Spring isn’t too far away, and for the City of East Lansing that means the East Lansing Art Festival is just around the corner. Serving as the unofficial kickoff of spring in our community and the region as a whole, the East Lansing Art Festival is a highly anticipated annual event that has successfully drawn an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 visitors to downtown East Lansing for a running 45 years.... Read More »
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A few weeks ago, the East Lansing Police Department gave a touching sendoff to a long- serving patrol officer, Wing Lum. Wing began working for the ELPD as a Parking and Code Enforcement (PACE) Officer on May 19 of 1975. After two years as a PACE officer he became a sworn police officer in which capacity he served for 32 years! To say that Wing served our community with commitment and distinction... Read More »
It’s not too late for community members to nominate the unsung heroes in our community for a 2009 Crystal Award. The Crystal Awards, an annual program presented by the East Lansing City Council, honors the individuals, groups, organizations, businesses and commercial enterprises that have gone above and beyond to enhance the quality of life in East Lansing. This year marks the 22nd year of the... Read More »
Last Thursday evening, my wife Carol and I had the pleasure of hosting a fundraiser for local mixed media art gallery, SCENE Metrospace. Over fifty friends, neighbors and patrons of the arts, attended this event, during which some of the art currently on exhibit at SCENE, was on display in our home (would that it could’ve stayed there!). I am pleased to share that this event raised more than $3,500... Read More »
News on the economic front lately has been dismal at best but it appears that some rays of light are shining through (or at least that some of the clouds have silver linings!). In addition to the exciting news released just before the holidays regarding the location of the new Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (the FRIB) at MSU, effectively making MSU an international center of nuclear physics, along... Read More »
In addition to the Silver Medal designation of East Lansing’s outstanding High School and the news that MSU successfully landed the “FRIB” in a competitive process, there is even more to celebrate in our region. In spite of – or perhaps because of the monumental economic challenges Michigan has faced, several local organizations, some of them stalwarts in the community, have stepped up to the plate... Read More »
Amidst all the gloom and doom of recession and bailout talks, our community is so fortunate to be able to point to two stellar achievements that will surely enhance the economic recovery of our region. For the second consecutive year, East Lansing High School has earned the Silver Medal designation by the U.S. News & World Report. This ranking places ELHS in the top 2.9% of 21,000 public schools surveyed... Read More »
Earlier this month the City received exciting news from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Among a handful of other communities in the state, East Lansing was awarded three Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grants to be used for park land acquisition and improvements. The grants, totaling $757,300, will be used to improve outdoor recreation offerings for our community members,... Read More »
Earlier this week East Lansing residents received the City’s Annual Report or, as many of us think of it, the City Calendar. The intent of the Annual Report, in addition to serving its obvious purpose, is to provide you the taxpayers, with a city report card of sorts. In fact, the report includes fiscal information, economic development updates, significant advances and highlights from each of the... Read More »
During the City Council meeting of December 2, 2008, Plante Moran, the firm retained by the City to conduct the annual audit required by law, affirmed the City’s fiscal prudence and sound accounting practices. One of the purposes of the annual audit is to test the City’s internal control mechanisms – our system of “checks and balances.” The Plante Moran representatives proposed only minimal changes... Read More »