Three Happy Bits of East Lansing News, and a Special “Ask” to Send Us More

Above: Photo from Bud, Branch & Blossom Landscaping

Here are three happy bits of news from ELi and a request that you send us more that our great staff can report!

Local Kid Is Still Making the Flowers Bloom

Back in 2015, Telaina Eriksen reported for us on 14-year-old Tommy Morgan of East Lansing starting his own landscaping business, following his long-time love of horticulture. Thanks to a certain virus causing the cancellation of the Lansing Home and Garden Show, Morgan – who is now all grown up and goes by “Tom” – sent us photos to “share some color and joy.”

With that, we thought we’d give deliver the good news that Morgan’s business – Bud, Branch, & Blossom – is still going strong, six years later. There are not many people who will be able to celebrate their business’s ten-year anniversaries when they turn 24.

We can also report the daffodils are coming up in East Lansing.

Burcham-Henge Is Coming Early This Year

Local beloved event Burcham-Henge will be centered on March 19 this year, instead of the usual March 20 or 21. It may feel like the sun knew we need it sooner, but the early arrival is actually due to the Leap Year.

Burcham-Henge is the equinoctial phenomenon that causes the sun to line up perfectly down Burcham Drive at sunrise and sunset during the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. You can learn more about it here.

The Equinox will be at 11:49 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. That will be when the sun is directly over the equator somewhere in the world (this year, the Indian Ocean south of India). The closest sunrise to the equinox is still on the 20th, which means the best Burcham-Henge viewing will be on the 20th. This screenshot shows the lining-up of sunrise (7:42 a.m.) on March 20.

Explains Aron Sousa, namer of Burcham-Henge, "To the naked eye, it won’t be possible to tell the difference between the sunrises on the mornings of the 18-21."

So, sure, the National Weather Service says its going to rain on Thursday. But don’t worry – you can also see Burcham-Henge Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. And maybe it won’t rain then.

We can also report that if it rains, East Lansing’s daffodils will benefit.

The River Trail Extension Is Going to Happen

We’ll be bringing a report on that specifically soon, but lovers of the River Trail can rest assured that the trail is indeed going to be extended along the Red Cedar River east from Hagadorn Road all the way to Foods for Living.

That will allow trail users a way to get from campus to the bike lane on Park Lake Road, which then gets you to the Interurban Trail. Or you can just keep going north on Park Lake Road and head to Costco, where there’s bike parking (although not as much as required by ordinance). By the time the trail is done, there will be plenty of toilet paper at Costco again.

We want to report more good news.

Many of our reporters are stuck home right now looking for work. We would love to give them assignments that bring good news to our stuck-at-home readers from around town. What have you got? Let us know.

Don't have ideas? Then throw us a little money to keep us going.