Halloween is just around the corner, which means East Lansing is alive with all the fun that comes this time of year!

In addition to trick-or-treating in East Lansing’s residential neighborhoods on October 31, 2014 from 6-8 p.m., there are several other activities in East Lansing on Thursday, October 23. These include:

Most of us are shut out of the glamour and mystery surrounding the movie shoot at the Broad Museum. Fortunately, we are all invited to a CD release party this evening, for local band Jackalope’s new recording I Herd Songs.

In 2010 our nation was plagued with a rash of teen suicides in the LGBTQ community. At the time, Krista Rowe was a student on the MSU campus who saw the need to build a faith community among her LGBTQ friends on campus. Rev. Jenn Tafel volunteered to offer clergy support, and Queer Christians Reclaiming Our Sexuality and Spirituality (“QCROSS”) was born at MSU that fall as a response to the tragedy.

Ted Wilson, owner and founder of Michigan Shirt Works, wants downtown East Lansing to once again be a family destination. His aim is to become known for providing innovative design services and for providing fun for families in East Lansing while printing any design on any article of apparel.. “When I was growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, my family and others regularly came to downtown East Lansing,” Wilson says, adding, “That’s not the case anymore, and I want to be part of changing that.”

Six new works of art that will double as bicycle racks are to be celebrated at an East Lansing ribbon-cutting event next week. Ami Van Antwerp, Communications Coordinator for the City, estimates that the $20,000 project will net “at least 10 new [bicycle] parking spaces” downtown. According to Van Antwerp, “There are a couple of situations where we are replacing deteriorating hoops with the new artistic bike racks.”

Note: ELi is instituting new weekly features! Today we introduce our new Saturday feature, “City of the Smarts.” This weekly column will fill you in on geeky pleasures of and brain-enhancing opportunities in East Lansing. If you have news of a local brainy pleasure to share, use our contact form.

The East Lansing Planning Commission met last night (October 9), reviewing several important proposals in enough depth to have the meeting run over four hours. No votes were taking on these projects. The meeting concluded with one commissioner challenging critical remarks made by Mayor Nathan Triplett about the Commission on Triplett’s Facebook page. (ELi covers that in a separate report.)