Wednesday, September 22,2010

EYE CANDY! OF THE WEEK

Capital Area District Library

Property: Capital Area District Library (Downtown), Lansing Every community has a library, the lucky ones have several, but how often do we really take the time to appreciate the buildings? Lansing is blessed with a library that is an architectural landmark designed by local modernist architect Kenneth C.

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Wednesday, September 22,2010

Hard rain

Suspicions arise that the Grand River took on coal ash in addition to sewage and storm water after Thursday’s rain

by Andy Balaskovitz

The Lansing Board of Water and Light is midway through moving 450,000 cubic yards of toxic legacy coal ash ' the byproduct of burning coal that contains arsenic, mercury and boron ' from its property north of Comfort Street to a safer storage facility.

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Wednesday, September 22,2010

Bueller ... Bueller

Fourth Ward Councilwoman Jessica Yorko’s committee attendance in sharp contrast with her colleagues’

by Andy Balaskovitz

At a Sept. 13 City Council meeting, regular attendee John Pollard presented a Freedom of Information Act request he filed with the city asking for all Council members’ attendance records at committee meetings. He rattled off all eight members’ attendance records since Jan.

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Wednesday, September 22,2010

'The Tube'

Potential Marketplace development could bring upgrades to the pedway that crosses the Grand River

by Andy Balaskovitz

Standing on the Michigan Avenue bridge looking north with an architectural designer offers a unique perspective of much of the recent downtown activity: the Ottawa Power Station, City Market, River Trail, the Lansing Center and yes, of course, that tubular crosswalk over the Grand River.

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Wednesday, September 22,2010

"Can-dogging," alcohol and family: Life among Lansing’s homeless camps

by Andy Balaskovitz

Every night at about 9:30, Vivian “Mama Bear” Thomas waits excitedly for her friends to come by for dinner. She sits beneath a deck umbrella and blue plastic tarps, held together by dead tree branches. Over her shoulder are three small bedrooms and a kitchen area.

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Wednesday, September 22,2010

Virg Watch

The abortion issue surfaces on the campaign trail

by Andy Balaskovitz

Virg Bernero’s Democratic gubernatorial campaign is chasing women as of late … their vote, that is.At campaign stops in Lansing, Flint and Southfield Monday, Bernero and running mate Brenda Lawrence slammed opponent Rick Snyder’s position on abortion. Snyder believes women should have the right to choose to have a child only in cases of rape or incest or when the mother is in a life-or-death situation.

Recycle-Rama on Saturday

by Meghan Spork

“As (a) regional group of recycling coordinators, we have held different recycling events for separate items,” said Lori Miller, assistant recycling coordinator for the city. “But as resources have decreased we wanted to stop doing different events for different items.

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Wednesday, September 22,2010

Rogers on jobs

by Lance Enderle

For ten long years Mike Rogers has been consistent. He consistently rubber stamped the disastrous policies of the Bush/ Cheney administration. He consistently ignored Michigan’s manufacturing losses, and consistently looked the other way during Michigan’s times of high unemployment.

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Friday, September 17,2010

PARK(ing) Day 2010

Small downtown event aims to draw attention to a big problem: maintaining public spaces

by City Pulse Staff

By 11 a.m., local organizers of PARK(ing) Day 2010 had green Astroturf laid down across three parking spaces on Washington Square near Allegan Street. Ring toss boxes were set up to pass the time within the plant-lined space. Joe Manzella, vice president of local nonprofit Accelerate Lansing, said the point of the modest event was to create a dialog about a growing problem.

Two shades of blue from Old Town’s Bluesfest 2010

by Lawrence Cosentino

While playing a high-energy tune, Lee stands his ground like a huge boulder under a hat, rocking the house without moving a muscle. On a heart-twisting slow blues like “The Sky is Crying,” he builds up a slow-rolling, oceanic swell only the great blues guitarists can muster.

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