Sears optical, photo going independent

An eye exam, eyeglass and contact lens provider along with a photography business are spinning out of the Lewiston Sears store that's closing today.

Affordable Optics of Spokane will open its third location at Sunset Center on 21st Street in Lewiston across from Albertsons, probably on March 20. The staff will be comprised of the same people who worked in the optometry department housed at Sears.

Patty Bolen, a former employee at Sears photography studio, has struck out on her own, opening The Studio, Patty Bolen Photography at 247 Thain Road, Suite 109. It is in the same complex as Subway and Pizza Perfection.

How other gaps will be filled for goods and services sold by Sears is still unfolding. The national chain has advertised for someone to open a hometown store to carry its products, but it would be owned by an individual, not the company.

Sears had little new information about that process. "In general, we won't have a store open prior to the close," said Kim Freely, a spokeswoman for the company in the Chicago area.

Freely couldn't say how long it typically takes to get such a retailer going. Similarly, Freely said she doesn't know what provision is being made for users of Sears repair service for machinery like lawn mowers and stereos.

What might fill the Sears' vacancy at the Lewiston Mall also is unclear, but an announcement could come as early as the week of March 5, said Joan Peterson, controller of the mall who works from a Spokane office.

"We're still in negotiations," she said.

Affordable Optics and Bolen have been preparing for today's closing for months, hoping they can serve customers even better independently of Sears.

Dr. Art Osterberg, the optometrist who was at the Sears operation, will bring his patient records with him to Affordable Optics, said Pat Jones, the general manager. Holly Todhunter, an optician/manager at Sears, will assume the same role at Affordable Optics in Lewiston. The third employee from Sears, Trina Rogers, has also been hired by Affordable Optics for its Lewiston office.

Affordable Optics started in Spokane in 2003. Its parent company is an optical frame wholesaler, Encore, that's based in Spokane and has its own lab facility there for lens making.

"Even though we sell to competitors, we're able to sell to our customers at much lower pricing," Jones said. Affordable Optics will try to honor warranties of Sears products as much as possible.

Jones said the company became interested in Lewiston after learning Sears was leaving and was approached by Osterberg and Todhunter, who wanted to join Affordable Optics.

The business chose Sunset Center since it had space that was the former home of Accent Optical, Jones said.

Ellen Kundrat owned Accent Optical, Jones said, and she notified the city of Lewiston business license office that she was closing at the end of 2011.

Bolen has her new photo venture up and going already. Her pricing is similar to Sears. She charges a creative fee of $15 for a sitting and $10 for sheets of pictures after that. The sheets can be one 8-by-10, two 5-by-7s, four 31/2-by-5s, or eight wallets. Other sizes are available at different prices.

One advantage of being independent, Bolen said, is she's no longer restricted to the studio. She can do portraits at outdoor locations and homes, or photograph family events like weddings.

Bolen worked at Sears for five years, entering the field after a stint as a certified nursing assistant.

She likes getting her subjects into good moods before their sessions and has found that she can even calm crying infants.

"I wanted to work in something where I could make people smile," Bolen said. "I don't mind being goofy to make kids laugh."

Her business is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and by appointment. The telephone number is (208) 413-6674.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.