Trustee Stole's Blog

Legislative Update for Lansing - Work Still to be Done

2011-12-01T08:04:00.001-06:00

I am pleased to report (and very thankful) that House Bill 507 passed in the Illinois Senate on Tuesday which extended the term of the Ridge Road TIF District. Now the hard work begins. Informed decisions must be made regarding the use of these funds as they come through the sacrifice of the other taxing bodies within the TIF District. I am excited about the possibilities and the team that the Village has recently assembled to guide us into the future.As for Airport bill, House Bill 503, it was approved by the Senate assignments committee without any opposition but unfortunately was passed over and not called during Tuesday's Senate session. I am disappointed but undeterred. The Mayor, Airport Manager John DeLaurentiis and I will continue to work to ensure that this much needed piece of legislation is passed. Much like the bill for the TIF extension, the airport bill is essential for the Village's ability to stoke the engines of development at the airport.http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/lansing/ridge-road-tif-gets-legislature-s-approval-airport-tax-fate/article_a220a9eb-8825-5465-8b6b-169123057466.html

Lansing's 2011 Legislative Agenda

2011-10-27T13:09:00.002-05:00

There are currently two bills in the Illinois Legislature that have been drafted for Lansing.

Our first bill, House Bill 503, was original proposed in the early part of this year. It seeks to eliminate lease hold taxes at the Lansing Airport. In a nutshell Lansing is the landlord and the businesses on the airport, our tenants, are having to pay rent but are also being taxed by the Cook County Assessor a lease hold tax. By way of example, there is a tenant on the airport that pay roughly $12,000.00 a year in rent and is being taxed approximately $50,000.00 a year in lease hold taxes by Cook County. This issue has significantly impacted our current tenants and the Village's ability to procure new tenants. You can follow HB 503 at http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=0507&GAID=11&GA=97&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=56289&SessionID=84

Our second bill, House Bill 507 is a new bill of sorts seeking to extend the downtown Lansing TIF district an additional 12 years. You can follow HB 507 at http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=0507&GAID=11&GA=97&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=56289&SessionID=84

Both bills are extraordinarily important to the future success and viability of Lansing. Stay tuned.

Legislative District Reapportionment

2011-04-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to testify before an Illinois House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Redistricting required by law now the 2010 census results are final.

I testified on behalf of the Village of Lansing and I made the following three recommendations to the Committee:

1) That Lansing be comprised of less legislative districts (currently 6; 3 Representative Districts and 3 Senatorial Districts);

2) That Lansing be districted with other suburban communities and not the City of Chicago (currently 4 of 6 Districts are shared with neighborhoods of Chicago); and

3) That Lansing be districted with communities that similar Illinois/Indiana boarder issues for fair representation in legislature.

Here is the Northwest Indiana Times Article http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/south-holland/article_7001f53a-9158-5645-a54b-ff5ea73d646c.html

Touch a Truck at Airport

2011-04-09T20:27:00.003-05:00

Quick plug for the Touch A Truck fundraiser for the Lansing Police cadets at the Lansing Airport on April 16, 2011 at 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. $5 per person or a family pass for $20. Hope to see you there.

Shannon's Landing

2010-07-08T11:01:00.002-05:00

An interesting item appeared in Mark Kiesling’s commentary article yesterday (link below). Kiesling writes: “Maybe Stole is telling the truth and Soto and his partner somehow misunderstood”.

I will settle on this being interpreted as a misunderstanding of sorts. Vince Soto and his business partner (together a/k/a ACED Inc.) are good guys and astute businessmen. The Village was eager to do business with ACED Inc. as their business track record was nothing short of impressive. I wish them continued success on their future endeavors.

I thought that Kiesling was objective in his column despite the fact that he did not contact me and only spoke with Mr. Soto. I assume my quotes were taken from another source.

The main thrust of the column suggests the possibility that ACED was forced out because a relative of a village trustee was interested in operating Shannon’s. This is simply untrue, especially when it was ACED’s proposal that was selected over the proposal submitted by the relative when the Village was considering a new concessionaire back in the Fall of 2009. This fact seems to have been ignored or forgotten. Ultimately, I was surprised when ACED informed the Village that they would not elect to exercise their option to extend the agreement past the initial three month term.

In any event, the Village is moving forward and we are currently in the process of preparing the terms for a request for proposals to operate the space occupied by the former Shannon’s Landing. It is likely that a small committee will be formed to review the applicant’s proposals and to conduct an interview process. I assure the residents that this process with be conducted with the utmost integrity and that the concession permit will be granted to the applicant who is the best fit for Village long term.

I urge Village residents to follow Kiesling’s advice. Keep your eye on what happens at the former Shannon’s Landing and all municipal activities for that matter.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/mark-kiesling/article_5cdc105b-f6ee-5d91-965e-e32c10343bfa.html

2010-06-12T16:34:00.001-05:00

June 13th is the Annual Wings and Wheels at the Lansing Municipal Airport from 7am to 3pm. Come see experimental aircraft and antique cars.

Village of Lansing Misconception #1 - Clocktower

2010-06-05T10:32:00.002-05:00

I wanted to do a top ten list of rumors, myths, and common misconceptions about the Village of Lansing but rather than waiting until I gather ten (appropriate) rumors, myths, and common misconceptions I figure I'd post them as I am confronted with them.
So the most common myth I hear is: "The Village spent tax dollars on the clock tower in downtown Lansing". I am have probably hear this at least 20 plus times. No exaggeration. It has definitely come up at the Meet the Mayor sessions in the past as well as Village Board Meetings.

The clock tower was in fact NOT a Village of Lansing project but one of the Lan Oak Parks FOUNDATION, which is also separate from the Lan Oak Park DISTRICT. The Parks Foundation is an organization whose purpose is to raise money from generous donors in order to improve and maintain the recreational and leisure quality of life to the residents of Lansing.

I believe that the clock tower is a wonderful addition to the downtown area and works well especially with the numerous activities that the Park District and Chamber host in the downtown area.

So for the record, Village of Lansing funds, whether tax dollars, grants, or State or Federal contributions were not used to build the clock tower. If in fact Village funds were used to construct the clock tower I would share in the frustration of those who believe this myth.

I can see where the confusion lies, as many organizations and different governmental taxing bodies such as the Lan Oak Park District and the school districts are situated in Lansing. This does not however mean that the Village has much control over such organizations and it certainly does not mean that the Village funds are spent on their projects.

2010 Lan Oak Park District Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-04T12:28:00.001-05:00

Despite the rain the annual Easter Egg Hunt was well attended as usual. This was the first year (in recent memory) it was consolidated into one location and held in the Park Plaza in downtown Lansing. As many know, this is also the site of the Lan Oak Park District Farmer's Market in the Summer and Fall months. It was a great idea to draw the residents into the downtown area this year.

Welcome Home Michael Dekker

2010-03-22T20:14:00.002-05:00

Tonight the Village welcomed home Lansing resident Michael Dekker who returned from serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. I send a sincere thank you to Michael for his service.

Sewer Rate Increase

2010-03-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

I have to take aim tonight at a recent article written in the Northwest Indiana Times regarding the Village Board’s March 16th vote to increase the sewer rate. (see link http://nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/article_85e39eb4-96d2-5d17-be49-dd084aba45ad.html) Unfortunately the article misleadingly reported that the Village Board in “less than a minute” voted to “double” the sewer rate “without discussion”.
First off, and this isn’t a biggie but, it would have been more accurate to say that the sewer rate was nearly doubled (.75 cents isn’t twice as much as .40 cents). That being said, this approach was taken a step further when it was misleadingly reported that there was no discussion and the vote was a “quickie”.
The reason why there was no “discussion” at the March 16th meeting was due to the fact it wasn’t a Committee of the Whole (discussion meeting) and that when a matter is up for a on a vote at a Regular Meeting of the board it has already been discussed previously in an open meeting 99% of the time!!!. In fact, an informed discussion and “explanation” took place at a previous Committee of the Whole Meeting on March 9, 2010 prior to the vote on March 16th. Curiously the reporter acknowledges this previous meeting in the very article he suggests that no discussion existed. Further, and curiously, this same reporter wrote an article on the explanation and discussion that took place on March 9, 2010 see link http://nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/article_8c800325-09b8-5143-8203-ee4a62880e53.html. I am troubled that the article intentionally neglects to acknowledge the natural progression of when items are discussed and then subsequently voted upon by the Board. It is more likely that not that when an item is up for vote there is absolutely no discussion because it has been discussed.
I also take issue with implication that since the vote occurred in less than a minute the board was either not informed or was attempting to pull a fast one on the community. Why the emphasis on the vote being less than a minute or a “quickie” vote??? What is an appropriate length of time for a vote to take place??? All Village Board votes I have ever witnessed or been a part of have transpired in less than 30 seconds. A vote consists is six people saying “aye” or “no”, as aforementioned the discussion takes place generally at previous meetings. The length of the vote is not a direct reflection of the consideration the board as given an issue or the extent the Board was informed. Let me set the record straight so there is no confusion, all votes are “quickies”.
It is this type of sensational journalism that creates unnecessary discontent within the community. The effect leaves the residents uninformed rather than providing an actual account of the information the board considered, reviewed and discussed. I have been approached by residents who have interpreted this article to mean that the Board made a decision without discussing it or looking into it because the result meant a raise in the rate which we were trying to hide it.
Ok, enough venting, now for some analysis.
As it relates to the increase in sewer rates, prior the recent increase to .75 cents the sewer rate was .40 per thousand gallons used. The average household uses between 24,000 to 30,000 gallons of water per three month billing cycle. The last increase in sewer rates was 12 years ago. The central rationale for increasing the rate is that the Village must charge at minimum an amount that it actually costs the Village to provide the services, maintain, and to eventually replace. Unless the Village charges an amount that it actually costs then a deficit is created in the sewer budget and money from the general fund must be used to make up the deficit.
Here is a very brief outline of some of the specific reasons for the increase: 1) Federal and State regulations are constantly increasing such as permit fees and inspection mandates; 2) repairs, maintenance is needed in our 14 lift stations, of which 6 are pre-1980 and 4 are pre-1990, due to aging and deteriorating infrastructure; 3) Costs of routine maintenance have increased such as televising our sanitary sewers and cutting the roots in the sewers on a regular basis. Further, we need to keep up with the frequent basin cave-ins and blockages to keep our streets draining; 4) From a long term planning standpoint it is important to set aside funds to address the some problems provided in #3 before they occur.
Finally, below is a list of the sewer rates of surrounding south suburban communities per 1,000 gallons. I provide these rates with a disclaimer -- I don’t mean to provide this information to make some simpleton suggestion that ‘since other towns charge more, we should charge more just because they are’. This was not my justification for voting to increase the rate but it is interesting to see what other villages and towns charge as a means of determining if our rates are within reason.
South Holland $.47
Orland Park $.60 with $19.60 cap
Calumet City $.62
Lansing - $.75
Hickory Hills -$.77
Bridgeview - $.79
Tinley Park $.70 + $5.00 per month fee
Richton Park $1.11 (per cubic ft.)
Midlothian - $1.28
County Club Hills - $1.44
Evergreen Park - $1.60
Oak Lawn $1.70
Flossmoor $1.91
Olympia Fields $2.20
Villa Park $2.31
Homewood $2.74 + $2.74 per quarter admin. Fee
Mokena - $3.60
Lynwood - $25 sanitary/$10 storm bi monthly
Crete - $3.91

It is our instinctive nature to view increases rates and taxes negatively, and for good reason, however I believe the increase in the sewer rate was justified and necessary for the reasons set forth above and in the best interests of the Village.

Committee of the Whole Meeting - Garbage Discussion - Part IV

2010-01-13T02:51:00.003-06:00

Please forgive me for the typos in the installments in my Garbage Discussion posts – it is currently 2:52a.m. the night of the board meeting and I have not proofread the foregoing. I will do clean up and revising of this post soon I just wanted to get this out there.

Committee of the Whole - Garbage Discussion - Part III

2010-01-13T02:42:00.002-06:00

Not a ‘Done Deal”

What was ultimately most frustrating was that there was a presumption during public comment that this was a ‘done deal’. I do see where people got that impression but such was simply not the case. This was evidenced by the board’s discussion and after Trustee Kapteyn’s presentation was concluded. The first to comment was Trustee Lucas that she thought we should keep the garbage and attempt to find ways to make it more economical. The remainder of the board concluded that Trustee Kapteyn’s findings as currently comprised didn’t warrant a change to privatization at this time without any additional information suggesting otherwise. Had this been a done deal there would have been no questions of Trustee Kapteyn and no discussion of the board.

As I mentioned at the meeting, this was not a done deal as I simply haven’t even discussed the matter with 4 of the six Trustees. There was no preordained consensus of the Trustees entering the meeting. That is why we have board meetings. The trustees are limited by the Illinois Open Meetings Act from discussing Village business in groups without notice of a public meeting. The meeting was a ‘Committee of the Whole Meeting’ whereby a particular committee member or Mayor advances a measure for the board to discuss and potentially vote on at such later date so long as the board agrees and is satisfied with the information presented to vote on the matter.

I submit that if this board did not have a discussion regarding privatization we wouldn’t be doing our jobs as Trustees for this Village. I understand that the perception that since we were discussing Allied Waste as a private company in particular that this was a done deal. It should have been made explicitly clear that Allied Waste was the company that was chosen to serve as a basis of having a privatization discussion.

My feelings

In my "regular job" as an attorney the decisions that I make on behalf of clients and/or arguments I make to the Court must be informed, intelligent and based in fact. The basis for making certain recommendations or arguments must be submitted with specificity. I am not trained as an accountant, doctor, appraiser, psychiatrist, etc. and when my decision or the decision of the Court rests on issues pertaining to issues outside my relative expertise I hire an expert in one of these fields to do an analysis, make a recommendation, and assist providing the explanation on why a course of action is necessary or warranted.

I believe that for the Village to really explore this issue an expert, whether be an accountant or otherwise, be hired to determine what is necessary for the Village for the to continue to providing the garbage service. It must be determined how much will it cost the resident to continue to provide the service while maintaining the trucks and other costs of operation. I am not an accountant or business evaluator but I believe that a “price / cost analysis” needs to be performed for a period of the next 15 years, taking into consideration the lifespan of the trucks as a consistent and reoccurring cost to ultimate inform the board of this cost the residents need to be charged.

I think everyone has to agree that there exists a theotretical situtation where the cost to the village and the residents is just too great that privatization is necessary. However, I don’t know without a professional opinion we the board are qualified to make a determination that we are certainly in such a situation. Accordingly, without more I cannot support privatization at this time.

Stay Tuned

Committee of The Whole - Garbage Discussion - Part II

2010-01-13T02:36:00.002-06:00

Public Comment

The evening started, and essentially ended for a majority of the crowd, with public comment. Normally public comment is reversed for the end of a village board meeting since Mayor Podgorski’s administration. Prior to that time it was held in the beginning of the meeting. Essentially the public comment portion is basically what its name suggests – public comment. Tonight’s meeting turned into a forum. The Mayor has been holding monthly forums to discuss various matters with the village residents in a question and answer format which is where residence and elected officials can expect to debate issues. Previously this board has engaged with various individuals during public comment and were advised by counsel that public comment is not the appropriate forum to debate matters. In retrospective should this have been explained tonight in advance? Yes. I think this added to the frustration of many of the audience member who believed that we are being intentionally secretive or unresponsive to questions of the audience. Many of the same questions were raised by the Trustees after Trustee Kapteyn's presentation.

Once public comment was concluded 75% of the audience left without hearing 1) the actual committee report on the potential privatization of garbage; or 2) hearing the questions, concerns and feelings of the board members on the issue. This was frustrating but I believe that it wasn’t made apparent to the audience that there was going to be a presentation by the Chairperson of Public Works, Trustee Kapteyn and discussion by the board.

Tonight the board was not responding to the inquiries of many of the residents because 1) it is public comment and we are not supposed to engage people in a public debate, 2) the board didn’t have the answers because the report Trustee Kapteyn had not been given at that time and we had questions of our own. Many of the questions the members of the audience were asking were the same questions the trustees had prepared in advance.

Committee of the Whole - Refuse Disscussion Part 1

2010-01-13T02:29:00.004-06:00

As I previously posted tonight’s meeting was set to begin the discussion of the possibility of the privatization of garbage. The board’s preliminary conclusion this evening was that the matter should not be voted on next week as there currently isn’t enough information warranting a change and that a subcommittee be formed to investigate further.

Before getting into further details of the meeting as pertaining to garbage, I need to make mention of two things that really stand out from the meeting.

I want to begin by thanking everyone who attended the meeting. Participation of residents and employees in local government is essential to the evolution and progress of this Village. Any community without residents that provide input or monitor progress is susceptible to regression and failure. I would also like to thank that those who spoke with such passion about a critical issue regarding the Village. Our village government does not belong to the Trustee or the Mayor it belongs to the residents as a whole. Tonight made me very proud to be a member of our community let alone be a Trustee.

Secondly, I want to state that it is undisputed that the refuse department and Lansing Public Works as whole is a largely one of the reasons why this is and has been a tremendous community to live in. Historically Public Works has always done a great job. As someone stated tonight we have “Cadillac service” here in town. Again,it is undisputed that Lansing Public Works does a first rate job.

These points being made I walked away from tonight’s meeting feeling very frustrated. Mainly because I feel like so much explanation on how village board meetings are conducted particularly how issues are presented, discussed and decided by the board was not made necessarily clear to tonight's audience.

Garbage Discussion

2010-01-05T20:13:00.003-06:00

No meeting was held tonight as announced at the final December meeting.

At next week's meeting the board will review the Village refuse department and discuss the possibility of privatization of garbage pickup. As always the residents are invited to provide their input. The meeting will be January 12, 2010 at 7:30p.m. at the Lansing Police Station. Below I have included the links to a couple of articles that have been written on the subject.

http://nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/article_c11add03-0f42-5cf3-bd8a-b2cf753234e8.html

http://www.shoppersource.com/articles/2010/01/05/news/010610-residents.txt

October 8, 2009 - Meet the Mayor

2009-10-11T21:07:00.002-05:00

I would like to thank the library for hosting the October 8th "Meet the Mayor". I believe it went over as a success.

It was the first "Meet the Mayor" of the Abbott administration and a change in format from previous administrations. Norm will be asking one trustee to participate in each session as well as a representative from one of the Village's departments. For the first session Chief Murrin and I were asked by the Mayor to participate.

From my standpoint it was a great opportunity to interact with the residents, provide them with some background on items were new with the airport, and do some question and answer.

Much of the discussion on the 8th involved:

1. What the Village was doing to address crime;
2. Economic Development (Sam's Club and TIF spending);
3. The Economic State of the Village.

I encourage residents to attend the next Meet the Mayor even if they don't have a particular question to ask. It is an excellent chance to be updated on items and issues addressed inside and outside the Village Board meetings.

I believe that the next session will be at the Eisenhower Center and Trustee Kapteyn will be participating. When I receive more information on date and time I will post it.

September 15, 2009 - Public Comment Cont.

2009-09-15T23:54:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank all of the residents that attended tonight’s meeting to discuss the issues raised in public comment portion. When the Village partners with its residents to address these concerns we take a big step forward as a community. I share a lot of same concerns and frustrations expressed tonight by fellow residents.

I would suggest that the Village work to create a committee to periodically address these legitimate concerns and discuss with the measures that being taken not only the police but also school administrations. I would propose that committee be constituted of an individual from the community, a member of the police department, and representative from the schools. This committee could work also in conjunction with the Neighborhood Watch programs.

On a side note: Someone brought up one of my biggest pet peeves here in town – children and teenagers walking in the street and not using the sidewalk. It is even more frustrating when it evident that they are attempting to assert how fearless and tough they are by walking down the middle of Ridge Road for instance. The police department has stated that citations have been issued in some cases. I encourage citations being issued for students intentionally walking in street as opposed the sidewalk. This is a practice that is becoming all too frequent in my estimation not only on the way home from school but when school is not in session.

September 15, 2009 Board Meeting - Public Comment

2009-09-15T23:23:00.003-05:00

Also tonight two different groups attended the meeting to discuss matters of concern in Lansing. First, a group of residents presented signed letters expressing their concern regarding incidents of burglaries in their neighborhood. Second, a residents and parents of children attending Lansing schools attended to discuss the rash of fights and violence with TFS students. Between both groups I estimate approximately 10 people stood up to speak. Then Police Chief Murrin addressed the group and outlined the steps that the police department has already put into place to remedy the violence occurring on the way home from school and what the department will be doing in the future to prevent these disturbing recent events. The Chief pointed out that an overwhelming majority of the individuals involved in these incidents have been arrested and/or ticketed and the matter is being handled by the juvenile justice system. The individuals involved in the fights on Coolidge property were also issued no trespassing orders restraining them from reentering the property. The Chief also pointed out that these incidents were not gang related.

Over the past week there has been a greater police presence at TFS in addition to the full time officer that is the detective for the school. Lansing is also asking the Lynwood police department to assist since close to half of the students enrolled are from Lynwood. Since the additional police presence as been added the TFS administration has stated that the change has been night and day. Chief Murrin handled comments and questions from the audience for approximately 20 minutes and in the end he was applauded. It was well deserved. (note: The applause part won’t hit the paper because the reporter left in the middle of the session) My simple passage here does not do justice to his description of the measures that the department has taken and intends to take to address these matters.

September 15, 2009 Board Meeting - Garbage

2009-09-15T23:07:00.003-05:00

Tonight's board meeting produced a number of notable items. First the board unanimously voted to increase the garbage rates from $13.50 on a single family home to $18.00 per month and from $9.00 to $12.00 for seniors. The rationale is simple. The Village is charging the residents the amount that it costs the Village to perform the garbage service. In years past the Village has subsidized any shortfall from amount collected from the residents by taking from the general fund. I take no great pleasure in raising costs but it is evident that the costs to the Village have gone up and no additional costs can be spared or cut. I am confident that we made the correct decision and progress from the standpoint of the Village finances was made.

Thank You and Congratulations Kathy Dahlkamp

2009-08-08T22:01:00.003-05:00

Last night was the retirement party for Kathy Dahlkamp who has retired after 24 years of service to the Village of Lansing. Kathy's dedication and service to the Village during that time has been truly impressive. She was elected Village Clerk for four terms and also served as the mayor's secretary for 8 years under Dan Podgorski. I regret that I only had 3 months of working with Kathy. Thank you and congratulations Kathy for everything that you have done.

I had a wonderful evening socializing with those in attendance which included past and present Village employees and officials. (And no the party wasn't paid for by the Village but rather by those in attendence) Thank you to those who worked to put together the event.

July 14, 2009 Committee of the Whole Meeting

2009-07-12T20:58:00.002-05:00

In reviewing the agenda for the upcoming Committee of the Whole Meeting there is a tremendous amount of items set for discussion. Probably the most notable item is the 2009-2010 Budget/ Appropriations. Approximately 9 out of every 10 times that I have been in the Village Hall in the last eight weeks the Mayor has been meeting with the Treasurer working on the budget or budget related items. I give the Mayor, Treasurer, and the department heads a lot of credit for working extremely hard in preparing this budget considering the difficult economic times the country as a whole has been experiencing.

4th of July at Lan Oak Park

2009-07-03T13:21:00.002-05:00

The newspapers and radio stations have reported that many Chicago Suburban Villages and Park Districts are foregoing fireworks displays this year. I am happy to report that Lan Oak Park District isn't in the class of unfortunately cases. Fireworks at Lan Oak Park commence at dusk.

Strategic Planning Session #1

2009-07-03T12:43:00.002-05:00

I just finished Strategic Planning Session #1 at the Lansing Municipal Airport with the Airport Manager John DeLaurentiis. Prior to today we had a number of preparatory informational meetings that provided a foundation for today's discussion. As a result of today's meeting we were able to put together ten issues that require attention and ranked in order of importance and immediacy. John also gave informative presentation using the Harvard Business School's STOW Analysis (Strengths, Threats, Opportunity, Weakness) from the Lansing Municipal Airport perspective. This analysis will be one of the items reviewed in developing long term plans for the Airport.

First Blog

2009-06-04T23:33:00.002-05:00

I thought it could be potentially insightful to chronicle my time as a Village Trustee for the Village of Lansing and post it for all to read. I envision this to be a space where I could post my thoughts and opinions, give notice of events, correct inaccuracies in newspaper articles, share Lansing history lessions I pickup along the way, and provide information on municipal and community matters.