| NEW Spring 2008 Trends | What’s New | Special Store Clubs/Savings | Columbia Mall
2800 Columbia Road Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201 FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 701-746-7383 701-772-3537 fax STORE HOURS: Monday - Saturday 10am-9pm Sunday 12 Noon-6pm Memorial Day Hours
Monday, May 26th
Mall Hours
10am-6pm |
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News Release
Columbia Mall management team wins awardThe Columbia Mall property team has been recognized with a special award from GK Development, Inc., owner of the shopping center. For the complete story, click here. |
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It's hard to overstate how big a day Friday will be for book sellers in
“It's the biggest event of the year,” said Marie Mack of UND Barnes & Noble bookstore, an event for which Barnes and Noble plans a Hogwarts theme for its customers, based on the school attended by literature's most famous boy wizard.
Barnes & Noble and the Columbia Mall, the home of B Dalton and Waldenbooks, are among retail outlets planning Harry Potter parties for Friday night. Although they can't begin selling the books until midnight, Barnes & Noble will open its doors at 9 p.m. (open until 1 a.m.) and Columbia Mall at 10 p.m. (open until 1:30 a.m.) for Potter fans.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | |
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The last time a Harry Potter book was released, Mack said, Barnes & Noble opened at midnight to sell the book. When the staff arrived, they found more than 300 people, a line from the front door to the nearby soccer field, waiting to get in.
Are you
ready for this?
This time, they'll be ready for the crowds, she said. They're converting Tower Cafe into the Great Hall, where they will be serving Butterbeer, The Elixir of Life and Polyjuice Potion.
Customers are encouraged to wear costumes, and sit at their house's table. (If you're a Potter fan, this all makes perfect sense to you.) Activities during the evening will include The Sorting Hat, Magical Photos, Tea Leaf Reading, the Tri-Wizard Tournament and more.
At midnight, the staff will wheel out cartons of the new book and sell them right out of the boxes, Mack said.
At Columbia Mall, “Midnight Magic” festivities will be celebrated by Muggle fans and more with tests of knowledge and a costume contest. Attendees can compete in Waldenbooks' “Potter Spelling Bee” and B Dalton's “Potter Jeopardy Challenge.” They can dress as their favorite Potter character and enter a Creative Costume Contest at 10:30 p.m. next to Journey Shoes.
For this special event, customers are asked to enter the mall through the north wing entrance near The Royal Fork and Sears, or the west wing entrance near the children's play area (formerly Target).
For months, there's been speculation, rumors and stories about how author J.K. Rowling would wrap up the Harry Potter series, a series that has sold 325 million books worldwide. At midnight Friday, Potter fans will get their first glimpse at Harry's fate.
Reach Tobin at (701) 780-1134; (800) 477-6572, ext. 134; or tobin@gfherald.com">ptobin@gfherald.com.
A favorite local holiday tradition, the
The event, in which decorated trees are distributed to families in need through the contributions of businesses and individuals, includes the lighting of the city Christmas tree at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the
This year, in addition to distributing the trees (some of which come with gifts underneath), 20 lucky families also will take home a handmade child's rocking chair, designed and built by craftsmen from A&L Siding and Home Improvement Center, co-owners Jerry Stormo and Jeff Heath, and carpenter Ken Gebhardt.
Gebhardt got the idea to build the chairs for the festival after seeing his little granddaughter's eyes light up when she saw a rocking chair perfectly sized for her, a news release said.
Also, an adult-size rocking chair will be given away, donated by Dennis and Patti Anderson, and Dennis' mother, Carol Carlson, of Andy's Harley-Davidson in
The
A lengthy list of gratitude
VFW members, other volunteers gather more than 2,000 signatures on banners to send to troops
By Kyle Johnson
People from the area came to sign a banner in support of our troops Sunday afternoon in the Columbia Mall. Members Darwin Windloss and James Tangen from the Northwood VFW helped volunteer.
One man's plan to show gratitude to Grand Forks Air Force Base and members of the National Guard's 188th Air Defense Artillery has produced a lengthy list of results.
John Hanson, a member of Grand Forks Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1874 and AMVETS, decided that a banner full of signatures was a good way to show citizens' support of area troops.
That original banner filled up quicker than expected, however, and has now split into two banners stretching a combined 55 feet, both packed with signatures. Hanson estimated that nearly 2,000 people had left messages and signatures on the paper banners, which will now be laminated and sent off to the troops.
"I had the crazy idea of doing a banner without really knowing what the response would be," he said. "I am just dumb-founded with the public response I have seen with this."
VFW members and other volunteers have been stationed at a kiosk in the Columbia Mall every weekend since Memorial Day, gathering the signatures and messages of support for the banners. The Air Force banner will now be given to the Airman and
Hanson said the latter banner will be transported around
"This has been great," he said.
Increased turnout
The past month has been particularly devastating to
Spc. Michael Hermanson, 21, of
"It's been real tragic lately," Hanson said. "We have had a lot of people come up to us at the mall and talk about that, and the public support through all of this has been great."
In addition to the red, blue and black signatures and messages of support scrawled all over the banners, artwork by veteran Roger Westerso is also included. "Together Then Together Always," the name of the drawing, shows two hands grasping each other, which symbolizes the link between the past and present.
"This is nice to see," said Jon Phelps, a member of the Grand Forks Air Force Base 319th Air Refueling Wing. "It feels pretty good."
Phelps responded to a message posted at the base looking for volunteers, and decided to show up Sunday to do his part. He said he was surprised with the high number of signatures, and was happy to see that so many people cared.
Volunteers at the banner kiosk were also handing out miniature American flags to mall-goers that signed a pledge card saying they will fly the flag on Flag Day, June 14.
The holiday, officially established by an act of Congress in 1949, commemorates the June 14, 1777, birthday of the flag.
Hanson's plan to gather signatures was meant to coincide with the holiday because volunteers were already scheduled to be at the mall to raise awareness of the holiday.
Sunday was the last day to gather signatures, and the banners will now be sent off to do their intended work. Hanson said that the positive response he saw this year could lead to a new tradition.
"If the mall says we can do it again, you bet we'll be back," he said.Article 8 of 39; 219 words