Old Town Bridge to be renamed in honor of Robert Busby - this Sunday

This Sunday at 10:30 a.m., Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero will preside at the Grand River bridge in Old Town when it will be formally renamed the Robert P. Busby Memorial Bridge.

The event is open to all as we pay tribute to the life and legacy of Robert Busby, "Mayor of Old Town". For more information, check out Old Town's website.

The hurt still lingers a year later...

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since you left us. Your number is still in my phone, and I still can't bring myself to remove it.

The painting that we playfully argued over before I finally bought it has yet to be hung. I'm afraid that the moment it goes up, I'll forget the fun we had debating whose wall it would look better on. You could have outbid me and snatched it from right under my nose, but you were so excited at the prospect of me building a collection, I always knew you'd let me have it. It's a beautifully bold painting that we discussed over coffee at Portable Feast at the table near the staircase as Sharon darted back and forth nearby to her customers.

There are still so many memories, so vibrant, so full of life, just like you were, that linger. We knew each other less than a year, but you were ambassador, mayor, welcoming committee, and chief architect all rolled into one incredible, beautiful soul.

You saw a girl, who despite her bubbly demeanor and wide circle of friends, was looking for a community to call her own, to plant some roots, and find a home that was more than just four walls and roof. You took me in with your warm smile and contagious laugh, and you showed me exactly what community meant. It didn't matter that you didn't know too much about me, or my faults, you introduced me to others like we had been friends for the last five years.

You taught so many the true meaning of community, both on the physical and cerebral levels. You loved and gave of yourself without question to everyone, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight. Your greatest gift was the example that you set, living every day to it's fullest without regrets and always remembering that in the end, we're all human and life is too short not to live like it's your last day on earth. Did you know something we didn't?

Even after you left, the community remains bonded together in grief, in celebration of our progress and growth, and deep friendships welded together that will withstand the test of time. We're there, and while you're not, your legacy remains, twisted in sorrow and love. We couldn't have made it without you, and no matter where we find ourselves in the future, I still miss you, friend.

(photo credit: Patrick T. Power)

Old Town Diner in the Spotlight

Congrats to the Golden Harvest, a one-of-a-kind diner located on North Turner in Old Town. It recently was reviewed and featured by Absolute Michigan.

It's just one of several restaurants that I make a habit of sampling in Old Town. Golden Harvest is only open for breakfast or lunch and their breakfasts are not to be missed. It reminds me of the local diner where the old men congregate and talk shop and you watch your food cooked on the grill right in front of you, but there's a funky twist to the place that makes it all it's own. Last time I was in there I dined on some truly excellent eggs over easy with bacon, toast, and hash browns with some kickin' hot sauce as Beastie Boys played on the radio overhead.

So yes, the old men come and talk shop, but so do the college kids, the artists, the stay-at-home moms, and bloggers like me, looking for great food and a true Old Town experience.

Help Old Town Win National Contest!

It's no secret how much I love Old Town, the historic part of Lansing which has now found itself the bustling center of art and culture.

Thanks to local lefty talk radio show host Walt Sorg, I heard all about Old Town's latest efforts to continue to grow and develop in a national contest sponsored by Swedish Ikea.

By signing up to vote, you can ensure that Old Town wins this contest which will give 10 businesses in Old Town $5,000 in Ikea supplies each.

The businesses include:

Old Town Commercial Association
Portable Feast and Friends
Preuss Pets
The Head Room Salon
Gone 2 the Dogs
Vernadine's Soul Food
Pablo's Panaderia
The Sierra Club
Elderly Instruments
Such Video (who made the beautiful video)

Stop by and vote, and pass it on to your friends!

Saturday Special - Cruise Director Style

Happy weekend!

Last night I volunteered at Festival of the Moon, and I'll be doing the same again today at Festival of the Sun in Old Town. I strongly recommend you come on down and join in the fun. While you're there, I highly suggest trying out Uncle John's Hard Ciders. I tried all three, Apple, Perry and Apple Cherry and they were delicious!

Of course I'm busy preparing for tomorrow's MichLib Summer Family Picnic, and for one, final time, I'm inviting you and yours to join us at Frances Park, right here in beautiful Lansing. Most of the Lucy Family will be there, as will many family members of some of MichLib's finest. Consider bringing yours!

The following selections are some of my favorite posts/blogs are some of my favorite that I read on a daily basis to help keep me sane. Some are as far from political as they get, others feed my soul. Check 'em out because you never know, you may find yourself with a new blog favorite to add to your Bloglines.

• Jamelah.net - One of the funniest, most random blogs out there. Jamelah is a proud Michigander, and her antics will leave you rolling on a regular basis.
  
• Around the Keg - Another Michigan blog, this one is all about beer, particularly beer, with a smattering of politics thrown in, from the right and the left to keep things interesting. Funny thing, I'm not a beer drinker, but I enjoy reading about beer, which I realize probably makes very little sense. Ahh, well just goes to show you never know with LL. :-)
  
• The Chaplain's Assistant : God, Country and Vietnam - The book from one of our own Isabella County bloggers, jtcaldwell. I have a love for all things military history, passed along by my dad the Vietnam Vet, and this will be finding itself in his birthday present.
  
• The Hunger Site - did you know that with a few short clicks of your mouse you can help feed the hungry? It is one cool site that we should all be clicking on every day.
  
• Never in Our Names - From the site

  Never In Our Names is an online community dedicated to human rights and individual dignity. We support the Geneva Conventions, The United Nations Human Rights treaties and The UN Declaration on The Rights of Children, as well as the very basic tenets of human rights, including a statement on our masthead by an 11 year old: "All you have to do to qualify for human rights is to be human."

Well that's it for me today. I'm off to get everything prepared for tomorrow's picnic. Here's to a happy Saturday and seeing YOU tomorrow!

What are YOU doing this weekend?

Here in Lansing there are plenty of incredible events, full of fun, good friends and food.

Of course, if there's one spot you shouldn't miss, it's Unplugged: MichLib's Family Summer Picnic this Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Frances Park.
The event is open to friends/supporters/readers/bloggers and their crew, which by proxy, means you. Hope to see you there!

I'm just not sure how I'm going to squeeze all of this into my weekend:

Annual Chili Cookoff sponsored by the Lansing Board of Water and Light - This will be my fourth year at the event, and I'll be hard-pressed to miss it. The chili - mild, hot, and five-alarm is incredible. $5 gets you in for all you can eat, incredible live music, good friends, good times, and some tasty treats (and drinks!) to cool you off!

Festival of the Moon sponsored by the Old Town Commercial Association - this Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. in downtown Old Town (Grand River Ave and Turner St.) Excellent food, good spirits, fun times, and great music.

Festival of the Sun sponsored by the Old Town Commercial Association - more good food, great beer, awesome music including Lansing's own Root Doctor this Saturday from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.

:sigh: and here I thought I might get a day of rest of or two this weekend!

No worries, you can be sure that no matter how you spend your weekend here in Lansing, it's going to be one incredible time!

Miss you, Friend

Robert Busby
Originally uploaded by Patrick T Power.

Almost two months after the fact, I still can't bring myself to delete his number from my phone.

One of the last conversations we had was me giving him tips on how to decrease the amount of swelling from his upcoming oral surgery, and him laughing that of all the people he knew, I would be a good one to ask about recovering from surgery.

The painting that we both liked, which I just happened to buy before he did, sits on my mantle, still not hung, price tag still on it. When I bought it I didn't know he was thinking of buying it until our friend and fellow Old Town shopkeeper Dan told me. I dropped by the Gallery right afterwards proudly holding my purchase, and giving him a good-natured teasing about getting it first. He just stood there, with his big toothy grin and just laughed his hearty chuckle. He said he already had too many paintings, and it would be perfect for me. He was right, it is. But I almost refuse to hang it, much less peel the price tag off of it, because part of me doesn't want to forget the great moment with him behind a mediocre painting.

We had talked about holding a charity concert at the Gallery to fund raise for my bike ride. I got a really late start on fundraising, in part because it's a bittersweet fundraising challenge without him and just doesn't seem quite right.

He was just like a little kid at Christmas when I showed him the blog post I did about the Gallery, one of the very first on my blog. He was so proud, he showed it off to several people throughout the next couple months, and liked to brag about me being a blogger around his friends.

I go and sit down at Portable Feast, always hoping to see his head pop out from the simple black curtain that separated the Gallery from the Restaurant. I see the locked door that's replaced the curtain, and I grow somber remembering he's gone.

I was driving home today, watching for other drivers as I went through an intersection, and I swear I saw him driving a car that wasn't his. For a split-second I reached up to wave, but sadly realized that my eyes were lying, it couldn't possibly be him.

Not quite two months later, and my heart still aches, still breaks a little each time I realize he's really gone. No more warm hugs, no more cheeky grins. No more waves through the Gallery's front window as I stroll past on Turner Street.

His name, his memory, his legacy of Old Town still vibrantly lives on in his friends, his family, his city, but Robert Busby is gone.

I miss you, friend.

News from the Creole Gallery & an Opportunity to Give in Memoriam of Robert Busby

From Meegan Holland, Robert Busby's life partner and Creole Gallery Concert Presenter -

Due to the tragic death of Creole owner Robert Busby in February, we regret to announce that all events at the gallery have been suspended while his loved ones sort out details for the many projects in which he was involved.

If you had a rental scheduled at the Creole, please email us for the quickest reply. Calling the Creole phone could result in a delayed response.

Many of you have offered to volunteer, and we so appreciate it. If volunteers are needed, rest assured we'll put out the call.

We thank everyone for the notes, poetry, music, prayers, food, flowers and countless other kindnesses sent our way in the wake of Robert's death.

Please keep the Creole's vibe in your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Meegan Holland
Concert Presenter

If you're so inclined, you can honor Robert by making a donation in his memory to the following:

The Robert P. Busby Jazz Scholarship Fund
University Development
Michigan State University
300 Spartan Way
East Lansing, MI 48824-9911

Or

The Old Town Commercial Association
Robert P. Busby Fund
1232 Turner St.
Lansing, MI 48906

Honoring Old Town's Magical Mayor

Thank you to everyone who came out to last night's candlelight vigil for Robert Busby in Old Town. There were anywhere between 250-300 people. People gave tributes, laid flowers and candles, and we wrapped up the vigil by singing John Lennon's Imagine, a song truly fitting of Robert and his dream.

Lansing Community College has generously donated Dart Auditorium for Robert's memorial service next Tuesday at 3pm. Everyone is welcome.

Yesterday was a day of deep sorrow for everyone. Even if you never met Robert, it's still clear that Lansing lost one of it's biggest supporters and best friends. For many of us, the tears still come and the ache is sure to linger for quite a while.

Having been through more personal tragedy than I care to remember in my 26 years, I have learned one very valuable lesson about coping and recovering from a traumatic event, such as the manner in which Robert died. It's not about what happened, or how he died, but it's about what we do with this tragedy. If we let this tear apart Old Town and destroy all that Robert gave so much of his life for, then his death was in vain.



Last night standing there with tears rolling down my cheeks, candle in hand and very heavy heart, I looked up into the windows of Robert's loft above Creole Gallery. The loft was brightly lit, and you could see his beautiful art shining through the cold night air. It struck me that in even in our deepest grief, this is what Robert worked so hard for. All of these people coming together - black, white, young, old, gay, straight, the haves and the have-nots, this is what Robert was about. Uniting a city and a community together, unaware of our differences but celebrating our diversity.

I believe that we can only succeed if we continue to pick up where Robert left off. His mission, his life, and even his art was about unity and life. Robert gave us all so much. We owe it to him to set aside our differences, come to together and carry on his legacy.

Robert Busby: Old Town's Magical Mayor

Robert Busby

**Update - There will be a candlelight vigil tonight at 6pm (not 7 as previously reported) on Turner Street in Old Town between Grand River and Clinton St. if you have any questions, please email me or check the LSJ for further updates. **

Just one week ago, I stood and marveled at the beauty and growth of Lansing's Old Town with one of my favorite people, Robert Busby. That day, we were laughing about a piece in Lansing's City Pulse that featured Robert's art. As the owner of the magical Creole Gallery, I usually saw Robert about once a week and we always shared a smile, a laugh, and a hug.

Today, I learned that Robert has tragically left us.

Robert was a friend, a mentor, and a legend. His light was so bright that I know that even with his passing, it can never be completely extinguished.

My soul aches, my heart breaks, and I join hundreds and thousands of others who weep for Lansing's gentle spirit who touched so many.

In my deep grief, I'm going to share with you the words that the Old Town Commercial Association has shared

Everyone in Old Town and around Lansing knows Robert as the 'Mayor of Old Town.' His Creole Gallery is known as a venue that features the most incredible artists in and intimate settings that are not available elsewhere.

But Robert is known for a great deal more than his gallery. His love for Old Town truly defies comparison. Many years ago, Robert took an amazing risk. He purchased property and dedicated his passion to making Old Town an arts and entertainment area.

At that time, Old Town had a dangerous and well deserved reputation. Robert’s faith, heart, and incredible tenacity paid off. He made Old Town his home, the site of his business, and made his life about creating the lovely place that Old Town is today. Retailers and residents of Old Town are shocked and devastated. Some have been quoted as saying “These things don’t happen in Old Town, because Robert made this a place that we felt safe. We are a family.”

In life, it is very rare to meet so lovely a man. Our hope is that Robert’s dream continues, and that this city comes to appreciate and love Old Town like he has.

You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.

What's Ahead in Lansing

This next week is looking to be a promising one here in Lansing.

Here's some suggestions for investing some quality time in the area...

The Michigan Brewers Guild is hosting the 2nd Annual Winter Beer Festival in Old Town. You can be sure that the spirits will be merry and the tap will be flowing. Even if you can't make it, you can still snag a copy of Michigan Breweries still hot off the presses by some friends of mine in Canton. I've given the book to several friends and family members as gifts, and its always been a hit.

Also on the same day (sadly!) is the Michigan Democratic Party's State Convention at Cobo. Hope you'll stop by the Bloggers Caucus 2.0 at 10 a.m. and join us.

Next Tuesday you can join us in Brighton as we meet with Speaker Dillion and Floor Leader Steve Tobocman, check out MichLib for more details.

If you're looking for something a little closer to home, consider dropping by Old Town for the Grand River Connection's 4th Tuesday Night Out. The GRC is a very cool group of young professionals (under 40-50ish) that get together to network and mingle at hot spots all over town. It's a good time, and you're bound to not only have a lot of fun, but also meet tons of new friends. Too bad for me that it's on the same night as one of the Meet Ups.

No matter where you are or what you're doing, here's to a lovely week ahead!