statenews.com | 4/7/14 | @thesnews Michigan State University’s independent voice
‘Girl Code’ comes to campus
Marijuana on the ballot?
Two cast members of popular MTV show draw crowds at MSU
Attorney hopes to decriminalize recreational marijuana in East Lansing
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Satrang shows off Indian culture Allison Brooks/The State News
International relations senior Anagha Bharadwaj rehearses her dance routine Saturday for the Satrang dance production
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Looking the part Communication senior “Pastel Moon” wears a Lolita street fashion outfit Sunday at the Shuto Con convention at the Lansing Center and the Radisson Hotel in Lansing. Shuto Con is an annual convention in Lansing centered around anime, artists and interactive cosplay.
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Red Cedar River drainage dispute prompts lawsuit against Lansing By Michael Kransz mkransz@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
The owner of a Lansingarea shopping center is taking the city of Lansing to court over allegations that city officials are using a proposed drainage project to underwrite construction costs on a private development on the Red Cedar Golf Course property. Brought against the city by Lansing Retail Center LLC, which owns Frandor Shopping Center, the lawsuit claims a proposed drainage project will make the Red Cedar Golf Course viable for construction using taxpayer dollars from a proposed special drainage assessment. But MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson, who is working with Ohio-based property developer Franklin Kass to buy the Red Cedar Golf Course from the city and transform it into a mixed-use development called the Red Cedar Renaissance project, said the lawsuit has no grounds. “People can write and accuse people of anything,” Ferguson said. “They ain’t got shit.”
photos by Erin Hampton/The State News
Anime fans dress up and gather for annual Shuto Con convention By Casey Holland cholland@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
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his past weekend was a time for Elsa and Anna from “Frozen” to enjoy a meal with Sherlock Holmes. It was an opportunity for Pokémon trainers from across the country to compete in battles, and for Deadpool to draw in crowds for a hiphop dance party. Shuto Con, Lansing’s annual anime convention, returned to the Lansing Center for the fourth year this past weekend. The weekend was filled with various panels, guest speakers, video viewing and 24-hour game rooms. More than 5,000 costume-
clad guests were housed within the walls of the Lansing Radisson Hotel, Crowne Plaza Lansing West and Lansing Quality Suites for the convention. Although each day had a different agenda of main events, one element was prevalent throughout the weekend — everyone participated in cosplay by dressing from head-to-toe like their favorite characters. Shuto Con chair Stefanie Shall said the event was meant to celebrate Japanese animation, or anime, cartoons and manga. However, they also encouraged attendees to celebrate pop culture, western comics and British media such as the television series “Doctor Who.” Even humanoid versions of “My Little Pony” characters were seen mingling
The Montgomery Drain currently washes polluted storm water into the Red Cedar River
MORE THAN 5,000 COSTUMED GUESTS ATTENDED SHUTO CON
From left to right, OCC student Mark Wilson, LCC student Michael Loutner and Pontiac, Mich., resident Stephen Gary play ninja Sunday at Shuto Con at the Lansing Center and the Radisson Hotel in Lansing.
To see a video about the Shuto Con convention, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
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According to a January 2013 email circulated among city officials and used as court ev idence, a drain project proposed by Ingham County Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann “would potentially save millions in construction costs relating to the expense of constructing building foundations within the flood plain. “A percentage of the savings would then be paid back to the city by the development,” the email said. T h e p r oj e c t c e n t e r s around fixing the Montgomery Drain, which currently washes storm water pollutants from the Frandor Shopping Center and surrounding areas into the Red Cedar River.
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Stargazers enjoy observatory open house
More than $167K allocated to East Lansing for additional winter road maintenance
By Olivia Dimmer odimmer@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS
By Sara Konkel
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Dim red lights cast a spaceship-like glow inside the MSU Observatory this weekend as staff opened its doors for its monthly open house. Multiple telescopes were set up outside the building, but the main attraction, the 24-inch reflecting telescope encased in a dome on top of the building, lured a line of participants stretching down two flights of stairs and out the door. The MSU Observatory holds a weekend of public viewing once each month. This weekend’s viewing focused on the crescent moon, Jupiter and Mars. Retired MSU Professor Emeritus Horace Smith oversaw the 24-inch telescope and periodically adjusted the dome over-
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Julia Nagy/The State News
Farmington, Mich., resident Steven Koponen holds his daughter Mirabella, 9, so she can see the craters on the Moon on Sunday at the MSU Observatory, 4299 Pavilion Dr.
head, which opened and moved to allow stargazers a good view. “You can’t compete with the pictures of Jupiter taken by,
say, the Galileo space probe,” Smith said. “Still, there’s an immediacy about being able
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A f ter a harsh w inter depleted funding geared toward road maintenance, more than $167,000 in special appropriation funding is coming to East Lansing to help offset the cost of necessary road repairs. The funding East Lansing received is part of a $100 million supplemental appropriations bill, which Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law on March 14, for special winter road maintenance in Michigan. Of the $100 million, individual counties received $39.1 million, cities and villages received $21.8 million and the Michigan Depart-
ment of Transportation, or MDOT, received $39.1 million. The money was allocated to different cities, villages and counties based on factors such as road mileage and population. They are required to use the funding for winter maintenance costs. The money MDOT received will be used to repair state trunklines.
Money was allocated to different cities, villages and counties based on factors such as population East Lansing Director of Public Works Todd Sneathen said the money allocated to the city will help cover the costs associated with all the extra manpower needed for tasks such as
snow plowing, salt use, vehicle use and vehicle wear and tear. “This replenishes funds that we would typically use for prohibitive maintenance that we had to use in order to take care of all the snow and ice removal this winter,” Sneathen said. But the funding only covers a small portion of the overall need for road funding in the area, East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett said. The appropriation was necessary after the winter diminished the available budget for road maintenance, MDOT Director of Communications Jeff Cranson said. “We expect it to be at least $40 million over when winter is finally tallied,” Cranson said. Cranson said the five-year
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