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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Civil Rights Initiative to be protested

Mara Deutch
May 24, 2005

Ten buses carrying Detroit high school students will head to the Capitol on Wednesday to rally against a proposal to end preference-based treatment in university admissions and hiring that might end up on next year's ballot. The proposal, called the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, or MCRI, would amend the state Constitution to prevent public universities and state government from "discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin." A national group - the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigration Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN - which helped organize the rally, filed a legal brief with the Michigan Board of Canvassers last month against MCRI, saying MCRI petition circulators deceived those petitioned to sign their proposal. "This is a distinct case, a campaign to deceive the public, and for that reason it should not go forward," said Donna Stern, national coordinator of BAMN. Wednesday's rally at the Capitol will be followed by a public hearing to collect more information from those who say they were lied to by petitioners. Stern said BAMN wants the Michigan Board of Canvassers to force MCRI to redo their petition. BAMN took a statistical sample of 500 people who signed the MCRI petition were able to reach 300 of them, Stern said.

MICHIGAN

Mich. Week celebrates state history

Daniel Thai
May 24, 2005

To help people appreciate the history and heritage of the state, Michigan Week was established in 1954 by Don Weeks and is still celebrated today. It is now run by Michigan's Department of History, Arts and Libraries, or HAL. "It started with the concept of taking a week to look at Michigan," said Jim Schultz, who works with the Michigan Humanities Council to coordinate the different events of Michigan Week.

MICHIGAN

Art festival boosts E.L. business

Darrell Hughes
May 23, 2005

East Lansing businesses in the downtown district say every year they see profits increase during the weekend of the East Lansing Art Festival - and this year was no exception. The festival took place between M.A.C.

MICHIGAN

E.L. funds budget analysis

Darrell Hughes
May 23, 2005

East Lansing officials decided last week to allocate $50,000 from the city's reserve account to pay for a financial analyst to examine the city's financial structure. The city will pay for several studies to be administered by an analyst in order to determine if changes should be made to the way city officials determine the structure of the budget, council members said. "The council felt it would be a good idea to look more in depth into the economical structure and the budget of the city," said East Lansing Finance Director Mary Haskell, who came into the position Friday after Gary Murphy's retirement. But Councilmember Victor Loomis said what the study will be about has not been completely determined and that the idea to hire a financial analyst came from a budget planning session in December, not from recent budget cuts. Loomis said the purpose of hiring the analyst is because the council needs to see if there are any structural issues involved with determining the budget. City Manager Ted Staton said the study should be ready to be conducted by August or September. "I think we'll spend the summer figuring out what questions we want the research to answer," Staton said. Haskell said the study could be used to find alternative resources of revenue, because the city is experiencing cuts in state funding. East Lansing receives funding from the state in the form of shared revenue which has been reduced and has caused several budget cuts throughout the city. The $50,000 was decided by council members to be allocated from the city's reserve account.

MICHIGAN

Children receive free bike helmets in local campaign

By Jennifer Dodyk Special for The State News Lansing - Seven-year-old Rahjae Flowers-Taylor was excited to try on his first bicycle helmet on Saturday. "If I fall, I won't hurt my head," he said. His mother, Nicole Flowers, 33, brought Rahjae and his two siblings to the Helmet Safety Campaign at Pleasant View Elementary School in Lansing, where the children were outfitted in free helmets. "I've been wanting to get them (a helmet), but I couldn't get them one because I didn't have the money," Flowers, of Lansing, said.

MICHIGAN

Police embark on 2-week seat-belt vigilance campaign

Jason Worthy
May 23, 2005

This summer, there will be more police officers in more locations looking to enforce Michigan's seat belt law. Today, the East Lansing Police Department is kicking off a statewide effort to maintain Michigan's safety belt use in 53 counties, including Ingham County. Enforcement zones on and off campus will be clearly marked with signs along with several officers in those zones making sure motorists are wearing their seat belts. Through June 5, area police will be out to enforce the Click It or Ticket campaign.

MICHIGAN

Tomorrow's Political Leaders gather to construct house for Habitat for Humanity

By Kristen Creager Special for The State News Lansing - On Saturday, a group of 30 aspiring politicians dug, hammered and hauled - getting dirty on their way up the political ladder. Members of the group Tomorrow's Political Leaders were building a Habitat for Humanity home as part of a volunteer project. Tomorrow's Political Leaders includes students and recent graduates of Michigan colleges who want to get involved in politics. The group participates in a two-week program at MSU that helps young people learn about becoming part of the political world. "I always wanted to run for office, but I didn't know how," said Catherine Fontana, a sophomore at Albion College and member of the group.

MICHIGAN

Local nature center to hold wilderness class

Daniel Thai
May 19, 2005

A wilderness survival class will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Harris Nature Center, 3998 Van Atta Road in Okemos. The class will teach participants how to stay cool when it's hot, start a fire without matches, build a shelter out of natural materials and get water from the ground. The program is open to all ages and is $60 per person. For more information, call (517) 349-3866.

MICHIGAN

Summer quiet, slow for local residents, university students

East Lansing may be a bustling college town, but with most students gone for the summer, some have mixed feelings. For many, the proximity of the university affects them as residents. "When the students leave, it's a change of pace for everyone," said Sally Silver, East Lansing resident and Bailey Community Association Chair.

MICHIGAN

Council approves budget, lead developer

Darrell Hughes
May 19, 2005

Tuesday was a busy night for the East Lansing City Council. City officials eliminated four positions in the police department, cut funding for buying library books and removed a managerial position from the finance department. They also named the lead developer in the East Village overhaul project and passed the 2005-06 fiscal year budget. The council approved the East Village Spartans LLC as the lead developer for the redevelopment.

MICHIGAN

HPV vaccine sparks controversy, could be on market in 2 years

Jason Worthy
May 19, 2005

As newly developed vaccines for human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and genital warts, are being developed, controversy also is emerging between moral ethics and science. Merck & Co. Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline are two drug companies that are working to market the vaccines within the next two years.