Wednesday, April 18,2012

What's in a study?

Beneath the politics of consolidating Lansing police operations, a web of studies and planning

by Andy Balaskovitz

The study, which began in 2010, cost $175,000, Chad Gamble, the city’s chief operating officer, said. The administration has been sitting on preliminary data since at least December, before former Finance Director Jerry Ambrose left the city to work on the emergency manager team in Flint, said Kevin Feuka, business development manager at C2AE, the firm that conducted the study.

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Wednesday, April 18,2012

Eyesore of the week

by Andy Balaskovitz

The city stopped mowing certain areas of 14 parks throughout the city last year as part of that plan. The goal was to save money. But City Council members and concerned citizens warned the administration about unintended consequences. One was trash build-up in the long grass.

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Wednesday, April 18,2012

'Go Local' means invest local

by Terry Link

Unbeknownst to me, we exercised a similar approach locally in the past couple of months. A local businessperson was stymied in an attempt to accelerate her business because of a needed immediate infusion of about $1,500. Insufficient cash flow in her business was going to delay this significant business accelerator for months.

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Wednesday, April 18,2012

New in town

Greenfield Collection Antiques

by Allison M. Berryman

Despite being a favorite among Old Town residents, Greenfield Collection closed for business in August 2011 so that Polston, along with his partners Mike Polston and Ron Cosson, could pursue other business ventures.

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Wednesday, April 11,2012

Beating the bushes

After seasonal cutbacks, city looks for help at Cooley Gardens

by Lawrence Cosentino

Unlike the downtown cubicle refugees who steal an hour of sanity in Cooley’s cool pines and flowerbeds, Lansing’s parks and recreation director was still working. In suit and tie, he started pulling weeds, picking up trash and tugging at storm-downed branches.

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Wednesday, April 11,2012

Ingham judges keep Repubs on edge

by Kyle Melinn

The Ingham County Circuit Court is making its presence known these days by raising legal questions about the laws coming out of the Capitol this session. At least six times in the last seven weeks, the court has temporarily put the breaks on a Snyder-signed law.

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Wednesday, April 11,2012

Eye candy of the week

by Amanda Harrell-Seyburn

Lansing residents love their outdoor spaces, clamoring for them at the first waft of warmth. One of these beloved outdoor spaces is the courtyard at Tallulah’s Folly in Old Town. Whether for feasting on delicious food from a food truck or to relax during an afternoon of shopping, the courtyard is an oasis.

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Wednesday, April 11,2012

Financially 'prudent'

Bernero's plan to spend a portion of police millage money lacks Council support. He says consolidating police headquarters at the South Washington Office Complex won’t happen without it.

by Andy Balaskovitz

At issue is a relatively small piece of Mayor Virg Bernero’s fiscal year 2013 budget recommendation. He’s asking to use $193,900 in new millage revenue on renovations to a former armory on Washington Avenue that the administration plans to use as a new police headquarters.

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Monday, April 9,2012

Group renovation

Local nonprofit helping to renovate local recovery houses

by Brandon Kirby

After serving in Vietnam, Taylor Swan brought back home with him combat stress. And years later, he found himself battling dependency on drugs and alcohol. In a quest to get sober, Swan went to a rehabilitation center for war veterans in Grand Rapids.

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Wednesday, April 4,2012

Divided African American field emerging in 68th

by Kyle Melinn

While Robinson declined to talk about the race until next Thursday, the other two admitted the concern among some within the African-American community is real and that there are ongoing discussions about what should be done about it.

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