Press Release – “Michigan Legislature Delivers Lump of Coal”

19 12 2008

From a Campaign for Smoke Free Michigan press release –

Michigan Legislature delivers lump of coal – no smokefree air for state residents
CSA frustrated with disregard for public health

Lansing, Mich. – Unable to work on a final compromise for smokefree air in Michigan, the state Legislature wrapped up Lame Duck this week and left the legislation to die.

Since both the House and Senate had passed different versions of House Bill 4163, the bill was sent to a conference committee to work out the differences. (The House had passed a version with exemptions in 2007; the Senate passed a version with no exemptions earlier this year). But leadership from each chamber was unable to work together on a final bill, and have left Lansing for the year.

“In the end, political gamesmanship is the only winner here,” said Susan Schechter, spokesperson for CSA and director of advocacy for the American Lung Association of Michigan. “Michigan workers are holding their breathe waiting for this law to pass. The leaders of these chambers know the public wants smokefree air, they have seen the science and economic numbers behind the movement, but instead they are listening to the dollars from Big Tobacco, casino and restaurant industries that flow into their campaign coffers.

“We have worked hard to educate lawmakers on the benefits of going smokefree and despite Michigan residents’ support on this issue, a select few legislators have chose to disregarded the public’s health and kill the bill. It’s an utter shame and a waste of time and money to start over this legislative process again in 2009, but that’s exactly what we have to do.”

Schecter did thank Reps. Brenda Clack, D-Flint, Andy Meisner, D-Ferndale and Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell and Sens. Ray Basham, D-Taylor, Alan Sanborn, R-Richmond and Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt for their hard work and dedication to smokefree legislation during the conference committee.

Currently, more than half of Americans live in a city or state with smokefree workplace protection laws (34 states have smokefree workplace laws in effect). Gov. Jennifer Granholm has called on legislators to pass statewide smokefree legislation and vowed to sign the bill if it crossed her desk. CSA plans to continue to fight for smokefree air in 2009.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Politics, Press Releases

Christmas Time…

16 12 2008

Just like Thanksgiving weekend, I’m going to be spending a good chunk of time in Illinois.  I leave tomorrow (Wednesday) to head to DeKalb, IL (Northern Illinois University) for work.  I’m going to my parents for a couple days then to Champaign, IL (Univeristy of Illinois) for another job.  I’ll be back in Lansing Sunday to pick J up and head back to Chicago late Tuesday night…since I have another job in Champaign the Sunday after Christmas, we won’t be back until late Sunday or early Monday…which means Mid-Michigan reviews will probably drop off until the last few days in December.

As always, I’ll blog about where I eat while I’m gone and I’ll try to keep up to date on the Michigan smoking ban and any other Mid-Michigan news that pops up.

In the meantime, I just want to say thanks for following along in 2008.  Things have slowed down in recent weeks because we’re feeling the effect of the weak economy like everyone else.  When we moved here in April, I never thought I’d be out of a full time job this long.  Things have worked out for us due to my freelance work which used to be a supplemental income instead of a primary.  Hopefully things work out in 2009 and we can continue exploring everything Michigan has to offer.  We’ve had a lot of fun traveling and exploring our new home.  I hope you’ve enjoyed following along and continue to visit Mid-Michigan Dining


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Max & Erma’s

14 12 2008
  • 2515 Lake Lansing Road
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 316-7477
  • Website
  • Menu
Max & Ermas near the Eastwoode Towne Centre in Lansing Township

Max & Erma's near the Eastwoode Towne Centre in Lansing Township

Another lazy Sunday.  J and I were laying on the couch watching a Fox News Channel special about corruption in Illinois.  We didn’t learn anything that we didn’t already, but it’s fun to see the rest of the country coming to the same conclusions we had five years ago about the current political situation in Illinois.  Neither of us were in much of a hurry to do anything, but my tummy was really growling.  I was hungry.  We needed to run a few errands, so we just decided to eat out.  I asked J what she wanted and she said a nice big salad with dried fruit, nuts, and cheese.  That really narrows it down.  Nothing was coming to mind.

I went to Google and typed in “Restaurants in Lansing, MI.”  I do that a lot for out of town meals because it gives you a list of all the restaurants in town.  I started clicking on website links figuring the chain restaurants would have what she was looking for.  I clicked on a couple and got a “yeah, those look ok” response.  When I clicked on Max & Erma’s I got a “YES!  That’s what I want!”  Off to Eastwoode.

Max & Erma’s is one of many chains located around Eastwoode Towne Centre.  Even though they have several locations throughout the country, I had never been to one nor had I ever seen one anywhere else.  J had never heard of it, so I didn’t go in with my preconceived notion that all chains are evil.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Applebees – South Lansing

14 12 2008
  • 6270 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 882-8320
  • Website
  • Menu
Applebees on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Applebee's on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

We got lazy.  After a brutal day in Novi, we crashed on the couch and watched a little TV just killing time until Saturday Night Live came on which we knew had a skit harpooning Rod Blagojevich.  Doing nothing made me hungry.  We didn’t have a lot of food in the house and neither of us wanted to get dressed up again to go out for dinner.  That made carry-out or delivery the top choice.  Neither of us had cash to tip a pizza delivery boy and for some reason we both thought of the same thing.  Applebees Carside-To-Go. 

Yeah, it’s a cookie-cutter chain that I can’t stand, but the prospect of not getting out of the car was what sold me on it.  We got on Applebees.com and I found a burger that sounded good.  J’s done the Carside-to-Go a few times at work and Applebees used to be a hangout for her and her friends when she lived out West, so she knew what she wanted.  I let her do the hard work and call in the order.  I hate talking on the phone.

After fifteen minutes or so, we paused America’s Funniest Videos and went to pick up our order.  The way Carside-to-Go works is you give the person taking your order a description of your car.  You then park in one of the designated spots and they see you on a closed-circuit video system.  An employee comes out with your food and you pay right there at the car.  Usually, they have a Wi-Fi credit card machine, but their system was down tonight, so the employee ran the card in and came back for a signature.  When we pulled in, our order was ready and our food was in our hands almost before I could get the window rolled down.  It went pretty quickly. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

CiCi’s Pizza

11 12 2008
  • 6520 S. Cedar St #7
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 393-9900
  • Website
  • Menu
CiCis Pizza in South Lansing

CiCi's Pizza in South Lansing

Like most people, J and I are trying to stretch our dining out budget during the holiday season.  I’d rather buy J something nice than spend a fortune on cheap, but expensive bar food.  This morning, we needed to make a grocery store run.  We had planned on the weekly Horrocks/Walmart trip, but neither of us could get out of our warm bed.  Instead, we slept in and settled for Meijer which doesn’t have the flavor or Propel I like.

Before hiting the grocery store, I needed food.  I was starving.  J suggested hitting something close and I thought of CiCi’s.  I figured it would be fairly cheap and we shouldn’t leave a buffet hungry.  I had eaten at a CiCi’s a few years ago with my dad back in Peoria (review HERE).  I wasn’t a huge fan of the pizza, but it was cheap.  J had never eaten there so it would be something new for her and a second chance for me.

CiCi’s Pizza is part of a strip mall on South Cedar across the street from the Meijer.  There are a couple other restaurants in the strip mall and Finley’s American Grill (review HERE), Applebees, and Pizza Hut all have stand alone buildings.  We found a place to park in front of the Dollar Store which is just a few doors down from CiCi’s.  When you walk in, you come to a register where you pay.  The lady working was right on top of things and saw us walk in.  The only option for dine in is the endless buffet.  We got two of those and two drinks.  The total was just over $16 which I thought was high.  I thought it’d be closer to $10, but when I did the math in my head, it made since.  Six bucks for each of the buffet’s, a couple bucks for drinks and taxes come out to $16.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Press Release – Ingham County Smoke Free

9 12 2008

From an Ingham Country Press Release…..it’s not as good as it sounds on it’s face, but it’s a start.  This one surprise me when I got it in my inbox.  I had never heard that Ingham County was considering such an ordinance….

County Passes Smoke Free Regulation for Bars and Restaurants
Commissioners Pass Unique Resolution to Protect Public, Employees

The Ingham County Board of Commissioner today passed a first-of-its-kind regulation that would require restaurants to change non-smoking sections instead to be “smoke free.”

“Citizens expect to be able to go to their favor restaurant and eat the food and enjoy the atmosphere without having to breath in someone else’s smoke second-hand,” said Commissioner Andy Schor (D-SE Lansing). 

Schor, who chairs the Human Services Committee of the Ingham County Board of Commissioner, shepherded the resolution through the legislative body while working with the health experts on the Ingham County Health Department staff. 
The regulation passed by the County Commission would require that businesses have ample air filtration, smoke eaters, air flow, and other safeguards to separate the smoke from the non-smoking section.  From 2009 through 2014, any new business or any new major renovation would have to comply with these standards.  In 2019, all businesses in Ingham County will have to comply, although cases can be made by certain businesses for extensions.
Schor said, “This is health-conscious and business friendly. We heard and understand the concerns of businesses about cost, but we have also heard the concerns of the citizens to be smoke-free.  This resolution is the best possible compromise for the citizens of our county.”

The Legislature is considering a smoking ban in bars and restaurants, but has not passed this ban.  The Ingham County regulation would be the first of its kind to regulate and monitor how much smoke goes into a non-smoking section.

“My preference is for the Legislature to ban smoking in bars and restaurants for the health and safety of the citizens and employees,” Schor continued.  “I wish we could ban this at the local level, but the Supreme Court says we can’t….so we have taken the most proactive step that we can take.  We have started the clock for businesses and in ten years, whether the Legislature has acted or not, this county will have separation between smokers and those who don’t want to breathe in smoke.”

The regulation allows for flexibility to the County Health Department and staff will work with restaurants to ensure that they are in compliance when the regulation fully takes effect. 

So, if I understand this press release, all they did was change the name from “non-smoking” to “smoke free” and impose some new rules on air filtration that will gradually take effect over 10 years.  So, it’s not going to eliminate smoke, but it might make it better.  Again, brining up Illinois’ law.  Before they passed a smoking ban, they passed a law that gave local municipalities the option to ban.  Some did, some didn’t.  Those that didn’t expressed the same sentiments that Ingham County has….they just wanted the State to do it. 

I guess it’s a start.


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Categories : Michigan, Politics

Westlund’s Apple Market

6 12 2008
  • 2301 E. Grand River Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 482-3900
  • Website
Westlunds Apple Market on Grand River Ave. in Lansing

Westlund's Apple Market on Grand River Ave. in Lansing

J and I had both seen the recent commercials for Westlund’s Apple Market touting $1.69 ground beef.  She doesn’t eat ground beef that often, but I could live on the stuff, so on our way home from Howell, we decided to check it out.

Westlund’s in on Grand River a few blocks from Frandor.  I don’t know why, but I was expecting it to be out towards Eastwoode.  I thought my GPS was screwed up when it turned me left on Grand River from US 127.  J kept assuring me that is was the right way.  She could remember driving by it, but I couldn’t picture it. 

It was a snowy day and it was hard to see the parking lines in the lot, so I just made my own space across from a car thta was already parked.  We made our way in and I got a little nervous when I saw signs on the door that said (these are paraphrased) only one student in the store at a time unless with an adult and  leave all backpacks in the front of the store.  Signs like that just don’t make me feel all that comfortable and that’s not what I was expecting from a neighborhood grocery store. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Grocery, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

Press Release – City Market Public Meeting

5 12 2008

From a LEPFA press release..

PUBLIC VIEWING OF LANSING CITY MARKET SCHEMATIC DESIGNS DEC. 18

Lansing, MI— Officials will hold a public meeting in order to gain further input on proposed designs of the new Lansing City Market. The meeting will occur on Thursday, December 18, at 6:00p.m. in the Governor’s Room at the Lansing Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave..

Studio Intrigue Architects, a Lansing-based firm, has been selected to design the new Market. The firm has held two charrettes with the City Market Vendors Association to generate and prioritize concepts for the proposed design. Those ideas, along with suggestions from previous public charrettes, a USDA architect, Michigan State University specialists and LEPFA management have been transformed by Studio Intrigue into design schematics.

“The use of sustainable and ‘green’ technology principles, maintaining the local character, and soliciting input from surrounding businesses and Lansing residents, are all critical to the overall vision of this plan,” said Eric Hart, Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority (LEPFA) President and CEO. “The meeting will further discussion of the designs proposed for the market,” Hart continued. All members of the community are encouraged to attend the December 18 presentation and participate in the process.

“We want to create a market that is an integral piece of both the downtown landscape and riverfront
re-development. Our hope is that it will fit Lansing’s vision for the future. To do that, we need to rely on public involvement and feedback,” Hart said.

The historic Lansing City Market is managed by LEPFA and was established by the City of Lansing in 1909. It has been located at the corner of Cedar Street and Shiawassee since 1938. It is home to high-quality local farmers, food merchants and artisans that bring their goods to sell to the public in a warm, family-friendly environment. Vendors provide the best-in-quality items at reasonable prices in a unique and inviting atmosphere. Visit the Lansing City Market to experience our personal touch while shopping for the freshest, finest, local products available in the region. http://www.lansingcitymarket.com

-# # #-

 


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Barley’s American Grill (Revisited)

5 12 2008
Barleys American Grill on Miller Road decorated for Christmas

Barley's American Grill on Miller Road decorated for Christmas

I originally reviewed Barley’s American Grill not long after moving to Lansing.  At that time, I had no idea it would become our regular hangout.  Both J and I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, but we’re not really “go out for a beer” regulars.  Every now and then it’s nice, but we’ve never really had a regular hangout.  A few weeks after the initial review, J got a new co-worker and they decided Thursday night was going to be “Beer Thursday” after they got off work at 11:30.  The closest bar to their place of employment is Barley’s American Grill and it’s on the way home for both of them, so that’s what they picked. 

Barley’s American Grill is behind the Meijer on Miller Road.  It’s a huge building with a good size dining room, a good size bar, and a huge gaming area with multiple pool tables and dart boards.  We have our usual booth along the back wall and our usual waitress who doesn’t even come over to ask what we want anymore.  Since it’s 11:30 at night, we usually don’t go for large food items, but we do get a couple appetizers. 

The usual for us is a Blue Moon for J’s co-worker, a Bud Light draft for me, and a frozen strawberry Daiquiri for J.  As for the appetizers, the girls almost always order the spinach-artichoke dip which comes with toasted bagels.  The bagels are the best part.  Instead of throwing some chips out of a bag with the dip, they thinly slice bagels, butter, and toast them.  They’re delicious on their own.  I’m not a fan of spinach or artichoke so I usually pass.  If they have any bagles left over, I’ll try to steal one just to eat by itself. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

Frank’s Press Box – Delta Township

23 11 2008
  • 7216 W. Saginaw Hwy.
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 886-1330
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Franks Press Box on Saginaw Highway in Lansing.

Frank's Press Box on Saginaw Highway in Lansing.

Time for the weekly shopping trip.  We got a little lazy today and slept in pretty late then had a hard time getting going, but we needed to run to Walmart and Horrocks to pick up just a few things before we head home for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Both of us were starving when we left so we decided to eat first. 

Every time we go out that way, we go by Frank’s Press Box on Saginaw Highway.  It always looks deserted, but we always go during the day during the week.  When we pulled into the parking lot today (on a Sunday), the parking lot was the opposite of deserted.  In fact, it was packed.  The inside of the restaurant was no different.  Most of the tables were full and all eyes were pointed at the TV’s.  We figured out later the Lions game was blacked out and the only way to see it was to have the NFL package which Frank’s obviously did. 

The restaurant/sports bar is divided into three rooms.  Near the front is a game room with a number of pool tables.  The bar area also has a large dining room designated as the smoking section then there’s another section separated by a tiny wall and a fireplace designated non-smoking by green paint on a mirror near the back of the space.  The wall did nothing.  My coat smells like cigar smoke which was painfully noticeable during the meal.  Each section has a number of TV’s.  From our table, I could see seven LCD TV’s and each of them had a different football game on, but the audio from the Lions game was pumped in via speakers. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

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