Traffic projects include the completion of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s US-127 redesign from last year and the addition of a mini circle on Arnold Street, as well as renovations of Bellows Street.

Isabella County and Mount Pleasant will reconstruct and resurface roads, including portions of Isabella Road, Michigan and Broomfield streets.

City

Asphalt overlays and sewer relining dominate city road construction projects this summer, with little disruption to traffic, said Public Works Director Duane Ellis.

These projects already began, Ellis said, and usually take one work day to complete.

“These are major (for the city), but not a big travel impact,” Ellis said.

The city will reconstruct Michigan Street from Fancher to Mission, focusing on narrowing lanes and adding bike lanes.

Michigan Street will have bump-out parking by next school year, Ellis said.

The city will bid the Michigan Street project May 7, he said.

Bellows Street will receive reconstruction from Mission Street to Lansing Street, Ellis said, and the city will add a mini-circle at Arnold Street.

“We’re bidding this as a separate project (from the downtown-to-campus connector),” Ellis said. “This has a fair impact on university operations, the city and students.”

County

Isabella County’s focus this summer is on reconstruction, said Managing Director Tony Casali.

Mission Road from Milllbrook to Deerfield roads in Union Township will receive a new overlay, he said.

“There are a couple of bad spots we have to work out in there,” Casali said.

An additional left-turn lane will be added at the intersection of Pickard Street and Isabella Road, he said, as well as shoulder widening on Isabella Road.

The county receives requests from 16 townships, Casali said.

“We still will have other projects as they trickle in,” he said.

MDOT

Several projects occur this summer through MDOT’s Mount Pleasant Transportation Service Center, said Manager Terry Palmer.

Along with the completion of last year’s US-127 venture, the branch will tackle a section of the highway from North of Mount Pleasant to Clare, he said.

A section of M-20 in Midland County also is receiving resurfacing work that began Monday according to MDOT’s website.

The Mount Pleasant TSC covers work in Isabella, Midland, Clare, Gladwin and Gratiot counties.

Further projects will happen this summer as well, Palmer said.

“It’s a good average (of work) for five county areas,” he said. “It’s probably $30 million worth of work this year.”

Twelve hundred people are coming to Central Michigan University’s campus at 7 p.m. May 13 for the free event, “Have You Met Anna? An Evening with Patty Duke.”

“She is very popular,” said Community Event Assistant Lori Apple. “We are glad we chose her.”

Duke will discuss her struggle with bipolar depression, according to a news release.

This event is brought to Mount Pleasant by Community Mental Health for Central Michigan, and is made possible by a grant received by the CMHCM, Apple said.

“This is part of a local effort to help normalize and increase awareness (of mental illness,)” said Customer Service Representative Julie Rookard.

Duke’s reputation caused the free event to “sell out” of tickets two weeks ago, Apple said. Duke is known in the acting world for performances in “The Miracle Worker,” “The Patty Duke Show,” “Me, Natalie,” “My Sweet Charlie” and “Captains and the Kings.”

She received a total of 12 awards for her numerous roles, including an Oscar, and an additional 14 nominations.

In 1987, Duke opened up to the world about her struggle with bipolar disorder in her autobiography, “Call Me Anna.” The book was made into a film in 1990, and Duke acted as herself in the picture.

Later in 1992, Duke published “A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness,” specifically detailing her life with bipolar disorder.

Duke continues an acting career today and speaks at forums to educate others.

Apple said a mission of the CMHCM is to erase negative thoughts in the community about mental disorders.

“There is a stigma attached to mental illness,” she said.

The CMHCM oversees activities in six counties, Apple said, and looks to create a documentary to show to classrooms and various community meetings.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can,” she said.

Approximately one in five people suffer from a mental disease, Apple said.

“If we can all just do our part to help in recovery, that’s really the ultimate goal,” she said.

“An Evening with Patty Duke” will feature opportunities for questions and book signing for attendees.

Dear Can’t Let Go;
All break-ups are tough and, unfortunately, there is no blanket solution that fits everyone.
Seeing an ex when you still have feelings is definitely tough; is there a way you can stay away from him for a little while? In the meantime, make it a point to make a little “self” time every day.
Put your relationship mementos in a place you do not have to see them all the time. Spend time with friends and family. The more time you spend doing productive and happy things, the less it will consume your life. I promise.

Dear Hilary;
I ran into a guy I have not seen since high school a couple of weeks ago, and we have hung out a couple times. He is really cute and he seems to be interested, but nothing has happened yet.
The first time we hung out, he went home with another girl, but I don’t think he knew I was interested. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking about him. It has been a really long time since I have dated anyone so I am rusty.
—Slow Date

Dear Slow Date;
Before you get too into this guy, take a quick step back and consider whether you genuinely like him, or if you just like the idea of dating someone new.
The beginning of a relationship can be very exciting, but it is not as fun if it is not with a person you genuinely are interested in. With that, my best advice is to enjoy it and not take anything too seriously — yet.

Dear Hilary;
I am finishing up my freshman year here at CMU and I do not have a signed major. There are a lot of study programs that interest me, and I don’t know how to narrow it down!
I signed up for classes for next year, but they are all very different, and I don’t want to end up taking classes I will never need or be interested in. I guess I just don’t know what to sign up for.
—Very Undecided

Dear Very Undecided;
The cool thing about beginning college is you do not have to know everything, at least not yet! Furthermore, CMU’s University Program classes offer a lot of different classes and programs of study to complete the requirements.
Out of the classes you took this year, did anything particularly interest you? Start there, and see what courses also are offered under the U.P. categories. You may be surprised by how much you can check out and also have count toward a degree.

Submit your questions for next week! You can contact me via e-mail at farre1hl@cmich.edu or you can submit questions anonymously on my Formspring account at formspring.me/HilaryFarrell.

A local business and two Central Michigan University students also are trying to culture a cycling community through the formation of the Mount Pleasant Bike Cooperative and Mid Michigan Cycling Club.

Allison Quast, owner of Motorless Motion, 121 S. Main St., said she created the Mid Michigan Cycling Club three weeks ago.

Quast grew up in an avid cycling family. Her father previously owned Motorless Motion.

“It is not the name of a business,” she said, “it is a way of life.”

Quast recalled a school day years ago when she called her father to pick her up.

“I was sick,” Quast said. “My dad showed up with another bike.”

The Mid Michigan Cycling Club already had 47 members as of late last week, Quast said. Another open house is planned Saturday at Motorless Motion.

The group hosts group rides and hopes to promote bicycling awareness across the city, including talking to local businesses about placing bicycle racks outside.

The Mount Pleasant Bike Cooperative began with as a joint passion for bicycling between Mutamoia senior Nichole Crosson and Harbor Beach sophomore Joe Roggenbuck. The pair participated in Bike America’s nationwide bicycle ride last summer, which took them three weeks to accomplish.

After visiting a bike cooperative in Lansing last October, Mount Pleasant’s cooperative was born.

“I was really into the idea after seeing it,” Roggenbuck said. “I decided we should start our own.”

The group holds weekly meetings to socialize and cover topics of interest for bicyclists.

“We want to provide resources for people and knowledge for people,” Crosson said.

The group provides free tools for those needing bicycle repairs, free lessons on bicycle maintenance and eventually hopes to provide bikes to other members of the community.

All my roommate ever talks about is guys she likes. I’d be fine with that except she’s gone through, like, 50 guys this year. I don’t care about her love life anymore. What should I do?
—Annoyed Roommate

Dear Annoyed,
I think everyone has friends like these — myself included. Sometimes, I am probably this girl! It is completely normal for some of us to be “boy crazy” (or girl crazy), but it sounds like she’s taking it a little too seriously.
As always, the best way to handle something is to look at it from her perspective. It is not uncommon for some people to base their esteem on the attention from others; she may do this.
Either way, being honest and telling her your thoughts could help.

Dear Hilary,
In high school, I was a really social person and I dated a lot. I am a sophomore now and I spend most of my time concentrating on my grades. I have great grades, but not much of a social life and I feel like when I approach girls now, they are not interested. Do you have any tips?
—Awkward Date

Dear Awkward Date,
Since you seem to be very academic, start honing social skills in your classes.
Class can be a very non-threatening way to begin conversations, as everyone is stuck there for the hour anyway. Take the time to talk to a few people around you, just small talk at first, and see if anything clicks.
Check out the Registered Student Organizations at CMU as well. You will meet people with similar interests this way and, although your focus should be on having fun and meeting new people, you may meet someone special.

Dear Hilary,
I am a senior about to graduate and I am looking for jobs out of state. I have an offer in Pennsylvania, but I am terrified because if I take it I am leaving my friends, my boyfriend, my family and everyone that matters to me.
I don’t know anyone where I would move and I don’t know what to do. I really like the job, but I’m nervous.
—Scared for the Next Step

Dear Scared,
First of all, congratulations on graduating and on what sounds like a successful job hunt! With that however, the “next step” is always difficult. A good way to look at this is to construct a pros-and-cons sheet. Write down what you like about this new position, as well as the negatives of taking it.
It sound like staying close to family and friends is very important to you. While you are working through your thoughts, try to expand your job search to closer markets. If you do choose to take the job, get involved with the community. Volunteering for local events and groups is a good way to meet new people.

If you have a question for next week’s advice column, contact Hilary at Farre1hl@cmich.edu or anonymously at formspring.me/HilaryFarrell.

It is important to know not only the ways you communicate, but also the ways others around you do.

Gary Chapman, author of “The Five Love Languages,” offers an insight into the ways we talk to each other.

The five languages are touch, affirmations, service, gifts and quality time.

Now before this column gets too gooey, I want to note this idea applies to other relationships and not just those of the romantic nature.

Knowing your primary language, as well as the language of your partner, can aid in better interaction.

These languages are largely self-explanatory.

If you are a “touch” person, it means you primarily communicate through touch and enjoy doing so.

You receive comfort when being touched by others in gestures such as hugs and holding hands.

Touch is a way for you to display emotions such as excitement, concern and sympathy.

If you are an “affirmations” person, you thrive on receiving nice comments about yourself, and provide others with compliments as well.

For you, romantic and platonic feelings are expressed best in a nice sentence.

“Service” people enjoy token favors from others, such as when a roommate picks you up from the bar without needing to.

You show you care by giving some of your energies to others.

Those who are “gifts” communicators enjoy giving to and receiving gifts from others, but it is not necessarily about the dollar value.

To you, a present infers the love and thoughtfulness put into choosing it.

Finally, those who identify with “quality time” thrive on spending moments with those they care about.

Knowing which way you communicate is important because it gives you insight into what your wants and needs are.

Knowing which way others around you communicate also is important, because it provides you with a framework of how they connect emotionally.

In a relationship, knowing your love languages, and especially those of your partner, can open the two of you into a deeper bond.

Chapman offers more information on these languages as well as an assessment of yours on his Web site.

Me, I am primarily an affirmations person.

I know the person I am dating is a gift communicator, because he bought me a whole ton of stuff last time he screwed up.

By giving gifts instead of utilizing other love languages, it is clear affirmation is not his first communication style.

When I want to communicate on a deeper level with him, I would consider both of our languages.

Eventually, I will.
For now, I am just going to continue receiving gifts.

I dated this guy when I was a freshman. Now two years later, we are in the same class.

We are so awkward in there together. But when we look at each other, I can still see he is trying to hide liking me, and me the same. The problem is I’m engaged to a wonderful and loving guy. But I look at the boy in class … I really need a way to talk to him. What should I do??

—Too Much Love

Dear Too Much Love:

As tough as it is, the best way to handle your feelings is to talk to him.

It sounds like you have since met a great guy, and you should not let go of that. These feelings you have could be nerves from getting engaged, or feelings of regret or, hey, maybe the two of you will end up together. You won’t know until you bring it up.

Dear Hilary:

I am a senior, but I don’t graduate this year. I want an internship and I have been looking, but I can’t find anything. I am getting really frustrated, and a lot of my friends have already figured out their internships and jobs.

I am worried I will miss out. Suggestions?

—Nearly Professional

Dear Nearly Professional:

Don’t stress! You still have time.

To start off, several CMU programs send out e-mails regarding internship opportunities. If your major does not, network with friends to see if anything has been posted. A friend of mine also recommends Monster’s college Web site, college.monster.com, so that may be worth looking into.

If there are employers you want to work for, try contacting them directly. A lot of businesses view interns as a good investment, so you may receive an offer.

Dear Hilary:

I am in a class with a substitute professor, and he is really unprofessional. He heaps sarcasm on me and on classmates. I know I’m supposed to be respectful, but what happens when your teacher doesn’t offer the same? Is there a good way to deal?

—Annoyed Student

Dear Annoyed Student:

Yikes! Before getting (more) frustrated, try to see things from his perspective. Is your class disruptive? If not, you could go in during his office hours to maturely address the issue. He may have no idea.

If this does not work, you have one of two options: you can suck it up, or you can approach the department. I have a friend who once went to the head of her teacher’s department in order to retain her anonymity.

I personally would not take it that far unless it really is a harmful environment. The class is just one part of your education, and professors are human too.

If you have a question to submit for next week, you can contact me via e-mail at farre1hl@cmich.edu or you can submit anonymously on my Formspring account at formspring.me/HilaryFarrell.

Also, the best way to receive an A in that difficult class is to write your entire final paper with macaroni noodles.

April Fools!

Granted, this may not be the best prank ever played on a reader for April Fool’s Day. Last year, British publication The Guardian announced it would publish solely via Twitter.

A more complicated farce appeared in Sports Illustrated, detailing a fake New York Mets prospect who threw a 168 mile-per-hour fastball after training in a Buddhist monastery.

The first letter of each word in the article’s subhead reportedly spelled to readers the article was an April fool’s Day joke.

Google is a professional in April Fool’s Day jokes, launching several per year. Notably, Google launched “Gmail” right before April 1, 2004, leading many to believe the service was another hoax.

As we are all aware, “Gmail” is very real.

For those out there with very real crushes on very real nerds (I myself am included in this group), a quick search of Google pranks is a great conversation starter.
I am not kidding.

Various events exist worldwide because of April fool’s Day, including the Edible Book Festival.

If you are interested in “eating your words,” you can visit books2eat.com.
Say you’re looking to pull a prank. Where do you start? Roommates, family, co-workers and friends are all great targets.

My favorite jokes are those that are not harmful, including placing hard-boiled eggs in the regular egg carton, rubber-banding the kitchen spray nozzle, switching keyboard keys, and wrapping everything someone owns in tin foil.

A lot of jokes work well in the office, provided your office is not an entirely professional place. A joke that never fails is placing tape under the ball of every computer mouse so none work properly.

As aforementioned, roommates are perhaps the best targets of all. If your roommates are heavy sleepers, you can set every clock in the house two hours early.
Anything involving glue also is a great idea, such as gluing every pen cap a roommate owns to its pen.

Other suggestions are placing shaving cream in roommates’ socks and rubbing Vaseline on toilet seats and car door handles.

As my roommates are active April Fool’s participants, I am hiding my socks, car, anything I own with a handle and my egg carton.

If you need more ideas, you can visit aprilfoolzone.com or thefoolsday.com.
The most important thing to remember today is to not play a prank you would not personally find funny.

The second most important thing is to keep your questions coming for next week’s advice column!

As a reminder, you can contact me via e-mail at farre1hl@cmich.edu, or anonymously on my Formspring account at formspring.me/HilaryFarrell.

Maher’s conclusions are far wittier than mine, but the message is the same: The more you try to ignore your feelings for a person, the worse off you will be.

I could give you millions of reasons why admitting your feelings is the best choice, but I will start with basics.

You can not help who you fall for.

Every single one of us learned this in regards to our first “love,” also known as middle school.

My “love” was Josh and, after a month, I thought maybe we should get married.

Obviously, at 13, I had no idea what marriage is, but the point I am trying to make here is instead of denying my feelings, I told him how I felt.

We did not last too much longer.

I assume this may be because mentioning marriage to a teenage boy is similar to suggesting I light him on fire.

At any rate, falling in love is one of the beautiful and ultimately frustrating features of our species, as well as something you have absolutely no control over.

Do not be afraid of it.

Love is supposed to be a mess, and it is supposed to be difficult.

If you find yourself in it, here are two things not to do.

First of all, do not bottle your feelings inside. Bottled feelings are similar to a shaken soda bottle.

Picture your emotions as a two liter of Faygo Red Pop, and then open the bottle after shaking it as violently as you can.

If you do not deal with your emotions, there is no way you are getting it out of the carpet.

Second, do not date other people in an attempt to forget your feelings.

Not only is this an awful idea, but I promise your emotions will return with a vengeance if you try to move on without being
ready.

In my case, my emotions returned after a few beers and a very public scene at The Bird Bar and Grill.

As I said, ignoring is a terrible idea.

So, if you are like me and are feet over elbows over someone, the best way to handle it is to sit that person down and tell them exactly how you feel.

Me, I took my own advice and told the guy.

It did not turn out the way I wanted and this is another unfortunate aspect of love; it is not always returned.

While I am still playing with the idea of lighting him on fire, I ultimately feel better about making my love known.

It is tough if the person does not feel the same, but keep in mind by admitting my feelings, I also saved myself further embarrassment at The Bird.

This is not the greatest win of my life, but a win I will take nonetheless.

Dear Hilary,

My boyfriend and I are talking about moving in together after graduation, but his parents don’t believe in premarital cohabitation. I don’t want to offend them, but it’s our life and I see living together as both economical and smart. What’s a girl to do?

–Contemplating Karen

Dear Contemplating Karen;

This is a huge question! Moving in with your significant other is an important step. It is a great way to get to know your partner and, as you mentioned, it is economical as well.

How long have the two of you been dating? I ask because the longer you’ve been dating, the more it makes sense. If you have a long relationship with this guy and you both trust each other, I think moving in is a normal “next step.”

Instead of worrying about his parents, think first about the two of you in the same apartment.  No matter how long you have been in a relationship, things will change once you share the same place.

If this makes sense to you, and it makes sense to him — and both of you are in this relationship for the long term — go for it. His parents are likely to accept it eventually. It may take time. If you think they are open for a conversation, maybe the two of you could sit down with them.

At the least, it shows you care about their beliefs.

Dear Hilary,

I was wondering about support groups. I was recently diagnosed with an STD and I know other students have a wide range of problems. What resources are on campus for people like me who want a friendly, understanding environment?

—Curious

Dear Curious;

Sorry you have been diagnosed with an STD. Kudos to you for reaching out.

There are two places for immediate STD help and information in Mount Pleasant — the Central Michigan District Health Department in Isabella County and CMU’s University Health Services.

Isabella County’s department can be contacted at 773-5921. It is state-run and will not turn you down from anything because of cost. The clinic may have support group suggestions, too.

University Health Services can be contacted at 774-6599. The CMU clinic also may have suggestions.

CMU’s Volunteer Services coordinates the Safer Sex Patrol as well, which may or may not be a great place for you to ask questions. I personally adore the Safer Sex Patrol — I think it is great they promote condom usage and safe ways to have sex.

Dear Hilary,

Hi. I’m getting a car in a couple weeks and want to keep it on campus. I looked online about parking permits and couldn’t find useful information. Do I have to pay for a full, year-long parking permit just to keep it on campus from after spring break until the end of the term?

—K. Dobbs

Dear K. Dobbs;

Good news! I spoke with CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley regarding this question, and you do not have to pay for a year-long permit to keep your car on campus.

As of Dec. 11, permits are half-price; he estimates the permit should cost around $90. If you can wait until May 11, the price drops again to approximately $40.

Parking on campus is open over the weekend and is not policed; open parking times for on-campus lots are from 4 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Monday morning.

There are a couple exceptions to the open parking. Lot 41 by the Towers is restricted at all times, and parking for Washington Apartments also is restricted.

CMU has a lot of metered lots as well, and this is how I parked my car on-campus for a full semester. I do not recommend relying on it however, as it does get expensive quickly.

CMU Parking Services also is quick to ticket. By the end of the semester, I basically paid for a permit in my fines. Not cool!

Although $90 is a fair amount of money, I think it is a worthwhile investment. It is so much easier to leave my car in a lot for a day instead of continually running to it with meter money!

If you have a question for next week’s advice column, you may contact me via e-mail at Farre1hl@cmich.edu, or can contact me anonymously on my Formspring account at formspring.me/HilaryFarrell.