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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2020)
BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 IN THE WORKS TruCare Pregnancy Clinic in new building By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Hermiston residents who frequently travel South- east 11th Street have asked what the pre- viously empty storage build- ing on the cor- ner of 11th and Jade Hartley Ave- McDowell NEWS EDITOR nue will hold once it is done with renovations. The building at 140 SW 11th St. is now fi nished, other than some small touches, such as signage, and it is the new home of TruCare Preg- nancy Clinic, previously known as TruCare Preg- nancy Resource Center. Kristi Atkins, executive director of the clinic, said the new space is several times larger than the support cen- ter’s previous location at Staff photo by Jade McDowell TruCare Pregnancy Clinic just moved into this newly remodeled building on Southwest 11th Street in Hermiston. Granary Square. It will allow the center to offer new ser- vices, including free ultra- sounds for expectant mothers as soon as TruCare is able to hire a nurse to perform them. The center provides “life-affi rming” support to expectant mothers, includ- ing pregnancy tests, coun- seling, parenting classes and supplies, such as diapers. Emergency services, such as pregnancy tests, have been available by appointment through the pandemic. But as restrictions lift, Atkins said they have opened their new building to walk-ins and will restart their classes soon. In other news, the Max- well Market has confi rmed that the farmers market will open from 4-8 p.m. on May 28 at the Maxwell Pavilion. Details on how the market will implement social dis- tancing during the 2020 sea- son will be announced later this week. If you have been wonder- ing about the construction at the corner of North Highway 395 and Punkin Center, that site will be the home of a new Roger’s Toyota location later this year. The dealership plans to leave its current lot down the road and move into a much larger, more modern building with additional service bays and more parking for inven- tory when construction is complete this fall. The plans include a 30,000-square-foot building with three enclosed drive-thru lanes. Cottage Flowers announces closure By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Cottage Flowers announced last week that they are closing their doors after 32 years in business. The Hermiston fl oral shop, owned and operated by the Ego and Spoo extended fam- ilies, announced the closure in a long Facebook post, not- ing the decision “has been in the works for some time and is not, in any way, the result of the current pandemic.” “As a family, we are ready for retirement and the next chapter ahead,” they wrote. The store ended its fl oral services with Mother’s Day weekend, but they plan to open their doors one last time sometime in the future to hold a fi nal sale of their retail Staff photo by Jade McDowell A “for lease” sign sits out front of Cottage Flowers, which is closing its doors in Hermiston after 32 years. inventory. The other busi- nesses in the Cottage Plaza, where the shop is located at 1725 N. First St., will remain open. The business started out on Main Street, according to the post, before moving to the Hermiston Plaza and fi nally to its current location, which once served as Hermiston’s armory. “Over time, we have seen so many trends and styles come and go, but this com- munity’s support of our small business always remained steadfast,” the family wrote. “Owning this business for so long means we have had the privilege of having a role in helping people in our community commemorate and celebrate so many life moments and milestones. From new babies, sweet six- teens, get well soons and high school proms to graduations, holidays, job promotions, weddings and funerals, we have been a part of it all.” Bealls’ owner fi les for bankruptcy protection By PHIL WRIGHT EO MEDIA GROUP The parent company of Bealls and other depart- ment stores fi led May 10 for bankruptcy protection, unable to climb out of a fi nancial hole the COVID- 19 pandemic made even deeper. Houston-based Stage Stores Inc. in a press release also announced it will simultaneously seek buyers for all or parts of its business and “initiate an orderly wind-down of operations.” The company did not return requests for com- ment on how the move affects the Hermiston Bealls, which before the COVID-19 shutdown of nonessential retailers in Oregon was transforming into a Gordmans store, also owned by Stage. The company operates Bealls, Goody’s and Pal- ais Royal, primarily in rural communities, and off-price stores under the Gord- mans brand, and employs approximately 14,700 peo- ple at roughly 700 stores across 42 states, accord- ing to the court documents it fi led in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston, its base of operations. Bealls has a few stores in Oregon, including in La Grande, Hermiston, Klamath Falls and Hood River. The La Grande store opened in 2009. Stage Stores closed its properties due to the COVID-19 pan- demic. Signs on the inside of the windows at the La Grande Bealls explain the store remains closed until the state lifts the restric- tions to curb the spread of the virus. Stage Stores in its press release stated it is tak- ing a phased approach to reopening its stores in the coming weeks to liquidate inventory. The company antici- pates reopening 624 stores this month and the “bal- ance of the chain” on June 4. Stage Stores also will end the wind-down at cer- tain locations if it receives a viable going-concern bid. The company’s Chapter 11 fi ling listed total assets as of Nov. 2, 2019 at more than $1.7 billion and total liabilities at a little more than $1 billion. The com- pany owes more than $3.6 million to Nike Inc., its top creditor, and almost $487,000 to its 50th-ranked creditor, the footwear company Caleres Inc. of Missouri. Michael Glazer, Stage Stores president and CEO, in the press release stated the company has no more avenues to pursue save for seeking Chapter 11 protection. “Over the last several months, we had been taking signifi cant steps to attempt to strengthen our fi nancial position and fi nd an inde- pendent path forward,” according to the statement. “However, the increasingly challenging market envi- ronment was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pan- demic, which required us to temporarily close all of our stores and furlough the vast majority of our asso- ciates. Given these condi- tions, we have been unable to obtain necessary fi nanc- ing and have no choice but to take these actions.” The company also fi led a slew of motions seeking court orders to continue to operate, including the abil- ity to pay employee wages, salaries and health benefi ts. Stage Stores in its press release also reported it “expects to honor existing customer programs, includ- ing gift cards and returns, for the fi rst 30 days after a store reopens.” TODAY. TOMORROW. TOYOTA 0 60 MONTHS % APR FINANCING FOR with $16.67 per $1,000 borrowed 2020 TUNDRA 2020 RAV4 Gas If you own a business & would like to help sponsor this page. Please contact Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531; jjewett@hermistonherald.com 2020 Camry BuyAToyota.com * Prototypes shown with options. Extra-cost color shown. On select 2020 models. Terms available on approved credit through participating dealers and Toyota Financial Services. Not all customers will qualify. Void where prohibited. 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