January 20, 2020 Your source for All Livonia news. All the time. All ways positive.
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Discover all that is possible in Livonia:
Franklin High School in partnership with the PTSA hosts the annual Chili Cook-off |
   
While the Livonia Master Plan is being dusted off and pulled off the shelf for implementation and we wait for any possible development for Seven and Farmington we should celebrate our multiple downtowns. Something that no other city can offer. By way of explanation let's look at the PTSA annual Chili Cook-off. It had all the ingredients for a downtown. Follow along and see just what I mean.
19 chili's to sample. The parking lot was cleared after a massive snow fall. Raffle Baskets were sold. There was a 50/50 Raffle and a Bake Sale, with the brownies catching the eye of this typewriter. The school supporters along with the community came out in what had to be described, and in fact was by many, as the biggest crowd in the six years the Livonia PTSA has hosted the Chili Cook-off at Franklin High School.
Parents brought children or rather children brought parents to support their home school chili representatives. 
For the first time two of the schools were represented by members of the Livonia City Council. Hoover by Jim Jolly. Buchanan by Brandon McCullough. Not to be left out, there was councilman Rob Donovic having a great time sampling all the chili.
The Kiwanis with their 6th consecutive Cook-off sponsorship offering up free popcorn, and awarding the prize money of $500 to the winning school.
Our school board was represented by Daniel Centers, Karen Bradford, Crystal Frank and Liz Jarvis. Superintendent Andrea Oquist was on hand beaming with pride at the quality job done by school employees in making sure the parking lot and side walk was ready for the crowd.
 City Treasurer Lynda Scheel and State Representative Laurie Pohutsky were out supporting the Cook-off.
What makes this event such a success was the willingness of the community to partner with the PTSA. Just look over the logo's displayed and you can see how Livonia comes out to support quality events in our hometown downtown.
Steve Alexander sums up the day with a comment that no one could argue with, "Excellent event, very well organized and presented, amazing chili and fantastic Livonia folks coming together in questionable weather to celebrate our community!"
  
Meet the winners of the 2020 Livonia PTSA Chili Cook-off:
Best Chili
Holmes Middle School
Hottest Chili
Franklin High School
Best Dressed Table
Buchanan Elementary School
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| Livonia excels in partnerships encouraging the creativity of our students |
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Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan and Councilman Rob Donovic
congratulated the Young Inventors on their creativity.
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The 2019 Young Inventors program kicked off last November with a series of events designed to inspire students about careers in manufacturing with presenters who are inventors and experts in the theme of "making things."
Students at each school were encouraged to create their own invention which were judged and presented at a banquet in their honor at Schoolcraft College VisTaTech Center just last week.
In November s
peakers visited students at schools throughout the Wayne/Westland, Livonia, Clarenceville, Northville, and Garden City school districts.
"We've been doing the young inventors contest for several years; it actually started in Clarenceville about eight years ago," said Chuck Dardas, president and CEO of AlphaUSA. "There are nine schools involved this year. There will be three inventors selected from each school."
The speakers who visited the schools last November were all successful creators and entrepreneurs.
Dozer from Dozer Studio is a custom motorcycle builder and metal arts artist working most recently at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac creating custom-themed furniture, fixtures and workspaces for garage owners at the facility. Dozer's work has been written about in the Detroit Free Press, the Grand Rapids Press, The Henry Ford blog
 and has been featured in Easyriders and Biker magazines. In his life as a bike builder, he has won many awards and has appeared on television including the Biker Build-Off Series. He visited Franklin, Stevenson and Garden City middle schools.
"I was blessed with having a lot of good mentors. I tried to learn different things from a lot of different people and you start to build upon those skills."
Dozer encouraged the students to learn from others. "I was blessed with having a lot of good mentors. I tried to learn different things from a lot of different people and you start to build upon those skills. Mentors are so important," he said. "You guys today have YouTube and you can find anything on YouTube and see how it works. But that's not mastery. Mastery takes time. Don't worry about making a mistake. No one is good at anything the first time around. You have to practice. You have to keep going. You are learning new skills and becoming better."
Danny Kellermeyer of D J Racing spoke to students at Clarenceville Middle School, Emerson Middle School in Livonia and  Hillside Middle School in Northville. He is a well-known and highly respected personality in car racing circles. An active racer himself, he brings many years of knowledge and experience to design, fabrication and testing of successful race cars and racing engines. Danny spoke about his upbringing and how he tried to hide from his father that he had started racing, bringing home the point that the truth usually wins out, and how he had to show his dad he could be responsible in order to continue on the racing path and win his approval.
Jacques Panis spoke to students at Holmes, Meads Mill and Frost middle schools. He is a well-known entrepreneur and marketing master. After getting Shinola successfully launched in Detroit, Jacques has now taken on the challenge of growing diamonds at New World Diamonds. As an inspiring speaker, the students heard about following dreams and passion from a fascinating man who has "been there, done that, doing it now."
"Drive, personability, compassion and empathy are important traits in life and we often forget about them," said Panis to the students. "Relationships are important - carrying those relationships throughout your career."
The Young Inventors program is a collaborative effort with AlphaUSA, Livonia Chamber of Commerce, Bosch Community Fund, Schoolcraft College Foundation, Schoolcraft College, and Schools in Wayne/Westland, Livonia, Clarenceville, Northville and Garden City as well as Livonia AM Rotary and Kiwanis Club of Livonia Early Risers.
Maureen Miller Brosnan In her first official speech as Mayor made a pitch for Livonia's Young Inventors to keep being curious and brave and to remember to bring their big ideas home. "They are champions in their hometown and we are are counting on them."
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Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs Ranked 22nd Largest Accounting Firm in Michigan
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 Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs was recently ranked the 22
nd
largest accounting firm in Michigan by Crain's Detroit Business. The ranking is by the number of Michigan employees.
"We are very proud and honored to have been recognized as the 22
nd
largest accounting firm in Michigan," said Arthur Cole, managing partner of Cole, Newton, & Duran CPAs. "It gives our brand added credibility with our clients. At CND, our core values of ethics, quality service, caring for one another, and financial stability form the foundation on which we act and provide service - a way in which we provide the CND Experience to our clients."
For more than 50 years, Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs has been providing quality assurance, tax, consulting, and financial guidance to a variety of clients. Our office is located in Livonia, consisting of approximately 45 staff members, including eight partners and 19 CPAs.
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| Livonia excels in making room for youthful singers. Livonia Youth Choir Winter Auditions are January 20 |
 Does your child love to sing?
Girls and boys in 2nd through 8th grade are invited to Livonia Youth Choir's winter auditions! If your child is interested in learning to sing or getting better at singing, this is a wonderful opportunity for them.
If being part of a music or drama program in high school is a goal, this is a great way to get them prepared. Rehearsals are every Monday evening during the school year with a concert at Christmas time and a concert in the spring.
Winter Auditions are this coming Monday, January 20, 5:30 -- 6:30. Auditions take place at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 39020 Five Mile.
Livonia Youth Choir is a tuition-based, non-profit organization.
There are two levels, Lyric is the younger group and Bella Voce is the advanced group. Auditions are necessary for beginners to the choir only, once you're in you don't have to audition again until you're ready to fly up to the next level.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to send us a message here at livoniayouthchoir@gmail.com!
Monday will be your child's favorite day of the week!
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Click on this image for all movie times at the Phoenix
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Musings follows our City Council
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Livonia City Council Study and Regular Meeting -
January 15, 2020
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Livonia City Council Study Meeting -
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| Livonia City Council Regular Meeting - |
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Musings reader survey results
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Mass Transit Survey Taken January 6-15
73.5% Yes
20.5% No
5.8% Undecided
DIA Survey Taken January 15 - 22
59 % Yes
31.8% No
9% Undecided
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Musings follows the 2020 elections
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Joe Biden D
Michael Bloomberg D
Cory Booker D
Pete Buttigieg D
Julian Castro D
John Delaney D
Tulsi Gabbard D
Amy Klobuchar D
Bernie Sanders D
Joe Sestak D
Tom Steyer D
Elizabeth Warren D
Marianne Williamson D
Andrew Yang D
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)
Wayne County Commissioner
Terry Marecki (R-I)
Livonia Board of Education
Dan Centers
Karen Bradford
Tammy Bonifield
Crystal Frank
Clarenceville Board of Education
Matt Boettcher
Brenda Uren
Shari Krazel
Jeffrey Bunker
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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 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 1 @ 6:30 -- 9:30
Soup, Chili, Bread, Pierogies
Livonia Democratic Club
UAW Local 182
February 4 @ 6:30
Livonia Garden Club
Civic Park Senior Center
Tips for preparing for a flower show
February 7, 8, 9
Friends of the Livonia Library Used Book Sale
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 @ 3:00
Livonia Community Theatre
St. Paul's Persbyterian Church
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
February 29
The Arc of Northwest Wayne County
Laurel Manor
Ball for All Leap Year Fundraiser
March in Livonia
March 3 @ 6:30
Livonia Garden Club
Civic Park Senior Center
Four seasons of garden interest
March 14
33rd Annual Bowling for Braille Books
Novi Bowl Family Fun Center
March 21
@ 9:00 - 3:00
April in Livonia
April 7 @ 6:30
Livonia Garden Club
Civic Park Senior Center
Sustainable Food System
April 14
Today's Africa Through American Eyes
Dr. Peggi J. Tabor, PhD
Livonia Citizens for Peace
Livonia Senior Center
May in Livonia
May 5 @ 6:30
Livonia Garden Club
Civic Park Senior Center
Plant Legends and Stories
May 16 @ 9:00 - 10:00
Livonia Garden Club Plant Sharing Event
Greenmead Historical Park
Rain or Shine
Everyone is encouraged to come and take plants whether or not they have plants to share
May 17 @ 3:00
Red Wing Alumni v Livonia All Stars
Eddie Edgar Arena
June in Livonia
June 7 @ 3:00
Livonia Civic Chorus Spring Concert
Churchill High School Performing Arts Center
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| Musings tries to keep up with our active Mayor who experienced first-hand our DPW crews on the first snow fall of the year. |
Facebook posting by Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan on her first snow fall as Mayor: "Spent most of my time this week at my desk in important meetings with department heads. So, today I needed to get out and see some of the real work being done in our City. I spent the morning with the snow crew clearing route #2 (Newburgh Road). Met some of our dedicated DPW team (they've been on the job since 2:00 am) and two of our chicks in charge of clearing roads - Lindsay and Annette. They drive the big rigs and do a heckuva job. Thanks Don Rohraff for the front seat view of my first mayoral snow emergency."
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| Musings reader, Wayne County Commissioner Glenn Anderson, responds to article on ballot proposals |
 I read the article about the fast and loose effort to get a millage on the March Presidential ballot. I believe the plan clearly was an effort to put one past the voters by running it on a typically low turnout election and to circumvent the process to get it on the ballot.
The continuing trend of putting countless millage's on the ballot is a threat to our Seniors being able to stay in their homes and something I oppose in principle. It is also unfair in that the tax burden is extremely disproportionate due to the great differences in property values between urban and suburban homes.
Their website deceptively claims that this tax would only cost the average homeowner about $35 per year, when in fact it would cost most homeowners in Suburban Wayne County much more.
Thanks for helping to inform your readers about this proposal Bill!
(Typewriter: Thanks for writing Glenn and for sending along a new picture. I have officially retired the picture I have been using. You really look good in your new picture. Always like hearing from you. It brings back the memories of what a great State Senator you were representing Livonia. )
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Only 4 months, May 17, until the hometown favorites
Livonia All-stars take on the Detroit Red Wings Alumni
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FridayMusings says mark your calendar for May 17 at 3:00, at the Eddie Edgar Ice Arena for the Red Wings Alumni versus Livonia All Stars captained by City Councilman
Brandon McCullough
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Proceeds of the hockey game will be divided with Livonia Kids @ Family and Friends of Greenmead.
One of the skaters will be Andrew Palushaj, who played on the Stevenson High School Hockey team and is still skates on a local team, shown here with AlphaUSA's Veronica Cruz presenting a sponsorship check to McCullough.
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Proud sponsor of the Detroit Red Wings v Livonia All-stars coming to town May 17, 3:00.
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Congresswoman Haley Stevens:
Votes to Protect Defrauded Students
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Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) voted to pass H.J.Res. 76, a resolution to overturn the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 Borrower Defense rule that would have gutted essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers.
In recent years, there has been a surge in higher education fraud, with predatory for-profit colleges luring students with false promises of guaranteed jobs upon graduation and inaccurate information about the transferability of credits. Many of these unscrupulous institutions have also collapsed, leaving student borrowers with crushing debt and without a degree. Under Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education has refused to provide debt relief to defrauded borrowers, while the list of defrauded borrowers seeking relief has grown to roughly 240,000 nationwide, including 7,916 in Michigan.
Earlier this week, Congresswoman Stevens spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives in support of H.J.Res 76. In December, Congresswoman Stevens questioned Secretary DeVos about her failure to protect defrauded students during a House Education and Labor Committee hearing. She also told the story of Erica Maupin, a Michigander who was defrauded by a now defunct predatory for-profit college and had to abandon her dream of becoming a paralegal. Without relief from the Department of Education, Erica has been struggling to provide for her family while paying off the crushing student debt she accumulated to earn a useless degree.
Congresswoman Stevens has been a strong advocate for student borrowers this year, introducing several bills to provide relief for student loan borrowers:
- H.R. 4395, the Clean Slate Through Consolidation Act and H.R. 4396, the Cleans Slate Through Repayment Act. These bills would remove default records from the credit history of federal student loan borrowers who have consolidated their defaulted loan or repaid the loan in full.
- H.R. 2728, the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would provide relief to borrowers who previously consolidated their student loan debt, including victims of domestic or economic abuse, or those with an uncommunicative partner.
- H.R. 2888, the Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would give the Education Department tools to identify and shut down student debt relief scams that target student borrowers and parents.
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State Representative Laurie Pohutsky:
Hosting Town Hall on Independent Redistricting Commission |
The 2020 FIRST Robotics Competition is ready to roll.
Check it out |
You have got to see this official game animation for the 2020 FIRST Robotics Competition game, INFINITE RECHARGE. On Wednesday FridayMusings will be introducing The Livonia Warriors Competition Team and the Livonia Warriors Tyros Team.
Livonia is ready to cheer on our robotics team. Check this out. Goes way beyond the typewriters computer club in 7th club, building a binary computer and so excited when it could add 2 plus 2.
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| 2020 FIRST Robotics Competition INFINITE RECHARGE Game Animation |
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How will you vote on the Detroit Institute of Arts millage
on the 2020 Presidential Primary Ballot? |
The
Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will seek another tri-county millage on the 2020 Presidential Primary ballot.
Voters in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties passed a 10-year millage in 2012, which added around $23 million a year in funding to the museum. At the time, the DIA said it would not seek a renewal, but instead set up an endowment that could fund 60 percent of its $38 million annual operating budget.
The current 0.2-mill, 10-year property tax won't lapse until 2022, but the museum has decided to act during a presidential primary, rather than wait for an off-year ballot when its prospects might be dimmer.
The DIA says the new millage will allow the museum to continue to offer many of its services, educational opportunities, and admissions free of charge.
The endowment promised in 2012 has reached $230 million, however in 2014 it had to raise $100 million to prevent DIA artworks being sold during Detroit's bankruptcy.
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| Time to register for Livonia baseball and softball |
LJAL (Livonia Junior Athletic League), an inductee into the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame, has been around since 1957 to provide children 8 to 17 who reside in Livonia & Clarenceville school districts the opportunity to play organized sports. They offer baseball, softball, basketball, football, cheerleading & lacrosse.
LJAL House Baseball & Softball registration for Spring 2020 season is open through March 22, 2020.
Please follow this
link, click
here
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Regina Gargus candidate for republican nomination for
State Representative set to hold discussion on Elder Abuse |
 Coffee & Conversation with a Candidate regarding Elder Abuse, and financial Exploitation via our trusted Probate Court/ Family court system.
Not only make yourselves aware of this ever evolving scam, learn how to prevent yourselves or loved ones from ever becoming victims.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 2 PM - 4 PM at Sam's, Five Mile and Farmington.
We will have guest speakers & families who were "forever changed" by this pro-bait scam.
Learn how to protect yourselves and loved ones.
Please contact Tina @734-377-9361 to RSVP or for more information.
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| February is nearly here and so are more theatre opportunities |
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Tickets are now on sale and they have added a matinee on Saturday.
This is in the Black Box theatre and only 100 seats are available!
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