Page 7 - Scene Magazine 42-06 June 2017

to do – until I could afford to pay again. A community at work! It was a fantas- tic year though too short. It was the most rewarding work I have done in my life. I loved the coffee shop and all that it sought to do in the neighborhood. It was my Old Lakeview neighborhood.
I eventually returned to my career and let the coffee shop go to another hopeful business couple. And again soon afterward it closed. It was sad. But eventually a great family rented the building and we now have fantastic tacos from San Francisco Taqueria!
Lakeview Hardware, Rock Cafe, Dol- phin Lounge, Lakeview Lounge and so many others contribute to neighborhood. They are gathering spots for making a community work. But a neighborhood is more than business. It’s in the hearts of its residents. Young, old, black, white, His- panic, single, coupled. It doesn’t matter. Its neighbors helping neighbors.
I joined the Neighborhood Planning Council in 2014 and sought to continue making an impact. I sought to keep the neighborhood common but clean. I sought to bring more people to the table – to learn about their stories. Homeowners, renters, homeless. They all matter in my opinion. And in this neighborhood we have them all. They each contribute in tremendous ways to the fabric of our community. Phyllis on Grand Boulevard tells many stories. She’s been a resident her entire life. She knows Old Lakeview and she - in her late eighties - continues to be a willing and active participant in crafting our neighborhood. She tells many stories of her father who owned a drug store at the corner of Capital Avenue and Colum- bia Avenue. She reminds us of why there is a small street that runs down the west side of Capital Avenue. She tells the story of the old interurban that brought neigh- bors from the north side of Battle Creek to Goguac Lake for summertime fun. She reminds us of days gone by when Liberty Amusements had rollercoasters and boats at the lake. She is essential to remember- ing who lived here and of those who are no longer our neighbors.
The Old Lakeview Neighborhood is a shining example of America. Common. Old. Young. Foreign. Different. And a little bit gritty.
This neighborhood is my home.
Note: Neighborhoods, their boundar- ies, and their names are always changing as new people move in and out and the landscape and features change. No name of a neighborhood is meant to leave out anyone. Want your neighborhood fea- tured? Contact us at sproutbc@gmail.com and send your submission!
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