Ask the Experts About Credit Repair

              Midtown Carnegie Branch Library hosts an Ask the expert event quarterly. The event is part of the Making Sense of Money Financial Literacy a program done by Community Partnership of the Ozarks. This quarter’s Ask the Expert event happened on Saturday April 27^th. The topic of this Ask the Expert event was credit relief. The event hosted four panelists who all work at local banks. This event helps give people an unintimidating opportunity to get accurate, and professional advice. Each banker spoke about an aspect of repairing credit. One of those speakers Missy Haywood was able to give the audience the answer on what exactly a credit score is. For 72-year-old Marissa James who recently got herself in some credit card debt this kind of meeting is vital. “I did not even know where to start when it came to fixing my credit, but this class was so helpful,” James said.

  Matt Graham a Mortgage Loan Officer at Springfield First Community Bank was another panelist who spoke at the event. His advice was surprising to some of the people at the event including the fact that in order to remove negative information from the report someone does not need a lawyer. Eric James 60 years old attended this event, and is ready to get started on fixing his credit report already. “I am going to look into taking off some negative information tonight now that I know I do not need to call a lawyer to get that done,” James said.

     Aleah Weltha a department manager at the Midtown library thinks this program is very important for Midtown. “We are in an area where people are struggling with financial literacy, and it is important to give people access to this free help,” Weltha said. This event allowed the audience to ask questions of their four panelists, and they received a packet of information explaining how to navigate credit relief.

Ask the Expert is a quarterly event at the Midtown library that is open to the public, and free of charge. For more information on the next Ask the Expert visit the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library’s Website.

A Deeper Look into Diversity in Midtown

By: Taylor Bergquist

Nearly a year ago Midtown had a meeting with Springfield City Council over the issues they most care about. One of those issues was increasing efforts towards creating diversity programs and events. Midtown is the area of Springfield that is between the streets National Avenue, Blaine Street, Boonville Avenue, and Chestnut Expressway. The demographics of Midtown is 87.7% White, 7.9% Black, 0.9% Asian, and 3.7% Hispanic. 

For Rebecca Hayes, a long-term resident of Midtown the diversity at Central High School is what drew her to Midtown. Central High School is the most diverse high school in Springfield, and being able to send her daughter Bethany Hayes, 18, to Central High School gave Rebecca peace of mind. “The lack of diversity in Springfield is something that I was initially worried about, but Central High School allows my daughter the opportunity to have that diversity,” Hayes said.

The Midtown neighborhood is trying to celebrate diversity at various events like World Art Week at the Midtown Carnegie Library, the Celebrating Springfield’s African American Culture event, and Springfield’s first CultureFest happening this September on Commercial Street. Bethany Hayes appreciates the effort Midtown is going to be inclusive and loves attending the culture events Midtown offers. “Midtown provides a place in Springfield where I feel as if I belong, and being able to attend events that celebrate diversity makes me feel like I am seen,” Hayes said.

     Midtown recognizes it needs to do its part to promote and celebrate the different cultures, and people who live and work in Midtown. Marie Wood is the Treasurer of the Midtown Neighborhood Association. “Diversity believes that diversity is so important in Midtown because diversity is what helps us grow as both people, and as a community,” Wood said.

    The Diversity Center located on Drury University’s Campus has hosted a variety of cultural events in Midtown. The Diversity Center is the Historic Washington Ave. Baptist Church and it is a cultural center for people of all backgrounds in Springfield, MO. The Center’s purpose is to help facilitate intercultural understanding using educational activities like lectures, concerts, and workshops. Some of the events they have put on in the past are Interfaith Prayer services, African Music concerts, and multicultural educational workshops.

    One of Midtown Neighborhood’s events to celebrate World Art Week is happening at the Midtown Carnegie April 15th-19th. The event is for grades 6-12, and the artwork of artists of various cultures will be celebrated with a different art project showcasing a specific culture every day. For more information on this event visit sgfneighboorhoodnews.com.

Midtown Neighborhood: Come for the History But, Stay for the Community

                                                                  By: Taylor Bergquist

      Midtown is a historic area that is full of diversity. Diversity is one of the many reasons that families and young professionals call this area home. That diversity is both in lifestyles of residents, ages, and in the diversity of businesses. Midtown is the area of Springfield that is between the streets National Avenue, Blaine Street, Boonville Avenue, and Chestnut Expressway. Some of the leaders of Midtown are the people who run the Midtown Neighborhood Association. Jamie Saratella is the President of the Midtown Neighborhood Association, and Susan Mann is the Vice President. These are some of the leaders of the Midtown neighborhood who work hard to put on events in Midtown that bring together the residents of Midtown.

     Some traditions of the Midtown neighborhood are the Old Fashion Fourth of July Parade, Springfield’s only Fourth of July parade, and the Victorian Christmas Homes Tour where Springfield residents can tour five beautiful historic homes decorated for Christmas.  The Midtown neighborhood also contains Commercial Street Springfield’s first historic district and a street that contains many unique attractions. Commercial Street has Springfield’s first Dutch restaurant, Vincent Van Gogh’s Eeterie, and Ms. Gilmore’s Tearoom & Vintage Suitcase, Emporium a shop with a garden room, vintage antiques, and just one of many unique shops on Commercial Street. 

    Historic districts, Commercial Street, and the events Midtown has might be what Midtown is known for, but it is the people who live in Midtown that make it a community. The community gathers together at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library. For adults every Tuesday there is a Tai Chi class with Dee Ogilvy at the library. Then, quarterly, they offer “Ask the Expert” which is a series of classes on different financial topics that the library hosts. The kids have an activity every month like an obstacle course or a guided tour of the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library that the library helps put together. Midtown is at first glance just a neighborhood full of historic buildings. However, the more time you spend in Midtown, you start to understand just how extraordinary Midtown is. The people who live, work, and create in Midtown are what makes it stand out from other Springfield neighborhoods. I already am looking forward to my next visit there, and to the exciting hidden treasures, and unique attractions I will discover.

Ms. Gilmore’s Vintage Suitcase Emporium and Tea Room

By: Taylor Bergquist

If a woman is looking for a great place to have a mother-daughter date, lunch with her best girlfriends or even just a way to spend a charming afternoon by herself. Ms. Gilmore’s Tea Room and Vintage Suitcase Emporium is the place she is looking for. Ms. Gilmore’s Vintage Suitcase Emporium and Tea Room is located on 211 E Commercial St. in Springfield, MO. Ms. Gilmore as a young girl would go to the former inhabitant of her shop, Nellie Dunn’s a vintage clothing and antique shop. She would try on vintage clothing and stare around the shop in wonder hoping to one day own the shop. Now she does, and to honor those shops, and stores that inspired her she has named different dishes after historic sites in Springfield.

     The Vintage Suitcase Emporium is the antique shop that is located inside of Ms. Gilmore’s. The Vintage Suitcase Emporium is full of beautiful dinnerware, whimsical prints, vintage jewelry and unique artwork. Everywhere a person looks, there is a beautiful and one-of-a-kind piece that Ms. Gilmore collected herself.

     Darla Waldner was a first-time customer of Ms. Gilmore’s when I spoke to her, and yet she is already planning for the next time she can go back. “I cannot believe there is a place where I can enjoy tea, peruse antique treasures and eat delicious desserts. I have not even left yet, and I am already excited to come back,” Waldner said.

The second aspect of Ms. Gilmore’s is the Tea Room. From the bright pink walls to the eclectic decorations, everything is one-of-a-kind. The menu in the tea room offers a selection of creamy soups, crisp salads and delightful sandwiches. Citrus infused water and mini muffins are already at the table when the customer arrives, and tea is served in a tea kettle with tiny teacups accompanying it.

Silver trays are piled high with macaroons, pies, bars, cookies, and slices of cake the size of someone’s head and offered to customers. Each dessert on the tray is more decadent, and delicious than the last.

Emily Robertson and her best friend, Rachel Lewis, are regulars at Ms. Gilmore’s Tea Room, and they even have a favorite table. Before even approaching their table, a customer can clearly hear the girlish laughter, and sharing of secrets that Lewis, and Robertson are doing. “We love coming here and that for a few hours while we are here, we can feel girly, and young again,” Robertson said. Lewis adds, “To the rest of the world we may look like old ladies, but in our hearts, we are still just two young girls out to lunch.”

      Lesa Thomas has worked at Ms. Gilmore’s for the last two years, and before that, she was a frequent customer. “I always feel excited that I get to exist in this magical world, and I love getting to watch people experience it for the first time, knowing that they will be back soon,” Thomas said.