lansingmetro

Since I'm going to be out of town on voting day this cycle, I requested an absentee voting ballot. While I was online checking the status ( https://michigan.gov/vote ), I clicked on the sample ballot to see how involved it would be.

Lots of crap to vote on. Lots. And, not wanting to be an uninformed voter, I started looking some crap up.

Why in the world does the City of Lansing want to sell the Scott Center building? For that matter, what the hell is the Scott Center building? Turns out, it's pretty near my house (https://goo.gl/maps/jTEBUNoCP8B2 ), and it's a building I had assumed was being used and taken care of. Wrong.

I did a little bit of searching and found an article ( https://www.habitatcr.org/news-events/news/detail/habitats-proposal-for-the-scott-center/68/) that says Habitat of Humanity wants to purchase the building, move it to a vacant plot of land on MLK near the Hall of Justice ( https://goo.gl/maps/nF7ch6mt7222 ) that they're also wanting to purchase. Once it's there, they want to renovate it into affordable townhomes, and construct similar, but modern, buildings around it, on the same land, for the same purpose.

Why not just do it where it is? Apparently, the BWL wants to build a substation there. So, Habitat for Humanity buys the unused building, buys the empty land (for $1 each), moves the house, and creates a bunch of affordable housing, and BWL gets to build its substation. Two plots of unused land become used, the city has more affordable housing (rather than more luxury units that are Chicago-priced), an historical building gets renovated and given new purpose.

The only downside I can see is... what happens to the sunken gardens?

Have any of you heard anything about this? From what I've read, I'm likely to vote yes, but I'm open to new information.

UPDATE: An article on the BWL substation: https://www.lbwl.com/About-the-BWL/News/BWL-Announces-New-Substation-Project/

If you're in the City of Lansing, and use their recycling and/or trash services, they have a calendar and reminder system for collection days. Whether or not anything will import into your calendar or reminder system of choice is another matter entirely. :)

http://lansingmi.gov/504/Collection-Day-Schedule-Reminder

Just finished my lunch, and my belly is full of Crack Chicken. Just what I needed coming off of a 2-day migraine.

http://freshfishandfry.weebly.com/

Tonight is First Friday so there will be lots of events around town.

In Old Town tonight there is a free movie showing at the outdoor theater set up in the parking lot at Turner and Grand River. Raising Arizona is the movie tonight. It starts at dusk, around 10pm. Don't forget to bring a chair or whatever so you can watch in comfort.

Stop by Cravings and pick up some popcorn beforehand!

Tonight starts the festivities in Old Town this weekend. The Festival of the Moon is tonight and tomorrow is the Festival of the Sun.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20120622/THINGSTODO05/306220016/Festivals-Sun-Moon-bring-wine-beer-good-music-Old-Town?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

I have 5 (plus one with three rides) 10 ride cards for CATA's Spec-Tran service. I'd like to donate them to someone or some organization that would have need. Does anyone know what I could do with these cards? It's over 100 dollars worth of rides, and I don't want to see them thrown away.