October 24 Merchant News

 

  1. Signage/Awning Grant--for signs approved by SAP and completed in 2023

  2. Holiday Market Signup

  3. Note on Yale Corner

 

Signage Grant--for signs/awnings approved and completed in 2023

SAM has funding to offer grants for businesses that installed new signage/awnings in 2023. To qualify, the
work had to be approved by SAM in writing and paid for in 2023.
If you are thinking about doing new signage or an awning before the end of the year, now is the time.
If you want to install a sign/awning before the end of the year, please reply back 

 

Holiday Market Sign-Up

All businesses are welcome to participate in this year's ❄️WNTR Holiday Market❄️ 
Due to the work on Yale Corner, the event will now be held at: 
The Springfield Avenue Gazebo at 1688 Springfield Avenue  
Sat.  Dec. 9th &  Sun. Dec. 10th  
11:30-3:30.

This year, as in previous years, we will have various sources of entertainment, holiday themed activities and local vendors.  

For more info or to sign up as a vendor please fill out the google form below. 

Note: Local Springfield Avenue businesses get 50% of the daily rate.​

Sign Up Here

Note on Yale Corner

In July of 2022, over 200 volunteers came together at Yale Corner to dream, design, and paint Rivers, the Yale Corner Mural Project. Under the guidance of Barbara Bickart, together with Andrew Dean, Jennifer McClory, and Deb Engel, the 100-by-100-foot ground mural transformed a sterile blacktop into a colorful River.

Springfield Avenue Maplewood was proud to sponsor this art gathering, together with Maplewood Township and NJDCA's Neighborhood Preservation Program.  Sherwin-Williams , at 1802 Springfield Avenue, donated much of the supplies and paint. 

Sadly, Yale Corner was dug up last 2 weeks ago, ruining the Rivers mural. 

So, what happened?

Yale Corner was always privately owned. The Township had the foresight to lease the space on a month-to-month basis; for several years instead of a vacant lot we had an event space, a market space, a gathering space. We invested a modest amount of money into the lot, thinking we had some years of use ahead but knowing that the owner could reclaim the lot at any time. That time came two weeks ago, when the owner dug up the lot to remove several underground storage tanks, which remained from its previous use as a gas station. 

We wish we'd had more advance notice, but we didn’t. The demo work took us by surprise. But we are still left with the memories and photos of that magical week in July.

We’ll be adding a Rivers mural page on our website. If you want to contribute some of your photos, please email them to me.

Julie Doran