Old Town JazzFest Begins
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Updated: 8:42 PM Aug 3, 2007
Old Town JazzFest Begins
Runs Friday, 5 p.m. until 12:30 a.m., then again Saturday, 2 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.
Posted: 3:45 PM Aug 3, 2007
Reporter: Lauren Zakalik
Email Address: lauren.zakalik@wilx.com
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The 12th annual JazzFest will light up Old Town this weekend.

The festival boasts more than 20 performers, 35 vendors and 150 volunteers. They're expecting more than 15,000 to come to the festival over the weekend.

The first act starts at 5 p.m. Friday; the last act takes the stage at 11:15 p.m. Saturday.

The shows are free and will take place near Turner St. and Grand River in Lansing's Old Town.

This year's fest is dedicated to Robert Busby, the former owner of the Creole Gallery. Busby, lovingly called the "Mayor of Old Town," was murdered months ago. His gallery re-opened Friday in conjunction with the start of JazzFest.

For more information, visit www.jazzlansing.com
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  • Posted By: : I dont think we can blame Verg or the Police. It's the responsibility of the owner and the people that frequent that establishment. I know from living and growing up in the South Lansing area, this has always been a problem. I say....SHUT IT DOWN! Blame the irresponsible people that can not control themselves, not the Mayor or Police!!!! Take responsiblity in your own actions!!!!!
  • Posted By: Jake: You know it is easy to sit back and say close the club down you don't have any money invested,I do not think this type of crowd would be bad if the bar would bar them for life if they started a fight.I know it is hard to tell who's who because they all look the same start taking pictures of every one that goes into the club give them a membership card with photo no one gets in unless they have a membership,and if they start any kind of problems pull thier membership.To me this would be a start. There are a lot of good people out there that don't deserve to get punished for the actions of a few.The mayor and the little beady eyed city attorney need to think about the other club owners thoughts on this, the council is more like do what I say council rather do for the people.
  • Posted By: Sandi: i have spent my share of time going to the bars, however, the Venue is a crime not a bar. They were supose to hire additional security. With all the unemployment why didn't they have at least 2 or 3 guys out there patroling the parking lot at 2 a.m.? They know exactly what their patrons are like. They should have had patrols outside weeks ago. I think the Venue should be closed down, and I like the idea of a good samaritan law,if you see a crime and don't report it, you can go to jail. Lots of people had their pictures on the video lately. Anyone who goes to a bar like the Venue and thinks even one fight in the parking lot is OK has a problem, and should stay away from the bars. This constant fighting is outragous. What are we waiting for? Someone to be killed?
  • Posted By: : The city can pass a good samaritan law in which a person can serve two days in jail for not reporting a crime. It might scare some of these people into witnessing.
  • Posted By: sick and tired: put em back on the boat
  • Posted By: LegallyRad: Between venue and x-cel the cops are driving like a tennis match from north to south. Everytime there is an incident at a hip-hop club they should have to serve 3 weekends playing nothing but classic rock, country and bluegrass.
  • Posted By: Gus: Doesn't surprise me that the Lansing Police couldnt find a suspect or a victim without some outside help. With the leadership that they have with Virg "Little Man" Bernero and Mark "I am an IDIOT" Alley, it is a wonder that they can find their car keys. As for the VENUE, the violence at that location hasn't changed since the city shut down the last night club that was there. Great job Lansing!
  • Posted By: concerned: They need to shut down the Venue. Obviously the crowd that is drawn to the Venue is the same that use to frequent the Temple CLub and the LA globe. Unfortunately people do not know how to act and trouble follows these type of establishments. It is waste of resources. SHUT IT DOWN
  • Posted By: Chris: I've been to probably close to 100 heavy metal concerts and clubs/events over the years, never a shooting. Their is a completely different mind set with this Venue crowd and the mentality and music it supports.
  • Posted By: Concerned Citizen: This is the 3rd shooting at this club since it opened earlier this year. Since South Lansing and Holt is not known for this type of behavior, I can only surmise that the people that frequent this establishment are the problem. I think the time has come to close this place down and keep these hoodlums out out of our community!
  • Posted By: Frustrated!!!: I have been a patron of the Venue since it first opened and the "stories" that the MEDIA is hyping up is just that STORIES!!!! Readers need to learn to differentiate the facts from myths...I also attended the party this past saturday night and there were not "several" fights as the NEWS 10 has advised us!!! Heck they weren't even there, but I guess you gotta keep your job somehow!!! I am so so tired of the media making a mountain out of a molehill...and furthermore, from what we could see the perpetrator was directly in front of the police...so you do the math!!! It appears to me that the Venue security do their job to get the patrons out safely, and then it would also appear to me that the police department would attempt to be "proactive" opposed to "reactive"...I have witnessed them sit across the street at Lowe's and do "absolutely nothing" to assist the Venue security when "occurences" do happen in the parking lot of Mark Realty...not the parking lot of the Venue Live!!!!
  • Posted By: Tracy: How much violent crime has to happen at this club in order to shut it down? I understand it's someone's business and source of income, but come on... there's got to be some responsibility taken by the owner to protect the public and law-abiding patrons. I'm sure the owner is aware of the riff-raff coming in; use your right as the owner to deny service.
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