Keep Lansing Safe Millage and Red Cedar Golf Course Info - click here

KEEP LANSING SAFE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Calls to absentee voters are essential, and distributing literature door-to-door. Volunteer at 419 S. Washington M-Th from 4-8 and Sat & Sun from 10-4. Contact info & schedule: http://www.lpdretirees-friends.org/KLS-schedule.pdf

This ballot question, if approved, would allow us to exceed the current "Headlee cap" limit on property tax mills for the next 5 years and dedicate 1.5 mills each to police & fire and 1 mill to roads. The reason we need it is because property values, and therefore property tax revenue to the city, have plummeted, along with state-shared revenue and our annual payment from BWL (b/c their sales have dropped, mainly due to GM using less electricity, steam & water). The biggest drop is in property tax revenue. Property taxes are going down. While property owners are paying less property tax, the impact on city services is devastating.

The city's workforce is about 20% smaller than 5 years ago, and workers have steadily taken cuts in pay, hours, and benefits. Workers' compensation and hours are down 10% or more over the past 2 years. This spring we laid off 36 police officers and 11 firefighters and close 2 stations. Without the millage we will have to make similar cuts for FY12-13.

VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011!

On the ballot this fall:

• 2 at-large council seats
  
• 1st ward council seat
  
• 3rd ward council seat
  
• Keep Lansing Safe Millage
  
• Sale of portion of Red Cedar Golf Course to fund environmental and recreational improvements on the remainder of the land
  
• Lansing School Board - 3 seats
• Where you vote and other election info:
  

• http://cityoflansingmi.com/clerk/index.jsp
• https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/
• City Clerk: 483-4131
  

Scroll Down for more info on Homeless Shelters and other social services with whom you can donate and volunteer.

Fall 2011 Events:

MID-MICHIGAN FOOD SYSTEM MONTHLY MEETINGS - SEPT 21 & Oct 19

5:00 (eating), 5:30 -7 (meeting), MSU Extension Conference Room at 5303 South Cedar. More info, bellr@msu.edu

MID-MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COUNCIL FALL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - SEPT 20-Oct 16 Events & Ongoing Projects: Like to volunteer? Care about the environment? Check out Mid-MEAC's Fall Volunteer Opportunities! http://p0.vresp.com/EGa2dA

DELTA TOWNSHIP NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND MASTER PLAN PUBLIC INPUT - SEPT 27 & OCT 6    The public input meeting for the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan will be held in Room A at the Township Administration Building, 7710 West Saginaw Highway, Lansing, Michigan at 7:00 PM on September 27, 2011. The public input session for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be held in Room A at the Township Administration Building, at 7:00 PM on October 6. (Notice is hereby given that the Township will be holding public input sessions for the update to the 2005 Non-Motorized Transportation Plan and the 2006 Parks and Recreation Master Plan.) For those who are unable to attend, there will be additional opportunities for public comment at a later date and an electronic opinion survey will be made available immediately following the meeting at www.deltami.gov. Comment or questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department at 517-323-8555 or parks@deltami.com.

UPCOMING MID-MICHIGAN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COALITION MEETINGS - SEPT 27 & OCT 11

9/27: Monthly meeting, Michigan Energy Options, 405 Grove St., EL: 6-7:30 pm 10/11: Monthly meeting (time and location to be determined) More info at: bikelansing.org/mmatc

HEALTH EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WORKSHOPS Oct. 6, 7, 20, 21 and Nov. 14, 15/ Dec. 5, 6.    This project is part of a national effort to improve community health through the concepts of social justice and health equity.  In the course of the four-day workshop (an initial two-day session followed by a second two-day session a few weeks later), you will engage in learning and dialogue with members of the public health work force and others who have an interest in improving community health through social justice.  The sessions will deal with such topics as: cultural identity and multicultural self-awareness; perspectives on oppression and privilege; the historical role that public health has played in promoting social change, and how all of these things affect our efforts to improve the health of our community. Each workshop will include up to 10 participants who are not part of the public health work force.  Anyone with an interest in learning about health equity and social justice is invited to apply.  Enrollment is free, and contingent upon acceptance and a commitment by the applicant to attend all of the days of the workshop for which they are accepted.  The sessions will include data and other information related to health equity and social justice; however, these will largely be used as triggers for dialogue.  All participants will be encouraged to share their experience and feelings as authentically as they can, in a non-judgmental, facilitated, cooperative learning environment. More info: dbloss@ingham.org and 517-887-4305.

POWER OF WE CONSORTIUM AD-HOC TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE - NOV 7   1pm - MSU Extension Conference Room, 5303 South Cedar. powerofwe.org/who-we-are/ad-hoc-committees/ More info: Peggy Roberts. proberts@ingham.org 517-887-4691.

LANSING'S NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION PLAN UNVEILING - NOV 10   The Lansing Complete Streets Ordinance was adopted by the Lansing City Council on August 19, 2009 after volunteers collected more than 5,000 signatures from Lansing registered voters to place the measure on the ballot. (More than 5% of registered voters.)  The main requirements of the ordinance are that the City of Lansing have a non-motorized transportation plan and that the City of Lansing consider the needs of all roadway users, of all ages, abilities, and modes, when building or rebuilding a roadway (including sidewalks, bike lanes, curb cuts, transit needs). At this special event, City of Lansing officials will present the city-wide plan and provide updates on projects noted in the plan that they are already implementing. SAVE THE DATE - time and location to be announced!

GOT HEALTH? + GREENATION EVENTS: SAVE THE DATES! Oct 20 & 21 - www.oneloveglobal.org./Got_Health__Concert_Expo.html

The Peace & Prosperity Youth Action Movement’s (http://www.oneloveglobal.org/Peace___Prosperity.html)

Got Health? Concert & Expo is a mash-up with the Greenation Summit (http://www.ourgreenation.org/)

For two days of powerful conversation and action planning for both youth and adults. Thursday’s Greenation session at Black Child & Family Institute for adults is from 8am-5pm and includes a special youth forum and luncheon from 12-2pm. On Friday, the adult fun continues, including a combined session for the Power of We Consortium meeting on Building Resilient Communities. Friday’s Got Health? Concert & Expo at Foster Community Center from 8am-2pm is a hands-on, body-moving, brain-working, speak-out event created by teens in the Lansing area just for teens! The Peace & Prosperity Youth Action Movement will present a series of issues using video, music, dance, spoken word and rap to get teens involved in changing their community! The event features performances by Mizz Reality, P2daHI/PHILTHY, and presentation by MSU Basketball’s Coach Garland! Students will be able to register starting 9.26 in the office at their school or on-line at www.oneloveglobal.org. This is a FREE event featuring great food, great conversation and the greatest of all, Collective Action! Space is limited so register by 10/3 for a chance to win a movie gift card!

Volunteer & Donate! Homeless Shelters & Food and Utility Providers 

Many more people will be homeless in our community this winter due to changes in Section 8 and cash assistance programs. Please donate, volunteer, and spread the word to your friends. I had a chance to meet some of our homeless residents today at City of Lansing's Community Connect event. Many are seniors. Some are people with disabilities. Some are parents with young children. Homelessness has many faces. The bottom line is that we are all people, and one community. I'll be donating to each of these organizations and will continue to look for volunteer opportunities. Can you do the same, and ask your friends to as well?   

Volunteers of America - http://www.voami.org/ -

Lansing Shelter System and Office

430 N. Larch Street

Lansing, MI 48912

Tel: 517.484.4414

Fax: 517.484.5353

rjones@voami.org

City Rescue Mission - http://www.lcrm.org/

City Rescue Mission of Lansing

2216 S. Cedar St.

Lansing, MI 48910

Phone: 517.485.0145

info@lcrm.org

Haven House - http://www.havenhouseel.org/

21 Whitehills Drive

P.O. Box 961

East Lansing, MI 48826-0961

517-337-2731

info [ at ] HavenHouseEL.org

Loaves and Fishes – http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org63199.jsp

831 N. Sycamore, Lansing, MI 48906 Raymond Thibeault 517-482-2099 http://www.orgsites.com/mi/loavesandfishes    

Greater Lansing Food Bank - http://www.greaterlansingfoodbank.org/

PH: 517-853-7800

P.O. Box 16224, Lansing MI 48901      

Mid-Michigan Food Bank - http://www.midmichiganfoodbank.org/

2116 Mint Road

Lansing, MI 48906 517-702-3355  

Pennies for Power - http://www.lbwl.com/pennies.asp

Participating is easy. Select the appropriate box on your monthly bill's return stub or call BWL Customer Service Department at 702-6006.

City of Lansing Mobile Food Pantry - www.lansingmi.gov/hrcs/mobile_food_pantry.jsp

(next one is October 15, 2011)



In Other News:

• New Procedures for Snow Removal from Sidewalks - In 2010, City Council adopted a new ordinance to improve removal of snow from sidewalks in Lansing, thanks to the persistence of Councilmembers Yorko and Dunbar. If you would like to report a snow -on-sidewalk concern, please call City of Lansing Public Service Engineering at 517-483-4455 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If you are financially AND physical unable to remove the snow from your property, please contact City of Lansing Human Relations and Community Services at 517-483-4477. Click here for more information about the city's snow removal procedures.

• MSHDA Offering Low Interest Home Improvement Loans: http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607,7-141-49317---,00.html
• Lansing BWL Offering Energy Upgrade Rebates -
  
• $150 incentive for upgrading a furnace to a new energy-efficient model with an Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM). The average ECM furnace fan motor uses 80 watts.A standard furnace motor consumes 400 – 600 watts! An ECM motor can save from $50 to $300 per year.
  
• Upgrading your central air conditioning could save up to 15 percent on your electric bills. The BWL offers incentives ranging from $75 to $150 for upgrading a central air-conditioning unit to one that has a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating of 14 to 16. 
• $15 incentive for purchasing an ENERGY STAR® qualified Room Air Conditioner, which can save at least 10 percent on your energy bill, compared to a conventional unit.
• $15 incentive for purchasing an ENERGY STAR® qualified dehumidifier, which uses 15 percent less energy than a standard unit to remove the same amount of moisture from your room.
• $10 incentive for purchasing a “smart strip”-style energy saving
  Intelligent Surge Suppressor. A “smart strip” can save up to $20
  per year on household appliances such as computers, TVs and
  home office equipment.
  
• How to receive your rebate The rebate application is available on BWL’s website at www.lbwl.com/htes.asp or by calling: 1-877-674-5295.
  Funds for incentives are limited and available on a first-come,
  first-served basis. Incentive amounts are valid through December 15
  2011, or until funds have expired. More info about other energy saving tips from BWL at http://www.lbwl.com/connectRES/11Feb_Connections.pdf
  

For 4th Ward News, follow Jessica Yorko:

Facebook at www.facebook.com/jessicayorko

Twitter at www.twitter.com/jessicayorko

Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/jessicayorko

City-wide News & Events:

www.lansingmi.gov

You can also follow:

Old Town: www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Town-Lansing/15014288418?ref=ts

Downtown: www.facebook.com/downtownlansing?ref=ts

Westside: www.facebook.com/pages/Lansings-Westside/110434036042?ref=ts

Old Oakland Neighborhood: www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Oakland-Neighborhood-Page/150213054990823?ref=ts

Other Lansing News Media:

www.lansingcitypulse.com

www.capitalgainsmedia.com