Press Release – Harvest Celebration

30 09 2008

From a press release…..

Old-Fashioned Fall Fun for the Family at Michigan Historical Museum’s Harvest Celebration, Oct. 4

LANSING – Step back in time and enjoy games, crafts and activities from a bygone era as the Michigan Historical Museum celebrates Michigan harvest traditions on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for the Michigan Harvest Celebration, which will feature a variety of old-fashioned fall fun, including:

-Noon to 3 p.m. – Sample a variety of Michigan heritage apples provided by Roger Miller Orchards

-1:30 to 3 p.m. – Harvest tales with Steveanna Roose, The Pioneer Storyteller

-Traditional music and dancing

-Apple cider and donuts

-Hands-on harvest activities like a hay bale toss, a corn-shelling bee, butter making, the opportunity to make apple-head and corn-husk dolls or a scarecrow, an up-close look at tools of the trade, old-time toys and games

-Traditional crafts such as woodworking, wheat weaving, spinning, basket weaving, tin punching and more

-Characters from Michigan history throughout the museum’s galleries

The Michigan Harvest Celebration is sponsored by the Michigan Historical Museum, the Michigan Historical Museum Docent Guild, the Michigan Historical Center Foundation and the Friends of Michigan History.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The main entrance and visitor parking are located north of Kalamazoo Street, just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission and weekend parking are free. For more information, visit http://www.michigan.gov/museum.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan’s heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit http://www.michigan.gov/hal.

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Press Release – Empty Bowls

30 09 2008

From a press release….

Mark your calendars for  Empty Bowls 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 – Lunch 11:30Am – 1:30 PM Dinner 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

More than 800 bowls are handmade by the Potters Guild, Clayworks and many Lansing area potters. In addition, local businesses donate soup, bread and beverages each year.

“We are fortunate to work with such talented artists in efforts to reach out to our community”, Kathe Smithe, Operations Supervisor and MMFB, said. “Empty Bowls is a wonderful event for families as well as businesses to enjoy. It brings the whole community together for a great cause.”

For a donation of $20, attendees receive a handcrafted bowl, as well as their choice of soup and drink. All proceeds will go towards feeding the hungry through the Mid-Michigan Food Bank.
This great event is held at The Center for the Arts 425 S. Grand Avenue – Lansing. This event is celebrating 18 years of feeding the hungry.

Become a Sponsor
– For $250 you can sponsor a table of eight  For $500 you can sponsor a table of ten
– For $750 you can sponsor a table of ten and receive and Empty Bowls Poster
  signed by the artist.

Learn how you can become a sponsor! Go to www.midmichiganfoodbank for more information.
Buy Tickets To purchase tickets for the 2008 event, please contact Kathe Smith at 517-702-3358.

Thank you to our contributors:
Breadsmith of Okemos – Coral Gables – Dusty’s Cellar – Empire Szechuan
Flap Jack Restaurant – Great Harvest Bread Co. – Mijo’s Diner
New Apple Jade Chinese Restaurant – Red Cedar Grill – Robinhill Catering
Sahara’s – Spartan Water and Coffee – Spuds – Sultan Express – Ted-Dee’s – The Cappuccino Café – The Spotted Dog Café – Travelers Club
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More E-Coli in Michigan

29 09 2008

From the Michigan Department of Community Health.

The Michigan Department of Community Health has confirmed 30 cases of E.
coli O157:H7 that match by PFGE (DNA fingerprinting).

Ingham County (MSU students): 9 cases
Lenawee County (jail): 5 cases
Washtenaw County (U of M students): 3 cases
St. Clair County: 1 case
Wayne County: 4 cases
Macomb County: 5 cases
Oakland County: 1 case
Kent County: 2 cases

Ages range from 11-81 years.
Symptom onset dates: 9/8-9/19
Hospitalizations: 13 known (MSU= 4, Lenawee =1, St. Clair = 1
Wayne = 1, Macomb=4, Washtenaw=1, Kent=1)


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Press Release – E.Coli Culprit – Lettuce

26 09 2008

From a press release……..

Many of Michigan’s E. coli Cases Linked to Lettuce
Genetically linked cases consumed lettuce from wholesale distributor

Lansing – As a precautionary measure, the Michigan Department
of Community Health (MDCH) is issuing a public health alert due to
illnesses from the 26 cases of E. coli strain O157:H7 that are thought
to be associated with bagged, industrial-sized packages of iceberg
lettuce sold through wholesale venues to restaurants and institutions.

There is no evidence that the bagged lettuce at grocery stores is
affected.

Some of the 26 Michigan cases consumed shredded or chopped iceberg
lettuce in restaurants or institutions purchased from Aunt Mid’s
Produce Company, a Detroit-based wholesale distributor; and other
distributing outlets could be identified. Product trace back and
additional tests results are still in progress.

“Our top priority at the Michigan Department of Community Health
is to protect the public,” said Dr. Gregory Holzman, chief medical
executive for MDCH. “We appreciate all of the assistance from Aunt
Mid’s. They have been very helpful in this investigation. We want to
ensure that the public’s health and well-being is protected. Even
though the investigation is ongoing, available evidence is strongly
pointing to iceberg lettuce.”

The 26 genetically linked cases are present in eight Michigan
counties including seven at Michigan State University (Ingham County),
five inmates at the Lenawee County Jail, three students at the
University of Michigan (Washtenaw County), four in Macomb County, three
each in Wayne, two in Kent counties, and one each in St. Clair and
Oakland counties. Of the E. coli O157:H7 cases that are genetically
linked, 10 have been hospitalized. These linked cases range in age from
11 to 81 years old. Symptoms of these confirmed genetically linked E.
coli patients began on Sept. 8. More confirmed cases could surface as
the investigation continues.

The symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 may include severe stomach cramps,
diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. If there is fever, it usually is
not very high (less than 101 F/less than 38.5 C). Most people get better
within 5-7 days. Some infections are very mild, but others are severe
or even life-threatening.

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More E-Coli…

25 09 2008

There have apparently been cases of E-Coli found outside of Michigan.  I was fowarded the following e-mail from the Michigan Department of Community Health

This afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has informed
the Michigan Department of Community Health that other states have E.coli
cases with the same genetic link as the 24 in Michigan. Those states include
Illinois (2), Ohio (2) and Oregon (1).


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Press Release – Wal-Mart Attempts to Reduce Plastic Bag Waste

25 09 2008

From a Press Release –

Wal-Mart Sets Goal to Reduce its Global Plastic Shopping Bag Waste by One-Third
Retailer’s effort could eliminate plastic waste equivalent to 9 billion plastic bags

New York, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2008 – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) today committed to reduce its global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33 percent per store by 2013. This is expected to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally. To help reach this goal, Wal-Mart will reduce the number of bags given out by its stores, encourage the use of reusable bags and give customers the ability to continue recycling plastic shopping bags. The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.

“By reducing the number of plastic bags our customers use, increasing the availability and affordability of reusable bags and providing recycling solutions, we think we can eliminate plastic waste equivalent to 9 billion plastic bags per year from our existing stores alone,” said Matt Kistler, senior vice president for sustainability of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “If we can encourage consumers to change their behavior, just one bag at a time, we believe real progress can be made toward our goal of creating zero waste.” Read the rest of this entry »


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Michigan State E-Coli Found Elsewhere

24 09 2008

This is scary.  When I was in college, I always ate in the cafeteria.  Hell, it was already paid for.  It looks like this may not be the fault of anyone at MSU, but instead, someone else.

The Michigan Department of Community Health says the findings have led investigators to believe the same contaminated food source may be to blame. The Detroit Free Press reports it may involve food delivered to the area.

The other cases involve a student at the University of Michigan and inmates at the Lenawee County Jail.  Scary stuff.  It’s the same strain of E-Coli that killed children who ate at Jack-in-the-Box restaurnants in Chicago in 1993


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Smoking Ban Round-Up

24 09 2008

I had planned on doing this last night, but most of the media in Lansing haven’t figured out the 24/7 news cycle.  I and the rest of the people in this City are still relegated getting news at 6, 10, and 11 PM then waiting for yesterday’s news to come in the form of a dead tree when we get.  Don’t get me wrong, WLAJ and WILX both had stories up last night, but I was hoping for a little more coverage with reaction from both sides.  The only place I could get that was MIRS which I’m not going to quote or link to since it’s a paid service.

The newspaper of record, The Lansing-State Journal, which is based in the state capital, doesn’t even cover the State Capitol.  The only article I could find on-line, and I had to do a keyword search to find it, was an AP article.  I’ve never lived in a town with a newspaper this bad.  It’s actually quite sad. 

Here’s what I found from two of the TV outlets and Detroit newspapers.

Read the rest of this entry »


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Clean Smoking Ban Up for Vote! – FAILS

23 09 2008

I’m a little behind on this.  I just got a phone call telling me to turn on House TV.  HB 4163 is on the floor right now and they are debating. 

3:42 PM – The bill’s sponsor, Brenda Clack (D-Flint) is urging colleagues to support because they will NOT be the first State to do this.

The board is open and they are voting on concurring with the Senate substitute.

3:53 PM – The board is still open for record roll call.  There’s a lot of yellow still on the board.  As for our local reps, Joan Bauer, Mark Meadows, and Barb Byrum have all voted yes.

4:00 PM – An announcement was made that the board will be closed in one minute.  Still a lot of Representatives haven’t voted.

4:03 PM –  Board is closed.  I’m waiting for the clerk to read the results.  It’s too close to tell by just looking at it.

4:07 PM – By my count, the measure failed, but 19 Representatives have not voted.  The Chair is recognizing those who have not voted.  Tempoarry excuses for four of the Reps have been granted and two Aye votes have been added.

4:10 PM – Two more late Ayes and two more Nay’s.  It’s going to turn out to be a very, very close vote.

4:12 PM – 50 Yes vote and 49 No votes.  However, the the majority of the members serving have NOT voted in favor.  They needed 56 Aye votes.  There are 11 Representatives that did not vote so that means, the motion was not concurred.  HB 4163 did not pass today because not everyone voted.

Majority Floor Leader Tobocman moved to reconsider the vote by which HB 4163 failed and moved to pass that motion for the day.  What that means is the Democrats have the option to bring the vote up again later in the week or the session.


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Troppo to Move…

22 09 2008

…across the street.  The LSJ had an article yesterday about Troppo planning to move across the street so their patio would have more sunlight.

From Troppo’s patio on the south side of Michigan Avenue, Elliott said he saw potential. His patio was always in the shade because it’s on the north side of an office tower.

“We were looking across the street and saw the sun was always shining on the IBM building,” he said.

Sun is key to good patio space, he said. And good patio space is key to the restaurant business.

Interesting move.  I actually prefer a place that has some shade.  It’s nice to sit outside, but not nice when the sun is in your eyes or you’re sweating from direct sunlight. 

We’ve eaten at Troppo (review HERE) once for lunch and really liked it.  It was a great experience and the food was fabulous.  The idea after moving Troppo is to move Tavern on the Square to Troppo’s spot.  We stopped in Tavern on the Square for lunch one day and thought it was a little pricey and didn’t have a really good lunch selection, but that day, we were in the mood for sandwiches, so we got up and left.  It deserves a second chance and I’d like to get to it before they move.  They have a really cool space where they’re at


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