a newspaper for the rest of us www.lansingcitypulse.com May 3-9, 2017 “Max” by Tell Parris. See page 17 for story. 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • May 3, 2017 May Venues Absolute Gallery Arts Council of Greater Lansing Center of the Healing Arts Elderly Instruments Grace Boutique of Old Town Great Lakes Artworks Katalyst Gallery Metro Retro MICA Gallery October Moon Old Town General Store Ozones Brewhouse Piper & Gold Public Relations Polka Dots Boutique Redhead Design Studio Retail Therapy Sierra Club Michigan MAY 5TH 5-8 PM Sweet Custom Jewelry The Creole The Grid UrbanBeat Event Center Old Town And More! Arts Night Out Arts Night Out returns to Old Town Lansing on May 5, 2017! Experience a variety of unique venues — from the urban core to the outskirts — alive with music, art, demonstrations and a whole lot more. Come explore, meet the artists, wine and dine. Arts Night Out has something for everyone! For more information, visit #MyArtsNightOut www.MyArtsNightOut.com WFMK City Pulse • May 3, 2017 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 Cocktail Bar & Distillery Savor the Melting Pot. Patio days are here, too! 2000 Merritt Road, East Lansing 4 - 11 p.m. ; Thurs., Fri., Sat.; 517-908-9950 4 - 10 p.m. ; Tues., Wed., Sun., closed Mondays; 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • May 3, 2017 VOL. 16 ISSUE 38 (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-6704 Time is now or email [email protected] PAGE Lansing area needs needle exchange EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz 8 [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER • Mickey Hirten [email protected] to limit HIV and other infections Rest in peace: Bob Alexander ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Ty Forquer [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 By TODD HEYWOOD Community Health Centers and the In- Ingham County is one dirty needle away gham County Board of Commissioners. PAGE PRODUCTION MANAGER • Rachel Harper from an HIV or Hepatitis B outbreak. Ingham County Health Officer Linda [email protected] • (517) 999-5066 Don’t believe me? Ask the folks in Aus- Vail earlier this year convened a work- 10 STAFF WRITERS • Lawrence Cosentino tin, Ind. One drug user there became in- ing group to implement a syringe ac- [email protected] fected with HIV. Within a year, 190 cases cess program in the county. I have been Todd Heywood Less is more in magic-inspired Broad exhibit [email protected] of HIV linked to needle sharing had been appointed to chair that working group, SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR • Rich Tupica identified in the rural community. In an which includes representatives from the [email protected]:30 a.m. Saturdays average year, Austin would have seen five Health Department, Lansing Area AIDS PAGE SALES EXECUTIVES • Mandy Jackson, cases of HIV. Network, Lansing City Council and the Luke Slocum, Suzi Smith Indiana law forbade needle exchanges, healthcare industry in mid-Michigan. 12 [email protected] and former Gov. Mike Pence hemmed and During the committee process, we [email protected] hawed about establish- learned that an obstacle to implementing [email protected] Two feminist art shows pop up in REO Town ing one for months as a syringe access program was a quirk in Contributors: Andy Balaskovitz, Justin Bilicki, the outbreak ramped Lansing’s drug paraphernalia ordinance Daniel E. Bollman, Capital News Service, Bill Castanier, Mary C. Cusack, Tom Helma, Gabrielle up. Finally, after 100 compared to the state law. COVER Lawrence, Eve Kucharski, Terry Link, Andy cases had been found, Lansing’s drug paraphernalia ordi- McGlashen, Kyle Melinn, Mark Nixon, Shawn Parker, he declared a health nance does not include authorization for Stefanie Pohl, Dennis Preston, Allan I. Ross, Rich ART Tupica, Ute Von Der Heyden, Paul Wozniak, David emergency and autho- distribution of sterile syringes to prevent Winkelstern, Megan Westers rized a temporary nee- infectious disease, but the state law does. Delivery drivers: Frank Estrada, Dave Fisher, Paul Shore, dle exchange. But the On Monday, Councilwoman Jody “Max” by TELL PARRIS Richard Simpson, Thomas Scott Jr. damage was done. Washington will introduce an ordinance Interns: Diamond Henry, Jamal Tyler Heywood Ingham County has amendment to bring the city law in line THIS WEEK Editor & Publisher THIS WEEK with Berl SchwartzBerl the highest HIV prevalence with state law. It’s an important step in Schwartz rate in the state outside of Detroit. And our clearing the path for a syringe access pro- on Hepatitis B rates are nearly three times the gram in the city. on state rate. Both, as well as Hepatitis C, are Washington and other Council mem- • Etienne Charles, easily transmitted by sharing needles. With bers have asked that I present the findings MSU jazz professor our increasing opioid crisis, particularly her- of the ad hoc committee to the City Coun- oin-related overdoses, it is only a matter of cil in the coming weeks. As vice chair- Saturday at 10:30 a.m. time before those infectious diseases break- man of the health center board, chairman out in the needle using community. of the working group and a person well But we have a way to prevent that versed in the ongoing HIV crisis, I fully from happening. The Ingfham County support the implementation of a syringe Community Health Center board of di- access program in the county — and so rectors, on which I serve as vice chair- does City Pulse. man, recognized the opioid crisis as an This is a common-sense, proven harm- urgent issue. We also recognized the po- reduction intervention that reduces the tential impact of infectious disease on disease burden not only on the needle us- the needle-using community. ing community, but in our community as We authorized an ad hoc committee a whole. on needle exchange programs to deter- Detroit, Flint, Ypsilanti and Grand mine if the county needed one, and, if Rapids all have syringe access programs. so, what the obstacles to implementing Lansing should be the next — and frankly, one might be. ought to have been the first. The committee met over the course of 10 months. In August last year, it ap- Have something to say about a local issue proved a report that found that needle or an item that appeared in our pages? exchanges work to prevent infectious dis- ease among needle users and that Lansing Now you have two ways to sound off: and the county needed to establish one. 1.) Write a letter to the editor. The committee’s final report also • E-mail: [email protected] determined that there is no evidence • Snail mail: City Pulse, 1905 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI 48912 • Fax: (517) 371-5800 that syringe-access programs increase • Online at lansingcitypulse.com needle use. Just the opposite: Sub- 2.) Write a guest column: stantial evidence exists that such pro- Contact Berl Schwartz for more information: [email protected] grams are a first step toward accessing or (517) 999-5061 recovery for addiction. (Please include your name, address and telephone number so we can reach you. Keep letters to 250 words or fewer. City Pulse reserves the The committee’s recommendations right to edit letters and columns.) have been adopted by both the Ingham City Pulse • May 3, 2017 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 PULSE NEWS & OPINION Mayday for FOR immigrants DESIGN Sanctuary city debate charges up ‘Day Without Immigrants’ rally at Capitol Lansing’s see-sawing sanctuary city status was a hot topic at a rally Mon- day afternoon on the state Capitol lawn protesting Trump administration poli- cies that stir fear among immigrants and refugees. The Lansing rally was one of seven across the state, and about 200 across East Lansing the country, urging Americans to imag- ine a day without the contributions of Sherry Martin of East Lansing was the first immigrants and refugees. person to correctly identify the detail shown in Monday’s speakers wove an urgent last months “Eye for Design.” Martin believes new thread — freedom from fear — that she has identified the exact peace sign into familiar Mayday exhortations for Courtesy Photo shown in the March 8 edition among the fair labor practices and conditions, es- Protesters gathered at the Capitol on Monday to attend A Day without Immigrants hundreds found on the fence (below), which has pecially for migrant workers. and Their Friends, one of seven across the state and more than 200 nationally. brightened Burcham Drive since late November Vincent Delgado, co-founder of 2016. Her prize coffee mug awaits collection at Lansing’s Refugee Development Cen- the City Pulse office. ter and briefly a member of the Lan- “It doesn’t matter that my colleagues Dunbar told the crowd that even The mosaic tile detail above can be found in sing City Council, sarcastically called lost their backbone,” Dunbar said. “It though the legal wrangle over sanctu- on MSU’s Campus in East Lansing. The first the Council’s decision to reverse a doesn’t matter if somebody removed ary cities is not over, she thinks Lan- person to correctly identify its location will sanctuary city resolution a “clarifying their spine before coming to Council sing’s policy will be vindicated in the receive a City Pulse Eye for Design mug. Send story.” After voting 6-0 April 3 to name that night. We are a sanctuary city.” courts. She cited a partial, temporary your answer to debollman@ comcast.net by Lansing a sanctuary city, the Council But after speaking Monday, Delga- block on Trump’s executive order pun- Wednesday, May 10. rescinded the resolution April 12. do said that avoiding the word “sanc- ishing sanctuary cities issued by a Cali- “We know the majority of the Coun- tuary” unnecessarily shows fear.