Neighbors enjoy food, music

More than a hundred friends and neighbors, adults and children, old residents and new came together Saturday night in the 1000 block of Pennsylvania Street for an East Lawrence Neighborhood Assn. block party.

The party featured bands and beer for the grown-ups, balloons and burgers for the kids. And it gave the neighbors a chance to rub elbows.

“People get used to coming home from work and not getting out to see people,” said Joe Bickford, who no longer lives in the neighborhood, but grew up there and still owns property there. “This is about bringing neighbors together on a nice evening for good music and good food.”

There was also a little business. Bo Harris, chief executive officer of Harris Construction, came by to talk up his plans to renovate part of the neighborhood into a historic office, residential and commercial district.

And there was politicking. Holly Krebs registered people to vote at a table promoting Democratic candidate Kathleen Sebelius for governor. There were no representatives from Tim Shallenburger’s campaign.

“We think the neighborhood associations are a great source of political activity in Lawrence,” Krebs said. “We thought this would be a good group of people who would be interested in the issues of the upcoming election.”

Mostly, though, there was fun. The bands Fear & Whiskey and Superhigh played in the parking lot of Old Home Depot, 1045 Pa., and a few couples used the music as opportunity to dance.

David Vance just moved into the neighborhood. He brought his children to the party to play games.

“This is kind of our first East Lawrence thing,” he said. “It’s great.”

Bea Dewing, another new arrival, agreed. “This is great fun,” she said. “I’ve never been to a block party before  this is the first place I’ve lived that has block parties.”