January 13, 2020 Your source for All Livonia news. All the time. All ways positive.
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Art + Culture + Recreation + Volunteerism = Livonia
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When bad things happen there are good people willing to step forward.
Thank you Livonia for stepping up. |
Do good stories have to end? In the case of Troop 732 the story of the stolen camping equipment and their hometown rising to the challenge of replacement, replacement in 24 hours just might last a lifetime.
And I am one who believes that these boys will pay it forward as they grow older and move into adulthood. That they will be telling the story to their children and grandchildren.
Their hometown of Livonia sure did rise to the challenge after one posting on Facebook resulted in a brand new trailer being donated, $1000 contributed, and donations of camping equipment to completely replace that which was stolen.
Let's give our hometown and those extra special neighbors who reached out to make these donations a standing ovation.
Veronica Cruz. Chuck Dardas at AlphaUSA, Channels 4 and 7 who reported the stolen items and returned to tell the positive ending of the story. Not just the negative but rather the epilogue that gave it the positive conclusion.
Dan MacIver who offered up his office as a collection point.
Cheryl Doelker of Jimmy Johns not donating their delicious sandwiches this time but rather the tables to eat those meals off of. I mean who could write this story and make it believable.
The Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Early Risers, Charlie Mahoney, Georgette Kattula,
Norman and Gloria Krazel and Robin Whitfield bringing in cash donations
 reaching $1000. Nobody asked but they showed up. Really? In fact the Krazel's were honoring the five Eagle Scouts in their family.
Chris Last who showed up with camping equipment including as one scout exclaimed, "we now have a sink."
Two council members Brandon McCullough and Rob Donovic were on board with donations.
Mark Brooks
came on board with a 6' table.
Troop leader Brian Kirk nailed it right on the head, "Wow. I don't know what to say, folks. Except that it's amazing when a community comes together such as this one!"
I am not done yet with this story so bear with me as I relive the 24 hours that helps define our hometown. It all started with a phone call and ended with the police department.
At 3:30 on Friday two police vehicles arrived at MacIver's right after the new trailer pulled in from Monroe. Being pulled by an AlphaUSA truck. The supplies were quickly loaded into the trailer as it was being transferred to the police vehicle and we were off. A procession to the police department where Troop 732 was lined up on the steps with Chief Curtis Caid and as the vehicles pulled in the scouts were applauding and cheering.
 The doors of the trailer were opened and it was like Christmas as the scouts quickly moved inside, wide eyed, taking it all in. When the TV cameras zeroed in you could see the smiles and yes, the tears. Parents and scouts alike were beaming. And when Chief Caid along with Captain Ron Tagg offered up a lock for the wheels on the trailer the boys started laughing as the emotions again took over.
There will be more donations this week as one company looks to have the tents to be picked up. That will be special. 
Good stories abound in our hometown. More good than bad. More that reach out and touch the lives of those in need. The Blessings in a Bag. The Vietnam Wall. Good Old Fashioned Neighborhood Picnic. Our recreation center. Our YMCA. All of our parks. Rotary Spaghetti Dinner. Blessings in a Backpack. Food pantry. And dozens of stories that most of us never hear about.
In a week we will be involved in more life. This 24 hour special will fade for some. But for others, like our scouts, there is a belief that the lesson learned, that when bad things happen good people stand up, will last a lifetime.
You gotta Love Livonia.
(With apologies for any person left out. It certainly was omission and not commission.)
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Livonia's best. Chili that is. Come on out and sample and participate in the Chili Cookoff.
Featuring throwdown pitting City Councilman Jim Jolly v City Councilman Brandon McCullough. |
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January 18, 11:00 - 2:00. Franklin High School. Open to the public and all are welcome to attend for this fun Livonia Chili Cook-off. A $5 admission gets you refreshments and unlimited chili samples from all of our entrants, while supplies last.
An event to get Dads and Designated Superstars to join and support their favorite PTAs, earn money for their favorite schools,
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Jolly and Novak testing their recipe
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and have a great time while doing it. All adult members of their school's PTA are welcome to register!!
The 1st place Winner will take home a fantastic prize package, a $500 grant, courtesy of The Livonia Kiwanis Early Risers, for
their favorite Livonia Public School, and bragging rights for 365 days.
A sub-plot is developing with two members of the Livonia City Council as to who will feature the best Chili. Jim Jolly representing Hoover or Brandon McCullough representing Buchanan.
Brandon McCullough responded that if that was true he was planning on replicating Wendy's chili.
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| Update on the activities of our Congresswoman Haley Stevens |
| Update on FridayMusings Mass Transit Survey. Reactions. Vote totals. |
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One week ago FridayMusings asked readers to comment on the following question, would you be willing to vote yes on a regional transit proposal if a portion of the monies raised stayed in Livonia to fund local transit options; options decided upon by Livonia?
To date your neighbors have responded accordingly:
YES 64%
NO 28%
Undecided 8%
Anecdotally there were these new three comments that tended to represent new postings . These are representative of what your neighbors are thinking:
1. I gratefully pay my taxes for the services and infrastructure we need as a community. Let's get SE Michigan into the 21st century!
2. Livonia lost an important and lucrative resource last year when Amazon overlooked our city to locate its Midwest headquarters. The deciding factor was the lack of a regional transportation system for Amazon employees. Our taxes in Livonia are the lowest in the region and for any city of similar populations.
3. We need a mass transit systems which may be utilized by everyone, not only seniors or handicapped folks. It should be accessible throughout the day, across town, instead of by making a reservation. This will coordinate well with the movement toward establishing a "downtown", and transport residents who do not qualify for the current system. Places like Schoolcraft College, Laurel Park, and Madonna University will benefit with increased access. All of Livonia should be accessible to all.
Coming Wednesday: How do Livonia residents feel about a renewal of the DIA tax? Vote and offer your opinions only in FridayMusings. |
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New Spending Package Includes Sweeping Retirement Plan Changes
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 FridayMusings is pleased to provide information and updates on the upcoming tax season shared by Cole, Newton & Duran Certified Public Accounts. The following is the 5th in a series on information that might be helpful as you prepare for the April 15th tax deadline.
The $1.4 trillion spending package enacted by Congress on December 20th, included the Setting Every Community Up for  Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, which had overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in the spring of 2019, but then subsequently stalled in the Senate. The SECURE Act represents the most sweeping set of changes to retirement legislation in more than a decade.
While many of the provisions offer enhanced opportunities for individuals and small business owners, there is one notable drawback for investors with significant assets in traditional IRAs and retirement plans. These individuals will likely want to revisit their estate-planning strategies to prevent their heirs from potentially facing unexpectedly high tax bills.
All provisions take effect on or after January 1, 2020, unless otherwise noted.
Elimination of the "stretch IRA"
Perhaps the change requiring the most urgent attention is the elimination of longstanding provisions allowing non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit traditional IRA and retirement plan assets to spread distributions - and therefore the tax obligations associated with them - over their lifetimes. This ability to spread out taxable distributions after the death of an IRA owner or retirement plan participant, over what was potentially such a long period of time, was often referred to as the "stretch IRA" rule. The new law, however, generally requires any beneficiary who is more than 10 years younger than the account owner to liquidate the account within 10 years of the account owner's death unless the beneficiary is a spouse, a disabled or chronically ill individual, or a minor child. This shorter maximum distribution period could result in unanticipated tax bills for beneficiaries who stand to inherit high-value traditional IRAs. This is also true for IRA trust beneficiaries, which may affect estate plans that intended to use trusts to manage inherited IRA assets.
In addition to possibly reevaluating beneficiary choices, traditional IRA owners may want to revisit how IRA dollars fit into their overall estate planning strategy. For example, it may make sense to consider the possible implications of converting traditional IRA funds to Roth IRAs, which can be inherited income tax free. Although Roth IRA conversions are taxable events, investors who spread out a series of conversions over the next several years may benefit from the lower income tax rates that are set to expire in 2026.
Benefits to individuals
On the plus side, the SECURE Act includes several provisions designed to benefit American workers and retirees.
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People who choose to work beyond traditional retirement age will be able to contribute to traditional IRAs beyond age 70½. Previous laws prevented such contributions.
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Retirees will no longer have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from traditional IRAs and retirement plans by April 1 following the year in which they turn 70½. The new law generally requires RMDs to begin by April 1 following the year in which they turn age 72.
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Part-time workers age 21 and older who log at least 500 hours in three consecutive years generally must be allowed to participate in company retirement plans offering a qualified cash or deferred arrangement. The previous requirement was 1,000 hours and one year of service. (The new rule applies to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2021.)
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Workers will begin to receive annual statements from their employers estimating how much their retirement plan assets are worth, expressed as monthly income received over a lifetime. This should help workers better gauge progress toward meeting their retirement-income goals.
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New laws make it easier for employers to offer lifetime income annuities within retirement plans. Such products can help workers plan for a predictable stream of income in retirement. In addition, lifetime income investments or annuities held within a plan that discontinues such investments can be directly transferred to another retirement plan, avoiding potential surrender charges and fees that may otherwise apply.
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Individuals can now take penalty-free early withdrawals of up to $5,000 from their qualified plans and IRAs due to the birth or adoption of a child. (Regular income taxes will still apply, so new parents may want to proceed with caution.)
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Taxpayers with high medical bills may be able to deduct unreimbursed expenses that exceed 7.5% (in 2019 and 2020) of their adjusted gross income. In addition, individuals may withdraw money from their qualified retirement plans and IRAs penalty-free to cover expenses that exceed this threshold (although regular income taxes will apply). The threshold returns to 10% in 2021.
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529 account assets can now be used to pay for student loan repayments ($10,000 lifetime maximum) and costs associated with registered apprenticeships.
Benefits to employers
The SECURE Act also provides assistance to employers striving to provide quality retirement savings opportunities to their workers. Among the changes are the following:
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The tax credit that small businesses can take for starting a new retirement plan has increased. The new rule allows employers to take a credit equal to the greater of (1) $500 or (2) the lesser of (a) $250 times the number of non-highly compensated eligible employees or (b) $5,000. The credit applies for up to three years. The previous maximum credit amount allowed was 50% of startup costs up to a maximum of $1,000 (i.e., a maximum credit of $500).
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A new tax credit of up to $500 is available for employers that launch a SIMPLE IRA or 401(k) plan with automatic enrollment. The credit applies for three years.
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With regards to the new mandate to permit certain part-timers to participate in retirement plans, employers may exclude such employees for nondiscrimination testing purposes.
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Employers now have easier access to join multiple employer plans (MEPs) regardless of industry, geographic location, or affiliation. "Open MEPs," as they have become known, offer economies of scale, allowing small employers access to the types of pricing models and other benefits typically reserved for large organizations. (Previously, groups of small businesses had to be affiliated somehow in order to join a MEP.) The legislation also provides that the failure of one employer in a MEP to meet plan requirements will not cause others to fail, and that plan assets in the failed plan will be transferred to another. (This rule is effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2021.)
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Auto-enrollment safe harbor plans may automatically increase participant contributions until they reach 15% of salary. The previous ceiling was 10%.
For questions about this new spending package and its effect on retirement planning, please contact Bryan Besco, chief marketing officer, at 734-427-2030 or
bbesco@cndcpa.com
. You can also visit our website at
www.cndcpa.com
.
About CND Financial
CND Financial is an affiliate entity that works in concert with Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs to coordinate investment and tax planning strategies. CND Financial provides comprehensive financial planning advice in areas such as investment management, estate planning, insurance planning, educating funding, and retirement planning.
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Click on this image for all movie times at the Phoenix
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Livonia City Council
Most recent meeting posted
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Livonia City Council Study Meeting -
January 6, 2020
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United States Senate
Gary Peters (D-I)
John James (R)
United States House of Representatives
Haley Stevens (D-I)
Whitney Williams (R)
Eric Esshaki (R)
Michigan House of Representatives
Laurie Pohutsky (D-I)
Martha Ptashnik (R)
https://www.facebook.com/ElectReginaGargus2020/ |
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January in Livonia
Dickerson Art Gallery will be presenting recent works from the following artists at the Bennett Civic Center Library during the month of January:
Durwood Coffey, Barb Gibson,
Mark Krecic, Jon Lange, Vic Leo,
Kay Masini,
Marcia Polenberg,
Ted Ramsay, Mireille Ripley,
Gwen Roth,Tim Tonachella,
Paul Zenian, and guest artist,
Danny Rebb
January 14
Peace with Integral Consciousness/ Tada Gunter
Livonia Citizens for Peace
Livonia Senior Center
January 18
CLARENCEVILLE Senior All Night Party
BOWLING FUNDRAISER @ MerriBowl
The contact info is 313.303.3298 or 313.231.2524 or trojansanp2020@gmail.com
January 18 @ 11:00 - 2:00
Franklin High School
PTA DADS Chili Cook-off
January 19 @ 1:00 - 4:00
January 20 @ 2:00
Livonia Historic Society @ Greenmead's Blue House
"Shanty Boys, Peaveys, and River Hogs-
Michigan's Lumbering Days"
January 23
Senior Center Book Club: Failures of Presidents
A Project of AlphaUSA
Moderated by Chuck Dardas and the typewriter
February in Livonia
February 1 @ 2:00 - 4:00 or 6:00 - 8:00
Daddy-Daughter Dance
Elk's Lodge 31117 Plymouth Road
For more information, call (734) 466-2900.
Co-sponsored by Livonia Elk's Lodge and
Livonia Parks & Recreation
February 11
Nonviolence: The Way to Peace/ Colleen Mills
Livonia Citizens for Peace
Livonia Senior Center
February 12
Livonia GOP Lincoln Day Dinner
February 16 @ 1:00
Cardboard Boat Races
Jack Kirksey Recreation Center
Registration begins on Monday, Jan. 6
February 22 @ 4:00
PASSPORT TO SCANDINAVIA
Livonia Symphony Orchestra
Clarenceville's Historic Louis Schmidt Auditorium
February 23 @ 4:30 - 8:30
The Ian Clemens 4th Annual Trivia Night
Hosted by The Ian Clemens Foundation
St. Mary's Cultural Center
March in Livonia
March 14
33rd Annual Bowling for Braille Bopoks
Novi Bowl Family Fun Center
March 21 @ 9:00 - 3:00
April in Livonia
April 14
Todays Africa Through American Eyes with
Dr. Peggi J. Tabor, PhD
Livonia Citizens for Peace
Livonia Senior Center
June in Livonia
June 7 @ 3:00
Livonia Civic Chorus Spring Concert
Churchill High School Performing Arts Center
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Getting out of the winter doldrums and having some fun.
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Musings has been reporting on this new shop for two months.
Now is the time to officially welcome it to Livonia. |
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Proud sponsor of the Detroit Red Wings v Livonia All-stars coming to town this May
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Eric Hipple joins Livonia Chamber to take on the issue of suicide and mental health.
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 Eric Hipple is a former Detroit Lions quarterback who was at the pinnacle of his career with a memorable, victorious performance on the Monday Night Football stage. He endured a horrific loss when his 15-year-old son was a victim of suicide, then he struggled with his own mental health in the aftermath. He turned his personal tragedy into a mission to study and speak about mental health, inspired by the memory of his son, to prevent others from facing such a tragedy.
Hipple will speak February 27th at 11:30, about how families can live with depression, in an important Livonia Chamber of Commerce program that provides valuable information for your family and your workplace. His presentation will take place at the Schoolcraft College Vis Ta Tech Center. For reservations contact the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber is proud to have businesses sponsor high school tables at this event to help share the important message with our community's young adults. Email dwest@livonia.org to sponsor a table of high school or college students.
Attendees are welcome to stay to meet Eric Hipple and purchase his book Real Men Do Cry, which he will autograph.
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| Jaycees turning vision into action and you can help |
This January 16th, from 4:00 - 8:00, help support the Livonia Jaycees by visiting Mod Pizza on Middlebelt Road and enjoying some delicious artisan-style pizzas and salads.
20% of your bill will be gifted to the chapter to help support their awesome community projects this year.
Join the Livonia Jaycees at MOD pizza as they begin turning Vision into Action!
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| Chamber Awards Dinner set for February 20 |
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Thursday, February 20 at 5:00. Laurel Manor Banquet & Conference Center
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| A mid-winter party on February 1st |
 Soup, chili, bread, pierogies, and a silent auction! Join the Livonia Democrats, Saturday, February 1st from 6:30 until 9:30, at the UAW Hall Local 182, for a great family night out!
You will eat, drink and be merry and raise funds to support the club activities.
Club members and club friends will bring their favorite soups and chilis in crockpots, as well as breads, and there will be soft drinks and adult beverages.
The charge will be $15 per person for all you can eat, though no charge for the individual who contributes a home-cooked or purchased crock of soup or chili. Locally made pierogies will also be cooking and for sale at a small additional charge. Children 12 and under are free.
There will also be a silent auction which will include a painting by Maria Marcotte, another great handmade guitar from Ken Widmer, and several baskets. And, since it's the weekend before the Iowa Caucuses, they will have a straw poll of our own! Come and join them for an evening of fun and food.
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Start January off with a good mystery at our
Livonia Barefoot Productions |
Susan Glaspell's Trifles, is a classic story of a murder on a farm in Iowa and the two overlooked women who solve it.
The Outside, also by Susan Glaspell, is a story about a woman who is trying to get away from everything, but finds that everything still finds her.
O. Henry, the undisputed king of irony, is the author of the other two short plays.
The Ransom of Red Chief centers on two small time con men, Sam and Bill, who travel the South looking for small money-making schemes that we're guessing end up exploding in their faces.
While the Auto Waits is a sweet and whimsical short play is about two young people who seem determined to impress each other by being someone other than who they actually are.
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