Mable Thomas Street” Gets Initial Champaign Council Okay

Longtime Champaign neighborhood services employee Mable Thomas, who passed away last month, will likely receive a street named in her honor.

With unanimous preliminary approval from the Champaign City Council, University Avenue from Elm Street to State Street would be designated as Mable Thomas Street. It was chosen because it borders West Side Park, where Thomas was known for organizing the local National Night Out against Crime.

City Councilman Tom Bruno enthusiastically supports this gesture to honor Thomas, based on what he saw of her work in the Neighborhood Services Department. "She would be able to maintain a level of order and courtesy so that people's emotions could cool down a little and they could talk rationally about a grievance they had or a problem," Bruno said. "In that way, she was just really good at what she did. Her passing is a great loss for the city of Champaign."

Thomas' accomplishments included helping to expand the city's Neighborhood Watch Program and creating the Neighborhood Small Grant Program. She helped to organize hundreds of neighborhood groups and was active in many community organizations and activities, including CommUnity Matters and First Street Farmer's Market.