April 4-10, 2012 Can this happen here? LSJ vs. mlive.com Page 9 FEC@E<K?@JN<<B J8M<,'8K ILDILEE<IJ j\\gX^\) 5EQQVGTU6Q)QRCIG 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • April 4, 2012 It has been my honor and DEAL OF THE WEEK privilege to serve USE BONUS CODE: you as your 73RRS Ingham County Drain Commissioner SAVE 50% AT Rum Runners for the past 20 years. on SaveLansing.com Together we have improved the quality of our water resources for the citizens of Ingham County and the Great Lakes. I look forward to many more years of working with you protecting these great resources of ours. Thank you for your recognition and Live entertainment in a support by choosing me as Caribbean-style setting Environmentalist of the year for the Come experience a tropical paradise lled with great last 4 years in the City Pulse and food, drinks, and entertainment at its best! The menu oers freshly prepared appetizers, chicken, beef and WLNS Top of the Town awards. seafood entrees, hamburgers and other sandwiches, salads, barbecued ribs, pizza, desserts and other light fare. The main attraction includes interactive Together we are making a better entertainment ranging from live dueling piano future and leaving a positive shows, karaoke, “open mic” shows, and a variety of other legacy for generations to come. live events that focus heavily on audience participation. You must sign up and purchase our stupendous deals online only at: SaveLansing.com City Pulse • April 4, 2012 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 TICKET PRICES Old Town Lansing $13 in advance Progressive Food Sampling and Loft Tours $15 day of Old Town Commercial Association is hosting its fifth annual Taste & $5 children 12 & under Tour of Old Town on Saturday, April 14th from noon to 5pm. This $5 loft tour only event is a progressive food sampler and exclusive loft tour. The sampler gives visitors a chance to taste a variety of Old Town’s Tickets can be purchased at finest fare and tour its unique real estate market, making it a great www.iloveoldtown.org, way to introduce people to Old Town who may be unfamiliar with Grace, Sir Pizza Grand Cafe, its thriving businesses, hip living alternatives and delicious Tallulah’s Folly or at the restaurants. Taste & Tour of Old Town is a fundraiser for the OTCA, OTCA office. to continue its mission of revitalizing Lansing’s Old Town district. Participants will check in at the OTCA office where they can purchase tickets, and receive a map and wristband for the tour. This year’s participating restaurants include The Purple Carrot Truck, Golden Harvest, Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, Grand Café Sir Pizza, Favorites Café, Tallulah's Folly, Artie's Filling Station, Olympic Broil, Pablo's Panaderia, Spiral Dance Bar, Unicorn Tavern, Trailer Park'd, Aggie Mae's Bakery & Deli, and Grand Grillin! Participating lofts will be announced the day of the event. The OTCA office is located at 1232 Turner Street, Lansing, MI 48906. 14 Taste and Tour of Old Town Noon to 5pm in Old Town Lansing 14 Capital City Film Festival Throughout the day at Old Town Temple Building 19 Festival of the Sun and Moon Committee Meeting at 5:30pm at OTCA office 21 Document Destruction Day 3 ROOT Group Meeting 8am to 2pm at Friedland Industries at 7pm at OTCA office 23 Organization Committee Meeting 10 Economic Restructuring Committee Meeting 5pm at OTCA office at 11:45am at OTCA office 12 Old Town Board of Directors Meeting Pickin’ In the Park…Every Tuesday night at Sir Pizza Grand Café at 6pm at Perspective2 For a complete list of events, visit www.iloveoldtown.org 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • April 4, 2012 & Mfcld\((#@jjl\*+ Charles Ford (0',<%D`Z_`^Xe8m\%CXej`e^#D@+/0() ,(. *.($,-''=Xo1,(. 000$-'-(nnn%cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd 8[m\ik`j`e^`ehl`i`\j1,(. 000$,'-( Q E\nj Fg`e`fe% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % + :cXjj`]`\[X[`ehl`i`\j1,(. 000$,'-- GlYc`Z Efk`Z\j% % % % % % % % % % % % -# . fi\dX`cZ`kpglcj\7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd Myra Ford <[`kfiXe[GlYc`j_\i :fm\i Jkfip% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % 0 9\icJZ_nXikq A 8ikj :lckli\% % % % % % % % % % % % () glYc`j_\i7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. 000$,'-( Lansing Board of Education President Myra Ford and Board Member Charles Ford K_\Xk\i% % % % % % % % % % % % % (+# (0# )( 8ikj:lckli\<[`kfi AXd\jJXe]fi[ fell on opposite sides of the vote to approve the Lansing schools consolidation plan. :Xg`kXc :`kp =`cd =\jk`mXc @ej\ik % % % % (, aXd\j7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. 000$,'-/ They appeared on “City Pulse Newsmakers” to discuss their votes and the reasoning 9ffbj% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % )' Fek_\Kfne<[`kfi behind them. (The show airs weekly at 11 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday on Comcast channel A\jj`ZX:_\Zb\ifjb` 8[m`Z\ >f[[\jj% % % % % % % % % % % % % )* a\jj`ZX7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. 000$,'-0 16.) The following has been edited and condensed by Joan Bolander. Berl Schwartz, :cXjj`]`\[j% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % )* JkX]]Ni`k\ij Andy Balaskovitz and Sam Inglot interviewed the two. The show can be seen at Afe\j`eË :ifjjnfi[% % % % % % % % % % % % % )* CXni\eZ\:fj\ek`ef www.vimeo.com/channels/citypulse. cXni\eZ\7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd Flk fe k_\ Kfne% % % % % % % % % % % % % % )+ 8e[p9XcXjbfm`kq President Ford, ing. I think if I had Klie `k ;fne % % % % % % % % % % % % % % ), Xe[p7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd Gif[lZk`feDXeX^\i the 8 to 1 vote children in elemen- E\n @e Kfne% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % )- IXZ_\c?Xig\i shows some prog- tary school right now =i\\n`cc 8jkifcf^p% % % % % % % % % % % % )0 X[Zfgp7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. 000$,'-- JfZ`XcD\[`X:fejlckXek ress over last year I would be incred- LeZfib\[% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % *' Alc`\Gfn\ij when it seemed like ibly excited about this alc`\7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%ZfdKn`kk\i17AGfn\ij(,, every vote brought new plan, because all 8[m\ik`j`e^ Dfe`hl\>fZ_#;`i\Zkfi great arguments of the research sup- dfe`hl\7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. 000$,'-) and debate. Why do ports it. And I think 8ccXeIfjj you think there’s a that because of that XccXe7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. 000$,'-* J_\ccpFcjfe change? the board finally said, j_\ccp7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd,(. -+*$(.'* I think for the most “We believe in this, we 8jj`jkXekkfk_\GlYc`j_\i part it’s because the Myra Ford Charles Ford can support this. And Editor & Publisher AfXe9fcXe[\i plan that was present- it’s time we stepped Berl afXe7cXej`e^Z`kpglcj\%Zfd Schwartz :feki`Ylkfij19i`Xe9`\ebfnjb`#Aljk`e9`c`Zb`#9`cc:XjkXe`\i# ed to us we all felt was up and did our job.” DXip:%:ljXZb#A\]]?Xdd\i#Kfd?\cdX#:_i`jkfg_\i?fiY#JXd very concise and very comprehensive. As I was told that it was going to be intro- @e^cfkK\iipC`eb#Bpc\D\c`ee#8[XdDfce\i#;\ee`jGi\jkfe#8ccXe@% Ifjj#Af\Kfifb#I`Z_Klg`ZX#JljXeNff[j#GXlcNfqe`Xb#8dXe[X our current interim superintendent indicat- duced one week and voted on the next 7 p.m. Wednesdays ?Xii\cc$J\pYlie#Lk\Mfe;\i?\p[\e#Al[pN`ek\i ed, it wasn’t cherry picking; it wasn’t we’re week. What was the rush? @ek\iej1Kfep8cXe#8cc`jfeD%9\iipdXe#8cpjjX=`ik_#8[Xd This week @c\e`Z_#>\eeXDlj`Xc going to do this over here and this over here There is a great deal of work that has to Myra Ford, president of the Lansing Board of ;\c`m\ip[i`m\ij18Y[lcdX_[`8c$IXY`X_#;Xm\=`j_\i#BXi\e and do it in different years. It is a compre- be done, and we just felt we had to move Education, and board member Charles Ford EXmXiiX#Ef\cc\EXmXiiX#9i\ekIfY`jfe#Jk\m\Jk\m\ej hensive plan, and it’s a plan that deals with ahead. academic success as opposed to just closing Mr. Ford, what’s your response to Kyle Melinn, City Pulse columnist buildings. It’s geared towards the research that? that shows certain configurations of schools I think it’s somewhat disingenuous to are more successful and are where we need our public that we did not have any type to focus our time and our money. of public hearing. I didn’t think there was Mr. Ford, why did you find you couldn’t any need to rush this quickly. I went to the DC@M<MJ%CJAYp I8:?<C?8IG<I G?FKFYp ><EE8DLJ@8C agree with the other board members on Parent Advisory Meeting the Tuesday after this one? that meeting and I have to disagree with First of all, the plan was never distrib- President Ford — just about every parent at uted to the public, and our school closure that meeting was concerned about the fact and consolidation policy clearly states that that they didn’t get an opportunity to speak before final approval of the board that the on the proposal. In the past they have. public has to have the plan, then we’ll have President Ford, what is your response the public comment, and then we’ll take to Mr. Ford’s earlier comment about not final action on it. That didn’t take place. giving the public enough time to com- My fundamental reason, though, is that it ment about these changes? breaks up what makes Lansing work. We Well, obviously the public now has an have community elementary schools where opportunity to comment. students go K through 5 and most of our But after the fact. elementary schools do very well. A lot of the We have had public hearings, and public research I’ve seen is that fewer transitions hearings, and public hearings over the last are more appropriate in this day and age couple of years.