EVEN THOUGH THE event ticket said the party was set to begin at 6 p.m., curious, excited party-goers began showing up early. By 6 p.m., there was a line to enter the Top of the Park North Tent and by 6:45 p.m. the venue was packed.
“There was a line to get in almost the entire time,” said Kathy Griswold, a member of the The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board. “It was unreal.”
Griswold, along with Editorial Board member Bitsy Lamb and Ann Arbor Independent staffers, worked to organize the event and interfaced with partners who participated by donating food and door prizes. Many local, small business owners to whom the paper gives advertising free of charge as a service to them and the community were excited to partner on the event.
“We ended up with 14 door prizes,” said Patricia Lesko, who launched the newspaper in October 2013. “Fourteen. Business owners were excited to do this in part, I think, because it was a fun, unique event.”
“It was an absolutely fabulous event,” said Dawn Bizzell, campaign manager for Ward 1 incumbent Sumi Kailasapathy, a Democrat running in the August 5 primary election.
Bizzell wasn’t the only candidate campaign manager who praised the event. Candidates enjoyed the evening, as well. Tamara Garwood is running for a seat on the Washtenaw Trial Court.
“There are real people here!” said Garwood with a smile. “Not just the candidates and our entourages. It’s sometimes hard at events for judicial candidates to get the public to turn out.”
Organizers estimate that over 150 people, plus nearly two dozen candidates attended the event.
“Mrs. Dingell walked up to me and said, ‘I want you to know I was here,’ said Patricia Lesko. “She posted a selfie to her Facebook page with two folks from the party. “I am just delighted that she made the time to come. She had an event Downriver later the same evening. The people who got to take photos with her and chat with her were very happy to have had that opportunity.”
As well as a candidate meet and greet, the Editorial Board wanted to celebrate The Ann Arbor Independent’s April 2014 first place award in investigative reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists. The Detroit Chapter of the SPJ’s entries were judged by SPJ members in Louisville and San Diego.
“The A2 Indy entered one article and won a first place award in investigative reporting—in the paper’s six month in business. It’s an accomplishment of which I and the members of the Editorial Board are very proud,” said Lesko, who wrote the award-winning article.
Politicians who attended the Fourth of July event each moved from person-to-person, table-to-table speaking directly to voters in a relaxed and informal venue.
There was a table set up where party-goers could take the candidates’ campaign literature, yard signs, buttons and even register to vote in time for the August 5 primary election.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m., a group of men in dark suits appeared in the line to enter the party.
“A few days before the event, Summer Festival Executive Director Amy Nesbitt emailed me and said she had invited The Capitol Steps to the party. ‘Don’t tell anyone,’ she wrote. I suppose now would be as good a time as any to confess I told the Editorial Board members and swore them to secrecy,” said Patricia Lesko. “I got to introduce The Capitol Steps to some pretty excited fans.”
The A2 Indy was a Media Partner of The Summer Festival.
“The Indy does more than observe what happens in our community,” said Lesko. “We live here. We walked in the parade, threw a party at an amazing venue and invited our readers. It’s the beginning of what I hope will grow into a long, interesting and engaging relationship with thousands of my neighbors.”