Page 6 - Scene Magazine 42-06 June 2017

Neighborhood Scene
The Neighborhood Series: Old Lakeview
BY JEREMY ANDREWS
Welcome to the first installment of what I hope will be many volumes including, “Neigh- borhood Features” by Sprout, that will eventually formulate “The Neighborhood
Issue.” I will outline each neighborhood, from a resident’s perspective, add my own commentary, and create some pizzazz in the form of “what’s cool,” “what are the hidden gems” and so forth.
Our overall goal: Promote the unique characteristics of neighborhoods across the greater Battle Creek area and show some historical context from some residents’ perspectives.
Sprout is a nonprofit organization based in the Battle Creek area whose mission is helping community prosper through food, education and enterprise. As an evolving organization, we offer a varied array of programs and entrepreneurial supports to achieve that end. Our Food Hub is at the center of all of our programming. We help local farmers and food entrepreneurs to in- crease their market reach through purchas- ing and selling their products throughout the community in pop-up markets, mobile mar- kets, farmer’s markets, two neighborhood farm stands, wholesale distribution, and through our Sprout Box subscription deliv- ery service. In addition, we operate a Farm to School program teaching our schoolchil- dren where their food comes from, how to grow it, and through partnerships with local school food service departments, currently featuring local products on their menus. On our land, we operate an incubator farm, which has helped two young farmers launch their passions and businesses in the Wash- ington Heights Neighborhood. And finally, in our kitchen and market, at the former Springfield Farmer’s Market location, we are helping new food businesses get their start in our incubator kitchen. In the coming months, we will also be operating a daily local grocer there.
With our roots, deeply entrenched in neighborhood organizing and entrepre- neurial support, we thought it only made sense to begin to support residents in their own neighborhoods as they start business- es. This neighborhood promotions idea is the beginning of that work. See the Sprouts article in this issue for more information.
6 SCENE 4206 I CITY ISSUE
Old Lakeview is our first feature neighborhood.
Read the words of Patrick Barnett as he shares his thoughts about his neighbor- hood. He lives in Old Lakeview and is an active doer and leader for the area. Patrick is the former owner of an awesome coffee shop, Django’s, which was in Old Lakev- iew. Patrick has tirelessly led clean up ef- forts in his neighborhood to make the area shine. This is one of the busiest areas of town for enterprise.
THE GEMS:
• Lakeview Hardware – Creaky floors,
learn to sweat copper pipe in the base-
ment
• San Francisco Taqueria – Great food,
great service, great prices
• BC Burger – A city institution relocat-
ed to the area from downtown
• Lakeview Lounge – Best tap selection
in town, cranky bartenders!
• The Dolphin – An institution with live
music and familiar faces
• Freedom Firearms – Indoor shooting
range
• Salvation Army – Some of the best
thrift in town
• BC Comix – A gamer and collectors
paradise
In the words of Patrick Barnett... “I moved to Old Lakeview in 1996 and knew I found a home.”
“The Old Lakeview neighborhood per- sonifies all things I find good in a commu- nity. It’s average and common. A bit gritty. It needs love and attention. Its people are the same people I grew up with in my old Catholic neighborhood in Kokomo, In- diana. Like my block on Summer Street we have young single parents families, two parent families, retired couples, and multi-generation families living across
the street from one another. We have His- panic families where English is a second language. It is a typical cross section of individuals that make life interesting and whole.
In 2000 I was laid off from the Battle Creek Enquirer as the IT Director. I used my severance and bought an existing cof- fee shop. It reminded me of my old neigh- borhood Hynds’ Drugstore Soda Fountain where I worked in high school.
During those formative years I learned a great deal from the wisdom of the neigh- borhood gathering spot. If Rosemary on Wabash Avenue was in the hospital, there was a card for her at the counter. If Louis on Courtland Avenue passed away, there was a card at the counter for his family. Any of the high school seniors would have a card for their graduation at the counter. Neigh- bors mattered there. There was, of course, plenty of neighborhood gossip. The men would sit at the counter and discuss pol- itics, religion, education, and a sundry of other topics. The women would typically gather together in the booths to also speak about the same subjects. Often times the older folks would relay how very different the new generation of kids seemed. I didn’t agree. They were doing the same thing we did at high school football games or after game dances. They were building and en- forcing community.
And so I sought to build that neigh- borhood gathering spot at Django’s Java. I remember once looking out in the cafe and seeing the mayor’s wife, a Method- ist pastor, a used car salesperson, and an adult dance performer engaged in a mutual conversation. Task complete. We were forming the bonds that only a neighborhood can. A community. We had poetry and music. Young and old. I remember having our neighborhood beat officer ask if he needed to engage with some of the youth of the coffee shop. I declined. It seemed as though social forces of their own contributed to the right behavior without intervention. A community at work! We organized neigh- borhood book reading for kids that oth- erwise might not be able to afford books from the new bookstore. They could take a book home for free following story time. When I encountered financial cash flow issues - the young adults were first to step up and volunteer their time for tasks I ordinarily had to pay employees
Patrick Barnett and Mathew Marble