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February 5 - 11, 2020 www.lansingcitypulse.com Locally owned • A newspaper for the rest of us SERIOUS FUN How Lansing’s baby rhino can help save a species See page 15 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • February 5, 2020 Announcing a 501c(3) nonprofit How to contribute: approved by the Internal Credit Card Revenue Service. • Online at www.lansingcitypulse.com • Call (517) 999-6704 Mail checks to: All gifts City Pulse Fund are tax 1905 E. Michigan Avenue Lansing 48912 deductible. Please make checks out to City Pulse Fund We will mail you a receipt City Pulse • February 5, 2020 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 Favorite Things edition, so I doubt it has much mone- one book case in the living room, one Mark Neese and his hardcover tary value, even today. book case in the hallway and tons more Back then, I did read it and I was in the basement. My copy of “Char- also familiar with the 1971 film ad- lie” stays upstairs in the living room. ‘Charlie & the Chocolate Factory’ aptation — what kid didn’t love that? Most, if not all, of my other childhood But the book was so much better, as is books are gone now, but not this one. Mark Neese, 51, a cataloging assis- almost always the case with books vs. Grandma Cutler died in 2000 at age tant at Capital Area District Librar- films. 93. This might sound corny, but when- ies, of course has a soft spot for books It inspired me to read the se- ever I see the spine, I’m that 9-year in general. However, there’s one classic quel, “Charlie & the Great Glass El- old kid at Kresge with Grandma — title he’s kept since his childhood days evator,” which is also quite good. that sends me to memories of reading in the Motor City. Here’s what he told In the time we lived in Detroit, from books in one of her upstairs bedrooms City Pulse: 1973 to ’79, I spent a lot of time at in the summer with wind blowing My favorite thing is an old hardcov- Grandma’s. Christmases. Summer through the screen windows and Mr. er copy of “Charlie and the Chocolate days. She’d take me to the Chaney Seiler mowing his lawn next door. Factory,” by Roald Dahl. My Grandma branch of the Detroit Public Library, The book also simply reminds me Cutler bought it for me when I was and sometimes my mom would come of my grandmother: her generosi- about 9 or 10, so this would have been along, too. We’d check out books to- ty, her spirit and her love of reading. 1977 or 1978. My family was still living gether. For me, it was usually Beverly I’ll always love this book. It still holds in Detroit, only a few blocks away from Cleary or books about World War II. up — the wicked British sense of hu- Grandma’s house on Stahelin Avenue. For Grandma: the latest John Jakes, mor in particular. The last time I read I was with her the day she bought it Michener or some mystery novel. it was about eight or nine years ago to at the old Kresge Department Store sor to Kmart, but on a smaller scale. By 1979, my family moved to the my oldest son, who’s now at MSU. in the Grandland Shopping Cen- Books were not major merch at thumb in Cairo, a small town. I (This interview was edited and con- ter on the corner of Grand River and Kresge, so I’m pretty sure this copy of lived there until 1986, when I came densed by Rich Tupica. If you have a Fenkell Avenue. Grandland was like a “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory” was to Michigan State University. I’ve suggestion for Favorite Things, email smaller scale Frandor and Kresge was discounted. The retail price on the dust been in the Lansing area ever since. [email protected].) a discount store that was the precur- jacket is $4.95. It’s the 1973 revised Today, at my family’s house, we’ve got 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • February 5, 2020 VOL. 19 ISSUE 26 (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-5061 or email [email protected] PAGE CLASSIFIEDS: (517) 999-6704 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz 20 [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Skyler Ashley Meet the house concert series held within a blanket fort [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 EVENTS EDITOR/OFFICE MANAGER • Suzi Smith [email protected] • (517) 999-6704 PRODUCTION • Abby Sumbler PAGE [email protected] (517) 999-5066 23 STAFF WRITERS • Lawrence Cosentino [email protected] • (517) 999-5065 Kyle Kaminski • [email protected] A Rally of Writers returns to LCC (517) 999-6710 SALES EXECUTIVE Lee Purdy • [email protected] • (517) 999-5064 PAGE Mike Piasecki • [email protected] • (517) 999-6707 25 Contributors: Andy Balaskovitz, Justin Bilicki, Capital News Service, Bill Castanier, Ryan Claytor, Mary C. Seth Rentfrow rocks The Loft Cusack, Tom Helma, Gabrielle Lawrence Johnson, Terry Link, Kyle Melinn, Mark Nixon, Dennis Preston, Carrie Sampson, Nevin Speerbrecker, Rich Tupica, Ute Von Der Heyden, David Winkelstern, Paul Wozniak Cover Distribution manager: Garrett Clinard • (517) 999-6704 Art Delivery drivers: Garrett Clinard, Dave Fisher, Dale Gartner, Jack Sova, Gavin Smith Kaiti Chritz/Potter Park Zoo Interns: Matthew Stine • [email protected] NOW AT 10:00 A.M. SUNDAYS on City Pulse • February 5, 2020 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 C PULSE NEWS & OPINIONOF THE WEEK Fix the damn roads C We were delighted to hear Gov. Gretchen increase to fix the roads, they were rejecting OF THE WEEK Whitmer announce at her second State the Rube Goldberg language of the propos- of the State Address last week that she The CP Edit al, which so muddled the measure that vot- would unilaterally move forward to break Opinion ers simply said no out of sheer confusion. the political logjam with Republicans in the Our strategy hinges on the idea that the Michigan Legislature over where to find ballot language would only ask voters to the billions of dollars needed to repair increase the sales tax by 2 cents for five the state’s crumbling roads. The morning years and that every dollar is guaranteed after her speech, the State Transportation to flow down to local governments to fix Commission approved her plan, voting local roads. Nothing more and nothing to issue $3.5 billion in state bonds to fix less. We think such a measure would Michigan’s freeways and other roads pass for a simple reason: Michigan res- under state jurisdiction. idents have had enough of the potholes We’re not certain that the rhetorical and the political squabbling over how to This week’s Eye Candy is the new- grenades Whitmer launched at legislative fix them. ly opened bridge-trail south of the Republicans during her speech was the Others will argue that increasing the Nancy L. Moore Community Park most constructive approach to winning sales tax is fundamentally regressive and in Meridian Township. The trail in- their cooperation on this or any other would have a disproportionate impact on cludes a bridge over the marshy area issue, especially after invoking the bipar- Michigan’s poorest residents. There is north of Central Park Drive, run- tisan spirit of the late, great Gov. William truth in this concern, but the inequities ning parallel to Okemos Road. The Milliken. But we certainly share her frus- inherent in a higher sales tax can be bridge-trail itself is constructed of tration over the partisan bickering that has ameliorated by expanding the Earned wood with iron supports, raising the forestalled any meaningful agreement on Income Tax Credit through a separate bridge-trail several feet above the a comprehensive solution to road funding. legislative act. We would oppose includ- marshland below. A concrete ramp Taking the matter into her own hands is, ing this provision in the ballot language leads up to the bridge on both the in this instance, the right thing to do. so as not to detract from the sales tax north and south sides of the trail. It The obvious shortcoming of her plan proposal’s simplicity. is approximately a quarter mile long and offers a lookout spot to stand is that none of the $3.5 billion can be We also agree with the governor that used to fix local roads in Michigan. That the various ideas floated by legislative and observe the natural area to the means thousands of miles of city thoroughfares and neighborhood Republicans — selling state-owned bridges, raiding the teacher’s east. streets that are in the worst shape of all will continue to deteriorate. pension fund, or shifting the existing sales tax on gasoline away The bridge-trail is sheltered from The governor’s half measure is certainly better than nothing, so from schools and local governments — are non-starters. Nor are we Okemos Road by trees, currently we won’t complain when orange barrels pop up like daisies along persuaded by the notion that the state has plenty of money to fix the bare; however, once in bloom these state freeways and trunk lines in the coming construction season. roads. If that were true, we would already be driving on fresh pave- trees will make the spot feel like a But the urgent need to address the pathetic condition of the rest of ment wherever we go, while leaving tire tracks on the backs of our nature preserve, removed from its Michigan’s roads remains unsolved.

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