Head: The Logan Novemberfest may have found a new permanent home
By Judd Workman
On Friday and Saturday the Novemberfest Arts and Crafts Fair, for the first time, was not held at the Logan High School — and customers are happy with the change.
For the past 32 years the Novemberfest has been held in the local high school, but this year Charlene Watts and Nina DeSpain, the organizers of the show, decided to change the location to the Riverwoods Conference Center.
“We wanted somewhere that was better lit and warmer,” Watts said. “We thought this would be a better fit for everyone involved.”
DeSpain said she wasn’t too pleased with all the construction going on at the high school.
“There isn’t enough parking around the high school and we just felt like we needed a change,” DeSpain said. “We have had so many positive comments about having it here instead.”
Along with the location change, the entrance fee for customers has gone up from $1 to $2.
“When we moved here our rent quadrupled so we had to do something to help pay for the building,” Watts said. “But so far no one is complaining.”
DeSpain said she was confident the dollar increase wouldn’t hinder the attendance this year.
“It’s well worth it and we have charged only a dollar for 32 years,” DeSpain said. “I’ve had people tell me we should charge more.”
Tawna Smith, a vendor participating in the Novemberfest for the first time, said she liked the layout of the conference center.
“Even though I wasn’t a vendor in the previous years, I attended a lot,” Smith said. “I think it is more conducive here”
“I imagine the atmosphere is a lot better than a high school,” said Ryan Welling, a first-time customer at the Novemberfest. “This is very open, the lighting is great and the atmosphere is enjoyable.”
Becky Pond, a returning vendor who sold her jewelry at Logan High School in previous years, didn’t know what to expect from the location change.
“I like it here,” Pond said. “It’s brighter and a lot warmer.”
If everything works out next year, Watts and DeSpain are hoping to have the Novemberfest at the Riverwoods Conference Center again.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Breaking Slow
Head: Bath & Body Works opens earlier than ever on Thanksgiving
By Judd Workman
Today at 3 p.m. Bath & Body Works opened its doors to customers — the earliest the business has ever opened on Thanksgiving.
“We stay open all night and close at 10 p.m. on Black Friday,” said Jared Wight, a sales associate at Bath & Body Works.
In previous years the store has opened at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Dewey Richardson, the general manager for the Cache Valley Mall, said that the mall opened the outside doors even earlier so customers could have a warm place to wait in line.
“We try to make it as friendly to the retailer and the customer as possible,” Richardson said. “I think it gives us a bit of a competitive advantage.”
Wight said he didn’t think the store would become very busy until about 7 p.m.
“Some people kill time here while they’re waiting to go to other stores,” Wight said. “JCPenney is supposedly having a crazy sale so we’re hoping to pick up some of its customers.”
By Judd Workman
Today at 3 p.m. Bath & Body Works opened its doors to customers — the earliest the business has ever opened on Thanksgiving.
“We stay open all night and close at 10 p.m. on Black Friday,” said Jared Wight, a sales associate at Bath & Body Works.
In previous years the store has opened at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Dewey Richardson, the general manager for the Cache Valley Mall, said that the mall opened the outside doors even earlier so customers could have a warm place to wait in line.
“We try to make it as friendly to the retailer and the customer as possible,” Richardson said. “I think it gives us a bit of a competitive advantage.”
Wight said he didn’t think the store would become very busy until about 7 p.m.
“Some people kill time here while they’re waiting to go to other stores,” Wight said. “JCPenney is supposedly having a crazy sale so we’re hoping to pick up some of its customers.”
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Best Quote
Head: Local furniture store has added a new location
By Judd Workman
A locally owned furniture business has added a new location in Logan and its owner is planning continued growth.
Todd Yates, the owner of 8th & Main Furniture, signed the lease on the new location just one week after the Spirit Halloween moved out.
“We want to make the store better,” Yates said. “But not too fancy because we want to be able to keep our prices cheap."
The new store, located at 1224 N. Main Street, is much larger than the business’s original location, allowing Todd and his employees to stock more inventory.
Kourtney England, a sales associate at 8th & Main, said they have a lot more furniture, chairs and even clothes at the new location.
“There’s just a bit of everything,” England said.
“I have never been to their other location,” said Heather Nielsen, a customer at 8th & Main. “This store is easy access so I think it will be good.”
“We have two semi trucks on their way,” Yates said. “This place will be full in an hour.”
By Judd Workman
A locally owned furniture business has added a new location in Logan and its owner is planning continued growth.
Todd Yates, the owner of 8th & Main Furniture, signed the lease on the new location just one week after the Spirit Halloween moved out.
“We want to make the store better,” Yates said. “But not too fancy because we want to be able to keep our prices cheap."
The new store, located at 1224 N. Main Street, is much larger than the business’s original location, allowing Todd and his employees to stock more inventory.
Kourtney England, a sales associate at 8th & Main, said they have a lot more furniture, chairs and even clothes at the new location.
“There’s just a bit of everything,” England said.
“I have never been to their other location,” said Heather Nielsen, a customer at 8th & Main. “This store is easy access so I think it will be good.”
“We have two semi trucks on their way,” Yates said. “This place will be full in an hour.”
Friday, November 18, 2016
Breaking Fast
Head: Logan business to hold its first toy drive
By Judd Workman
Today at 4 p.m. Les Schwab Tire Center held its first-ever toy drive and gave away Megaplex gift cards to participants who donated kids toys worth $15 or more.
Les Schwab, located at 36 W. 1200 South, partnered with Cache County Sub for Santa to encourage residents to donate kids toys during the holiday season.
Justin Brunson, the assistant manager at Les Schwab, organized the toy drive.
“It’s hard not to give back to kids,” Brunson said. “There are kids out there and you want them to have toys for Christmas.”
Brunson said he was inspired by a toy drive in Portland he took part in years ago. He saw how it impacted the community in a positive way.
“I think this event will create a lot of awareness,” Brunson said. “Sub for Santa mentioned they had a hard time last year getting toy donations.”
The radio station, VFX, was at Les Schwab hosting a live broadcast to support the event.
Benji Wood, a program director for VFX, operated the broadcast until 6 p.m. hoping to encourage people to stop in on their way home from work.
“It’s really convenient because they are located right next to Walmart,” Wood said. “People can go grab a toy and come over.”
“The overall goal is to bring awareness,” Brunson said. “There are families in the valley that sometimes can’t buy what their kids want. It’s really good because nothing is going to leave the valley. Not like I don’t want to help the rest of the state, but I want to specifically help our community.”
By Judd Workman
Today at 4 p.m. Les Schwab Tire Center held its first-ever toy drive and gave away Megaplex gift cards to participants who donated kids toys worth $15 or more.
Les Schwab, located at 36 W. 1200 South, partnered with Cache County Sub for Santa to encourage residents to donate kids toys during the holiday season.
Justin Brunson, the assistant manager at Les Schwab, organized the toy drive.
“It’s hard not to give back to kids,” Brunson said. “There are kids out there and you want them to have toys for Christmas.”
Brunson said he was inspired by a toy drive in Portland he took part in years ago. He saw how it impacted the community in a positive way.
“I think this event will create a lot of awareness,” Brunson said. “Sub for Santa mentioned they had a hard time last year getting toy donations.”
The radio station, VFX, was at Les Schwab hosting a live broadcast to support the event.
Benji Wood, a program director for VFX, operated the broadcast until 6 p.m. hoping to encourage people to stop in on their way home from work.
“It’s really convenient because they are located right next to Walmart,” Wood said. “People can go grab a toy and come over.”
“The overall goal is to bring awareness,” Brunson said. “There are families in the valley that sometimes can’t buy what their kids want. It’s really good because nothing is going to leave the valley. Not like I don’t want to help the rest of the state, but I want to specifically help our community.”
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Evolution
Head: Fully functional coworking space now in Logan
By Judd Workman
A new local business, Habitat Logan, is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Habitat Logan is a coworking space where customers can purchase a monthly membership in order to have access to an “office-style” environment.
Rick Champlin, the founder of Habitat, spearheaded the business idea after his past experiences using a coworking space.
“I noticed my productivity went way up,” Champlin said. “There is a lot more collaboration that goes on that helps people be more successful.”
The newly constructed building located at 165 W. 1600 North is fully furnished with a kitchen, four offices, a conference room, couches, desks, a ping pong table and high-end networking equipment.
Kirk Jensen, the economic development director for Logan City, is excited to see what this business can add to Cache Valley.
“I think the services they’re offering are needed and I think it’s going to create great opportunities for entrepreneurs,” Jensen said. “We’ve seen it in other cities and hopefully it’s one that takes root here in Logan.”
Champlin said there have been a few attempts at opening a coworking space in Cache Valley, but to his knowledge there is currently nothing like Habitat in Logan. Champlin has been working on this idea for more than two years.
“The ones that have tried to do it didn’t really invest anything into it,” Champlin said. “They just rented out a space and that was it. They didn’t make it look nice.”
Champlin said he has made an effort to make Habitat a very appealing and modern office space.
Jensen said he wasn’t aware of any business model like Habitat that was successful in the valley, but hopes that will change.
“Cache Valley is notoriously slow at adopting new business ideas,” Champlin said. “We just need to educate our market. Then when we get a crowd in here we can maintain a positive culture and continue to grow.”
By Judd Workman
A new local business, Habitat Logan, is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Habitat Logan is a coworking space where customers can purchase a monthly membership in order to have access to an “office-style” environment.
Rick Champlin, the founder of Habitat, spearheaded the business idea after his past experiences using a coworking space.
“I noticed my productivity went way up,” Champlin said. “There is a lot more collaboration that goes on that helps people be more successful.”
The newly constructed building located at 165 W. 1600 North is fully furnished with a kitchen, four offices, a conference room, couches, desks, a ping pong table and high-end networking equipment.
Kirk Jensen, the economic development director for Logan City, is excited to see what this business can add to Cache Valley.
“I think the services they’re offering are needed and I think it’s going to create great opportunities for entrepreneurs,” Jensen said. “We’ve seen it in other cities and hopefully it’s one that takes root here in Logan.”
Champlin said there have been a few attempts at opening a coworking space in Cache Valley, but to his knowledge there is currently nothing like Habitat in Logan. Champlin has been working on this idea for more than two years.
“The ones that have tried to do it didn’t really invest anything into it,” Champlin said. “They just rented out a space and that was it. They didn’t make it look nice.”
Champlin said he has made an effort to make Habitat a very appealing and modern office space.
Jensen said he wasn’t aware of any business model like Habitat that was successful in the valley, but hopes that will change.
“Cache Valley is notoriously slow at adopting new business ideas,” Champlin said. “We just need to educate our market. Then when we get a crowd in here we can maintain a positive culture and continue to grow.”
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Mighty Five
Head: Local restaurant will be hosting a “Harry Potter” night.
By Judd Workman
On Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pizza Pie Cafe will host a “Harry Potter Night.” Those who come dressed up as Harry Potter characters will have a chance to win tickets to the new movie, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
Pizza Pie Cafe, located at 25 E 1400 North, will be featuring its all-you-can-eat dinner for $6.75 during the three hour period. In place of water or soda, customers can also satisfy their palates with butterbeer, a famous drink in the Harry Potter universe.
Sierra Hanson, who is over local sales and marketing for the restaurant, said she is expecting this event to be “a big hit.”
“We’ve had a lot of hype about this,” Hanson said. “We are really excited for it.”
By encouraging magical behavior for this event, Pizza Pie has invited the Utah State Quidditch to come sell merchandise and sign autographs.
“Rather than just eating, they can come make a whole night of it and enjoy it with their families,” Hanson said. “We just want to let the community know we do fun things and we have fun family events that everyone can come to.”
The square tables in the restaurant will be decorated in order to add to the atmosphere, but customers will still be able to enjoy their meat-lovers pizzas, green salads and pasta dishes.
A manager at the restaurant, Joseph Pattison, said they will have a lot of staff on hand to make sure the night is enjoyable for everyone.
“We’re expecting a pretty full house,” Pattison said. “We had someone call for reservations and I had to turn them down because we can’t reserve tables during the event.”
Pattison also said the owners ordered a lot of cream soda as they are expecting the butterbeer to be very popular.
By Judd Workman
On Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pizza Pie Cafe will host a “Harry Potter Night.” Those who come dressed up as Harry Potter characters will have a chance to win tickets to the new movie, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
Pizza Pie Cafe, located at 25 E 1400 North, will be featuring its all-you-can-eat dinner for $6.75 during the three hour period. In place of water or soda, customers can also satisfy their palates with butterbeer, a famous drink in the Harry Potter universe.
Sierra Hanson, who is over local sales and marketing for the restaurant, said she is expecting this event to be “a big hit.”
“We’ve had a lot of hype about this,” Hanson said. “We are really excited for it.”
By encouraging magical behavior for this event, Pizza Pie has invited the Utah State Quidditch to come sell merchandise and sign autographs.
“Rather than just eating, they can come make a whole night of it and enjoy it with their families,” Hanson said. “We just want to let the community know we do fun things and we have fun family events that everyone can come to.”
The square tables in the restaurant will be decorated in order to add to the atmosphere, but customers will still be able to enjoy their meat-lovers pizzas, green salads and pasta dishes.
A manager at the restaurant, Joseph Pattison, said they will have a lot of staff on hand to make sure the night is enjoyable for everyone.
“We’re expecting a pretty full house,” Pattison said. “We had someone call for reservations and I had to turn them down because we can’t reserve tables during the event.”
Pattison also said the owners ordered a lot of cream soda as they are expecting the butterbeer to be very popular.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Article 10
Head: Local grocery store to hold its ninth annual food show
By Judd Workman
Today from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Lee’s Marketplace will be hosting its ninth annual food show in celebration of the holiday season.
Lee’s Marketplace in Smithfield and Logan will have sales on many holiday food items such as turkeys, chocolate chips, pistachios and pies.
Tim Rigby, the director of marketing for Lee’s, said the overarching purpose of the event is “to help make people’s lives easier” during the holiday season.
“It’s all about letting customers know what’s available for the holiday season,” said Jonathan Badger, the CEO of Lee’s.
“You’re trying to impress your in-laws or friends and we provide that opportunity and those ideas for our guests,” Badger said. “It’s a lot of work for our team, but it’s also a really fun day.”
Badger said the store tries to keep up on all the new trends and recipes so that it can provide quick and easy meal ideas.
With the popular sales, Rigby said the employees plan for about 4,000 customers during the four hour period.
“This is the only time of the year we have crazy lines,” Rigby said. “So we try to get people through as fast as possible.”
“We have a good time meeting all of our customers and helping them in any way that we can,” Badger said. “We want to be a community store and this is a community event.”
By Judd Workman
Today from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Lee’s Marketplace will be hosting its ninth annual food show in celebration of the holiday season.
Lee’s Marketplace in Smithfield and Logan will have sales on many holiday food items such as turkeys, chocolate chips, pistachios and pies.
Tim Rigby, the director of marketing for Lee’s, said the overarching purpose of the event is “to help make people’s lives easier” during the holiday season.
“It’s all about letting customers know what’s available for the holiday season,” said Jonathan Badger, the CEO of Lee’s.
“You’re trying to impress your in-laws or friends and we provide that opportunity and those ideas for our guests,” Badger said. “It’s a lot of work for our team, but it’s also a really fun day.”
Badger said the store tries to keep up on all the new trends and recipes so that it can provide quick and easy meal ideas.
With the popular sales, Rigby said the employees plan for about 4,000 customers during the four hour period.
“This is the only time of the year we have crazy lines,” Rigby said. “So we try to get people through as fast as possible.”
“We have a good time meeting all of our customers and helping them in any way that we can,” Badger said. “We want to be a community store and this is a community event.”
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Article Nine
Head: Local clothing store celebrates grand opening at new location
By Judd Workman
On Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. a local women's clothing boutique will be celebrating its grand opening. During these times there will be giveaways, refreshments and “swag bags.”
Roolee, a Logan-based company that opened in 2013, moved to its new building this week located at 165 W. 1600 North. With the increasing success of their store, Chad and Kylee Champlin, the owners of Roolee, felt they needed a larger space to grow their company.
“Our other store was pretty crowded,” Chad Champlin said. “We had limited dressing rooms and limited space. Now we have more dressing rooms, more checkout counters and much more room for displays.”
Among more room for new clothing brands, Roolee has now been able to expand its home decor and baby sections. The new store is more conducive to what the Champlins want to bring to Cache Valley.
“We feel like this building really represents the image of our brand,” Champlin said. ”We’re trying to bring a City Creek-style store to Logan so that customers don’t have to travel to Salt Lake City to get that shopping experience. We now have that here.”
Jessie Phippen, a sales associate at Roolee, is also excited for the larger space and new setting the employees will have.
“We will be more productive and have more to do because of the size of the store,” Phippen said. “Roolee has such a positive environment. It will be good for everyone.”
“They have a very unique setting,” said Kourtney Davis, a regular customer at Roolee. “You can tell when you walk in the door that it's different from other stores.”
With the high demand for their product and the new location closer to Main Street, the Champlins feel this move will allow Roolee to continue to grow.
“I feel like it’s one of the few places in Logan that you can buy fashionable and affordable clothing,” Davis said. “I am excited for new brands and new products.”
By Judd Workman
On Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. a local women's clothing boutique will be celebrating its grand opening. During these times there will be giveaways, refreshments and “swag bags.”
Roolee, a Logan-based company that opened in 2013, moved to its new building this week located at 165 W. 1600 North. With the increasing success of their store, Chad and Kylee Champlin, the owners of Roolee, felt they needed a larger space to grow their company.
“Our other store was pretty crowded,” Chad Champlin said. “We had limited dressing rooms and limited space. Now we have more dressing rooms, more checkout counters and much more room for displays.”
Among more room for new clothing brands, Roolee has now been able to expand its home decor and baby sections. The new store is more conducive to what the Champlins want to bring to Cache Valley.
“We feel like this building really represents the image of our brand,” Champlin said. ”We’re trying to bring a City Creek-style store to Logan so that customers don’t have to travel to Salt Lake City to get that shopping experience. We now have that here.”
Jessie Phippen, a sales associate at Roolee, is also excited for the larger space and new setting the employees will have.
“We will be more productive and have more to do because of the size of the store,” Phippen said. “Roolee has such a positive environment. It will be good for everyone.”
“They have a very unique setting,” said Kourtney Davis, a regular customer at Roolee. “You can tell when you walk in the door that it's different from other stores.”
With the high demand for their product and the new location closer to Main Street, the Champlins feel this move will allow Roolee to continue to grow.
“I feel like it’s one of the few places in Logan that you can buy fashionable and affordable clothing,” Davis said. “I am excited for new brands and new products.”
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