The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc.

Support organizations run with integrity! 517 Hispanic Heritage Weekend - September 19 - September 22, 2024
https://downtownlansing.org/events/ourspace-foundations-annual-517-hispanic-heritage-weekend/thu-sep-19-sun-sep-22-2024-all-day?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3q5zQDM3SfU021Q6AUu8XKQz7lqgpbhe2hbdGce9KTH7aUGWt8fynRpaw_aem_qD_Ii--YbmXlLJuqwtJKXw

Downtown Lansing, Inc Downtown Lansing is a place to unwind, a place to start, a place to connect, a place to live, and a place to celebrate.

For nonprofits and interested parties,

When a nonprofit pulls a liquor license, NO ONE ELSE is to serve alcohol. Let me repeat, "No outside liquor."

The Lansing Fiesta had alcohol on the premises not served by our beer tent. The Fiesta coordinators knew this and deliberately ignored any concerns that we had. Intoxication on the premises was rampant on both nights. We stand by our assertions.

Mr. Antonio Albarez was in the beer tent with someone else with spirits in full view of the public. There was a camper on site that was serving beer and liquor. Attendees and possibly vendors had their own spirits. One person even came to get some of our plastic cups. The plastic cup that had alcohol in it that he tried to throw on our volunteer. This behavior is unacceptable.

This is from the MICHIGAN LIQUOR CONTROL CODE OF 1998 (EXCERPT), Act 58 of 1998

MCL 436 1901 (6)
(6) A retail licensee shall not, on his or her licensed premises, sell, offer for sale, accept, furnish, possess, or allow the consumption of alcoholic liquor that has not been purchased by the retail licensee from the commission, the commission's authorized agent or distributor, an authorized distribution agent certified by order of the commission, or a licensee of the commission authorized to sell that alcoholic liquor to a retail licensee.

If anything had happened, the nonprofit would have been responsible. Their behavior put our nonprofit and our volunteers in danger.

We supported the Lansing Fiesta by promoting the event and advertising. We have the facts and the details.

Note: Thank you for your support and private messages. I am not going to be bullied into backing down, either. And if your nonprofit decides to do business with them, so be it. However, that is not going to stop me. They broke the law and put us at risk. We have also been threatened with "legal action" by someone with a vested interest in protecting Lansing Fiesta. Ridiculous... at some point, we will get to the professional ethics of all these individuals beyond this.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024, 6-7:30 pm - Poetry 4 U: Creative Writing Strategies & Games - Using a variety of writing games and strategies, participants are invited to play with words, images and metaphor. We draw upon our imaginations, memories, and associations thinking to strengthen and develop creative writing abilities and develop greater confidence as writers. FREE & open to the public. Location: the CADL South Lansing Library, 3500 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI.

Why do people who have nothing to do with your situation, want to be involved? People want to use you and then act like they are the victim. We must stand up for ourselves.

When people do wrong, they are wrong. People are just upset when you do not put up with it. If I get to the point where you publicly complain about it, you deserve it.

I can stand behind and provide proof of all of the issues, especially when it comes to protecting myself and others.

The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. is still requesting a meeting about our negative experience with Daniel Ferreyra and Tony Albarez ie The Lansing Fiesta. They put our nonprofit at risk, mistreated our volunteers, and tried to commandeer the beer tent.

Also Daniel used meal tickets as a ploy to act like he was doing us a favor by providing $1.00 tacos with the permission of El Chapparitos restaurant. He used it to leverage discounted beer tickets.

My volunteers returned with rude comments as the person serving from the truck knew nothing about this. Daniel allegedly also has not been working at Sundance since December but has no problem with this still hanging in their restaurant. This photo was taken several weeks after the Lansing Fiesta.

There were so many things that went wrong on purpose. We will be exploring the full extent of this issue so that no other nonprofit has to go through what we went through. They were rude and unprofessional. We even had a situation where Daniel led one of our volunteers to the WRONG table and they figured it out. They just thought they were going to get away with using us and then it literally rained on their parade.

What is even more shameful is that Daniel is acting like nothing happened and he is being attacked. Typical behavior. People will continue to support unethical business people, which is why I have to question why I did not know that he had left Sundance in December and we were not informed. We have a lot of questions.
Photos: Tickets that Daniel had made and gave to us.
Photo of Daniel's flyer that still hangs even though he no longer works there.

Can someone share the Rest Baptist Church flyer about their community event. Thank you.

It has been a busy week at The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. (TNCPCAN). Interview with Stephanie McCoy at WLNS-TV about Poetry in the City.
Remarkable Women are making things happen.
https://tncpnews.com/.../2024/07/6ITCNCPJULY24120-1.mp4

Botlhale Boikanyo won South Africa's Got Talent before she was a teenager. She is visiting Lansing with the Michigan State University Mandela Washington Fellowship program. She will be performing on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Poetry in the City on the Capitol steps from 7-9. Bring a blanket or a chair. FREE
Poetry in the City was founded by a woman who wanted to give a voice to those who wanted to speak on the Capitol steps through poetry.

Botlhale Boikanyo Performs Poem "Africa My Genesis" In a poem about the land, the sky, and more, we cannot get enough ofBotlhale Boikanyo's poem "Africa My Genesis!" You can hear stories like this on July 18th...

Botlhale Boikanyo won South Africa's Got Talent before she was a teenager. She is visiting Lansing with the Michigan State University Mandela Washington Fellowship program. She will be performing on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Poetry in the City on the Capitol steps from 7-9. Bring a blanket or a chair.

Botlhale Boikanyo Performs Poem "Africa My Genesis" In a poem about the land, the sky, and more, we cannot get enough ofBotlhale Boikanyo's poem "Africa My Genesis!" You can hear stories like this on July 18th...

This photo was about 2007 ish?

One of our featured poets Omar R. Anderson is a multifaceted individual with notable contributions to both the legal and artistic communities. He is an attorney based in New York City, having graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Anderson has a profound passion for poetry and has been a consistent presence in the Lansing community's "Poetry in the City" event since its inception in 2005. His poetic works often explore themes of love, life, and human needs, contributing to the vibrant cultural tapestry of Lansing's downtown area. Anderson's dual roles as a legal professional and a poet underscore his diverse talents and commitment to community engagement and artistic expression​.

Omar will be performing on Thursday, July 18, 2024 from 7-9 on the Capitol steps.

Poetry in the City at Francis Park in 2005. It was formally called Poetry in the Park.

Omar Anderson

The talented poet laureate Stokes will be a featured poet. Rosemarie Wilson will co-host with Rina N Risper at Poetry in the City on Thursday, July 18th, 2024, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Capitol steps. Bring a blanket or chair. You can choose to recite or just enjoy. This is our 20th anniversary! You will not be disappointed because no matter what, words are essential.
Here is a bit about Ruelaine:
Ruelaine Stokes is the current Lansing Poet Laureate. She is a poet, spoken word artist, teacher, and arts organizer, as well as, a member of Voices of the Revolution, a feminist performance group focused on social justice issues. She has worked for decades to establish a growing poetry community in the Greater Lansing Area. Currently, she serves as the president of the Lansing Poetry Club.
A collection of her poetry, Jar of Plenty, was published in 2021, and this past summer, she and former Lansing Poet Laureate Laura Apol co-edited a book titled My Secret Lansing, a collection of poetry and prose by 64 area residents about special places and hidden treasures in the Greater Lansing Area.
AND The New Citizens Press Community Action Network will be giving out free copies during this FREE event.

with RRina RiRi Risper

The Mandela Washington Fellows for the Young African Leadership Institute in Civic Engagement arrived on June 19th. This photo is from last year. We got a taste of poetry during a Justice League of Greater Lansing Michigan event at Allen Neighborhood Center.

Join us on Thursday, July 18th from 7-9 pm. Bring a blanket or a chair. We are celebrating our 20th Anniversary.

The talented poet Wilson will co-host with Rina N Risper at Poetry in the City on Thursday, July 18th, 2024, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Capitol steps. Bring a blanket or chair. This is our 20th anniversary! You will not be disappointed because no matter what, words are essential. Bring a poem or sign up there.

Here is a bit about One Single Rose:

Rosemarie Wilson a.k.a. One Single Rose®️ is an award-winning poet and playwright, spoken word artist, singer/songwriter, actress, filmmaker, author of three self-published poetry collections, nice and naughty chapbooks. Rosemarie is the first poet to be filmed in Motown’s infamous Studio A and the first Motown Mic Performance Artist of the Year. Debuting in Detroit as an actor, she has performed nationally and internationally in a few amazing productions. Her notable performances include singing the National Anthem at Detroit Pistons and Motor City Cruise games, TMZ Live commentary cast member, SoFar Detroit performing artist, the Floacist’s Flovertex and Sidewalk Festivals of the Performing Arts in Detroit, MI, Kistrech Poetry Festival in Kisii and Nairobi, Kenya, Piton International Film Festival in St. Lucia, International Videopoetry Festival in Athens, Greece as well as a one-year tour in Europe. She is Piton’s poet laureate and a featured artist and songwriter dubbed Queen Rose with Defected Records, the United Kingdom’s #1 house music record label. Find her streaming on all platforms as One Single Rose®️ or Queen Rose. She is also the first recipient of the Detroit Black Music Spoken Word Award and the first poet published under the Broadside-Lotus Press merger, two of the oldest African-American presses in the United States. As a poetry host, she has hosted various open mics and events as well as performed for local and international dignitaries. For more information on One Single Rose®️, visit [www.onesinglerose.com]

Looking for someone to make gift baskets for a family of four and a male poet - all are from the East Coast. Please inbox me.

RiRi

People are so afraid of what is going on right here that they will be posting stuff from all over the world. I will say that I want nothing to do with it.

I had someone who spoke about a story we supposedly did on someone who was an abuser? I had spoken to her numerous times and they never mentioned anything. As reporters, we do not know everything. Never contacted us about it. There is a difference between being negative and letting others know the truth. The panic... of the truth... is overbearing.

And to Erica M., you "suck" for doing that without ever contacting us and for posting it publically or a post that had NOTHING to do with the newspaper. You could have emailed, called, sent a carrier pigeon or just DM'd me to explain the situation.

And to everyone else, if I lose you in this life, I will see you on the other side. And I mean it. ✔. I will say it to you directly, privately, or publicly.

People need to be warned about what happened to our nonprofit.

Rina RiRi Risper

Daniel Ferreyra did not tell the truth. Attached is his email, after he and Tony Albarez told me on May 30th while sitting in Pablo's Old Town on Michigan Avenue that the reason The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. should pay for the tent was for safety reasons. As you can see below, this is what Daniel sent me.

Point: Daniel knew that we were not going to have police coverage and only wanted us to pay for LPD based on? We really did not have any security when we needed it... ie. when drunk Daniel and Tony commandeered the beer tent. Also when Elias was drunk and trying to get beer and then pour himself a margarita.

This is what I received from the City of Lansing after the Lansing Fiest:
I just received the final billing from LPD and the cost is $1,672.50. I will be refunding the difference from the $3010.50 that you paid. The service estimates are on the high end and that is why we normally wait until after the event to bill for services.

Officers:
Friday- 06/07/24
2 officers (4pm-11pm) 55.75 x 2 = $111.50 x 7hrs = $780.50

Saturday- 06/08/24
2 officers (12pm-8pm) $55.75 x 2 = $111.50 x 8hrs = $892.00
total = $ 1,672.50

It just proves how inappropriate they all are. We should have been secure when they plied people with alcohol and/or encouraged its use.

Apologies and pleading the fifth means nothing when you deliberately act like you came to us for a "diverse" event in November and put us in dangerous situations by also telling people that the beer tent was theirs. NONPROFITS BEWARE of businesses that want to use your liquor license.

The Taqueria El Chaparrito story is next.

Job Opportunities | City of Lansing Employment We have recently acquired an Applicant Tracking System powered by Neogov that will now allow you to create and maintain your personal profile when applying for City employment. This feature is available for all internal and external applicants. Please browse through the following postings to learn a...

It is June, so make ice cream with your family or have an ice cream making party while barbecuing. Someone must be on ice cream duty!

Please remember that our children missed out on particular learning lessons. A child drowned this week. The New Citizens Press has provided some pool safety tips for its readers. Please note that we are still in "pandemic mode." Many children have yet to be socialized to use water safely. Please be vigilant and share.

News Spotlight - Ingham County Sheriff’s Deputies Respond to Drowning - The New Citizens Press Photo by Steward Masweneng / Pexels INGHAM COUNTY – On Monday, June 17, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Ingham County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 2900 block of E. Grand River Avenue in Leroy Twp. for a drowning incident. A 5-year-old boy was located in a pool by his family. First responders began CPR...

Shortly after the Lansing Fiesta, I received ❤️'s on my posts from the owner of Theoretical Tech. When I tell you, my life is full of individuals who exhibit controlling, self-centered, and domineering behaviors. I have no clue why.

For my safety, I blocked him.

He had to be physically removed from the TNCPCAN Beer Tent. I had met him earlier during the day for the first time. He was being disrespectful as he ushered a local restaurant owner into the beer tent. They were speaking in Spanish. Why? So I looked up and told him that I understood what he was saying. lol People are so ignorant. You should have heard what he said... They are just making matters worse. What is this world coming to?

Rina RiRi Risper
Read below for context:

We recently participated in the Lansing Fiesta event held on June 7th and 8th, for which The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. nonprofit held the license. I repeat: THEY DID NOT HOLD THE SPECIAL LICENSE. WE WERE NOT PARTNERS. Daniel Ferreyra asked us, we did not ask him. So many things changed when Tony Albarez came on board, which was significantly later.

Unfortunately, our experience was less than satisfactory. The event's coordination was fraught with organizational issues that significantly impacted our participation. The behavior of the coordinators, who acted as if they were in absolute control, only exacerbated the situation. This lack of collaboration and proper management led to a frustrating experience and at times dangerous situations both on Friday and Saturday.

Based on our experience, we would not recommend that other nonprofits partner with this organization to provide a beer tent or similar services unless a detailed contract is in place. This contract should clearly outline the responsibilities and expectations of both parties to prevent misunderstandings and ensure a smoother collaboration.

Advice for Other Nonprofits who can obtain a Special License:

1. Document Your Experience: We kept a detailed record of all interactions, incidents, and the overall experience. This documentation will be valuable for future reference and discussions.

2. Provide Constructive Feedback: Share your feedback with the event organizers and involved parties. Constructive criticism can help them improve future events and address any recurring issues. We were met with bullying and dismissive behavior.

3. Request a Follow-Up Meeting: If feasible, arrange a meeting with the event organizers to discuss your concerns. This can provide an opportunity for dialogue, understanding, and resolution. In our situation, due to the gaslighting, this is not possible.

4. Contractual Clarity: Before committing to any event, ensure that all agreements are documented in a comprehensive contract. This should clearly define roles, responsibilities, and consequences for non-compliance. On the day of the event, there was a supervisor who was a cousin of one of the coordinators, who had NO authority in the tent.

5. Network with Other Organizations: Connect with other nonprofits that have previously worked with the same organizers. Their insights and experiences can provide valuable advice and help you make informed decisions. I would consider carefully prior to working with them.

6. Evaluate Alternative Opportunities: If an event or partnership proves problematic, consider exploring other opportunities that are known for better organization and cooperation.

By taking these steps, nonprofits can better navigate event partnerships and avoid potential pitfalls. They played a good game. A thorough understanding and clear communication with event organizers are crucial to ensuring a successful and positive experience.

We broke even. More to come after we speak to some other players in this debacle.

It is all part of business. Many of the events were not the result of "first-time" issues. We held the license.

Our volunteers held it down, especially at night. They may not have been aware of the issues at the time.

We were not safe, and our concerns were not heard. Many issues occurred here that need to be discussed with law enforcement and those who approve licenses for events that partner with nonprofits. More details to come.

Note: Nonprofits can receive up to 12 Special liquor licenses per year. The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. nonprofit has 10 left. This was a very time-consuming event. What we learned was revealing. It was not worth it. Raggedy RiRi Rina RiRi Risper

RECOURSE: People who have been taken advantage of, please note that there is always recourse. You have the right to get what you paid for or to remedy circumstances that negatively impact you.

Believe it or not, that is how many laws are created. The state of Michigan also has complaint processes as well. Google what you need. For example, "I would like to make a complaint regarding an auto mechanic in Michigan." If the business is licensed there is LARA.

If that does not work, ask. There are many other resources. If not, there is always a lawyer. It is expensive but if you need one the least you can do is find out what the cost is and if it would be in your best interest.

No matter how "nice" the person behaves do not lose sight of their behavior, especially when it comes to YOUR MONEY!

Why does this feel like an informercial? lol

The nonprofit website is currently not available. Monitoring and maintaining your website's performance is extremely important. We are in the process of making some changes and updates.

It is amazing how much work you can complete when you are focused on helping The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. grow!

Patricia Spitzley is so funny! Before we became friends, I would see her at events. She is always volunteering. What I did not know was how funny she is! Here is Patricia Spitzley opening the door to the refrigerator truck like Storm umm maybe Wonder Woman…. I had the best time.

Thank you to all of the volunteers. Our volunteers cleaned the grounds (Sweden style) and cleaned garbage cans. They served beer and margaritas.

It was so much fun. We set aside spaces for the elderly to come whether they were buying or not!

HaHaHa…look at that face! Thank you to all the volunteers who followed through.

Tonight, May 31, 2024 head on down to the Afterglow Market - Every Friday, Summer 2024 from May 24- September 27th. Located at Rotary Park. 6-10 pm. Najeema Iman is a fantastic host and is a entertainment sponsor of The New Citizens Press.

SAVE THE DATE - Poetry in the City - 20 Year Anniversary Attending the annual Poetry in the City 20th year anniversary event?
awarded us a grant to help
thank supporters who attend. Hope to see you there!

Columnist for Black Gen Z talks about su***de

Gen Z - Let's Talk about Su***de - By Malakai The anxiety and depression rates among Generation Zers are higher than those of previous generations. The result of this is an increase in stress, anxiety, and hopelessness. COVID-19 has worsened mental health outcomes, disrupting education, employment, and socialization. Suicidal ideatio...

Poetry!

Y’all ready for in for the first time at August 25th! Made possible by and !! See you soon!!!