Old Town has always been good to me

Poster Art by Dennis Preston

By Cynthia Ward

Fifteen years ago, before I was officially a Lansing resident, I attended my first Blues Festival in Old Town.  I remember the weather being chilly as I had to wear gloves to keep my hands warm.  I subsequently bought a condo “On the Grand” and enjoyed many more Old Town festivals as an Old Town resident.  It was just the scene I needed at the time having moved to Lansing from the bustling East Coast.  I had wonderful neighbors who became good friend—friends my husband and I still have today even though we no longer live in Old Town.  

No gloves were needed for BluesFest 2017 (September 15-16, 2017) when I set out to begin collecting signatures for a nominating petition.  You see, I am running for 54-A District Court Judge in 2018.  And to do that, I have to collect a minimum of 600 signatures from city of Lansing registered voters to be included on the ballot.  I decided to start my signature collecting journey in Old Town.  I spent almost ten hours over two days standing on the corner of Turner Street and East Grand River Avenue.  It was the perfect location to meet great people and hear foot-tapping Blues. Perfect for collecting signatures.   I had set a signature goal for the weekend and I exceeded that goal by 100%.   I also gained several volunteers who offered to help circulate nominating petitions for me. I knew designating Old Town as the starting point of my journey to collect 900 signatures was the right decision.  It’s where my life in Lansing began and where I continue to play, eat and shop.  I have an enduring fondness for Old Town; it has always been good to me!