New ER breaks ground, book store and coffee shop open, but no more pinball
Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System broke ground Wednesday on its new 10,000-square-foot off-campus emergency department at the corner of Golf Club Road Southeast and Pacific Avenue Southeast in Lacey.
Construction of the Lacey site, which will operate under MultiCare Capital Medical Center’s license, is expected to begin this fall and be complete next summer.
The new facility will feature 10 exam rooms, on-site radiology services including x-ray, ultrasound, and CT scans; an in-house laboratory; and a pediatric provider available seven days a week, MultiCare announced in a news release. The new department will be staffed by board-certified emergency physicians.
“Emergency departments across Puget Sound are often at or near capacity. This new facility will give our communities another option when seeking emergency services, often giving patients access to a doctor within 15 minutes,” said Will Callicoat, president of MultiCare Capital Medical Center in Olympia, in a statement.
The health system also opened emergency rooms Parkland and Bonney Lake in 2019, South Hill in 2020 and Federal Way in 2021.
A new store for used books
As of Aug. 1, Olympia has a new used book store.
It’s called Turtleman Books, and was launched by Murlin Varner, a retired school teacher. It is in the South Capitol neighborhood at 108 22nd Ave. SW, Suite 4, in Olympia.
Varner has been selling books online on a site called Biblio.com under the Turtleman name since 2018. But he said it’s also been a dream of his to open a bookstore, giving him “something to do in retirement.”
The 900-square-foot storefront started with 1,200 books, but has recently grown to 1,500 books and continues to grow as Varner acquires books from estate sales or moving sales. Some also come from his personal collection, plus he has more than 3,000 books online, which tend to be older and rare, he said.
But some of those rare books can be found at his new storefront, such as a 1959 first edition of “False Scent” by mystery write Ngaio Marsh.
Varner describes himself as a lifelong reader. “I was always reading and never getting rid of my books,” he said.
Although he is still unpacking books and setting up bookshelves, many of his current books for sale fall into the categories of mystery, fantasy and science fiction. Some of the authors include Terry Brooks, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Tony Hillerman, Elmore Leonard, J.A. Jance and John Le Carre. There’s also a healthy selection of Stephen King, plus children’s books, cook books and more.
But why Turtleman Books? Why not call it Varner Books?
Murlin said he was concerned about customers confusing the “v” sound with the letter “b,” plus he and turtles go way back. He earned his master’s degree in biology, which included the study of turtles, and that effort earned him the nickname “turtle man.”
And if you look real closely, you’ll find a few toy turtles scattered throughout his business.
Turtleman Books is open 10 a.m. to 5-7 p.m. (depending on his schedule) Wednesdays through Sundays. You also can find him at Biblio.com.
Other business happenings
Downtown Olympia has a new coffee shop and live music venue called Rhythms Coffee. It is at 210 Fourth Ave. W. The business, according to its Instagram page, is focused on regional artisanal coffee, “steering away from dark roasts and super-sizes.”
“Our drinks are small, simple and refined,” the post reads.
Rhythms is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, according to its website.
Olympia Pinball Museum, which was previously in space on Capitol Way near Fifth Avenue in downtown Olympia, closed in late July because the owners retired, according to its Facebook page.
Acquisition
Consulting company Ernst & Young has acquired information technology and management firm Cambria Solutions, a Sacramento-based business that has a large presence in Olympia, EY announced this month.
According to EY, Cambria Solutions has experience with complex Medicaid and public health/human services programs, as well as transportation and toll systems, according to a news release. The deal will strengthen EY’s abilities to serve state and local governments, according to the news release.
If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling, or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Rolf Boone at rboone@theolympian.com.
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 5:30 AM with the headline "New ER breaks ground, book store and coffee shop open, but no more pinball."
