August 2017: Meeting at City Hall with Alana Owen, AICP, Neighborhoods for Springfield
October 2017: Alana held an informational meeting in the neighborhood
November-December 2017 and January 2018: MPNA held meetings at our new home, Cowden Elementary School library. Bylaws developed, presented and approved. Election of board and officers
Feb. 22, 2018: MPNA became the 18th registered neighborhood in the City.
February-October 2018 – Regular meetings were held with a program presentation at each meeting.
- Jarrett Middle School art class developed our logo. The art department was recognized with a cash donation from Karen Trigg. Zone 4 Councilman Matt Simpson committed funding for our street signs.
- Zone 4 Councilman Matt Simpson attended as our speaker for the July meeting on the second-hottest day of the year in the Cowden School-Park. We are orphans when school is not in session and elected to just meet outside for the summer. That may need to be re-thought!
November 2018: This is when things got busy – inexperience has its downsides!
- Nov. 3 had been requested by the board for our cleanup and the date was readily made available – little did we know. We should be the winner of the most TVs for all of the cleanups. Three 18-foot trailers and pickup loads full!
- 4 was the first Sunday in November and the date of the Bass Pro Fitness Series races. We were there as “Ghosts of Halloween.” This gave us a chance to wear our finery twice. WE ALL SURVIVED.
- Member Jennifer Young worked all day at the clean-up on Saturday AND ran the half-marathon on Sunday!
- At the regular November meeting, we agreed to work for Cowden’s grant request through the SPS Foundation to fund a STEM Mini-Library.
- Four more neighbors were elected to the board of directors. Officers for 2019 were elected on Nov. 27, 2018.