Help the Michigan Academic Decathlon champions get to nationals!

I'm a Quaker. Often people think I'm Quaker by faith. Instead, I'm Quaker via alumni status. That's right -- I graduated from Lansing Eastern High School in our fair and fabulous capital city.

But I'm throwing this out into the blogosphere as a request to my fellow Michiganians to support some of their own. Every year, Michigan has a small, but important State competition for high schoolers -- the State Academic Decathlon competition.

To explain: Academic Decathlon is a national 10-category competition, in which a team of 6-9 individuals compete. These kids compete in everything from Interview and Public Speech, to Music, Economics, Language and Literature, and a massive "Super Quiz" that encompasses either a natural or social science theme.

This competition truly changed my life in my high school years: you learn about Gauguin, Cassat, Wagner, Shakespeare, economic models, mathematical formulas, and beyond. The cirriculum always has a new theme every year keeping the subjects fresh and challenging.

The team of 9 Quakers at Lansing Eastern High School have won the competition, but due to hard economic times, only 6 of the team members will be able to go to the national competition to represent our state.

It's an important life experience, let me say. Nothing made me more proud than to be elected by my own team members to proudly carry our State Flag as we did a procession of all the states in attendance. Nothing!

My mom has created a request via "Help My Hometown" requesting $5,000 to help send the other three team members to this national academic competition. IT IS NOT A FUNDRAISER, but a request.

What I ask is for you to simply share your comments and support for the students in Lansing. This April, they will be our "One Michigan" -- and they should go as a team.

If you have time, please visit the following web site and leave a comment. Your support and kind words are more than enough. The link will open in a new window.

Hometown Project: State Champs to Participate in National USAD Competition.

I've always been a strong advocate for my "urban" alma mater, and for education. We were often overshadowed by athletics or forgotten in yearbook, even as we went to nationals ourselves.

That's all. I'll be back to politics shortly. ;)

To close, I'll add what my mother has written on the page:

The State of Michigan is currently suffering an enormous fiscal crisis with the decline of the US auto industry, and state schools struggle to provide the basics. In this climate, we find it difficult to locate monies for extracurricular activities even though we recognize the benefit to students.

At Lansing Eastern High School, the teachers and students have committed themselves to continuing the pursuit of academic excellence despite 'inner-city' stigma. This school year was particularly enobling, as Lansing Eastern H.S. attained the coveted International Baccalaureate Magnet status.

This year, one of our achievements was earning the State Championship for the US Academic Decathlon. During this competition, three 'A' students, three 'B' students, and three 'C' students work collaboratively as a team to answer questions in the categories of Art, Literature, Mathematics, Economics, Music, Social Science, Super Quiz, Interview, and Speech. It is a rigorous event requiring months of study and preparation beyond the required school work.

Needless to say, our students were overjoyed to receive the title of Michigan Academic Decathlon Champions on March 7, 2007. However, that joy was tinged with sadness when we learned that there was not enough funding for the entire team to participate in the National Competition to be held in Hawaii this year. Due to the high travel costs, only 6 members will be able to participate. This hardship will fracture a team which spent the last 6 months together, a team bonded in a common goal. We ask for your help.

Further Proof that JG Rocks It, Inner-City Style

The Michigan State Police may have a shiny new headquarters in downtown Lansing -- on Grand and Kalamazoo to be exact. The same spot of triangle-shaped property Engler had wanted to develop on.

But thank you, Gov. Granholm for investing in our cities:

Meanwhile, DMB [Department of Management and Budget] officials feel the triangle property, now a parking lot alongside the Michigan Department of Human Services Building, would fall in line with Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s executive directive to move all state buildings into urban centers whenever possible.

Of course, the project has been -- and may continue to be -- mucked up by Republican politics. Oh, and of course, there's the why-can't-we-build-with-Eyde jab. I'm so sick of Eyde whining on about bids. As if that family hasn't time-stamped all of Metro Lansing up and down forever and always enough.

Kyle Melinn has the low-down on the Lansing City Pulse. Man I love that paper.


For a flip side of the coin regarding inner-city development via the "Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow" plan (which the paper snidely headlines "Jobs Today, Jobs Anywhere"), the City Pulse has a fantastic article that's worth a read.

Municipal Mondays: Lansing Gentrification via the Deluxe Inn

Here in Chicago, the Liberal Arts Colleges love to talk about gentrification. Tearing down old buildings, raising property taxes, a return to mixed-use development... it's a big issue when it comes to displacement, affordable housing, and urban renewal. In most contexts the term is used as a pejorative, so it's not surprising you won't hear the "G" word.

The Lansing State Journal has been covering the ongoing battle between the City Council and the Deluxe Inn located in Reo Town on Main and Washington. Today the LSJ devotes a full article to the issue.

It really is a no-brainer. During his election, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero kept pushing the idea of revitalizing downtown via the Cooley Law student population, and that meant one thing: cool cities. Loft apartments, trendy commercial district, and mid/high-rise condominiums. So it comes as no surprise that the land is desirable for all purposes:

Thomas M. Cooley Law School officials have expressed interest in building condominiums on the land occupied by the motel, Smith said, and some developers want it for apartments.
[...]
"Our goal is to have that property be a welcome mat to REO Town," [Mayor Virg] Bernero said. "We prefer not to build up the existing business, but we are ready, willing and able to do it. We aren't going to sit by and let things fester."

You'll be sure to hear more on this issue: the motel is affordable -- a rare commodity so close to downtown -- there are residents living in the motel who rely on the low rates, and it's a locally-owned business.

But being right off I-496 really does make the site a "welcome mat" to REO Town. It's just south of the downtown Washington strip, and just north of the ever-growing neighborhood which is quickly catching up to Old Town as an arts and entertainment district. Don't forget the site is also right on the river: a great spot for brand new condominiums.

The Grand Trunk Western Depot I blogged about earlier is just to the south of the motel.

I'm fairly certain the site will be closed and redeveloped. There's no doubt about it: if the city leadership want to attract homeowners and businesses to these neighborhoods, they need to get rid of "undesirable sites" -- red-tagged homes are in strong order to be torn down in the city. And with the Deluxe Inn receiving more than 1,600 calls to the Lansing Police Department in the past 6 years -- including 2 homicides -- the deck is pretty much stacked against it.

Take a look of this sattelite image of the Washington corrdidor from Kalamazoo to the rail tracks at the depot to get an idea of the prime spot its in:


Click Map to Enlarge

Lansing City Pulse: Anti-Gay Petition Fizzling?

Lansing's City Council unanimously passed councilwoman Kathie Dunbar's Human Rights Ordinance. In 1996 Lansing had such an ordinance until it was removed via popular referendum.

The Lansing City Pulse investigates the differences between 1996 and 2007, and the contrasting political landscapes on the ordinance. Times sure are a-changin' in this debate, and that couldn't be better.

AFA's web site has not been updated with news since 11/14/06, and there is no mention of a petition to put the issue to voters. The necessary signatures need to be collected by the 17th if they want to push the issue on the ballot.

Councilwoman Dunbar says bring 'em on. So do I. If it does come to a vote, it's time for Lansingers to prove that our great city is ready for equal opportunity employment and housing for all its residents -- and that we're ready to become a part of the New, 21st Century Michigan.

Photoblogging Lansing Pt. 2: Trains, Trains, Trains.

Following up the last post on Amtrak, here's a bit of photoblogging and wishful thinking on Lansing train depots.

Three train depots of note exist in the Lansing area:

1. Clara's Restaurant, located in the old Lansing Central Station near Michigan and Pennsylvania Avenues.
2. The Grand Trunk Western Depot, on S. Washington.
3. The East Lansing Intermodal Station, on Harrison and Trowbridge.

The Amtrak Blue Water train hurtles by two of these stations, but only one of the three stations is operating: the East Lansing station. Wonderful for MSU, but it makes you weep tears of sorrow from an architectural standpoint.

As you travel through Michigan, several communities have taken the time to restore grand old train stations, bringing historic charm to these cities: Kalamazoo, Holland, Dowagiac, Niles, Bangor -- all of these cities have depots with beautiful facades, restored interiors, and always offer a lively jolt as you hurtle along your journey. For Lansing? We have this:



Click any Photo to Enlarge in New Window

The East Lansing station. When Amtrak decided to re-instate the Chicago-Toronto (now Chicago-Port Huron) line, they had already sold the Lansing Grand Trunk station. MSU sold Amtrak an inexpensive storage house, and passenger rail returned to Lansing. Yet it did not have an ounce of the majesty carried by the former Lansing depot down the tracks.

The Grand Trunk Depot is a gorgeous building, but with each passing year it falls further into disrepair. A shame, because it is located in the heart of the redeveloping REO Town neighborhood and just south of the Capitol District.

The station served rail passengers until 1971 when it was sold and converted to a restaurant in 1972. Growing up, I remember the restaurant held little of the charm of the gilded Clara's, and it came as no surprise that as the neighborhood declined, so did patronage: the restaurant was eventually closed some time in the late 90's.

Time has not served the building well. The stone structure remains beautiful as ever: red brick with white accents, and a striking tower and circular room on the north side of the building. But the grounds, woodwork, and windows are a different story.

Although it has ample parking and the neighborhood is turning around, the lot is overgrown with weeds, and several windows have been broken in and subsequently boarded. The painted doorway to "The Station" -- the moniker of the former restaurant -- is visible over the plywood haphazardly sealing the door from entry.

The station was enclosed by a high, chain link fence on the south end of the station, possibly to prevent patrons from wandering onto the tracks and into the line of freight trains. It now appears more like a cage to enclose the station from the world around it, only protecting the broken glass from shattered windows that litter the pavement around the 100-year old structure.

The east end is littered with remnants of the restaurants: tables, booths, chairs, boxes, crates -- all of the unwanted remnants of the station that have remain unmoved.




If restored, the station could add a vibrancy and renewed, historical feel to Downtown Lansing. It's a prime location with ample parking, and close to downtown, the Capitol, Lansing Center, and the Radisson -- but with a cash-strapped Amtrak, City of Lansing, and State Government, such a prospect is high in the clouds.

It would be wonderful if Lansing could one day become a central hub for passenger rail in lower Michigan. The creation of a new route from Grand Rapids-Lansing-Ann Arbor could create an awesome educational and business travel network. And a renewed depot would add to Lansing's image and long-lost historical character.

And besides, it would be super awesome. I say we call it the "Granholm Express."



I'm such an engineer. ;)

Post Inauguration: All Aboard the Michigan Express!

Now that the whirlwind of the 2006 Granholm/Cherry (et al) Inauguration has passed, it's time for some more substantial blogging from this end. Of course, you can always catch LiberalLucy's analyses of today's events in Lansing via Michigan Liberal here and here. And also check out some great photos by Cathleen over at her blog! Keep it up, chica!

The inauguration is now over -- and now it truly is "all hands on deck." But instead of all hands on deck, I'll chime in with "all aboard!" And what better way to ring in the statement than to talk about Michigan's passenger rail service.

You may not know it, living in the Automotive Capital, but Michigan is home to three Amtrak passenger rail line services: the Wolverine (Chicago-Detroit), the Blue Water (Chicago-East Lansing-Port Huron), and the Pere Marquette (Chicago-Grand Rapids).


Photo: Michigan Department of Transportation.
Click to Enlarge Map... sort of.

I absolutely love the train. It costs $50 round-trip -- a much better alternative to air travel. No heinous downtown parking fees in Chicago. It takes me straight from Chi-Town to Lansing -- or to Kalamazoo to visit the BFF on occasion. There's plenty of room, you can use your cellphone, and outlets are abundant so I can easily work on my laptop as we cut across Michigan (preparing for that next knock-out blog entry, no doubt)!

Delays do occur, but remember fellow Michiganians: for most of these routes, Amtrak does NOT own the rail tracks. Only a stretch from Indiana to Kalamazoo are in the hands of Amtrak themselves, providing a high-speed corridor to boost travel time. From Indiana to Chicago, or anywhere outside of the KZoo corridor, Amtrak needs to move on over for any and all freight traffic that may come.

And trust me. Having to stop right outside of downtown Lansing after the hardy commute is one of the most frustrating experiences in the universe. At that point, it's a good thing that Amtrak sells cabernet savignon by the 1/2 bottle.

But even with the price, convenience, and luxury of travel (sans the unavoidable delays), passenger rail is constantly beset by a lot of negative word-of-mouth. From the common citizen to the flippant (oft republican) politician, Amtrak means a few (often misconstrued) things: frequent delays, slow travel, costly to fund, not a money maker.

And these negative images have threatened two of Michigan's three lines for years. The Pere Marquette and Blue Water routes are State-supported routes; only the Wolverine line is a national corridor route, and also has the highest in ridership in the state. Simply put: Michigan funds its west-side and capital city rails. Only Detroit gets the Federal love -- ironic to all get-out, I know.

So it comes as little surprise that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005-2006, the Michigan House Appropriations committee proposed to cut the Amtrak budget short $1 million ($7.1m in FY 04-05 down to $6.1m) in a gamble to push Amtrak to relocate an engineering station from Indiana to our home state. The station wasn't going anywhere, so the two State rails were again on the chopping block. Luckily it was saved through additional federal funds, though the future was still uncertain.

But the times are a-changin'.


Source: Passenger Rail Service in Michigan, w/ MDOT data.


Source: Passenger Rail Service in Michigan, w/ Amtrak and MDOT data.

With an overall increase in ridership of 8.1% between 2005-06 and 21.1% between 2004-06 -- and an increase in ticket revenues -- it looks like Michigan passenger rail won't worry about being "phased out" in FY 2006-07. Gov. Granholm's request to continue the passenger rail subsidy at $7.1m was granted and signed in August of 2006. Huzzah! However:

"(2) Any state subsidy for rail passenger service between Grand Rapids and Chicago and between Port Huron and Chicago shall be limited to an amount equal to revenue generated from operation of these routes, including, but not limited to, revenue from fares and concessions. The state subsidy shall not exceed $7,100,000.00."

Source: Act No. 245, Public Acts of 2006.

I won't pretend to fully understand this right now, since reading bills and acts for varied FY budgets at 2am makes me hemhorrage from the skull.

Still: passenger rail is growing and received the necessary funding to keep the Pere Marquette and Blue Water routes active in the next year. As we tighten our belts and prepare for the budget of 07-08, hopefully we won't have to continue to engage in the will-we-or-won't-we Amtrak budget dance, keeping thousands of riders on their toes.

If you're interested, check out Amtrak's Web Site for train schedules, fare information, and more. Trust me: get business class, especially if you're going from Chicago. You get to board early and bypass the mega-line of doom and get a free non-alcoholic drink, all for an additional $8.

And you can also check out the web sites of other train enthusiasts and advocates:

Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers
Save Our Trains: Michigan

Next round, I'll return to some photoblogging with Lansing area train stations, architecture, and some wishful thinking. Cheers!

Photoblogging Lansing Part 1: The Capitol

Now that I'm back in Lansing and armed with a trusty digital camera, it's time to embark on some photoblogging. Over the next week or so, I'll be posting images and discussing varied buildings within Lansing: schools, train stations, and more. Where to start?

The Michigan Capitol.


Click Any Photo to Enlarge in New Window.

Cliche? Possibly. But on the eve of the inauguration, it seemed like a grand place to start. Mom and I traipsed to downtown Lansing and wandered into this historic gem. Restored in 1992, the Capitol showcases beautiful neoclassical design, and inside is adorned with gorgeous woodwork, art, and painting. I'm sure most everyone in Michigan has visited the Capitol at some point in their lives, but its always wonderful to stop and view the intricate detail of every nook and cranny.

From the flooring to the doorknobs, everything within the building is gorgeously ornamented. The image on the left is from the ground-level doors: the bronze and copper alloy plating shows birds, leaves, and an ornamental "push" -- an art long lost with the more economic "stick it on the window" placards.

Even where there are no light fixtures or portraits, even the paint in places such as the stairwells forms an art all its own. This golden, broad-brushstroke pattern leads down into the 2nd floor of the Capitol. So cool. Ornamentation such as this is everywhere: greens, blues, golds, reds, yellows -- it makes the building feel less Lansing and more Romanov palace.

The dome, of course, speaks for itself. It rises well beyond the 4th floor public access, alit with dazzling blues and golds, until it reaches the stars at the very top. Chandeliers light the halls, featuring the elks and stags of the Michigan flag.




Outside of the Governor's office, a large portrait of the late President Gerald Ford hangs, draped in black fabric with a placard about his life.

Outside of the building, we took additional shots of the exterior detail, and of the temporary stage being constructed for the second inauguration of Gov. Granholm. There were plenty more photos, but this was more of a personal experience than one intended for blogging. I just wanted to share a few of our observations.








I'll go over some train stations in my next post; it'll involve more policy than just random photos. But get on down to the capitol and re-explore it if you haven't recently. There's always something new to see. It is truly an historic part of our city and state.

And who would I be if I didn't close with a bit of fun?

Kathie Dunbar: Keepin' it Real with the Human Rights Ordinance

Say hello to Santa Katrina!

Showing she's no lame duck, Lansing Councilwoman Kathie Dunbar has firmly planted herself as a rising star in city politics with her couragous Human Rights Ordinance.

The Lansing, MI ordinance protects residents along 8 new classifications, including sexual orienation, gender identity expression, student status, and political affiliation.

The ordinance has been attacked and beset by Michigan "family" groups -- the AFA of Michigan even links to this little blogger's write-up on Ms. Dunbar via Liberal, Loud, and Proud. Even with their -- and others' -- opposition, the ordinance unanimously passed within the Lansing City Council, and has the full support of Mayor Virg Bernero.

What makes Kathie Dunbar so fabulous isn't just that she pushed this ordinance and got it passed, but that she has been at the forefront of local media on the issue, defending her ideas behind a Human Rights Ordinance, and what it truly means for Lansing, Michigan. I mean, really. Some groups are so zealous that they'll google anything with the word "gay" in it and vehemently oppose it. So Ms. Dunbar gets out in the front and keeps pressing on what the ordinance is and debunking myths that make outlandish claims on what it isn't.

The latest Lansing City Pulse sat down with Kathie Dunbar, and she shared some insights:

Doesn’t this ordinance create special rights for people based on their sexual orientation?

The “special rights” argument always mystifies me. How one can argue that equality grants one person special rights over another? This is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. Most individuals who argue that we are granting “special rights” to gays also hide behind the cloak of their religion to justify continued discrimination. Lest we forget, it is the religious community who enjoys special rights in our society.

How many other organizations have carte blanche tax exemptions? Who else can claim their convictions as reasons to be exempted from laws applicable to everyone else? Who else can exempt themselves from institutional dress codes by claiming their beliefs require a certain form of clothing, jewelry, headdress or hairstyle? I’m not in any way arguing against allowing such exemptions, but I think it’s important to identify the “pot” from which these “special rights” flow.

[...]

This ordinance makes it a crime to refuse to hire men who demand the right to wear a dress to work.

[...] [In regards to the ordinance] It is not, however, permissible to refuse to hire transgender persons solely because they do not conform to gender stereotypes. Transsexuals are not men who occasionally wear dresses or women who go butch on Tuesdays. Transsexuals tend to live their lives as members of the opposite sex from which they were born. They don’t switch from day to day.

And this is why Kathie Dunbar has officially reached Diva status. We love you, Kathie!

Keep it up, and everyone else: check out the full article courtesy of the Lansing City Pulse. It is sure to make you smile. Councilwoman Dunbar truly does us all a service in Lansing!