Ribbon Cut

Family and friends turn out to celebrate the “New and Improved” Small Town Creations

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[February 04, 2019]  On Friday evening, a very large crowd showed up for the ribbon cutting at Small Town Creations in Lincoln. The business owned by Kathie and Jim Williams has expanded and moved. They are now located in the former Beans & Such store front on Kickapoo Street. Their expansion includes taking on two former businesses in Lincoln and incorporating them into their already successful paint party endeavors.

Small Town Creations offers the same inventory of Beans & Such, plus they have purchased the business formerly known as the Award Shop where they make trophies, plaques and much more, all specifically created to customer needs.

It’s been a tough weather week in Lincoln and for Kathie that made getting ready for the Friday ribbon cut and the Saturday open house a little challenging. She noted that with people shut in or unwilling to get out of the house with the terribly cold weather on Tuesday, Wednesday, and even Thursday, Friday ended up being a very busy day in the shop. Kathie noted she was a bit concerned about being able to get everything done, but then it was family to the rescue.



Though Small Town Creations is managed most of the time by Kathie alone, she had noted that family has been very supportive all along in this venture. So, it came as no surprise that it was family who showed up to help out of Friday. Kathie noted that her daughters Alexis and Kaycee came in to help, her mom Helen Knecht came to help and of course husband Jim was there as well. All in all, they got everything done and the center portion of the store was nicely decorated and there were sweet treats for everyone to enjoy as they gathered in preparation for the ribbon cut.

Among those in attendance for the cut were many members of family including Jim & Kathie’s daughters, Kathie’s mom, her dad and step mother Ken and Karen Richert, her aunt and uncle Les and Teresa Richert, and her grandmother Ruby Doyle. There were other family members on hand as well as several friends and customers.

Representing the city of Lincoln were Mayor Seth Goodman, Aldermen Michelle Bauer and Tracy Welch, and City Clerk Peggy Bateman. Logan County Circuit Clerk Mary Kelly was on hand, as was Logan County Fair Queen Molly Schempp. The Logan County Tourism Bureau was represented by Morgan Gleason, Kaylee Kirby and Cindy Fleshman. Former Lincoln/Logan County Chamber Ambassadors Deron and Kristi Powell and Marcia Cook were in attendance, and there were a number of business owners and managers from the downtown area who also stopped in.

The event began with comments from the William’s and Mayor Goodman inside. Then the party moved outside for the cutting.

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Kathie spoke first talking about her excitement to do something of value for the community. Being a native of Lincoln, she said her heart is always here. She noted that when she and Jim got together he was in Bloomington and she just told him that would never work for her, she was not big city and wanted to be in her town. He was okay with that.

She noted that she wants to be a part of growing Lincoln.

She expressed appreciation for her family and friends for their support and encouragement and said she was very grateful for her husband Jim who was her rock.

Jim spoke briefly saying that while they were a couple, and partners in everything, the vision of Small Town Creations and the work behind it was all Kathie. He agreed that the goal was to keep moving forward counting the first priority as benefitting family and the second priority as benefiting the community.

Mayor Goodman briefly said that as a realtor he has done a lot of business with Kathie in her sign making business. He said that when he heard that she would be taking on Bean’s & Such and the Award Shop that there was no one better suited to do it successfully. He offered them his congratulations and said that he was happy to see them establish themselves as a downtown Lincoln business.

Outside, everyone gathered behind the ribbon strung up by LDN’s Karen Hargis with help from Marcia Cook. At the countdown Jim and Kathy snipped the ribbon. Everyone was then welcomed back inside to enjoy cookies and coffee, and tour the building.

The celebration continues today with an open house at Small Town Creations. Guests are invited to stop in, shop, take a tour, visit with Kathie and other family members, and enter to win some nice prizes, including a grand prize of free coffee for a year!

Congratulations and best of luck to another great business in downtown Lincoln!


[Nila Smith]

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