Pia Hallenberg

In the fall of 2006, Logan Olson became a publisher, and a young one at that. She was 21 when the first edition of Logan Magazine hit the stands. Producing a glossy magazine four times a year is a big job for anyone, yet Olson had mainly one person on her staff: her mom, Laurie. Neither had any publishing or professional writing background, and there were many times they found themselves overwhelmed by the decisions they had to make. “We thought we were just going to do a magazine for Spokane,” Laurie Olson said. “But now it’s going national and we’re hearing from people from all over the country, all over the world. We never thought that would happen.” Perhaps what’s most amazing about their publishing success is that Logan Olson is living with a brain injury, which makes it a little difficult for her to talk and type. “It’s awesome that we have the magazine,” Logan Olson said. “We are having a blast with it.” Since the first issue came out, Logan Olson has been invited to speak to community and professional groups, school and college classes, and she’s become a local celebrity. The magazine and the Olsons have received business and advertising awards, disability awards and inspirational awards from across the state and the country. The latest honor to come their way is that Washington Reads – a statewide program that promotes reading – is featuring Logan Olson on its poster. “It’s just, wow, that’s me on the poster,” Olson said. From the get-go, Klundt Hosmer, a local public relations firm, has been a big part of the magazine’s success, essentially volunteering between 135 and 150 hours per issue. “It was just a big leap of faith with this project,” said Jean Klundt, creative director of Klundt Hosmer. “We stuck with them, and we’re hoping they get more advertisers. I’ve gotten quite close with Logan, and her mission is important to me.” Finding magazine advertisers is a challenge, but Nordstrom and Microsoft are two main sponsors. Klundt encouraged the Olsons to apply for nonprofit status in the hopes that grants would be available to help fund the magazine. “There is just huge potential here with this magazine,” said Klundt, adding that the Olsons have yet to draw a salary. ENSO, a Washington state supported individualized employment program for people with disabilities, also contributes to the magazine, but the Olsons pay out of pocket for printing. “It’s their lifeblood, they have such a passion for it, and somehow God keeps providing us with opportunities to pull it off as a team,” Klundt said. That can certainly be said about Logan Olson’s life as well. Born with a congenital heart defect, she had undergone six surgeries by the time she was 16. On Halloween 2001, just before she turned 17, she suffered a heart attack while visiting a haunted house in Post Falls. Weeks later, when she came out of the coma, she’d forgotten pretty much everything. She couldn’t walk, sit or stand. Her hands wouldn’t go where she wanted them to go, picking up pencils and putting on clothes had turned into a major ordeal. Her life had been turned upside down. “And I wanted to shop, and go out, and do what I used to do,” Logan Olson said. “I thought, now what” Laurie Olson said the family got the best medical and acute advice, but something was missing. “We didn’t get a lot of advice on how you live with disabilities,” said Laurie Olson. “All the magazines we found were real heavy on the medical side of things.” Logan Olson wanted to do the same things and wear the same clothes as ll other teenage girls. A self-described “fashionista,” she wasn’t going to give up her love of clothes and makeup. “I thought, it’s not over, it’s not over,” she said. “I hated the word therapy, until I turned it into shopping therapy.” So when the duo couldn’t find a fashion magazine for young disabled women, they decided to start one. “Another thing is, when a disabled person is done with high school, there’s often not a lot to do,” said Laurie Olson. Logan Olson agrees: “It’s like your life is over.” As her senior project at North Central High School, Logan Olson produced a model for her magazine making collages of fashion tips and makeup advice cut from other publications, and the response was overwhelming. “The special-ed kids just flipped out,” Logan Olson said, laughing. “The girls wanted a cute boy in every edition. But they just flipped out when they saw it.” Today, Logan Olson stays in touch with her readers via Facebook and MySpace, and the magazine’s Web site. “I hear from so many people,” Logan Olson said. “There are so many stories. We don’t know how to get to it all.”

In the fall of 2006, Logan Olson became a publisher, and a young one at that. She was 21 when the first edition of Logan Magazine hit the stands. Producing a glossy magazine four times a year is a big job for anyone, yet Olson had mainly one person on her staff: her mom, Laurie. Neither had any publishing or professional writing background, and there were many times they found themselves overwhelmed by the decisions they had to make.

When the gym and the multipurpose room at Grant Elementary filled up March 3, it was for a rather unusual reason: to play golf. The First Tee National School Program made its Spokane debut at Grant, just off South Perry Street, much to the joy of the students and neighbors who stopped by.

If you believe a quilter’s house to be full of great quilts, then you’re probably wrong. At least according to Deanna Griffith, a longtime member of the Spokane Valley Quilt Guild, who said quilting is all about giving. “Quilters don’t have quilts, they make them and give them away,” Griffith said. “A quilter’s heart is full of love and generosity.”

It’s never good to miss the school bus, but on Monday mornings it’s double bad if you are a Shaw Middle School student and your bus stop is on the corner of Myrtle and Marietta. That’s where members of the Minnehaha Covenant Church are serving doughnuts and hot chocolate to students waiting for the bus.

If you believe a quilter’s house to be full of great quilts, then you’re probably wrong. At least according to Deanna Griffith, a longtime member of the Spokane Valley Quilt Guild, who said quilting is all about giving.

When the gym and the multipurpose room at Grant Elementary filled up March 3, it was for a rather unusual reason: to play golf. The First Tee National School Program made its Spokane debut at Grant, just off South Perry Street, much to the joy of the students and neighbors who stopped by.

Family, friends and fellow National Guard soldiers said goodbye Saturday to 50 members of Spokane-based 1041st Washington Army National Guard Transportation Company. The soldiers are deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and are expected to be overseas until March 2010.

Family, friends and fellow National Guard soldiers said goodbye Saturday to 50 members of Spokane-based 1041st Washington Army National Guard Transportation Company. The soldiers are deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and are expected to be overseas until March 2010.

There’s something about East Sprague. It’s just a bit outside of downtown, but not quite suburban. It is home to some thriving homegrown businesses such as Northwest Seed and Pet. Trudeau’s Marina and Cassano’s Italian market, just a few blocks east of Division, have been there for generations. Sonnenberg’s Market is famous for its sausage.

For generations, Ferguson’s Cafe on Garland has been synonymous with great breakfast. Eggs and hash browns, bacon and sausage, home-cooked, piled high and served hot. The restaurant has been where it is since the mid-’30s, at one point it was known as Sanders Restaurant, but it’s been Ferguson’s since 1947.

There’s something about East Sprague. It’s just a bit outside of downtown, but not quite suburban. It is home to some thriving homegrown businesses such as Northwest Seed and Pet. Trudeau’s Marina and Cassano’s Italian market, just a few blocks east of Division, have been there for generations. Sonnenberg’s Market is famous for its sausage.

It’s not really surprising that Cheryl Steward went to clown school, mostly because her personality is just that bubbly and bright, but also because she makes people smile. On Friday, Feb. 20, co-workers new and old, friends and staffers from schools all over Spokane Public Schools District joined to celebrate Steward’s almost 30 years in food service and send her off to retirement.

Mention Ken Fisher around Deer Park High School graduates from the ’70s and ’80s and you can be absolutely certain they remember who he was. He took the Marching Stags to the Rose Bowl Parade in 1970, to the Calgary Stampede several times and to many other prestigious band contests. But that’s really not why people remember him – they remember him because he was one heck of a teacher who touched hundreds of young people’s lives.

When Michael Lewis tried on a pair of boots at the Big R on Newport Highway last year, he wasn’t really thinking about getting a new truck. That changed when he found out he could enter a sweepstakes sponsored by Tony Lama Boots: try on a pair of boots from the new 3R Collection and you can win a new Dodge Ram.