The dish on the Fleetwood

THURSDAY, NOV. 20 — If you’ve got a hankering
for Hippie Hash, it might have to wait a bit.

The Fleetwood Diner, on South Cedar Street, is
closed.

A sign in the window this morning reads:
 “Valued Guests:  We are sorry to inform you that we will be closed
until further notice due to mechanical failure. As soon as the machinery is
fixed we will be back open for business. Thank you for your patronage and we
look forward to seeing you in the future!”

Owner Mike Wong said he voluntarily closed the
restaurant Wednesday afternoon.

Wong said the restaurant’s ventilation system is
broken and needs new bearings. If a bearing isn’t available, Wong said the
diner may need a new system, which could take two weeks to be delivered and
installed.

He said he hopes to be able to open this weekend
but he’s not holding his breath.

Ingham County
Health Department Director of Environmental Health Rod McNeill the piece of
equipment is responsible for bringing fresh air in. McNeill said the hot water heater was being “back
drafted.” Backdrafting is the reverse flow of hazardous
gases back down the vent pipe and into occupied spaces. 

The restaurant
was propping a door open as a solution, McNeil
said, but with cold weather upon us it’s no longer viable.

Lansing Fire Captain Maggie Murphy said the Fire
Department visited the restaurant Wednesday after a report of carbon monoxide
but did not find high levels. She said there was a sign in the restaurant that
said if you turn on the water heater to open the door for 25 minutes because of
carbon monoxide.

Wong said
the sign was up about opening a door was to keep it ventilated “so it doesn’t
put anyone in danger.”

Murphy said restaurants are not required to have
a carbon monoxide monitor.

Wong said, “It’s perfectly safe in here.”