Site assures student recreation is available
Valley dwellers now have what some may consider a lifeline – a new website, NothingToDoInLogan.com, states that it has the most complete calendar of events in the Logan area.
Announced on Oct. 8 by Natalee Champlin, a recent graduate of the Huntsman School of Business, the site is designed to provide a way for students and families in Cache Valley to be aware of the events going on around them and of what Logan has to offer.
“I’ve lived in Logan most of my life – nearly 20 years. I was just sick of people saying, ‘Logan is so boring and there’s nothing to do here,'” Champlin said.
After a friend posted a similar complaint on Facebook, Champlin said she was motivated to start her own calendar of events.
Champlin said: “I started with USU’s calendar, just went through clubs and colleges, and then I did Logan City. They have a calendar the library keeps up. I’ve gone to the different cities in the valley, and I spend a lot of time on the Internet researching and trying to find places. The other thing I’ve been doing is talking to businesses, saying, ‘If you have something going on that you want to post, let me know.'”
The main page of the website contains links to dozens of events and ideas, including a page for local restaurants, date ideas, contests and sweepstakes, and of course, the calendar. There are also “Picks of the Week” posts on Mondays, where Champlin reviews an activity or restaurant, and daily event updates that followers of the site can receive through e-mail or Facebook posts.
Isela Phelps, a follower of the site who won tickets to Riverdale Resort because of it, said, “I think the main feature I enjoy about Nothing to Do in Logan is that I am able to find out about activities around Cache Valley by simply going to my Facebook page – since I am a follower of their page, their ‘wall’ announcements appear automatically on my Facebook page. I don’t have to go out of my way to find out the latest happenings.”
Phelps said unlike sites such as cachevalleydaily.com or The Herald Journal’s site, which can focus on anything from sports to politics, Champlin’s site focuses mainly on providing locals with something to do.
Locals aren’t the only ones who benefit, though. Afton Gastaldi, a sophomore at USU who lived in California for 18 years, said, “I really like this website because it gave me activities that I can do around Logan to help me become more acquainted with Logan.”
It also provides advertisement through a social network setting, something that small businesses in the valley are finding increasingly useful. John Ribera, a co-owner of The Logan Arthouse and Cinema, which is supporting Champlin’s efforts, said, “She has the same goal as we do. Everyone says, ‘How come no one ever tells me what is going on?’ We’ve done newspapers, radio ads, a website, fliers – we’ve done everything and people still feel like they’re uninformed.”
One of the best parts about the site, he said, is “the fact that if people know about that website, they can look and say, ‘Hey, there’s a band playing or a movie showing at the Logan Arts Cinema tonight. Let’s go.’ She’s another branch of advertising, and it’s really ideal for us. “
Champlin said she encourages anyone with knowledge of upcoming events, ideas to visit the site and leave comments and feedback. The more the better, she said.
“Everyone’s struggling with the economy. The more we help out and get involved with the community, the better we become.”
– ariwrees@gmail.com