, including (sooner or later) the Wenatchee Valley. The first issue will focus on two cities in Arkansas -- El Dorado and Harrison -- which were part of SeaPort's first markets in the mid-South. The new mag will be available in seat pockets on the planes, of course, but also free at ticket counters.

Wenatchee's new Big Lots store, 151 Easy Way in Olds Station, opened Aug. 23 and had an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening Aug. 31. Part of the festivities was the presentation of a check for $2,500 to Sunnyslope Elementary School by Big Lots District manager Gerry Bogle.

Inna's Cuisine European Restaurant, 26 N. Wenatchee Ave., has earned a 2012 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the popular online travel site. The downtown dining spot won the award for receiving continued rave reviews and a 4.5 rating (out of 5) to rank it No. 2 out of the 62 Wenatchee restaurants reviewed on the site.

Wenatchee-based M&M Productions' movie "The Lost Secret of Immortality" won a Silver Palm Award for documentaries at July's 2012 Mexico International Film Festival in San Diego. Last year, the film won Best Spiritual Film Award at the New York International Film Festival.

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East Wenatchee

Collings steps up to manage mall

Dawn Collings, former mayor and events coordinator for the City of East Wenatchee, has been named general manager of the Wenatchee Valley Mall, a spokeswoman for the mall's parent company announced in September.

Promotion of Collings comes just 10 months after she joined the mall in November as assistant general manager, said Sweeney Mae Montinola, spokeswoman for the Vintage Capital Group.

Vintage, a $150 million investment firm based in Los Angeles, has owned the mall since 2007.

Collings replaces James Coker, who left the position last month after two years as general manager.

Collings served as East Wenatchee mayor from 1992 to 1998. She was the city's events coordinator for two years and a supporter of sprint boat races, a controversial sports event that ran for two summers in 2010 and 2011. She currently serves as a director on the board of the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau.

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Quincy

Amway breaks ground on new facility

Groundbreaking for Amway's new $38 million herb processing plant took place here Aug. 27 with speeches, a tree planting and lunch at the factory's site at 10448 NW Road R.

Attending were a handful of local and company dignitaries, including Port of Quincy Commissioner Brian Kuest, Quincy Mayor Jim Hemberry, Senator Linda Evans-Parlette, state Department of Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse and Amway Vice-president George Calvert.

When completed in 2014, the 48,000-square-foot processing plant plant is expected to create 30 or more jobs. Future expansion on a adjacent 15 acres could bring another 50 jobs.

The plant -- an "extraction and concentration facility," according to the company -- will process crops from Trout Lake Farm, an organic grower of medicinal herbs and teas with acreage and a milling operation located south of Ephrata. The farm's head office is in Trout Lake.

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