ELi Is Back (and So Are the Students)

Welcome to Labor Day weekend in East Lansing, and welcome to your first edition of our new weekly East Lansing Info mailer. Let’s get you caught up.

First, a quick thanks to all of you who sent joyful notes about ELi’s restart. Samples: “We are delighted that it is back in publication!” “I'm happy to see you all up and running again.” And, about our first report, an update on the MSUFCU project downtown: “Just Wow. Great piece of reporting. I feel like I actually know what has been going on with the project and the people directly and somewhat directly involved.”

Thank you. Those of us doing reporting are thrilled to be working with our new Managing Editor Julie Seraphinoff who is doing a great job holding us to ELi’s high standards.

Julie is working on organizing our voter information for Nov. 8. So I want to remind you, if you’re active in ELPS, to take our survey about what we should be asking the school board candidates.

The students are back and town is pretty lively again, even with the dismantling of the Albert EL Fresco outdoor recreation space. The trucks were out picking up the picnic tables on Wednesday.

Just in time for the fall semester start, several new restaurants have opened downtown including Capo’s Cheesesteak Hoagies and Grill and the Detroit Wing Company. Learn more in this announcement from the Downtown Management Board.

City Council meets Tuesday and the ELi reporting team is planning to be there at full strength. The agenda looks pretty meaty, including a discussion of healthcare benefits for City employees and a “discussion of the concept of utilizing public spaces downtown to support local businesses and provide opportunities for emerging businesses to access downtown foot traffic while also activating public spaces.”

The idea appears to involve “pop up” product displays and street closures for expanded outdoor shopping and dining initiated at the request of merchants instead of only having street closures when the City initiates them.

Next week will also see meetings of the Downtown Management Board, the Independent Police Oversight Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Historic District Commission. We’ll be monitoring those for you.

The Police Oversight Commission is expected to continue discussion of the police shooting at the Meijer parking lot in April. The City issued a press release last week on that matter.

The Ingham County Health Department is asking us to remind parents and guardians to have children vaccinated against dangerous diseases. Adults are also asked to get up to date.

“We are seeing the lowest vaccination rates – especially among children – that the state has seen in years,” said Linda Vail, Ingham County Health Officer. Find out more at the Take Your Shot website.

Know a great local artist, or are you one yourself? The Downtown Development Authority is looking to display more original local artwork downtown. Learn more here.

And don’t forget the East Lansing Farmers’ Market is still going on Sundays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Valley Court Park. You can get sweet corn picked just a few hours before you buy it. Pro tip: now is the time to start collecting a variety of garlic heads from the market vendors if you want to plant your own this fall.

We just got word that the Broad Art Museum will be hosting “the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of works by Zaha Hadid Design” starting Sept. 10. Hadid designed the iconic East Lansing building for the Broad. Learn more here.

Rabbi Amy Bigman of Congregation Shaarey Zedek also asked us to let readers know that the annual Introduction to Judaism course is happening on Wednesday evenings starting Sept. 14. “This course is open to all who are interested in learning about the basics of Judaism,” according to the press release. Registration deadline is Sept. 6. Learn more here.

The folks at the Greater Lansing Peace Education Center also asked us to remind readers about their September events.

This informative East Lansing Insider newsletter from ELi is free to everyone. Please, encourage your friends to subscribe today.

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Thank you for your support of this nonprofit, public service news team.

Stay informed,

Alice Dreger / ELi’s Publisher

P.S. Want something considered for inclusion in this mailer? Contact us.