Nguyen set for library, Rotary sessions

Downtown Colfax investor Kim Nguyen will be back in town next week, and the businesswoman from Rockport, Texas, will be at the Colfax Rotary meeting and Colfax Library Thursday, Sept. 29, to discuss her plans for her buildings in Colfax.

The Rotary luncheon is at noon at the Methodist Church, and the public library reception will be at 7 p.m. at the Colfax Library. The Rotary luncheon is open to the public, and individuals wanting to have lunch are asked call the library ahead of time to reserve a meal for $12. A reservation is not required for those who want to just attend to hear the program.

Nguyen and her husband, Phong, invested in Colfax real estate beginning in February after selling a building in Seattle they owned. The couple rolled the money over from that sale into the purchase of six downtown Colfax buildings and a house in Colfax. They had never been to Colfax prior to the purchases, which were mostly conducted through real estate agent Carmen Bruya.

Nguyen’s purchases included the Old Rose Theater building, which until Feb. 1 housed Peak Fitness for 21 years. Other purchases were the buildings which house Colfax Security, the grain inspection office, Main Street Books, Colfax Computer Services, Edward Jones Investments, Hen House Chicks and the Masonic Lodge, in which the Whitman County Gazette is a tenant and the barber shop was a former tenant.

The Nguyens have made several trips to Colfax to check on their buildings and make improvements at the theater and Masonic Lodge buildings.

Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick said the meetings will give the opportunity for the community to hear Nguyen's plans.

“At the noon luncheon, she will be speaking briefly about herself and her ideas for the future,” said Kirkpatrick. “In the evening, it's just an informal reception at the library and she'll have the chance to speak again.”

Nguyen said she does not have specific plans for what she will speak about at the meetings.

“I have no idea yet. I will talk about myself and the buildings,” she said. “And about what we're turning Colfax into. City people are interested. We'll see how people would like the town to turn into, and try the best to make it happen.”