CITY MARKET April 23-29, 2014 Vendors say lack of parking is driving away customers, merchants | p. 5 INNER SPACE Broad Art Museum maximizes unusual dimensions with unconventional art | p. 13 Eric Schertzing launches bid for Congress see page 10 COMMON GROUND Summer music festival adds Earth, Wind & Fire, Big Sean to lineup | p. 15 TOP OF THE TOWN Final Five winners announced, voting begins April 30! 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • April 23, 2014 May 15 - June 15, 2014 He’s a man who won’t give up, and she’s a woman who won’t give in. In a story that spans three decades, we travel with two unlikely companions who encounter each other at strange and inopportune times. When the time is finally right, will they be able to give in to their desires for courtship? A co-production with 9 Tipping Point Theatre. Featuring: THIS WEEK: 8th Congressional District by Norm Foster Ruth Crawford and THIS WEEK: State Legislature Hosted by Directed by Lynn Lammers Thomas D. Mahard Newsmakers Berl Schwartz Thursdays & Fridays @ 8PM Williamston Theatre Saturdays @ 3PM & 8PM 122 S Putnam St.,Williamston Sundays @ 2PM 517-655-7469 www.williamstontheatre.org TIM BARRON EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING 6AM-9AM KEN DARGA SUSAN GRETTENBERGER JEFFREY HANK DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT And hear Berl Schwartz of City Pulse call Tim an ignorant slut — or worse. Watch past episodes at vimeo.com/channels/citypulse Every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. City Pulse • April 23, 2014 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 Real Broadway — Not just any Broadway Themed Camp Sunday, April 27 • 3:00 p.m. Dart Auditorium Lansing Community College Featuring the winner of the Bloomquist Prize in our fourth annual Young Artist Competition Aden Beery, Tuba Performance camps for teens and preteens Learn life skills for school and career, taught by world class Broadway performers FREE ADMISSION Founded by Broadway performers Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde) and Paul Canaan (Kinky Boots). www.lansingconcertband.org & Spring Open House Sat, Apr. 26 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. for more information and to register: whartoncenter.com/takeitfromthetop Drawing for prizes! The top prize is a drawing for up to $200 o a Spring Yard clean up by our Professional Garden Service sta For A Limited Time! Master Gardeners will be on hand to help Select LED bulbs will be available answer any questions visitors may have. It's a for purchase at participating great way to check out what is new for Spring. retailers for as low as $5 through the BWL Hometown Energy Savers program beginning April 1st. 1124 E. Mt. Hope, Lansing • (517) 484-5327 • www.smithfloral.com Take advantage of this special offer to see how LEDs can save you energy and money while providing bright, long-lasting light. Participating retailers: * Home Depot 936 S. Waverly Rd NO NEED TO CHECK * Lowe’s YOUR BRAIN AT THE DOOR 6821 S. Cedar St * Meijer QUESTIONERS AND DOUBTERS 6200 S. Pennsylvania 5125 W. Saginaw Hwy WELCOME (This offer is limited to 12 bulbs per BWL residential electric customer, while supplies last.) lbwl.com/energysavers Pilgrim Congregational 125 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Sunday - 10 AM United Church of Christ (517) 484-7434 Lansing, MI PilgrimUCC.com 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • April 23, 2014 VOL. 13 Feedback ISSUE 35 Freeze tuition hikes Rogers’ aspirations ‘scary’ Dear President Simon, Thanks for your article of April 2 con- (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com We have written to you multiple times cerning Mike Rogers (“Mike at the mic”). ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-6705 asking for meetings. We have talked to After many attempts, I have never been PAGE CLASSIFIED AD INQUIRIES: (517) 999-5066 Assistant Vice President Dave Byelich. able to get a straight answer from Mr. or email [email protected] We have contacted all of the Board mem- Rogers. The thought that he is looking for 6 bers. And we have had a meeting with further political aspirations scares me. EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 Trustee Mossalam. All of these things I miss your articles in the LSJ. ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER • Mickey Hirten have been fruitless. Hirten: BWL's Lark caught in a dereliction [email protected] • (517) 999-5067 We are writing this letter demanding —Marvin and Florence Lyons of duty over serious workplace violations MANAGING/NEWS EDITOR • Andy Balaskovitz that you use your power within the uni- East Lansing [email protected] • (517) 999-5064 versity to freeze tuition for the 2014-2015 PAGE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Allan I. Ross school year. The state is approving a 6.1 Tax breaks for oil industries ‘outra- [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 percent increase in funding for higher geous’ 14 PRODUCTION MANAGER • Rachel Harper education, the highest increase since Gov. Michigan taxpayers and property own- [email protected] • (517) 999-5066 Snyder has taken office. This is much ers deserve better than the highly contro- CALENDAR EDITOR • Jonathan Griffith higher than last year’s increase in appro- versial law that was just approved by Gov. Celebrated Lansing home is the setting [email protected] • (517) 999-5069 priations of 2.24 percent. Michigan State Snyder’s administration. It gives oil and for Historical Society fundraiser STAFF WRITER • Lawrence Cosentino University increased its tuition by an aver- gas companies the capability to put pipe- [email protected] • (517) 999-5063 age of 2.4 percent last year. Yet the pro- lines on private property and reduces the PAGE MARKETING/PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR • Rich Tupica posed tuition hike for 2014-2015 is 3 per- taxes the industry pays. Under the new [email protected] • (517) 999-6710 20 ADVERTISING • Jeralyn Garvey cent. With the increase in state funding, law, oil companies will receive a 40 per- [email protected] • (517) 999-6704 tuition should be increasing less than last cent reduction in the oil severance tax as ADVERTISING • Shelly Olson year, if at all. well as a 20 percent reduction for natural [email protected] • (517) 999-6705 The estimate for next year’s tuition hike gas, which basically hands money to an New Lansing business connects water sports enthusiasts with the Grand River Contributors: Justin Bilicki, Daniel E. Bollman, was conspicuously left out of the presen- already wealthy industry. Capital News Service, Bill Castanier, Mary C. tation that Mr. Byelich gave to ASMSU, Giving tax breaks to the oil industries that Cusack, Tom Helma, Gabrielle Johnson, Terry COVER Link, Andy McGlashen, Kyle Melinn, Mark Nixon, MSU Students United, as well as other put our water supply at risk while making Shawn Parker, Stefanie Pohl, Dennis Preston, Ute concerned students. It was only through a stark profit is just outrageous. Especially ART Von Der Heyden, Paul Wozniak talking with faculty who spoke with him considering that BP just spilled 1,600 gal- Delivery drivers: Richard Bridenbaker, Dave Fisher, that we were able to learn of this number. lons of oil into Lake Michigan. This corpo- Ron Lupu, Brent Robison, Robert Wiche Interns: Katy Barth, Nicole Halvorsen, Alexandra This apparent lack of transparency is trou- rate tax break is taking money away from SCHERTZING by BEN CORR Harakas, Kyle Koehler, RJ Wolcott blesome at best and malevolent at worst. Michigan schools and funds for road repair, CITY PULSE Editor & Publisher Tuition has been and continues to be which the city of Lansing desperately needs. THIS WEEK Berl Schwartz far too high. MSU Students United and Supporters of this package are ignoring the on the 7 p.m. Wednesdays our 3,000 supporters are calling on you damage that will likely result from drilling Jack Spencer, Michigan Capitol Confidential to make a public statement endorsing a in environmentally sensitive areas. AIR Susan Demas, Inside Michigan Politics tuition freeze by April 28. If this dead- Owners will have less control over their Kyle Melinn, MIRS line is not met, we will continue taking own property, and our water supply will The Whiskey Pickers action towards the tuition freeze that the be subjected to further risk — all while Scott Keith, president and CEO, Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority MSU community has demonstrated that the oil and gas industry reap the benefits. they want. It seems despite the history we have with oil spills like the Enbridge disaster, our — MSU Students United elected leaders like Gov. Snyder want to continue to reward companies that do CITY PULSE irreversible damage to our environment and community health. We need to be holding polluters like BP and Enbridge accountable for hurting our communities, not rewarding them with tax giveaways. So far, Snyder has rewarded big Have something to say businesses and about a local issue corporate pollut- or an item that appeared ers with tax breaks at the expense in our pages? of higher taxes 1.) Write a letter to the editor. placed on middle • E-mail: letters@ 37 lansingcitypulse.com class families and • Snail mail: City Pulse, 2001 retirees. With tax E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, season upon us, MI 48912 • Fax: (517) 371-5800 I think we need 2.) Write a guest column: to take a second Contact Berl Schwartz for look at our elected more information: [email protected] officials and see or (517) 371-5600 ext. 10 where their loyal- (Please include your name, ties lie. address and telephone number so we can reach you. Keep letters to 250 words or fewer. — Jenna Pedrin City Pulse reserves the right to East Lansing edit letters and columns.) City Pulse • April 23, 2014 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 PULSE NEWS & OPINION ket, depending on the length of the construction started, he said.