FREE a nnewspapewspaper for the rest of uuss wwww.lansingcitypulse.com.lansingcitypulse.com January 4-10, 2017 OUT OF CONTROL JANUARY 10-15 | MSU’s Wharton Center | OPENS TUESDAY! AMAZING!— THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WHARTONCENTER.COM 1-800-WHARTON East Lansing engagement welcomed by Auto-Owners Insurance; Delta Dental of Michigan; Farm Bureau Insurance Company; Honigman Miller Swartz & Cohn; and Retailers Insurance Company. Photo by Joan Marcus. 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • January 4, 2017 Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Rd. East Lansing id-Win M ter 15th Annual Fri-Sat, January 13-14 Singing & Friday Community Sing Saturday Night Concert January 13, 7:30pm January 14, 7:30pm Folk Festival a Friday Community Sing Where great songs are sung by the song leader on stage and the people in the audience. Saturday night concert Dan Chouinard new this year! Three Acts - One Evening Community Sing Song Leader Lyric sheets provided 10 Saturday workshops Jay Ungar & Molly Mason (9:30 pm) Children’s Concert by Mark Dvorak The Sweet Water Warblers (8:30 pm) “Pete Seeger:The Power Saturday, 11 am, FREE! (Rachael Davis, May Erlewine, Lindsay Lou) of Song” Film James Keelaghan (7:30 pm) Ten Saturday Afternoon FREE Children’s Workshops For complete schedule and tickets, visit Pete Seeger Film - all For $20 concert Students FREE! singingfestival.com Bringing the best of Folk, Roots & Dance to the Greater Lansing Area since 1975. 2017 CONCERT SEASON 1/20/17 Sally Rogers & Claudia Schmidt - CD Release 3/22/17 Jayme Stone’s 1/27/17 John McCutcheon Lomax Project 2/3/17 James Hill and Anne Janelle (Wednesday) 2/10/17 Ten Strings and a Goat Skin 3/31/17 The Ragbirds The 15th Annual Mid-Winter 2/17/17 May Erlewine 4/7/17 Melissa Ferrick 2/24/17 Run Boy Run Singing and Folk Festival 4/21/17 The Chenille Sisters 3/3/17 The Times They Are a Changin’ 1/13/17 Dan Chouinard - Community Celebrating the Songs of Bob Dylan Concerts begin at 7:30pm. Sing Song Leader 3/10/17 Ireland’s Finest Singer, Karen Casey Tickets for all concerts 1/14/17 Mark Dvorak’s FREE 11am 3/17/17 St. Pat’s Day party at The Allen Market Place available - NOW - online, Children’s Concert With Monday’s Supper and a Pub Sing or at the door at 6:30pm. 1/14/17 Ten Saturday Afternoon For tickets, maps to venues, performer bios, monthly contra dance info, Workshops & Film Fiddle Scouts info and more, call 517-337-7744 or visit: 1/14/17 Jay Ungar & Molly Mason; The Sweet Water Warblers; James Keelaghan - Concert tenpoundfiddle.org City Pulse • January 4, 2017 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 January Venues Absolute Gallery Arts Council of Greater Lansing Grace Boutique of Old Town JANUARY 6TH 5-8 PM Great Lakes Artworks MICA Gallery Sweet Custom Jewelry Old Town And many more! Arts Night Out Arts Night Out returns to Old Town Lansing on January 6, 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 ELOPM EV EN D T N A W U O T H T O N R W I T O Y D C IT G Y IN O NS F EAST LA 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • January 4, 2017 The people, yes the people VOL. 16 ISSUE 21 Welcome to the second annual People Issue, which starts on the next page. “Eyesore of the Week” will return next week, as will the Pulse news section, but (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com starting on this page and continuing inside are two stories and a letter to the ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-6704 editor. or email [email protected] Happy New Year! PAGE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz 20 [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 find out about a land contract after pub- ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER • Mickey Hirten lishing a foreclosure notice. That’s because [email protected] ‘Homeless Hotel’ Michigan law does not require land con- Tanya Ell makes solo debut with Lansing Symphony ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Ty Forquer Singapore businessman’s LLC owes tracts to be filed with the register of deeds. [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 That won’t prevent Peh from potentially PRODUCTION MANAGER • Allison Hammerly $162,000 in taxes, records show PAGE [email protected] • (517) 999-5066 being named in future tax foreclosure pro- STAFF WRITERS • Lawrence Cosentino A limited liability company operated by ceedings on the property, said Schertzing. 21 [email protected] a Singapore businessman is responsible for “We can add some one anywhere in the Todd Heywood $162,258 in delinquent property taxes for process,” he said. “We will add anyone we [email protected] the “Homeless Hotel,” court records show. think has an interest in the property.” WKAR radio's 'Current State' moves to weekend ADVERTISING USA Resorts and Hotels Group B LLC, In a Dec. 21 story on Schertzing’s annual SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR • Rich Tupica [email protected]:30 a.m. Saturdays whose sole member is Alvin Peh, purchased list, City Pulse reported that the attorney PAGEFREE the Magnuson Hotel, 6501 S. Pennsylvania for UN Michigan LLC, Joseph Poprawa, SALES EXECUTIVES • Mandy Jackson, Liza Sayre, Suzi Smith Ave., in September 2012 on a land contract. had said in an interview that the taxes were 30 [email protected] The hotel has been in the news because 91 owed by Homeless Angels, a private non- [email protected] residents were threatened with eviction so profit organization. Poprawa, a member of a nnewspapewspaper for the rreest of uuss wwwww.lansingcitypulse.comw.lansingcitypulse.com [email protected] Colonial Bar & Grille closes after 51 years renovations could be done. the law firm Grewal and Associates, is the Contributors: Andy Balaskovitz, Justin Bilicki, Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertz- agent for UN Michigan. Daniel E. Bollman, Capital News Service, Bill Castanier, Mary C. Cusack, Tom Helma, Gabrielle ing had listed UN Michigan LLC as being In a letter dated Dec. 22, Poprawa dis- the COVER Lawrence Johnson, Eve Kucharski, Terry Link, Andy solely responsible for the taxes in his annual puted City Pulse’s report. As a result of his McGlashen, Kyle Melinn, Mark Nixon, Shawn Parker, report on the 10 biggest delinquents. complaint, City Pulse discovered the land ART Stefanie Pohl, Dennis Preston, Allan I. Ross, Rich people Tupica, Ute Von Der Heyden, Paul Wozniak The contract requires Peh’s LLC to pay contract obligating Peh’s LLC for the prop- “all property taxes and special assessments erty taxes. There is no indication that Home- issue Delivery drivers: Frank Estrada, Dave Fisher, Paul Shore, design by Allison Hammerly Richard Simpson, Thomas Scott Jr. assessed on the Premises and the Personal less Angels is responsible for the taxes. p. 5 Property,” as soon as it became due and “be- fore they become subject to penalties.” — Todd Heywood THIS WEEK Editor & Publisher THIS WEEK with Berl SchwartzBerl Schertzing said it was “not unusual” to onSchwartz on the building we own and occupy. We will • Etienne Charles, begin discussions on what the next phase of ELFCO’s future ELFCO will be, and several ideas are already MSU jazz professor East Lansing Food Co-op being pursued.” Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to close by Feb. 4 The store, at 4960 Northwind Drive in The East Lansing Food Co-op will close East Lansing, has been listed for sale with its retail store by early next month, its board Realtor James Vlahakis since last month. of directors decided Tuesday. The price for the 8,000-plus-square-foot “The ELFCO Board decided last night building is $675,000. that the store in that location will close on The store’s long struggle with competition or before February 4,” board leader Anne in the ever-broadening healthy food segment Woiwode said in an email statement, “but came to a head in the last year, when Whole we are still in business and we urge owners Foods opened its first Lansing-area location and non-owners to come shop with us and just a few blocks from ELFCO’s store. It also support the food co-op.“ competes with nearby Foods for Living. She said members will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Allen Neighborhood Center — Staff “to discuss and then vote on whether to sell Feedback Dems need to look inward ing." Apparently the poor Democrats have functionally been out of power for years. Since the election the Democratic party They've tried. Oh yes, they've tried. Damn has been blaming everything and every- they've tried. But what can we expect them one, except themselves, for the outcome. to do when ... well, when they face political Excuses aside, think about it, any party opposition I guess? So we who question that can't beat Donald Trump no matter them are just blaming the victim. Poor what the Russians or FBI has done needs to Democratic party, sitting in the corner and engage in some self reflection. crying, already feeling bad enough about One excuse that is particularly galling is itself, thank you, without us coming along the idea that we who criticism the Demo- and making it worse. cratic party are ourselves "victim blam- See Feedback, Page 19 City Pulse • January 4, 2017 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 6 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • January 4, 2017 people from different populations.