CityPulse

Cristo Rey merger is off

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Cristo Rey merger is off
By LAWRENCE COSENTINO
Stopping the merger was a goal sought for months by the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, a group formed last fall amid reports of declining services at Cristo Rey, anger over the appointment of a non-Spanish-speaking interim manager, Robert Vogel, and concern that the center would lose its Hispanic identity under a merger.

Eye sore of the week

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Eye sore of the week
By Sam Inglot
Architecture critic Amanda Harrell-Seyburn says: Some buildings are more susceptible to blight than others. By nature, buildings that are not easily adaptable due to form — in this case, single-use ones — sit vacant longer. It’s true, just look around. The late 20th century was an unprecedented period of single-use building construction.

What about those ‘fees?’

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

By Andy Balaskovitz
Bernero’s proposal to charge city BWL customers for streetlights and fire hydrants is projected to raise $5.5 million in the fiscal year that starts July 1. It is the central piece to balancing a $5 million deficit. Those costs are now built into the General Fund, which is largely fed by property and income tax revenue and state-shared revenues.

Ride or fly

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

By Andy Balaskovitz
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and City Council President Carol Wood — unlikely allies — oppose the new grant. It needs approval by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, which is chaired by Wood. Michigan Flyer wants to increase the number of daily trips between East Lansing and Ann Arbor from eight to 12.

The race is on

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The race is on
By Sam Inglot
For the city’s highest elected office, Bernero faces four opponents — three with little to no name recognition and a former City Councilman who’s zero for his last four local campaigns. Barring a handful of campaign and fundraising miracles from his opposition, it’s almost guaranteed that.

Rising to B-level

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Rising to B-level
By Dylan Sowle
“If you're in Lansing and you think it sucks, you should shut your mouth and open your damn eyes,” said Dorough, head honcho of Fusion Shows, a Lansing-based concert promotion and booking company. “We're music fans first, and we happened to make a business around that.

Good, good, good stridulations

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Good, good, good stridulations
By LAWRENCE COSENTINO
With their crunchy exoskeletons, compound eyes and yellow blood, insects seem more like alien creatures than our fellow Earthlings — but humans have more in common with the six-legged beasties than you’d think. For example, we’ve both taken over nearly every corner of the planet.

The beat goes on

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The beat goes on
By DAVID BARKER
Solutions for socio-economic problems are typically addressed at symposiums where speakers use PowerPoint presentations, not turntables. But this weekend, the Lansing Hip Hop Fest will use facets of hiphop culture — including graffiti art, spoken word, dance and music — to explore some of these heady themes.

Class clowns

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Class clowns
By ALLAN I. ROSS
You’d never know you were looking at Carol Burnett’s yearbook photo unless you scanned the bottom of the page for her name.

Age of business

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Age of business
By Marisol Dorantes
Starting a business is an exercise in maximizing advantages and overcoming challenges — especially when you launch your enterprise later in life. After 50, you might not be as fast as you were at 30 or as proficient with the latest technology, but a lifetime of experience and connections can still pave the way for a successful venture.

Aging gracefully

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

By ALLAN I. ROSS
According to the 2010 census, there were about 79,000 people aged 60 or above in the tri-county area, comprising Eaton, Ingham and Clinton counties.

Simple ways to avoid overspending as retirement nears

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Simple ways to avoid overspending as retirement nears
When the nest is empty and the kids are off on their own, many folks find themselves with some extra money in the bank. Fewer mouths to feed and no more college tuition to pay can give parents a sense of financial freedom unknown since before starting their family.

These are not your grandmother’s retirement homes

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

These are not your grandmother’s retirement homes
As the Baby Boomer generation enters retirement age, there has been an increased demand for services that meet their needs. Considering there are now more Americans age 65 and older than in any other point in history, developers understand the benefits of catering to this segment of the population.

Travel ideas for active seniors

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Travel ranks among the top leisure activities for men and women over 50, with mature vacationers traveling more frequently and staying longer than any other age group. Folks who have said goodbye to the work-a-day grind now have many hours to settle down and relax.

A hard night’s work

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A hard night’s work
By LAWRENCE COSENTINO
Leo Tolstoy was quite a bastard — check out his wife’s diary for some hair-raising stories — but he made a good point Review now and then.

Spring forward

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Spring forward
By DANA CASADEI
In addition to the return of art vendors and music acts to downtown East Lansing, organizers came up with two pre-events to build up interest. In March and April, there was a retrospective at (SCENE) Metrospace featuring event posters from the last 50 years.

Black ‘Beauty’

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Black ‘Beauty’
By PAUL WOZNIAK
It feels twisted that “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” opened Mother’s Day weekend. Martin McDonagh’s darkly comic play is an unsparing portrait of a severely dysfunctional mother/ daughter relationship perfect for Riverwalk Theatre’s blackbox — just not for mothers.

Fantastic ‘Fox’

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

By DANA CASADEI
Directed by Linda Granger, the show takes place over a weekend at the Quail golf tournament as the home team goes up against the Crouching Squirrel Golf Club. Club presidents Henry Bingham (Chris Klaver) and Dickie Bell (Ron McNeill) make a wager before the tournament, and then the real fun begins.

Last comics standing

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Last comics standing
By BILL CASTANIER
Dan Frazier has long been drawn to comic books. The Lansing native, 52, has been collecting comics since he was young, and throughout his life he’s accumulated more than 30,000 — about a third of which are signed.

OUT ON THE TOWN

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

OUT ON THE TOWN
The Potter Park Zoo will be open after hours on Thursday to host a Wine and Stein event, billed as a “casual after hours bash at the zoo.” There will be a variety of tastings from breweries and wineries from across the state, served in a complimentary souvenir glass.

Turn it down

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Turn it down
By Rich Tupica
Jammin’ Round with Jamie-Sue Songwriters Series turns 10 years old at its season commencement concert Saturday in Dewitt. Among the diverse batch of performers are organizer Jamie-Sue Seal , Elden Kelly, Jason Dennie, and Greg Jenkinson & John Latini. The event is perhaps the only traditional in-the-round set-up in the Midwest.

Free Will Astrology

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

By Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the alternate universe created by Marvel comic books, there is a mutant superhero called Squirrel Girl. She has the magic power to summon hordes of cute, furry squirrels. Under her guidance, they swarm all over the bad guy she's battling and disable him with their thousands of tiny chomps and thrashing tails.

New in town

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

New in town
By ALLAN I. ROSS
“And then this building came up for sale, so I bought it,” Joseph said. “I hate to see empty buildings in Williamston.” She said the space is about 2,500 square feet and is stocked with both new and consignment wedding dresses, prom dresses, rental tuxedoes, veils, jewelry, gloves and purses.

Food Finder

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Food Finder
a.m.–8 p.m. Monday– Saturday; closed Sunday. (517) 485-8584. olympicbroil.com, TO, OM, $..