Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here are upcoming events and activities for the weekend and beyond:
1) Jazz Concert at Pattengill on Friday (tomorrow)!!
2) New Work Day at Fenner this Saturday
3) Three Energy Efficiency Events (including Energy Resource Fair at the Allen Street Farmers Market) on June 16
4) New The Immigrant Experience: Seeking a Just, Humane Response on June 14
5) New Gardens Galore 2010 on June 26- 27
6) New ‘Bank on Michigan’ Workshop for unbanked on June 29
7) Fenner’s Awesome Summer Camps
8) Youth Service Corps – Summer Option for Teens
9) Eastside Living – An Aging in Community Initiative
10) Everybody Reads Offerings
11) Michigan Summit on June 12
12) New Mobile Pantry on June 19
1) Jazz Concert at Pattengill (Free, Friday afternoon treat!)
Lansing School District band students (and their parents, supporters, community members) are invited to a special jazz performance in the Pattengill Middle School auditorium on June 11, from 1-2 PM. The Peter Nelson Band will be performing, with special guest Mike Sailors, local jazz headliner. Following the performance, members of the Peter Nelson Band will offer one-hour masters classes by instrument to band students. Students are asked to bring their mouthpieces and their own instruments if they have them.
This event kicks off JAM: An Eastside Summer Jazz Series, generously funded by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and by the Lansing City Pulse. The series will include three separate performances at Gone Wired Café on E. Michigan Avenue (June 25, July 16, August 20) and two performances at the Allen Street Farmers Market. At each performance at Gone Wired, local jazz bands will present free two-hour concerts, followed by a one hour jam session in which young audience members are invited to participate.
The purpose of the series is to support young jazz musicians (both the performers and students), and to strengthen the jazz music scene on Lansing’s Eastside. We thank the New Leaders Council of Michigan, a youth advisory group to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and City Pulse for funding; Pattengill’s Kirk Sulzman (Principal) and Tawnya Hicks (Band Director) for their support and use of Pattengill’s excellent facilities for the kick off event. Call Meg Sparling at 517-999-3921 at Allen Neighborhood Center for further information
2) Work Day at Fenner this Saturday
Message from Clara Bratton, Naturalist
The plan for Saturday is to make one last effort to eliminate the seeds of this year’s garlic mustard. I was out picking yesterday and the seeds are still green. Hopefully they will stay that way until Saturday. I think they will. After this, the seed pod is drying and picking will only spread the seeds further as they are picked and put into bags. These will be there for us next year.
Garlic mustard out-competes native plants by profusely seeding, stops nitrogen fixation in surrounding plants, and is not eaten by native insects/animals. It has the capacity to totally carpet both sunny and shady places in our natural areas. Please wear gardening gloves and long-sleeved shirts and pants. Unfortunately, there is an abundance of both poison ivy and mosquitoes at Fenner. You may want to bring a bottle of drinking water. We will provide bags, instruction, and cheerful company as we work to save the natural habitat at Fenner. There may even be some homemade treats. And we do have bottled water for those who may have forgotten to bring some.
(If you pull on your own, note that garlic mustard should be tightly bagged and disposed of in your trash, not yard waste, to prevent its spread. This is provided for by MI law. Always brush your shoes after picking or walking through garlic mustard to avoid spreading the tiny seeds – or use a ‘dedicated’ pair of old shoes for only wearing in garlic mustard.
Meet at the back door of the Visitor Center by 9 am to sign in and get all necessary supplies. We do have some gloves for those who need them. If you are interested, please let me know at brattoncl@gmail.com.
3) Three Free Energy Efficiency Events on June 16
Three events on June 16 offered by Senator Carl Levin’s Lansing office in partnership with Allen Neighborhood Center
The Lansing office of U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and the Allen Neighborhood Center will sponsor three events on Wednesday, June 16 to educate residents and service providers about several federal, state and local programs that promote energy efficiency. All events are free and open to the public.
The first workshop kicks off at noon on June 16 at the Foster Community Center and is geared toward workers in the building and trades industry who are interested in learning more about energy efficiency training programs and incentives to share with their clients. A resource fair at the Allen Street Farmer’s Market will run from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. with representatives from several organizations available to answer residents’ questions about energy efficiency programs. At 6:00 p.m. that evening, a workshop for homeowners interested in making energy efficiency upgrades to their home will be held at the Allen Neighborhood Center.
Representatives from Lansing Community College, the Lansing Board of Water and Light, U.S. Department of Energy, Michigan Community Action Agency Association, Consumers Energy, Building Science Academy, and Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, will speak at the workshops about energy efficiency tax credits, rebates and programs and will be available to answer questions at the resource fair. The public is encouraged to attend these events. Details follow.
Workshop for Service Providers, Home Builders, Laborers and Contractors
Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.,
Foster Community Center, Room 213, 200 North Foster Avenue, Lansing
Presenters: Building Science Academy, Lansing Community College, Lansing Board of Water and Light, U.S. Department of Energy, Laborers’ International Union of North America
RSVP is encouraged as space is limited. Please contact Levin’s Lansing office at (517)377-1508.
Resource Fair for All
Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.,
Allen Street Farmer’s Market, 1619 East Kalamazoo Street, Lansing
Booths: Building Science Academy, Lansing Board of Water and Light, Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, Michigan Community Action Agency Association, Consumers Energy, Michigan Energy Options/ANC Weatherization Enrollment Program
RSVP is not necessary.
NOTE: In the event of rain, this event will be held in room 213 of the Foster Community Center.
Workshop for Homeowners
Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Allen Neighborhood Center, 1619 East Kalamazoo Street, Lansing
Presenters: Lansing Board of Water and Light, Consumers Energy, Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, U.S. Department of Energy, Michigan Community Action Agency Association
RSVP is encouraged as space is limited. Please contact Levin’s Lansing office at (517)377-1508.
NOTE: In the event of rain, this event will be held in room 213 of the Foster Community Center.
4) “The Immigrant Experience: Seeking a Just and Humane Response”
The Justice and Peace Task Force of Edgewood United Church in East Lansing is hosting notable author/speaker, Iris Gomez, Director of the Immigrants’ Protection Project of the MA Law Reform Institute. Iris will be speaking about “The Immigrant Experience: Seeking a Just and Humane Response”.
Iris’ well-grounded debut novel, Try to Remember, is featured in this month’s Oprah Magazine. It is a powerful vehicle for her discussion about social exclusion and also the particular struggles of immigrant youth. Iris, an MSU graduate, is a nationally known immigrants’ rights attorney and advocate, received the Women of Justice Award from the Women’s Bar Association and the Las Primaras Award for Latina trailblazers from the MA Association of Hispanic Attorneys.
Monday, June 14th at 7:00 p.m., Edgewood United Church, 469 N. Hagadorn, East Lansing
Followed the next day by…
Book-signing and discussion:
Everybody Reads Bookstore
2019 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
Tuesday, June 15th at 5:30-7:30pm
5) Gardens Galore Tour 2010
From the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition
We are only a few weeks away from our Gardens Galore Tour 2010. Art in the Gardens will be the feature of this year’s Tour. The Gardens Galore Tour is a self-guided tour in greater Lansing, featuring exceptional gardens of every size, shape, and character. This event invites everyone from the novice gardener to the seasoned professional, and is sure to inspire your green thumb.
Last Minute Information
The 13th annual Greater Lansing Housing Coalition Gardens Galore Tour on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27, 2010 from 10 am – 4 pm (rain or shine), will feature Art in the Gardens. Seven renowned artists will display their creativity in the gardens on the Tour.
The Mini Plant Sale on the tour will be selling Rose of Sharon trees and Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ (an ornamental grass). The plants will be available while supplies last at Burcham Hills Retirement Community gardens. All proceeds from the Mini Plant Sale will support the work of Greater Lansing Housing Coalition. Advance information about the Gardens Galore Tour is available by calling (517) 372-5980, by email at info@glhc.org, or online at www.glhc.org. Tickets are available for $20 at Christians’ Greenhouse, Everlastings in the Wildwood, Hickory Corners Greenhouse, Mole Hole, Smith Floral and Greenhouse, and Wild Birds Unlimited. To purchase by credit card, please call GLHC office at (517) 372-5980. Credit cards are not accepted at vendor locations. Tickets are good for both days and for repeat entrance at all of the gardens. Please note that the ticket price has changed.
We look forward to seeing you at this years Gardens Galore Tour with Art in the Gardens! As always, thank you for your generous support of the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition.
6) No Checking or Savings Account? Come to a ‘Bank on Michigan’ Workshop at ANC
‘Bank On Michigan’ is a banking program designed to assist people who are unbanked or under-banked or using check-cashers or payday lenders. Neighborhood financial institutions are working with Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing to provide low or no cost banking services. On June 29, 2010 from 5:30 – 6:30 PM at the Allen Neighborhood Center there will be a short presentation on banking practices and representatives from neighborhood financial institutions with products that can help the unbanked at little or no cost. Food and soft drinks provided. Call Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing at 517-676-7235 if you have questions.
7) Fenner Invites Kids to Enjoy the Best Summer Ever
Fenner Nature Center, located in the heart of the greater Lansing area, would like to invite children of all ages to explore nature this summer through a series of one-day through four-day programs and day camps. There is something for everyone, as programs are available for toddlers through seventh graders, and are scheduled from mid-June through the beginning of August. Fees vary by program and scholarships are available for qualified Lansing residents.
Campers will help plant a camp garden that they can return to over the course of the summer during the “Roots and Shoots” camp. While doing this, they will learn about plants and how important they are to the world. During the “Flying Frenzy” and “Animal Adventures” camps, participants will get up close and personal with some of Fenner’s abundant wildlife – and learn about how they are able to survive in the wilds of an urban park. For the artists who love nature, “Nature’s Art” promises to inspire the painter, sculptor, or writer in every participant.
If that wasn’t enough, campers can also choose to get wet and go green through camps designed to scientifically explore the wonderful world of water and how we can all leave less of a mark on the Earth through camps like “Water, Water, Everywhere” and “Go Green.” For the most adventurous, “Survivor Camp” will teach survival skills such as fire building and identification of poisonous plants. The final week of day camp, “The Best Week Ever,” will bring back the most popular activities from all of the other camps to send the summer out with a blast!
Each camp will provide a wide array of fun and exciting activities including games, exploration hikes, interactions with live animals, and arts and crafts to provide meaningful opportunities for children to learn about the nature in their own backyards. These camps are designed to be fun for everyone, including participants who have had very little exposure to the outdoors. If your child has never experienced a summer day camp in nature, Fenner Nature Center is the place to spend the best summer ever!
To register for one or more of these adventures, or for more information, call 517-483-4224 or visit the Friends of Fenner Nature Center website (www.fofnc.org) to download a brochure.
8 ) Youth Service Corps Plans a Fun and Productive Summer
Members of ANC’s Youth Service Corps are planning an exciting summer! Three teams will meet every Tuesday and Thursday between 11 am and 1 pm at the GardenHouse to:
· Raise produce inside and outside the Hunter Park GardenHouse to either take home to their families or sell at the Allen Street Farmers Market;
· Look in on the 2’X2’ Garden in a Box kits that they have distributed to neighbors throughout the Eastside;
· Build and distribute custom-sized raised gardening beds to neighbors;
· Participate in International Peace Jam Activities;
· Learn more about Eastside Parks as part of a Pride of Place project;
· Hit the Hunter Park pool after their 11 am – 1 pm sessions as often as possible!
Undoubtedly, they will take in a Wharton show (courtesy of Wharton’s Seats for Kids), and perhaps schedule a beach or waterpark adventure to finish off the summer. The YSC are joined during the summer by young teens from the Refugee Development Center, providing an opportunity to build friendships with young people from other cultures and countries. If you would like to find out more about the YSC or to join, call Neil Byrne, YSC Coordinator, at 367-2468, or email him at neilb@allenneighborhoodcenter.org.
9) Eastside Living
ANC, with Lynne Martinez of Martinez Consulting is launching a new project called Eastside Living. Eastside Living will involve creating a whole system of social supports to enable older neighbors to age comfortably and happily on the Eastside. Some of these supports might include daily phone calls to folks living alone, several rides each week to appointments or grocery shopping, deep discounts for seniors with carefully selected carpenters/handymen/ electricians, assistance with renting rooms to college students/young professionals, and much more. In order to determine what seniors living on the Eastside might like to see in this program, we are conducting a survey. You can link to the survey at http://www.allenneighborhoodcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Eastside-Living-Survey.pdf or call Lynne at 485-2950 to have a copy mailed to you. If you are a neighborhood organization leader, Lynne can also provide you with several copies of the survey to pass along to seniors in your neighborhood that you think might want to weigh in. Thanks so much for helping us gather input from older neighbors. And warm thanks, as well, to the City of Lansing Planning and Neighborhood Development Office for start-up support for this exciting new project.
10) The News from Everybody Reads
The Ingham County Ramblers Coming to ER, Saturday June 12th 5 – 7PM
“A Special Arrangement & Engagement” for our local FANS!
(2) sets of – Blues / Rockabilly / Country / Roots / Reggae, from “a nice band you can take home to Mom, as long as Mom’s got whiskey!”
Follow us here on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/inghamcountyramblers
~ or on ~ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/inghamcountyramblers
Martin (electric guitar, vocals) / Ervin (acoustic guitar, vocals) / Roger “Kidd Cincinnati” (harmonica) / Ellen (bass) / Mitch (drums)
Genre: Blues / Rockabilly / Country / Roots / Reggae
Please PASS this Event on to other people (Friends, Family Co-workers and Neighbors), by using the “INVITE PEOPLE TO COME” feature on the right-hand side of this notice *
11) The Michigan Summit: Blueprint for Change
East Lansing at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center on June 12, 2010
The Michigan Summit is about rebuilding Michigan with visionary ideas and people power from the ground up. Frustrated with the slow pace of change and political gridlock? 2010 Summit is the place where democracy will come alive as Michiganders join to create the change Michigan needs. INFO: www.themichigansummit.org
The Michigan Summit Agenda9:00 a.m. – Welcome David Holtz, Progress Michigan and Karen DeMott, The Michigan Summit
9:25 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Whoever Tells The Story, Writes the History Katie Orenstein, Founder and Director of the OpEd Project, talks about why marginalized voices and women in particular tend to write themselves out of the story, and how to reverse this trend. The most crucial factor in determining history is most often not the distinction between what is fact and what is fiction, but who tells the story.
10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Winning The Battle For Change. Winning doesn’t come easy or often enough. It takes passion, organization, dedication, funds, strategy, education and great volunteers. Our panel explains how successful campaigns achieved victories for equality, health care reform, stem cell research and what it can mean for change in 2010 and beyond.
· The Lessons of One Kalamazoo’s Victory For Equality, Jon Hoadley, former Campaign Director, One Kalamazoo
· How Health Care for America Now Won in Michigan John Freeman, Michigan Director, Health Care for America
· Defining Michigan: The Battle Over Stem Cells
11:15 a.m.-12:15 a.m. Blueprint for Change A powerhouse panel of Michigan leaders outline their vision of a 2010 reform agenda for Michigan that creates good-paying jobs, strengthens our communities, improves education, protects families, enhances the environment and expands freedoms.
· Creating Michigan Green Collar Jobs Carla Walker-Miller, CEO, Walker-Miller Energy Services & member Michigan Businesses for Clean Energy
· Michigan’s Health Care Reform Challenge State Rep. Kate Segal (invited)
· The Elliot-Larson Civil Rights Act II State Rep. Woodrow Stanley (invited)
· Transitioning to An Innovation-Based Economy Sam Singh, The New Economy Initiative (invited)
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Lunch with Keynote Speaker: Van Jones, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Breakout Sessions
Michigan’s Freedom Fighters
Michigan is not Arizona: Welcoming Immigrants Susan Reed, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
Fundamental Freedom: Defending The Accused Tracey Brame, Associate Dean, Cooley Law School
The New Freedom of Choice—Growing Older At Home Dohn Hoyle, Executive Director, The Michigan Arc
Empowering People In the Redistricting Process Christina Kuo, Executive Director, Common Cause
Michigan Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Equality in 2010
Putting Michigan to Work
The Millennials Look At Their Future for Work Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
Retooling for the Green Economy Dana Sevakis, Executive Director, the Apollo Alliance, Luke Canfora, State Director, Repower Michigan
Help Wanted: Jobs in Local Economy Donele Wilkins, Executive Director, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice
When Less is More. How Energy Conservation and Efficiency Are Michigan Job Creators, Tremaine Phillips, Energy Program Associate, Michigan Environmental Council
Growing Up, Not Old—The Future of Michigan Cities
The Great Urban Debate: Resizing Cities Mayor Dayne Walling, City of Flint, Dan Kildee, CEO of Community Progress, Tahirih Ziegler, Executive Director of LISC Michigan
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Great Skills, Great Training Workshops.
· Really Good Grassroots Organizing State Rep. Sarah Roberts, John Freeman, Health Care for American Now, Dessa Cosma, Planned Parenthood of Michigan
· Meet the New Press Darci E. McConnell, President & CEO McConnell Communications, Inc.
· Creating and Powering Your Message Mark Fisk, Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, Joe DiSano, Mainstreet Strategies
4:30 p.m.-5 p.m. The Road Ahead Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and Amanda Stitt, Executive Director, Michigan Voice
The standard registration fee is $40. Sliding-scale discounted rates are available for $25 and $15 for students and lower-income participants. Lunch is provided at the event. Register at www.themichigansummit.org
12) MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
City of Lansing HUMAN RELATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT & the Mid-Michigan Food Bank ANNOUNCES the distribution of FREE, fresh, non-perishable food items.
When: Saturday, June 19, 2010, (From 9:00 am to 11am)
Where: Letts Community Center, 1220 W. Kalamazoo, Lansing, MI 48915
Who can participate?
• The disadvantaged and vulnerable.
• Senior citizens on fixed incomes.
• Families/individuals with limited or low income jobs.
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BRING A VALID STATE IDENTIFICATION CARD OR DRIVER’S LICENSE
If you or someone you know must choose between buying food and filling prescriptions, please tell them about this important program. Participants should bring a box or bag to carry food.
For more information, call the City of Lansing Human Relations and Community Services Department at (517) 483-4477
