No new stamp today, I’m afraid. It snowed all day, and I was feeling rather unwell and not up to a long walk, so despite my spending a bit of time trying to sweep something clear with my boot, I found not a single stamp.

Instead I’ll give you something I’ve been saving for a day like this. While searching a specific street address in the Lansing State Journal, I accidentally turned up a notice warning property owners of impending sidewalk work on July 29, 1987. It takes up most of pages 8A and 9A and lists hundreds of addresses. The scope is immense. It covers mainly streets from Bingham east to Clemens, and a smattering of addresses further east. Each address has columns for “Total shared sq. ft.,” “Total 100% city sq. ft.,” and “Total 100% owner sq. ft.” I assume that indicates who has to pay for it, but I don’t know how the proportions were decided.

This must be the origin of the extremely numerous Cantu & Sons 1987/88 stamps all over the east side. Next I need to dig up the news that covers how the city decided to do this huge sidewalk project.