Trees get planted on Broad Street

It took men and machinery to plant several mature trees reaching 10-15ft each in the planters on N Broad Street . Photo By : Johnny Kay

Last week a variety of deciduous and non-deciduous trees were planted along the newly developed pedestrian-way on North Broad Street. The on going street enhancements are part of a collaborative project involving the City of Globe, Historic Globe Main Street Program, Cobre Valley Center for the Arts, the Globe Tree Committe and the group which calls themselves the MOB. The majority of funding for the improvements stem from a $98,000 grant which was awarded to the Downtown District this summer. … Continue Reading

Globe’s Main Street MOB is on the move

Story by: Darin Lowery

Note: The local committee, MOB (My Own Back Yard) was formed last February as one of many committees tasked with looking into ways to improve Globe’s Downtown district. Headed up by Mayor Fernando Shipley, it includes City Building Inspector Chris Collopy, City Manager Kane Graves, Local Downtown Merchants Ed Gardea of Ortega’s Shoes, Molly Cornwell of the White Porch and Tracy Quick of The Huddle, Builder Jim Ohl, Artists Nora & Frank Balaam, Chris Brusca with the Chamber , Darin Lowery with The Pickle Barrel and Kip Culver, Main Street Director.

While Globe's downtown has been noted for its friendly, walkable spaces, many drivers never make it into the Downtown area to discover the charms of "Main Street." Signage is key in letting visitors know where to go, and one element of MOB's plans for the area.

The group looked into ways they could effect positive design changes downtown and while they kept an eye on what could realistically be accomplished with the meager resources they had, they none-the-less identified several projects all along the 8-block area of the Historic District which would help direct traffic into the downtown area and other landmark locations such as Besh Ba Gowah, as well as improve the pedestrian walkways and visual amenities of the downtown area

Thanks to a huge stroke of “planned luck,” a large grant for $98,000 pegged for streetscaping the Historic District actually came through earlier this year. Begun over two years ago, the grant was applied for by Main Street Director, Kip Culver with the support of then Congressman Rick Renzi. It entered its final approval stages after the economy had already started it’s melt down and long after the Congressman had stepped down, so it is easy to see why Culver hardly thought the grant had a chance of materializing. Yet materialize it did and the group found themselves in the fortunate position of having much of the planning well underway when the funds for the improvements fell into their laps.

The  grant money is the funding source for all the improvements you are beginning to see Downtown and I asked Darin to outline the progress so far.

MOB Targets Globe

by Darin Lowery

There’s a new gang in town and it’s called the M.O.B. (‘My Own Backyard’). Made up of roughly twelve members (and open to more!), the group is led by Mayor Shipley. MOB meets roughly every two weeks- we started out as an offshoot of a community meeting at City Hall in February, which looked at ways to improve the look and feel of our Historic Downtown. … Continue Reading

Hollis Cinemas install Marquee

The much anticipated re-opening of the Globe Theater has arrived!  Since the theater was destroyed in the Pioneer Fire (July 2005) the community has sorely missed their local theater. The Hollis family vowed to come back and re-build an even bigger and better theater and they have delivered on that promise.

Construction on the new complex began in January of this year and progress was noted through their blog each month. The project remained on schedule and last night the finishing touches were completed as the marquee was re-installed.

The new Globe Theater Marquee blends elements of the original marque, along with modern digital technology and signals a return to hometown entertainment at its best.  The night sky was illuminated with the neon lights just past 6pm to a small audience who cheered as the lights came on. Tonight the crowds are expected to be in the hundreds as the theater opens for business again in downtown Globe,Az. See: HOLLIS CINEMAS.

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Muleskinners Kidnap Mayor Shipley

This last weekend was the Grand Opening of Season 2 for the Copper Spike Excursion Railroad and Main Street Director, Kip Culver invited the Mohave Muleskinners to kick off the season in style. The Muleskinners, who were here last year for Home Tour, are a big hit in Globe. Their members dress in period clothing from the 1800’s and carry  authentic reproduction firearms. They use real gun power and crowds love talking to members, getting photo ops with the various characters and watching the Old West skits.

The one shown below involved the kidnapping of Mayor Fernando Shipley. The local contingent of the Copper Bells arrived on the scene shouting “Save our Mayor” and offered to exchange a muleskinner – toting an iron ball for the safety of the Mayor. The exchange was made, but just when the “bad” guys thought they were getting away – the women Muleskinners arrived with loaded shotguns (with gun powder of course!) and stopped them in their tracks.

KipCulver: Caring for the Downtown District

By: Linda Gross

Cities outgrew them long ago and towns have over looked them in a rush to attract box stores and strip malls. Yet memories of a time when the main streets of our childhood literally held the lifeblood in the community is one reason why nearly 30 years ago the National Trust for Historic Preservation developed a program to put the emphasis back on Main Street. The Program was designed to retain that elusive quality lost in Suburbia; community character, and to bring back an economic framework which would reinstate Main Street as a valuable player in a community’s future.

Globe’s own Main Street program began in 1986 when it’s eight-block commercial district was designated a Historic District. Today, it is one of just 15 Main Street communities in the State and 12,000 in the country. The success of these programs can be seen in the numbers; Since 1980 there have been 199,519 buildings rehabilitated, 82,909 businesses added to aging downtown districts, and over 40 Billion dollars invested in physical improvements through private and public sources.

Caring for Main Street

In the last four years, Globe’s Main Street Program has begun to rack up so many small successes that even to the uninitiated the Big Picture is taking shape and making itself felt by locals and visitors. The force behind many of these improvements is Main Street Director, Kip Culver who took over the position in 2005, and today heads up both Main Street and the Center for the Arts. … Continue Reading