…with a smile and a wave.
Perhaps you’ve seen him riding his bike, waving with a grin or handing out newspapers at the basketball games. Maybe you’ve heard him ringing the bell as he goes down the street. Meet Brent Carpenter, or “Brent the Biker.”
Every morning at 7, Brent rides his bike to the Junction and begins his day. He punches in, washes the dishes, takes out the garbage, jokes with the other employees and does whatever else he can to help. Brent has lived in Logan and worked at the Junction for 28 years. He said he got the job through a friend after his parents moved him down to Logan.
“He’s very friendly. He’s one of the nicest people I know,” said Miranda Carver, business manager of USU Dining Services.
Carver, who has worked with Brent for at least two years, said he is sometimes hard to understand, but knows how to get his point across. She said Brent is always looking for ways to help at the Junction, and although he has never been a student at Utah State, he has contributed much to the university and the Logan community.
“He knows my name, and he’ll say hi to me when he sees me,” Carver said.
Carver said after work, he can be found collecting newspapers, taking pictures or just riding his bike anywhere and everywhere. He grew up in Preston, Idaho, and regularly rides his bike to visit his parents there. According to his coworkers, Brent has ridden his bike from Logan to as far as Wellsville and enjoys pedaling around the golf course in Brigham City. He even has snow tires he uses for the bike during winter.
When he’s not on a bike ride, he enjoys gathering articles to cover his wall with.
“He likes to collect articles that interest him,” Carver said. “And if he can collect enough newspapers, he’ll go out and deliver them to people.”
Carver said he likes to go out with his camera and take pictures of people, including her.
“He’ll just come up and take a picture of you and then he’ll laugh really hard,” she said.
Charlie Hardjiono, a chef who has worked at the Junction with Brent the longest, says he always gets Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s cards from Brent. He said he received a “Happy Anniversary” card from Brent on Valentine’s Day.
“He loves to go to (Deseret Industries). He buys any pair of shoes that will fit him,” Hardjiono said.
Brent also enjoys giving shoes as gifts to his coworkers. Hardjiono said he received a pair of shoes from Brent for Christmas last year. He said he has received a Christmas present from Brent every year since they started working together.
“He is very thoughtful,” Hardjiono said. “The little things he does mean a lot.”
Brent has appeared in The Herald Journal several times and was named one of the most recognized people in Cache Valley, Carver and Hardjiono said. He carried the torch into the stadium when the Olympics came to Utah. He has also been in a Christmas card with USU President Stan Albrecht.
“Brent loves to wave at everyone,” Hardjiono said. “But one time, a man he was waving at thought Brent was making a pass at him. He beat Brent and smashed his bike. The whole community got together and bought him a new one.”
Hardjiono said that he received so many “get well” cards from people that he could cover himself in them.
Hardjiono confirmed Brent has recently been to the doctor due to blood clots that have developed in his legs from falling off his bike, but this hasn’t slowed him down.
-chari.a.i@aggiemail.usu.edu
