It’s your buiness: T.J. Maxx remodeling to deliver improvements
Expect to see changes at the T.J. Maxx store in Champaign, if you haven’t been there in a while. A full remodeling job has been under way at the store at 21 E. Marketview Drive, and was nearly done as of late last week, the company said.
Some of the changes: A new checkout area designed to be faster, new dressing rooms and an expanded home department to add more furniture, according to Thea Houghton, a spokeswoman for the Framingham, Mass.-based chain.
There is also a new, expanded accessories department at the front of the store.
T.J. Maxx has more than 850 stores nationwide. The local store gets more than 10,000 new items a week, the company said.
Ready to pick
The blueberries have been on rain delay, but they were expected to be ready for picking this weekend at Pontious Farm, a U-pick produce farm in White Heath.
Also ready to pick now: gooseberries, currents, rhubarb and herbs. More of this year’s crops include black raspberries, blackberries, sweet corn, peppers, red raspberries and tomatoes, all grown insecticide-free, according to the Pontious family.
Pontious Farm, which also has a picnic area and petting zoo, is 15 miles west of Champaign off Interstate 72. It is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Come the first time during open hours to learn the routine, but the owners invite you to return anytime after that. All crops are sold on a pick-your-own basis, and payment is on the honor system.
For more information, call 762-9568 or check the Web site at www.pontiousfarm.com.
Moving
Advanced Aesthetics Surgery & Laser Center plans to move in mid-July from 510 S. Neil St., C, to 2111 W. Park Court, C, off Country Fair Drive.
Dr. James Kurley, a cosmetic plastic surgeon, has been performing surgeries and operating a medical spa at the current site for about 10 years. His practice is moving to a brand-new building, where spa services will be enhanced, said practice manager Mary Treat.
Plans are to pack up the week of July 14, and open at the new location July 21, she said.
Clinic gets new MRI
Christie Clinic’s new Urbana branch clinic on Windsor Road has a new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine that offers a softer, wider space with up to 90 percent less scan noise.
The new system has a shorter and wider opening for the patient that creates a more comfortable, less confining environment, according to clinic officials.
For more information, call 366-1285.
New counseling center opens
New Dawn Counseling Center of Central Illinois has opened at 2500 Galen Drive, C.
Colleen Pritchard, a mental health therapist, works with adults, children, adolescents, families and couples, and also provides group counseling and consulting services. Her new center has a play therapy room designed to help kids express themselves in a safe environment through artwork, games and other activities.
Pritchard, a Champaign-Urbana native who got her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago, said she is also available to clients outside typical business hours and for home visits. She has openings without a waiting list.
For more information, call 351-2611 or see the Web site at www.newdawncenter.com.
Save a tree
Here’s a way to cut down on paper and replace more trees: The Comcast cable company says it will donate a dollar to the Arbor Day Foundation for each of its customers who signs up for electronic billing by July 22.
For more information, see www.comcast.com/ecobill.
Painting houses
Illinois State University student Morgan Schweighart of Philo is operating a Student Painters business this summer.
For a free estimate, she can be reached at 493-1608.
Are you opening a new business or changing something at your existing business? Debra Pressey can be reached by phone at 351-5229 or 800-252-3346; by e-mail at dpressey@ews-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It’s Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.