Live News Updates for Nov. 13-19
Peace Education Center Alternative Holiday Sale returns Friday and Saturday.

The Lansing Area Peace Education Center’s (PEC) annual Alternative Holiday Sale returns to Edgewood United Church in East Lansing Friday and Saturday (Nov. 17-18).
The event features a variety of vendors, many offering local artists’ beautiful creations, as well as practical goods for home and body.
“The sale provides holiday shoppers with a wonderful opportunity to shop in a way that makes spending money feel good and do good for the world,” PEC organizers said in a press release. “Supporting local vendors promotes the economic growth of our area and is a sustainable shopping option. Furthermore, some profits from the sale will go toward assisting the PEC in its yearly programming and peace and justice initiatives.”
Like last year, a Ten Pound Fiddle concert will take place during the sale on Friday night. This year’s concert will feature internationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter Joe Jencks, a 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning song-writer and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago.
According to his biography, Jencks’ music merges conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing. “Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit,” the biography said.
Entry to the sale is free, but tickets are required for the concert. In addition to the sale items, meals and snacks will be available for purchase. The event runs 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Edgewood Church is at 469 N. Hagadorn Road, East Lansing.
More information about the sale is available at the PEC’s website.
(Reported by Julie Seraphinoff, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023)
HRC hears from an attorney representing DTN and discusses violence in the Middle East.
The Monday (Nov. 13) East Lansing Human Rights Commission (HRC) meeting featured discussions of several topics, including hearing from a representative for DTN disputing the civil rights violation ruling from last month.
An attorney representing DTN, David Pierson, spoke during public comment. He told the commission it should have been more clear about the reasoning behind the Oct. 9 ruling. The commission met in a closed session for over 45 minutes at that meeting before declaring DTN violated the civil rights of a tenant living at the 550 Woodbrook Drive property.
“The problem is we don’t know what the record is,” Pierson said.
City Attorney Anthony Chubb was not present for the Monday meeting, so the commission declined to discuss the DTN ruling.
Commissioners spent majority of the meeting discussing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Washtenaw County recently released a statement regarding the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia within the country. HRC members expressed they would like to pioneer a statement for Ingham County.
“It is absolutely imperative that this community is safe for everybody,” Commissioner Karen Hoene said.
The commission unanimously passed a motion to have Hoene draft a letter to Congress regarding the current environment.
In addition to the letter, the commission plans on scheduling conversations with a trained facilitator in order to inform the public accurately about the ongoing conflict.
The commission briefly discussed a new project being led by Commissioner Julia Walters to provide accessible contraceptives on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus. Specifically, the goal is to provide locations on campus for students to get free Plan B pills. There are already locations available at the MSU Gender Sexuality Center and Women’s Student Services.
“What an amazing example of the community coming together,” Commissioner Tina Farhat said. “This really makes a difference.”
In talking about goals for 2024, commissioners discussed the HRC emphasizing a focus on education in the community, prevention of discrimination and recommending measures to improve human relations.
(Reported by Elijah Taube, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023)
The Downtown Management Board is seeking applicants for two vacancies.
The City of East Lansing has announced it is seeking applicants to fill two vacancies on the Downtown Management Board (DMB). One position is to fill an immediate vacancy and the other will begin in January 2024.
Community members who own or manage a business within the DMB area, DMB district property owners and those who are residents of either the DMB district or an adjoining neighborhood, such as Bailey, Oakwood, Chesterfield or Glencairn, are eligible to serve on the board.
The DMB consists of nine members who serve four-year terms. The commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road.
According to a city press release, the mission of the DMB is to promote the City of East Lansing’s downtown area through a variety of marketing and creative placemaking efforts. These campaigns are designed to encourage community members to shop, dine, live and invest in downtown East Lansing.
Those who meet the DMB qualifications and wish to serve, can apply at the city’s application portal. For questions, contact East Lansing Community & Economic Development Specialist Matt Apostle at (517) 319-6859 or mapostle@cityofeastlansing.com.
(Reported by Julie Seraphinoff, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023)
MSU Recycling will celebrate America Recycles Day with a documentary screening.

The Michigan State University (MSU) Surplus Store and Recycling Center (SSRC) is celebrating America Recycles Day with a screening of the documentary “Plastic Wars” and a panel discussion.
The MSU Recycling Center processes between 20 and 25 million pounds of material each year. According to the center’s website, the facility is responsible for collecting discarded material throughout the MSU campus. It manages the waste as a resource through the integration of reuse, recycling, collaboration and education.
The event hopes to “drive home that recycling is the right choice, but we must also reduce reliance on disposable goods and single-use plastics especially,” wrote SSRC Education Coordinator Katherine Deska.
The documentary screening will take place 3:30-6 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 16) in the MSU Recycling Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at 486 Green Way, East Lansing.
The center held a similar screening in 2019 in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of MSU’s SSRC.
That event screened the documentary “Salvage,” which followed a “group of thrifty locals in Yellowknife, British Columbia, as they band together trying to save the town dump’s open salvage area from city bureaucrats determined to close it down,” according to the event press release.
This year’s documentary, “Plastic Wars,” highlights the history of how the “plastic pollution mess” began and the relationship of the world with the oil industry.
The documentary “brings to light the way in which plastic production and disposal often exacerbate environmental and social justice issues across the globe,” the event press release said.
MSU Recycling Center has collaborated with WKAR, Student Life & Engagement, Student Eco Reps and the Film Studies Program to provide this free event for students and community members.
The four-person panel discussion will follow the screening. The panelists include professor, educator, author, inventor and entrepreneur Muhammed Rabnawz; postdoctoral fellow at the Diaspora Solidarities Lab and incoming assistant professor in Film Studies Pedro Noel Doreste; recycling industry expert Jill Brown; and Operations Supervisor for Processing at the MSU Surplus and Recycling Center Sean Barton.
The panel will discuss the challenges around recycling plastics, highlight the plastics that SSRC accepts and call attention to the fact that MSU sends over 95% of bales to in-state processors.
The panel and event is hoping to create an “opportunity for the community to see and understand how MSU recycles,” wrote Deska.
The SSRC staff asks those attending to please RSVP for planning purposes.
Reported by Mya Gregory (Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023)
Zeke is number one on List Wire’s all-time greatest dog mascots list.

Young and old alike at Michigan State University (MSU) and in East Lansing adore Zeke the Wonder Dog and his high-flying, Frisbee-catching abilities. And now Zeke, who regularly performs at football games and other MSU events, is getting top-dog recognition nationally.
Zeke was recently awarded the top spot in List Wire’s “10 of the all-time greatest dog mascots in college sports.” Some of the college K9 greats – such as Georgia’s UGA, Butler’s Butler Blue and Tennessee’s Smokey – were all recognized on this list. But it was MSU’s Zeke the Wonder Dog that received the number-one spot.
“This is a huge honor for us and for Zeke,” said Jim Foley, Zeke’s trainer and caretaker. “This is also a huge honor for the students and alumni of Michigan State University, because Zeke is their dog and their goodwill ambassador.”
Foley and his wife Terri brought the Zeke the Wonderdog legacy back to MSU in 2002. Today’s Zeke is actually Zeke the IV and the Foleys have provided MSU two other Zekes (II & III) over the last 21 years as part of their athletic programs.
The original Zeke was first introduced to MSU in 1977 by his trainer Gary Eisenberg and a part of MSU Athletics until his retirement in 1985.
Zeke IV continues the Zeke tradition of being an active part of the MSU community. The current program is credited with expanding the role of Zeke from just seven or eight football games a year, to over a 100 good-will and charity appearances a year. These good-will appearances include Welcome Week tours, student events, charity fund-raisers, campus activities and hospital appearances.
“Since Zeke is not officially part of the University, most of these events are done at the cost of the Foleys or for a small appearance fee,” said Doug Kelly, organizer of the ILoveZeke.com fundraiser page. “To have Zeke win this top spot is such a credit to the Foleys’ dedication to the program and the amount of time, effort and money they have invested in it. They do all of this for the students of this great university.”
Reported by Julie Seraphinoff (Monday, Nov. 13, 2023)
From the East Lansing Insider Saturday Mailer: Nov. 11

Nov. 7 Election in the Books!
Election Day has come and gone and three new Council members have been elected to serve for the next four years.
At Tuesday’s (Nov. 14) City Council meeting, Kerry Ebersole Singh, Mark Meadows and Erik Altmann will be sworn in. The five-member Council will also select a new mayor and mayor pro tem from among themselves. Outgoing Mayor Ron Bacon and Mayor Pro Tem Jessy Gregg did not seek reelection.
The morning of Wednesday (Nov. 8), ELi published City Desk Editor Luke Day’s election coverage that includes input from precinct chairs and a rundown of how the votes fell. Following a dominant fundraising campaign, Singh ran well ahead of the field in Tuesday’s election gathering 3,376 votes compared to Meadows’ 2,413 and Altmann’s 2,325. Planning Commissioner Dan Bollman narrowly missed out on a seat, drawing 2,283 votes.
Outside of election coverage, ELi published a pair of important reports on Monday (Nov. 6). The first detailed the contents of a packet of papers that was dropped off at ELi Founder Alice Dreger’s home. The packet contains emails about raises for city staff members between since-departed Interim City Manager Randy Talifarro and department heads and Councilmember George Brookover. Some city employees and officials had concerns about the timing and financial impact of the raises, but Talifarro was confident the changes fit within the city budget.
The second story detailed a surprise meeting that City Council held last Thursday (Nov. 2) that was done almost entirely in closed session. The meeting was added to the city schedule Wednesday (Nov. 1) without an announcement. It was also the last meeting for the majority of Council as Bacon, Gregg and Councilmember Noel Garcia are vacating their seats after Tuesday’s election (Garcia fell short in his reelection bid). In the meeting, Council gave permission to Chubb to settle a pair of lawsuits and accepted the findings from Randall Secontine’s investigation that the assertion of a charter violation made in an anonymous complaint was without merit. Council has said the details of the report will not be made public.
Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty also brought us a feature story last week to introduce new Principal Planner Landon Bartley to the community. After growing up in a neighborhood off Hagadorn Road across from campus, just outside East Lansing, Bartley has returned home and will now play a key role in ushering in new developments.

Dustin also visited Campbell’s Smoke Shop and spent time learning about this 67-year-old East Lansing Institution, the history and the people. Here’s his descriptive feature about the shop on M.A.C. Avenue.
Arts and Culture Reporter Sarah Spohn detailed a new space at the Broad Art Museum, The Center for Object Research and Engagement (The CORE). The grand opening for The CORE was Friday (Nov. 10). The center will serve as an active educational space to encourage learning and opportunities for diverse experiences with art and showcase the Broad’s collection of over 10,000 works.
There’s a full slate of meetings on the calendar this week.
The East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education meets 7 p.m. Monday (Nov. 13) in the lower level of East Lansing High School. Here’s the meeting agenda.
In city meetings, the Human Rights Commission meets 7 p.m. Monday (Nov. 13). On the agenda is discussion of the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting rise in Islamophobia and anti-semitism. Here’s the agenda for the 7 p.m. Tuesday meeting of City Council. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meets 7 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 15). Thursday (Nov. 16) is busy with the Downtown Development Authority at noon followed by the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority meeting, the Arts Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. and the day is rounded out by the Building Board of Appeals at 7 p.m.
Here’s what to check out in the ELi Now column.
Top stories in the Nov. 6-12 ELi Now column are area artist Chance Liscomb’s opening of his exhibit entitled “Where ART Thou?” at People’s Church and a report out of the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting where a second solar array variance was approved.
ELi Now is a column from the East Lansing Info reporting and editorial staff, created as a space to provide live updates of East Lansing news throughout the week. Have an event or other announcement you’d like featured in ELi Now? Contact us!
Want all the news, including live news updates from ELi Now, to come directly to your email? Become an East Lansing Insider member!
Now is the time to help ELi meet its $200,000 goal!!

The East Lansing Info team is wrapping up the second week of its annual campaign. The campaign continues through November and December and is crucial to funding reporters and editors in their task to cover the City of East Lansing in 2024.
Did you know that East Lansing is the only municipality in our region with the kind of independent coverage of local government that ELi provides? If you value this nonprofit news service, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution TODAY.
