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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 • Vol. 109, No. 35
Review-Independent Resumes Publication Yakima Valley Business Times owner purchases 109-year-old paper The Review-Independent is back. The Toppenish-based community newspaper is now operated by Yakima Valley Publishing Inc. — a locally owned newspaper company that produces the Yakima Valley Business Times and Central Washington Senior Times. The business is owned by Bruce and Ginger Smith. The Review-Independent had ceased publication on Aug. 31 for financial reasons — briefly interrupting a publication history that dates back 109 years. This is the first issue printed under the new ownership. “The paper has deep roots in the community,” said Smith, who will be the newspaper’s publisher. “It’s very important for us to not only continue the publication, but to make the paper a strong and viable source for
The Review-Indendent newspaper has a new location in downtown Toppenish. The newspaper is located at 218 W. First Ave.
community news. “We plan on breathing life back into the Review-Independent and giving Lower Valley residents the sort of community newspaper they deserve.” Jack Smith — who served as the paper’s editor before its closure —
will return, as will account executive Shawnee Olson and office manager Tammy Mitzel. Since the change of ownership, the Review-Independent has moved to a new location and changed its phone number. The office is now located at 218. W. First Ave. in Top-
penish. The new phone number is 509-314-6400. In addition to the Review-Independent, the Smiths purchased the Spanish-language weekly newspaper Viva, the weekly Central Valley Shopper direct mailer, the monthly Yakima Valley Business Journal and the annual Yakima Valley Visitor’s Guide. The visitor’s guide will be produced and distributed early in 2013 and the Business Journal has been merged into the Smith’s Business Times newspaper. The publisher plans to restart Viva in the first or second quarter of next year and the shopper’s future is uncertain. “Our commitment is to do things right, not fast,” said Smith. “We want to get the Review-Independent up and going in the next couple of weeks and then to deliver a highquality visitor’s guide in the next couple of months. Then we’ll look at the other products.”
Lower Valley Grocery Store Under New Ownership
By Jack H. Smith The new owners of Zillah’s one grocery store say they want to play a part in the community and provide shoppers with local products. Lep-re-kon Mart Inc. officially purchased the former Zillah Food
Center Oct. 29. The company currently owns stores in Othello, Mattawa, Connell and Moses Lake. The store’s named has been changed from the Zillah Food Center to Lep-re-kon Harvest Foods. While independently owned, the store will be part of the Harvest Foods marketing group that currently has around 40 stores in the Western United States. “We want to be part of the community and we want to be a good place to work for. We want to give a small-town feel to the grocery store,” Le-pre-kon Vice President Michael Montemayor said. With stores in several other small Washington towns, he said the company always tries to sell local produce and beef. Just days into the ownership of the store, they have already started selling St. Helens beef, a product of AB Foods, which has a processing plant located in Toppenish. Company President Joe Montemayor said the company feels proud to have this local product featured in Zillah. The father-and-son team of Joe and Michael had been looking at purchasing the store for around a year before finally making the deal with former owner John Hill. “Zillah seemed like a great com-
Joe and MIchael Montemayor stand in front of a freezer section full of the local product St. Helens beef. The two recently purchased the former Zillah Food Center. The new name of the store located at 145 First Ave. is Le-pre-kon Harvest Foods.
munity and a great opportunity for this store,” Michael said. “So we went ahead and went for it.” Although they have only owned the store a matter of weeks, both agree the positive feedback has been tremendous. “It has been wonderful. The city
has been great and everyone in town has been great to work with,” he said. In just their first few days in town the mayor, police chief and other community members have taken time to greet them. “They are thrilled to have us in town,” Joe said.