By MIKE HUFFMAN
Staff Reporter
When fishing, the catch-and-release method can have some risk. What will become of the very thing you've worked so hard, and were so patient, to capture in the first place?
But as the Bill and Lou Arnold prepare to let go of their prize, they are confident things are going to work out just fine.
“We've prayed on this,” Lou Arnold said from behind the counter of the Fishers of Men, a longtime mainstay at the corner of First Street and Cheney-Spangle Road. “It's time. We're getting tired.”
The Arnolds will this week close their Christian bookstore after 22 years. The building, however, won't be shuttered long. Tom Stradling, a Cheney High School graduate and owner of Harmony Adult Family Homes near Interstate 90 and Highway 195, will reopen the shop as Cornerstone Connection in September shortly before school starts at Eastern Washington University. Stradling's son Seth is a 10-percent owner in the venture.
“We want to continue (the Arnolds') ministry and share the same success they've had for 22 years,” Tom Stradling said.
The Arnolds came from Anchorage, Alaska, in 1985 after Bill left the Federal Aviation Administration as a senior mechanical engineer.
He had the idea of opening a fishing store in Cheney to be near their daughter, who was attending Eastern Washington University. But while a life of bait and tackle had its allure, after praying on the matter Bill was convinced he was needed to do the Lord's work “on the right side of the looking glass” and “fish” for something a bit bigger.
“God said he would show us the light, and he did – the one traffic light in Cheney,” Bill said, indicating the traffic signal outside the shop, which for a long time was the only one in town.
While the couple admits they had zero retail experience, Lou had plenty of talent as a painter and soon was designing the famous fishhook logo of the store as well as painting pendants and other jewelry to sell at the store. The couple bought the building – a move that saved them plenty in the long run.
“We never had to borrow a dime,” Bill said. “God took care of us. If we hadn't bought the building, we never could have made it.”
Business had always been steady at Fishers of Men, but the Arnolds admits some months have been better than others. With Bill working the morning shifts and Lou coming on in the afternoons, the couple rarely employed extra help – except for the occasional college student now and then.
Those attending Eastern, along with congregations of Cheney's many churches, have kept a steady flow of new faces coming through Fishers' door over the years. While some don't buy much, Bill said his store has always been a haven for those who wish to talk or pray or simply “share God's love.”
After two decades, though, the Arnolds were becoming concerned they were missing out on time with their grandkids – and all the other opportunities that come with retirement. Stradling – who would regularly visit the Arnolds – was sympathetic and indicated he would be willing to buy the business.
“I'd toyed with the idea of owning a bookstore in the past,” he said. “This place is definitely close to my heart.”
While the Arnolds have offered a small music selection, Stradling is planning on expanding that portion of the business (under his son's guidance) and having coffee available for browsers.
“We want to pick up the Arnolds' service-oriented style,” he said.
The Arnolds have had chances to sell the business before, mainly for the coveted real estate. But they definitely do not want to see another bar or tavern open on Cheney's main thoroughfare. So, Stradling's plans give them plenty of comfort. After all, there's still work to be done, they say.
“There are enormous opportunities to pray for people,” Bill said. “That's been the blessing of this place.”
Mike Huffman can be reached at [email protected]
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