Boomer broadcaster signs off, regroups

Boomer Radio has gone silent—at least for now.

The morning programming, which first aired on KJRB-AM 970 in July, is on hiatus as of earlier this month, says executive producer Kent Adams in a letter distributed via email to Boomer Radio’s hosts, supporters, and frequent guests.

Boomer Radio, which consisted of a package of talk shows aimed at the baby boomer demographic, had featured 40 to 60 guests a week, Adams says in the letter.

“Conducting great conversations daily has provided … an important benefit to our community,” he says. “The challenge, unfortunately, has been sustaining this project with limited capital and advertising as we build momentum.”

The letter says Boomer Radio hopes to reorganize and return to the air in 2015.

Adams couldn’t be reached immediately for further comment.

The locally produced, live broadcasts included one-hour programs focusing on business, health, community, and motivational subjects and other baby boomer interests.

As earlier reported in the Journal, Talk Radio West, a Spokane production company headed by Adams and business partner Tom McArthur, bought the airtime time from the station owner, Monterey, Calif.-based Mapleton Communications LLC, and was responsible for selling advertising to fund the programming.

Talk Radio West is a division of Half Round Productions LLC, through which Adams and McArthur have produced a number of recorded programs for another Mapleton radio station.

KJRB, also known as the Eagle, operates under a classic-country music format.

—Mike McLean

Salon to move into old Huppin’s space

Downtown Spokane salon Jaazz Salon & Skin Care Center plans to move this week into a 2,600-square-foot space in the former Huppin’s building, at 421 W. Main, says co-owner Mark Brado. 

The salon, which has 22 employees, formerly was located in 4,800 square feet of leased salon and storage space in the Legion Building, at 108 N. Washington. 

“We opened in our current location on Dec. 27, 2004, so it’s 10 years, almost, that we’ve been here,” says Brado, who co-owns the salon with wife, Sonna Brado. “But we’ve been open in Spokane since 1995.”

Jaazz offers haircuts, hair color, highlights, lowlights, and hair treatments, Brado says. It also offers skin care services such as facials and waxing. 

“We don’t do nails—pedicures, manicures, things like that,” he says. 

Brado says the salon decided to move because the lease on its former space was expiring. 

“The cost of our new lease was going to be prohibitive,” he says. “The landlord here, SDS Realty, has been great. It’s just the cost and some of the changes we wanted to make to the space weren’t going to be possible.”

The Brados worked with Spokane design firm Hurtado | Hissong Design Group LLC and contractor Ziva Enterprises Inc. to remodel its new space, he says. 

“We’re moving into a smaller space, but we’re maintaining the same number of hair stations and everything,” he says. 

 

—Katie Ross

Thrift store moves to larger location

Cleone’s Closet, an Airway Heights thrift store operated by Women’s Healing and Empowerment Network, a Spokane-based nonprofit, recently relocated to 1515 S. Lyons from 13514 W. Sunset Highway. 

The thrift store, which occupies 4,320 square feet at the new location, has more space than at the previous site, says Mable Dunbar, founder and executive director of the nonprofit. 

“It gives us over 300 more square feet and it has 2.3 acres of land that we’re renting,” she says. 

Cleone’s, which is open seven days a week, sells women and children’s clothing, furniture, and small household items. The thrift store has two full-time employees in addition to Dunbar and 10 to 12 volunteers, she says. 

Proceeds from the thrift store go to support programs sponsored by Women’s Healing and Empowerment Network, which includes two residential shelters for abused women and children, one in Spokane and another in Cheney, she says. The residential facilities offer counseling programs to women who have been abused, as well as case management. 

 

—Judith Spitzer

Off-road motorcycle, ATV shop starts up

Sprocket Sport Sales LLC, a new off-road motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle dealership and service shop, has opened on Spokane’s North Side, says Tim Ray, co-owner of the business.

Sprocket Sport occupies 3,400 square feet of leased space in a stand-alone building at 1819 E. Francis, the former site of the Victory Lane used-car dealership. The shop has four employees, including Ray and co-owner Bill Anderson.

Ray says Sprocket Sport sells and services mostly used motorcycles and ATVs.

“We also have a couple of new lines,” he says, adding that Sprocket Sport carries Beta-brand, Italian-made off-road bikes, and Genuine Scooters, which are manufactured in Taiwan.

Ray says motorcycle sales and services is a new venture for him and Anderson, who both have backgrounds in sales in the medical industry, although they both are experienced off-road motorcycle riders.

“We were downsized out of our jobs, and we decided to do this to have some fun,” Ray says.

The service shop features a diagnostic instrument called a dynamometer, which enables service technicians to run a motorcycle through a series of tests to measure the engine power and torque, he says.

“With everything being computer driven, now we can make adjustments on them,” Ray says.

Drew Ulrick, of the Spokane-based commercial real estate brokerage NAI Black, negotiated Sprocket Sport’s lease.

 

—Mike McLean