Published: October 04, 2008 10:03 pm      

Rossville spotlights new stores

ROSSVILLE — Since it was formed six years ago the Rossville Community Organization has focused on promoting the village and its member businesses.

With that in mind, the RCO held its first Business After Hours event on Friday night.

Kevin Young, president of the RCO, said the group wanted to spotlight two new businesses on Chicago Street.

“The downtown is starting to draw more interest,” said Young. “We want to do something to promote our member busi-nesses.”

“We are hoping to have more of these special events in the downtown,” added Young. “We want to promote any new busi-ness that opens as well as our existing shops.”

The two businesses showcased Friday night were the Village Art and Culture Center and Art’s Paperback Exchange and Crafts.

Village Art and Cultural Center is operated by Rosella Ray.

“I have many antiques in the shop that I sell,” said Ray. “I also have items on consignment for area artists and craftspeo-ple.”

Items on consignment include stained glass items from C&L Originals, hand-woven rag rugs by Robert Laumeier, hand quilted items by Nancy Fuller, original oil paintings by Bill and Margaret Matthews, and handcrafted wood items by Ron Freedlund.

In addition to the above items, BBB Crafts and More which is owned by Barb Balla has wood crafts, seasonal and holiday floral arrangements and wreaths, crotched items, fleece blankets and baby items.

Balla also works part-time in the shop as does Amy Martinez who along with her two sisters operates Reindeer Creations, a business that specializes in beaded jewelry and accessories.

Ray said her hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. She hopes to extend her hours to 5 p.m. and eventu-ally open on Tuesdays also as people begin to shop more for the holidays.

“We do really well when there is an event that brings people in town, such as the Labor Day Street Bazaar,” Ray said.

Up the street at Art’s Paperback Exchange and Crafts, Chuck Cornell and his two partners Susie Reed and Ruth Schwarz have what they call a variety store.

The store features nearly 3,000 used books and movies, as well as glassware, new and used, wood crafts, candy, toys, homemade soy candles and candy, grave saddles and cones, Italian charms, bracelets and jewelry. They also carry NASCAR collectibles, quilting material and new and used tools.

“We feel we fill a niche in the community,” said Schwarz.

The business had only moved to Rossville some eight months ago from the Countryside Mall in Hoopeston to a location on East Attica Street. However, when the space became available on Chicago Street, the trio was quick to make the move.

“This is so much brighter, with more room and more traffic,” said Reed.

Reed also had praise for the RCO.

“The RCO bent over backwards to help us make this move,” Reed added.

According to Schwarz, the store had great success with its sidewalk sale during the Labor Day Street Bazaar.

Young said the ‘Business After Hours’ program will continue as other businesses become available and as more busi-nesses join the organization.

The RCO sponsors the Christmas and Halloween parades, as well as the Driving the Dixie days and the dog show in the park. It is also making preparations for the Rossville Sesquicentennial in August of 2009.