August 28, 2026

The New Citizens Press

News For, By and About People

Headlines

Excuse me, are you listening? 10-25

Rina Risper03 mins

Dear Readers,
 
Live Simply. Take Chances. Love people!  Our mantra for 2012 is derived from our current and past sense of renewal. We love Lansing.  We love Michigan.  We have hope and suggest that you find it in your soul as well.  The new year will be particularly interesting as I move into new spaces and leave sluggish spaces in the past.  We are ushering The New Citizens Press right along as well. 

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Amboseli: Lioness of Potter Park Zoo 1989 – 2011

Rina Risper04 mins

LANSING, MI – It is with heavy hearts that Potter Park Zoo announces the death of Amboseli, a 22-year-old female African Lion; one of the oldest lions in captivity.
 
“Amboseli had so much personality and touched everyone here at the zoo in some way,” says Dr. Tara Harrison, veterinarian at Potter Park Zoo. “She’ll surely be missed around here.”
 
Amboseli arrived at Potter Park Zoo in 1989 from Gladys Porter Zoo when she was five months old. She lived a good portion of her life with her brother, who was transferred along with her as a cub.

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AboutThatCar.com: 2012 Buick Verano

Rina Risper07 mins

By Frank S. Washington
 
NEWBERG, OR –We were rather surprised when Buick announced that our drive route for its new entry level sedan would be 200 miles. That sort of test drive meant that Verano developers were confident in the road worthiness of their newest offering.
 
First the 2012 Buick Verano is a compact sedan that is aimed at filling what Buick calls the void between luxury and premium brands. It was powered by a direct fuel injection 2.4-liter four cylinder engine that made 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque.  The engine was mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

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Author Discusses “The New Jim Crow”

Rina Risper08 mins

Dr. Michelle Alexander
LANSING, MI — On January 17, 2012, Michigan’s Fair Chance Coalition and the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus will be bringing Professor Michelle Alexander for the kick-off for the statewide statue to “Ban the Box” on employment applications.  They will also discuss employment and other consequences of a conviction and the barriers that those convictions bring to communities.  The Fair Chance Coalition is  working to change state and local laws that currently reduce employment opportunities for individuals with prior convictions.  They have built a broad based movement, with leadership from formerly incarcerated individuals and those in the legislature.

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Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

Rina Risper05 mins

Studio: Paramount Pictures (133 mins) 
Plot:    The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization’s name.
Cast:   Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg
Rating:     PG-13
Bottom Line:     ***
 
By Jonathan  McMillan
 
In recent years the James Bond franchise was rebooted, making it more contemporary. And for the better part of the last decade, Jason Bourne has pretty much dominated the spy movie genre with Hollywood’s rendition of The Bourne Trilogy.
“Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” the fourth installment in the Mission Impossible saga, was rumored to be a reboot due to the feeling from critics that the “franchise is played out and its star over-exposed” after “Mission Impossible III” was released.
 

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A Man on a Journey

Rina Risper07 mins

By Tracye D. Bryant
 
Many people dream of doing big things in life.  As a kid some envision becoming a doctor, a lawyer or even a police officer.  For one Trinidadian man, his dreams of being able to help provide for his family placed him on a journey he never thought possible.  
 
Garth Anthony Voisin moved to the United States more than 10 years ago from his native Trinidad and Tobago.  Growing up in a faith-filled family, Voisin knew early on that in life if you work hard, you will reap the rewards.  
 

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Do you have an opinion? 10-25

Rina Risper014 mins

BEATING THE ODDS
 
Dear Rina,
 
Every year at this time most of us exchange pleasantries and gifts and generally have a ‘feel-good’ outlook  during the holiday season.  This holiday season I feel especially good because of receiving a present in November that  gave me a great deal of elation.  My present is from El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Academy which is commonly referred to as Shabazz Academy.  This school, located on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr and Barnes in South Lansing,  has “Beaten  the Odds” according to Michigan State Superintendent Mike Flanagan.

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Mother Flippin’: One Funny Mother – The New Year is pounding on the front door.

Rina Risper04 mins

By Tashmica Torok
 
Many of us hear the knocking and we dive for under the couch.  I fling the door wide and leave it open.  I love new opportunities.  I love new fresh breath.  I want it to swirl up inside my home and blow the unwanted out through the back door.
 
We all have some leftover unwanted from this year.  
 
It is a time for reflection.  It is.  Some may scoff and say, it’s just another day.  Or the pessimist might say resolutions fail.  I say, ideas do die without action.  The order of the day is lists checked twice.  Santa had a fail proof plan.

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Ask Tamara: Should I Ask For a Raise?

Rina Risper04 mins

Dear Tamara:
 
I have not received a raise or cost of living increase in three years. This year we were told that because of the economy annual increases are again, “not in the budget.” 
 
During this time the cost of living has greatly increased. My rent has gone up and my son’s daycare went from $150 to $180 a week. I really need a raise or some type of increase to continue to make ends meet. How should I approach my supervisor about getting a raise?
 
More Than a Dollar Short

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Your Other 8 Hours: Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Are Guaranteed to Fail

Rina Risper07 mins

By Robert Pagliarini,
Tribune Media Services
 
Nearly all of us make the same mistake when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, one that practically guarantees we’ll fail miserably. Sadly, it’s not just New Year’s resolutions that we blow. Anytime we try to change our behavior, we make the same disastrous mistake. No mas! In the next two minutes, you’ll learn a strategy that you can use to reach any goal or to change any habit. Even the biggest goals, like stopping smoking and getting out of debt, are achievable with this approach.

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