4^th Annual Artists Market
Saturdays in June from 9am to 3pm!

The 4th Annual Artists Market will be held Saturdays in June from 9am to 3pm at Town & Country Shopping Center, 2403 S MacArthur Boulevard.

A wide variety of artists will exhibit their work, including oil and acrylic painting, fabric art, glasswork, jewelry, wooden toys, bowls, and flutes, hula hoops, purses and scarves, and photography.

With food vendors, entertainment, face painting and Animal Protective League pet adoptions and different artists each week, this is our best market ever.

Support the arts and the neighborhood
at the 4th Annual MBBA Artists Market!

Check out the list of artists with photographs on our website.

Show Me's will host an MBBA Business After Hours to celebrate the opening of the MacArthur Extension on June 21 from 5-7pm.  There will be complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.

2^nd Public Workshop
June 23 from 6:30-8:30pm
Inn at 835

Our guest speakers discussed the MacArthur Park Apartment complex, saying statistics indicate a reduced number of calls to the complex with most calls being disputes within the complex. 

When asked what kinds of calls police experience in the MacArthur area, they mentioned shoplifting and crimes of opportunity such as burglaries to unattached garages, sheds and unlocked vehicles.  The Officers strongly suggest locking cars and buildings and not leaving valuables in plain sight.  Cardboard boxes from electronic equipment should be recycled instead of being placed in the alley.

Police discussed the importance of public phone calls reporting suspicious activity.  It can be difficult to solve burglaries if there is little evidence and no witnesses, and these crimes can remain unsolved until someone calls in a report providing information.  Even calls about minor incidents, such as theft of a bicycle or flowerpots or of someone not belonging in the neighborhood, can lead to arrests and could even save a life.  Citizens should call 911 in an emergency, and call Sangamon County Dispatch at 217-788-8311 for important but non-life-threatening incidents.  Neighborhood Police Officers get copies of all Beat 500 reports, and can identify trends that can lead to faster arrests and fewer neighborhood problems.  

• Springfield Alderman Debbie Cimarossa attended the meeting and discussed various issues as they came under discussion.
• Debbie clarified the City departments responsible for weeds and zoning violations.
• Debbie will research and inform the MBBA about whether graffiti must be removed from business buildings

Neighbors Council
The Neighborhood Committee met to discuss how neighbors can help MacArthur Boulevard.  The Council has several initiatives, including the Adopt-A-Street work - see below for details.  The group asked about tougher rules for keeping business property maintained to deal with absent landlords and discussed the idea of implementing "windshield tours" and working with the City on violations similar to Downtown Springfield and Enos Park, both of which have been very successful.

Council members will attend, and encourage MBBA members to attend, the ICON (Inner City, Older Neighborhoods) Group meeting on Monday, June 28 7pm at the 1st Church of the Brethren near Ash & Yale to determine if the MBBA wants to become affiliated with the group.

The group discussed communication with neighbors and how best to get the word out about meetings such as the Lakota Group's next public workshop and the cleanup days.  We will work with current neighborhood associations.  In areas where no neighborhood association exists, we will develop block captains to distribute flyers.  If you are interested in being an MBBA Block Captain, please contact us!

MacArthur Adopt-A-Street
The MBBA will sponsor periodic cleanup days on MacArthur Boulevard, working with the City of Springfield's Adopt-a-Street program.  Four cleanup days are needed per year, and dates are being planned. The MBBA will organize the 4 dates with the City, publicize the event to recruit more neighbors, and arrange food for volunteers.

IDOT Enhancement Grant Application
Cory discussed highway transportation grant funds available for improvements from IDOT and DCEO.  The application is due mid-June to August, and the Lakota Group will work with us on the MBBA application. The grants require a 20% match from local sources.

The MBBA is considering a Believe in the Boulevard October event to celebrate the completion of the Redevelopment Plan.  Stay tuned for more information.

Coffee Sponsorships Available
Please consider providing refreshments for our monthly meeting - sponsors provide coffee and treats for 20-30 people.

South Side Christian Church will host their 3rd Annual Big Block Bash to help promote and celebrate life in the MacArthur neighborhood on July 18, 2010. Sponsorships are available in various tax-deductable amounts for the main stage, for the bounce house and for smaller games.  Please contact Daniel Shelton, Worship Minister at SSCC at 217-525-0304 or Daniel@SouthSideChristian.com for more information; sponsorship deadline is June 28.  Download the Sponsorship Flyer...

Previous CVS building has been temporarily rented to DCFS to dry out records that got wet in the recent flood.  30-60 workers are anticipated to be there one or more months.

Extension Traffic Report
The general consensus from business owners on and near MacArthur is that traffic - and business - has increased, with some businesses seeing customers from the Jacksonville area.  Other owners said they didn't see as much traffic as they expected.  Some people may not realize it's open yet; some folks aren't yet aware of the Scheels store currently under construction there and scheduled to open next June.  According to the Springfield Business Journal, Scheels will begin hiring 300-350 new employees this summer.

The Springfield Business Journal also featured two MBBA members in their June 2010 issue for their Corporate Review 2010; Small Business Panel.  Baskin Robbin's owner Glenn Yanow and Sharon Whalen, publisher of the Illinois Times took place in a discussion with seven other local business owners to discuss "important issues facing our community and with small business ownership and operation."

Weeds are nearly 4 ft tall in the previous Coin Shop near Outer Park & MacArthur, and Alderman Cimarossa suggested calling Public Works.

A+ Pack and Ship has moved to 1820 S MacArthur.  As a result, the MBBA's new postal address is now: