Cooper-Young Community Association
The Cooper-Young Community Association (CYCA) was created in March of 1977 and is a fully registered and recognized nonprofit 501(c)3. With an initial goal of mobilizing residents to stem the tide of decay that so many urban areas experienced, this organization has always functioned as a grassroots, volunteer effort. The CYCA has assisted with a number of projects including an early neighborhood watch, the installation and maintenance of the nationally-recognized Cooper Street Trestle Bridge, and the redevelopment of the communities’ eponymous corner at Cooper Street and Young Avenue. It also began publishing its monthly community newspaper, The Lamplighter, in the early 1990s; this publication continues today and is hand-delivered to each residence within the neighborhood. This organization currently maintains community office space within a redeveloping commercial area in the southeast quadrant of the neighborhood. It is financially supported through events including its annual Cooper-Young Festival Friday 4-Miler and Beerfest as well as membership dues and donations. While it continues to be a predominantly volunteer organization, it does employ a full-time executive director as well as a small part-time staff for The Lamplighter.
Lamplighter News
Cooper-Young’s Suzzane Striker Food Drive
It's November, which means it's time for the CYCA's annual Suzzane Striker Food Drive. This year, I wanted to remind everyone who Suzzane was, and why our food drive was named for her, so I asked June Hurt, former president of the CYCA and friend of Suzzane, to share...
How to request a speed bump review from the City of Memphis
By Stephanie Gonzalez The Cooper-Young Community Association is a 501(c)3 made up of volunteers who aim to help connect neighbors with each other and with the resources they need to make Cooper-Young a better place to live, work, and play. We know speeding and...
Lamplighter suspends publication
We are living in unprecedented times, and the impact of the coronavirus is reaching everything and everyone, including the Cooper-Young Community Association. This week, we made the difficult decision to suspend production of the LampLighter newspaper for the...
Cooper-Young Development FAQ
Cooper-Young is proud to be a landmarks historic district in the city of Memphis. That means that there some restrictions on residential construction and updates. However, they are the least restrictive guidelines out of all of the 13 existing...
Memphis Holiday Happenings 2019
By Sheree Stubblefield The holidays are a time of joy but they are also a time of anxiety. The kids are out of school, the family is in town and you are probably looking for the perfect activity with your loved one(s). Sometimes too many options is just as bad as too...
Stay Safe During the Holidays
By Sheree Stubblefield It's everyone's (well most people's, I'm looking at you Grinch) favorite time of year. There's shopping, parties, caroling and unfortunately crime; which makes this time of year a favorite for criminals as well. Below, we have listed some...
What’s New with Jack? Volume II
By Jackson Danley Hey neighbors, I have been busy since my last update. Earlier this month, we hosted our annual 4th of July parade and it was a great time for all! Dozens of CY residents braved the heat at Peabody Elementary for all the festivities. Before the parade...
Summer Break Blues?
By Sheree Stubblefield Summer break is a gift and a curse. It's a chance for you to spend time with the kids but it's also a chance to spend time with the kids. Know what I mean? To beat the summer break blues, we have scoured the internet for all the best summer day...
5 Reasons Being a Block Captain Rocks
By Sheree Stubblefield This Thursday, we are hosting a Block Captain Mixer for all of our Cooper-Young neighbors who want to make this neighborhood even better! We know you're wondering, "Me? Do I have what it takes? Do I have the time? Do I have the skills?" Um, yes....
Riding the Bus Isn’t so Scary After All
By Sheree Stubblefield Friday, May 10 I had the opportunity to take the bus in Memphis for the first time at the "Bus Bunch" event hosted by Commute Ops Memphis and the CYCA. Commute Ops is an advocate for alternative transportation options and we wanted to get in on...
Principal For a Day
By Robert Hatfield On Thursday, May 2nd, I had the honor of participating in Shelby County Schools’ Principal for a Day representing the CYCA. Each Principal for a Day met their assigned school’s principal at Bellevue Baptist for a breakfast and introduction to the...
CYCA Awards First Scholarship
By Sheree Stubblefield Cooper-Young Community Association is proud to announce the winner of its very first scholarship, Jackson Danley! Danley lives in the neighborhood and attends Central High School as a Junior. He boasts a 4.0 GPA and is an Eagle Scout. When asked...
Your Spring Cleaning Guide From the Experts
By Sheree Stubblefield Spring cleaning season is upon us! To help Cooper-Young prepare, the Lamplighter interviewed Carla Worth and Mallory Elkins, owners of Aunt Keys Apothecary, a Midtown-based natural cleaning company. Aunt Keys officially began in 2013, although...
Cooper-Young Recycle Bins to Find a New Home
By Sheree Stubblefield Approximately twenty years ago, the word “recycling” was added to the lexicon of the average American home. It was becoming “normal” rather than an extreme practice of the new-age, “granola” community. Nowadays, some people are...
5 Reasons to Join Cooper-Young’s Hottest Book Club
By Mackenzie Campbell and Tiffany Calhoun Have you ever read a book so good that you can’t stop talking about it, but no one gets it because they haven’t read the book? What if there was a group out there to help with this very issue? Well, contain your excitement...
4 Things to Know About the Memphis Aquifer
By Sarah Houston CAESER, University of Memphis Memphis sits atop a special underground water source – the world-famous Memphis aquifer. Sometimes it’s called the Memphis Sand Aquifer, but “Memphis Sand” is the name of the geologic formation... “Memphis aquifer”...
Top 10 Chemical-Free Spring Cleaning Tips
By Carla Worth and Mallory Elkins Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Breaking it down into smaller portions will take the anxiety and chaos out of each chore. 1. Start from the top! Dust needs time to settle before you can sweep or vacuum it up....
Green Ways to Cut the Clutter
By Stephanie Gonzalez You’re sniffling, it’s raining nonstop, the dogs are constantly tracking mud in from the backyard. It can mean only one thing: Spring is here! The season of renewal is a great time to pare down some of the clutter that’s gathered in your home...
10 Reasons to Create an Urban Garden
By Kim Halyak Spring is around the corner which makes us think of flowers and sunshine. It's the perfect time to plant your garden and watch the flowers grow but living in the city with a smaller garden does not mean you are left out! For all the city dwellers out...
Arboretum Update, Fall 2022 by Judi Shellabarger
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See You Around the Neighborhood!
By Stephanie Gonzalez My term ended last week, and Olivia Wall took the helm of the Cooper-Young Community Association as the newly — and unanimously — elected president for the next two years. Olivia is a passionate member of the neighborhood and has shown her...
2021: The CYCA’s Year in Review
By Stephanie Gonzalez In 2021, we saw some degree of return to normalcy, as far as the Cooper-Young Community Association goes. We were able to hold some of our fundraisers and neighborhood gatherings, and we even started a new event in the spring. Here’s a rundown of...
Goodbye to a CYCA Board Legend
The Cooper-Young Community Association's board lost one of its most long standing members this year when former president Debbie Sowell "retired," after 18 years of service. Another of our long term members, June Hurt, recalled some of Debbie's many accomplishments...
Moving to Cooper-Young during the Covid-19 Pandemic
We moved to Cooper Young in 2020, during the pandemic with a toddler, and it wasn't for the faint of heart. Admittedly I wasn’t looking forward to moving to Memphis at all, but after living here for approximately 1 year, I’m so glad we did. As most do, we began...
