Business Beat: Michaels opens store in Kilgore

Michaels is celebrating the grand opening of its new store in Kilgore at Kilgore Plaza, 1033 N. Kilgore St.

The new store provides numerous full-time and part-time jobs. The company described the store as a “sleeker, simpler Michaels” and includes self-checkout registers, a Michaels Custom Framing center and an assortment of supplies for arts, crafts, framing, floral, kids’ crafts, DIY, yarn, beading and scrapbooking. 

The store also offers curbside pick-up after buying online.

Soft opening for Film Alley

Longview’s newest entertainment venue, Film Alley, quietly opened this weekend.

The business will have limited operations at first until a grand opening planned for early December.

Weatherford-based Schulman Theatres renovated the former Regal Longview theater at 3070 N. Eastman Road to house Film Alley.

It features a restaurant with dine-in movie theaters, duck pin bowling and an arcade.

Catholic Store in Longview

The St. Francis de Sales Catholic Store is now open in Longview, offering East Texas Catholics a local store to buy items they use in the practice of their faith as well as gifts.

The store is at 105 E. Loop 281, Suite 4, in Towne North Square.

Owners are Pamela Larry and Julie Marin. Larry said she and Marin believed God had called them to open the store and reaffirmed that in numerous ways.

“We’re doing what we’re supposed to,” Larry said. “So Julie and I, for us, we’re meeting a need. It’s also a mission. This is a mission for us. It’s something we’re very passionate about.”

While there are some area Catholic churches with small stores, a trip to a larger store requires going to a larger city such as Dallas or Houston, Larry said.

“This store is very much about serving our community, our Catholic community,” Larry said, explaining that they were seeking feedback about the kinds of merchandise people want in the store.

Catholic Bibles, rosaries and crucifixes are part of the store’s inventory, but so are T-shirts and products such as ground coffee, chocolate, creamed honey and hand-painted China made by monks or nuns to support their ministries. 

“We’re trying to do a lot of stuff that actually helps other ministries as well,” Marin said.

Larry’s brother, the Rev. Justin Braun, pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Texarkana, prayed over the new store at its grand opening this month, saying he hopes the store is successful and “brings Christ to the world.”

“Christ Jesus truly showed us the dignity of human labor when he became incarnate. The word of the Father was known as the carpenter’s son, who willingly worked with the tools of his trade,” Braun said. “By working with his own hands, he transformed toil from being an inherited curse for sin into a source of blessings. We do our work well, whatever it may be, and offer it to God.

“We purify ourselves, and through the labor of our hands and minds, we build up God’s creation. Our work enables us to practice charity and to help the less fortunate. …. Let us bless the Lord then and pray that he will shower His blessings on all the work in this place. …”

Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 

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