The Lighting Gallery and Home Décor will turn off the lights to its showroom floor for good later this month, as the downtown fixture moves to online-only sales for its home furnishings.

Owners Robert and Arceli Hendricks have seen a steady decline in the number of shoppers entering their doors at 45 W. 10th St. The couple took over the business in 2001, selling chandeliers, lamps, ceiling fans and home furnishings from their 5,000-square-foot downtown shop.

“Foot traffic has gone down in recent years,” said Robert Hendricks, citing the sluggish economy that still has some shoppers wary. “When they come in to shop, they are on a budget,” he added.

Hendricks also said the slow housing market has put a damper on furnishing sales for new homes.

But as the downtown showroom’s sales slowed, online business boomed. Hendricks said the store dove into Internet-based sales two years ago and now sells a couple hundred thousand items from about 30 brands to customers across the country.

The Hendrickses said leaving their storefront was a tough decision, as they have enjoyed their time on 10th Street.

“We want to thank all our customers — it’s been great. We love downtown, and we’re very sad to leave,” Arceli Hendricks said.

Workers were busy Tuesday morning adding sale tags to hundreds of items as the owners try to empty the showroom of all merchandise, store fixtures, furniture and equipment during a sale scheduled to start Thursday, Nov. 3, and last through Wednesday, Nov. 9.

A new tenant for the building has not been named.

Driving range reopens

Golfers have a new driving range to get the groove back into their swing, as Putting for Birdie has opened.

The driving range is at 20065 South MacArthur Drive, at the site of the old Stripes range north of the city. It is now run by Robert and Kelly Croxton.

Putting for Birdie has 20 covered mat spaces, a grass tee area for driver practice and chipping and putting greens. The center will also offer private lessons and golf clinics in the future.

The center, open Tuesday through Sunday, has an upstairs snack bar with flat-screen televisions with “Sunday Ticket.”

For information: 814-0633

Allegiant Air launches flights to Palm Springs

A small airline began offering nonstop flights to Palm Springs from Stockton Metropolitan Airport a week ago, Oct. 28.

Allegiant Air flights to Palm Springs will depart Mondays and Fridays for Palm Springs International Airport. Allegiant began flight service to Las Vegas in 2006.

Monday flights will leave Stockton at 10:15 a.m. and arrive at 11:30 a.m. Flights returning to Stockton leave Palm Springs at 12:15 p.m. and land at 1:35 p.m.

Friday departures from Stockton are at 4:10 p.m., arriving in Palm Springs at 5:25 p.m. The return flight takes off at 6:10 p.m., arriving in Stockton at 7:30 p.m.

West Valley Mall erects Honor Wall

An Honor Wall saluting veterans and military servicemen and -women is on display at West Valley Mall this month.

The Return the Favor Honor Wall will be in place in the mall’s Center Court through Nov. 13.

Shoppers can take pictures in front of the wall and post them online with a message at www.returnthefavor.org. For every picture or message of support left on the site through May 31, West Valley Mall will donate $1 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation.

Visitors can also donate $10 to the foundation by texting the word “Return” to 90999.

Astoria Gardens receives honors

Astoria Gardens Assisted Living Communities in Tracy was named Community of the Year for 2011 among the 12 communities operated by Agemark Assisted Living.

The award was given to the Tracy center for its service and customer satisfaction. The center also earned the LifeCycles Award for programs that unite residents with family, staff and members of the community.

Astoria Gardens opened in 2006, and the parent company Agemark has run licensed assisted-living and memory-care facilities across the country for more than 20 years.