ASSAULT |
SOCCER | Team’s schedule filled with
Sheriff’s department still searching for suspect in sunday morning attack near UNIversity meadows, 4
tough, non-conference competition Construction | renovations, reconstructions close buildings, parking lots across campus
Central Michigan Life
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
Le Tour de Mont Pleasant, Summer Festival this weekend By Amelia Eramya Lead Designer
Le Tour de Mont Pleasant and the Mount Pleasant Summer Festival will be held side by side for the first time this year. Festival Vice President Robin Curtis said it was a collaboration to make both events bigger and better. “We’re hoping for success on both sides,� she said. The Summer Festival will begin with the carnival at 3 p.m. Thursday at Island Park, 331 N. Main St. After the start of the festival, the first concert of Max and Emily’s annual summer concert
series will begin at 7 p.m. in the street outside of the downtown eatery, 125 E. Broadway St. Le Tour de Mont Pleasant will begin Friday with a sponsor reception at the CMU Events Center and the races will begin 8 a.m. Saturday. “Summerfest provides after-race activities for our guests,� said Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Hadden. “It’s perfect for us that racers will have something to do.� Hadden said almost 300 racers are registered for the third annual Tour, and she expects the number of participants to double by the
start of the race. There were 400 racers in 2009 and 600 in 2010. “We’re expecting more because we added the time trial event on Saturday,� she said. “There will be nonstop action.� Hadden said the race will begin at 5:30 p.m. Racers will begin biking every 30 seconds on a 4-mile course. Along with the time trial, there will be nine other road races for racers of different levels and ages. “Most Michigan races are level D or E,� Hadden said regarding the rankings of the USA Cycling organization. “We’re on level B, which is a
really high ranking, so we get a lot of national racers.� In addition to having a high-ranking race in Michigan, Hadden said Le Tour de Mont Pleasant holds the largest children’s race in the state. April Osburn, vice president of membership programs for the Chamber of Commerce, said there were 110 participants at last year’s children’s race. “We can accommodate up to 120 children, ages 3 to 9, and they can be on tricycles all the way up to regular bikes,� she said. A tour | 2
file photo by chris bacarella
Professional bicycle riders take off from the start and finish line located on Broadway Street in downtown Mount Pleasant June 13, 2010 at the second annual Le Tour de Mont Pleasant.
Summer concert series begins Thursday evening The Ragbirds begin Max and Emily’s annual performances By Morgan Yuncker Staff Reporter
erica kearns/photo editor
Area 16 athlete Jonathan Angeletti lifts 175 pounds Saturday in MAC 2 located inside of the Student Activity Center during the men’s weightlifting competition at the Special Olympics 2011 Summer Games.
competing for gold
More than 2,400 compete in 40th annual competition By David Oltean Staff Reporter
More than 2,400 athletes competed for the gold this weekend during the Special Olympics 2011 State Summer games on CMU’s campus.
This year marked the 40th anniversary of the games at CMU and thousands were in attendance to see athletes compete in more than 20 different sports. Since 1971, CMU has been a home for SOMI, even hosting the Special Olympics World Games in 1975. The opening ceremonies were held on Thursday, and the games were kicked off as athletes watched the cauldron light. Competition began Friday as athletes com-
Photo page Turn to page 3 for more stories and coverage of Special Olympics. peted in the Student Activity Center, the Indoor Athletic Complex and outdoor athletic fields on campus. Ron Green, SOMI director of Area Management, worked the summer games for his 35th year in a row, and was pleased to see how many young volunteers were in attendance.
“What we’re seeing now is a lot more high school students and youth groups volunteering together, and Central students have really become the backbone of the volunteers,� Green said. “It’s great because us older folks can’t do this forever.� Hundreds of volunteers could be seen in matching yellow T-shirts for the 40th anniversary celebration. Their ranks included former NFL A somi | 2
The streets of downtown Mount Pleasant are about to get a little louder — but not from heavy bass emerging from passing traffic. Max and Emily’s annual concert series begins Thursday, filling downtown Broadway Street with a broad spectrum of local and national musical talent. “This event not only promotes downtown Mount Pleasant, but the arts of the area,� said Max and Emily’s manager Chris Walton. The event will take place in front of Max and Emily’s Eatery, 125 E. Broadway St. “We are shutting down the entire street at 7 p.m. for the concert,� said Max and Emily’s owner Tim Brockman. Walton said the eatery will stay open throughout the concert until 9 p.m., and will grill hot dogs, hamburgers and other summer favorites for attendees. The first of the threeconcert series will feature folk rock and world-fusion band The Ragbirds. The next concert, which will be headlined by Toad the Wet Sprocket, will take place July 28. At the final concert on
Aug. 28, actor and musician Jeff Daniels will return by concertgoer request, along with Brian Vander Ark, lead singer of Verve Pipe. “I think Jeff Daniels is a great addition to the concert series because he did graduate from Central Michigan University so there is a connection there,� said Stan Shingles, assistant vice president of University Recreation. The last concert will take place during CMU’s Welcome Weekend, which will offer students another opportunity to get to know Mount Pleasant. “I think this concert will show all students, but especially transfer students, what our city has to offer, what downtown Mount Pleasant has to offer,� Shingles said. “It is showing support to Mount Pleasant and not just to our campus.� Max and Emily’s will take donations for the William Ellis Brockman Infant Food Pantry at the Central Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross, 215 E. Broadway St., at each concert. The most needed items are diapers and baby formula. “This event is beneficial to Max and Emily’s, but also it’s about families coming together and enjoying some good music,� Walton said. “The concerts are a fabulous idea not only for the performers, but for the community and downtown.� news@cm-life.com
Schedule requires hotel plans finalized by July trustees meeting 0W 3OHDVDQW $UHD &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH Operations O VB M O $ E O will benefit hospitality students By David Oltean Staff Reporter
CMU and Lodgco Hospitality LLC, 5225 E. Pickard Road, continue to work together to find a design suit-
able for a hotel planned for Chippewas will host the Mich- can go ahead as planned,� optimistic about the expericonstruction near Kelly/ igan State University Spartans Wilkes said. ence the hotel could provide Shorts Stadium. for the first time in school hisHowever, Wilkes was unsure for students. Gagnon said Lodgco will build the na- tory. as to whether the design will it could be a great location tional-franchise hotel, which Barrie Wilkes, associate vice be completed by July. for hospitality classes or the is expected to be entirely pri- president of Financial SerUpon completion, the hotel Michigan Hospitality Educavately funded. Early plans vices and Reporting and uni- is expected to give hospitality tion Alliance’s annual career for the hotel have included versity controller, monitors services administration stu- fair, which is normally held in 0W 3OHDVDQW $UHD &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH roughly 150 rooms, indoor the progress of the develop- dents academic opportuni- Grand Rapids. VB M daily hotel operaand outdoor pools and a walk- ment, which is still in its early ties “I would love to see our stuO Olearn $ to E O way connecting the hotel to stages. tions. dents have internships there,� stadium suites. “If we can get a design finalGary Gagnon, assistant pro- Gagnon said. “It would be 0W 3OHDVDQW $UHD &KDPEHU RI &RPPHUFH The hotel is still expected ized and get all the pieces in fessor and internship director wonderful for students to be to be completed by the 2012 place before M July Board for marketing and hospital- able to attend school here and VB(the OE $ O Omeeting,) then we ity services administration, is work at the hotel.� football season, where the of Trustees
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Clio junior Thomas Lorentzen, a hospitality major, said he hopes the hotel will give students opportunities to learn from real work experience. “The new hotel could be a big help for the hospitality students,� Lorentzen said. “It could be a way for us to get real hands-on experience in the type of atmosphere we will be seeing after graduation.�
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news@cm-life.com
A PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE RACE...
June 10-12, 2011
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