November 1, 2019            Your source for All Livonia news. All the time. All ways positive. 
     Musings masthead website  
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DAY
I just can't get enough of the six inductees into this years 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame.
Bob Hardies, Dominick Paris, Seedlings, 
Chuck Dardas, Paul Soucy, Denise King. All with MC's Terry Marecki and Alan Helmkamp along with State Senator Dayna Polehanki and State Representative Laurie Pohutsky and founder of the Hall of Fame the typewriter.

SEEDLINGS BRAILLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

Click on this image to instantly be transported to the Seedlings Braille Books for Children bid site. Look over the items now and get ready for when the bidding starts
November 1st.

  0 DAYS REMAINING BEFORE THIS 
LINK IS OPEN FOR BIDDING. 

IT IS OPEN NOW.

Vote  November 5

City of Livonia  Mayoral Race
Vote for one candidate in November

Maureen Miller Brosnan

Laura Toy

City of Livonia Council Race
Vote for up to four candidates in November

Robert Donovic

Brian Duggan
 
B randon McCullough
   
Eileen McDonnell

Cinematic Art expands in Livonia with the introduction of Fathom Events 
at the Phoenix Theatre
Click on this image for all movie times


Send your calendar notices to  rwilliamjoyner@gmail.com
 
November in Livonia
November 1 @ 6:30 - 9:30
A Sentimental Journey
Benefit Banquet
November 1 @8:00, 2 @8:00, 3 @2:00
November 8 @8:00, 9 @8:00, 10 @2:00
Barefoot Productions

November 2 @ 4:30 @ 8:00
Tail Waggers @ Woodland Lanes

November 2

November 2
14th Annual Healthy Livonia Turkey Trot
Bicentennial Park
November 5 @ 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
Livonia General Election
Vote
November 5 @ noon - 3:00
Madonna University Music Department

November 7
Painting with a Twist
benefiting the Ian Clemens Foundation

November 8 @ 7:30
November 9 @ 7:30
November 10 @ 2:00
Women in War
Livonia Community Theatre
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church

November 9 @ 9:30
Rick Austin Memorial 5 K Run/Walk

November 10 @ 10:30

November 16 @ 10:00 - 4:00
Clarenceville's Craft Show

November 16 @ 10:00 - 3:00
Rotary Club invites you to Be a Cancer Kicker
@ Burn Fitness - Livonia

November 23 @ 2:00 - 4:00
Blessings in a Backpack Bowling Outing

November 23 @ 9:00 - 3:00
Historic Greenmead Treasures from Grandma's Attic

December in Livonia
December 7
Trumbell Film Forum
Monroe Phoenix Theatre

December 7
Livonia Symphony Orchestra
Magical Fantasies
Clarenceville High School
Louis Schmidt Auditorium
December 8 @ 4:00
City of Livonia Christmas Parade
December 15 @ 3:00

2020 in Livonia
Spring 2020


Seedlings' online auction: a win-win for bidders, blind kids
383 items available for you to bid on. Starting today.


The day has arrived. Login to  www.BiddingForGood.com/braillebooks  and instantly be transported the Seedlings Braille Books for Children bid site. Look over the 383 items available for you to bid on. Great items including dining, travel, sports events, gift cards and yes, unique experiences like lunch with Senator Dayna Polehanki or lunch with the typewriter.

The real winner of your bidding will be the visually impaired children who will have access to an additional 2,100 books if Seedlings Braille Books for Children reach their goal of raising $21,000.

Let's get started. The bidding is from November 1st through November 14th. Take a look at just four of the 383 items you can bid on. 
Mitchell's Bravo Cucina Flemings Steakhouse





4 days left for an interesting and historic campaign in Livonia

Four days left in a campaign that will see the first female elected as Mayor of Livonia. Two highly qualified candidates each with a different perspective offered for the future of Livonia.


Laura Toy called out for her missed votes as a legislator in Lansing responding that she was caring for her mother in a time of need. Maureen Brosnan called out as wanting to take Livonia down the road to socialism responding that she served as Executive Director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association hardly a socialist organization.

Literature from Lansing and the Michigan Republican Party. Literature from a Warren business association whose founder is under investigation by the federal government. Right to Life of Michigan endorsing four candidates. Planned Parenthood of Michigan with the opposing view. Literature from the Livonia Democratic Party.

Literature calling out Laura Toy for serving on the Michigan Women for Trump. Literature calling out Maureen Brosnan for her connection to Robert Ficano.

So how is all of this going to play out. Let's take a look. 

Four positions are surely set. Scott Bahr and Kathleen McIntyre are set for first and second with the only question being who runs first and who runs second. Look for McIntyre to edge out Bahr to be the next City Council President.

Bahr raised 6,385 and spent 5,935 in the general election. McIntyre raised 11,215 and spent 868 in the general. This last figure is somewhat misleading as she reported 13,840 in debt.

Brian Duggan and Greg Coppola are set for seventh and eight. Duggan a late entry in the race surely was expecting his name identification to carry him to victory, but with no campaigning in the primary and only one mailing in the general his plan is apparently not going to work. The biggest surprise is that Greg Coppola with the support from most of the establishment was not able to gain traction finishing well out of the race in the primary.

Duggan raised 10,993 and spent 7,325 in the general election. Coppola raised only 1,400  and spent 1,823 in the general election. 

Four candidates are remaining for the last two open seats on City Council. Brandon McCullough is running the most aggressive campaign and looks to be in a position to again finish third. The real fight is for the two year, fourth place, position. The battle appears to be between Rob Donovic, Eileen McDonnell and Jim Davis. If the female vote is strong then McDonnell could very well move up to 4th from her 5th place finish in the primary. Davis, tying himself into the McIntyre camp and hoping that the coat tails of McIntyre and Toy will move him from 6th to 4th. Donovic with the best branding of all the candidates looks to have the edge for 4th.

Donovic raised 8,490 and spent 11,389 in the general election. McDonnell raised 4,230 and spent 5.392 in the general election. Davis raised 4,190 and spent 1,595 in the general.

(The campaign income and expenses for the council candidates only reflect the  general election and does not include money left over from the primary campaign.)


Musings has endorsed McIntyre, McCullough, McDonnell and Davis for Livonia City Council.



The race for Mayor clearly defines the direction Livonia residents want to take in the coming 4 years. We have one candidate with a tremendous amount of legislative experience -- Laura Toy. We have one candidate with a tremendous amount of executive/ management experience -- Maureen Brosnan.

Both are nice people. But Livonia needs more than just nice. Livonia needs a Mayor who is experienced in taking an organization, defining its mission, establishing goals and managing the organization to see that the goals do in fact enhance the defined mission.

That person for Mayor is clearly Maureen Miller Brosnan. Her campaign, mission and goal is to engage our neighbors, involve our young families and create a hometown that people want to come and stay. Her three priorities in the mind of FridayMusings are solving the retention and recruitment of our first responders. Creating a work force by working with our educational institutions from the Livonia Public Schools, to the multitude of higher education institutions like Schoolcraft College and Madonna University and coordinating with our Livonia Chamber of Commerce and manufacturing businesses such as AlphaUSA.

Brosnan has talked with thousands of homeowners on their doorstep and shown up for all debates in the primary and general election. Toy by contrast has ducked debates and avoided answering the tough questions.

With a solid resume of executive experience and citizen engagement Brosnan does not as Toy has done take credit for, as an example, bringing Amazon to Livonia. The troubling fact in this is that Amazon was announced on November 16 when Toy was not on the City Council but wants to take credit for something she had no part in.

Brosnan has a plan that goes beyond being nice and saying that her experience in Livonia should determine that she be the next Mayor. Brosnan will bring her service on the Livonia City Council and couple it with experiences traveling the world on behalf of the Venture Capital Association and serving as Executive Director of Catholic Charities of southeast Michigan. Add to all of she served on the Board of Directors of St. Mary Mercy Hospital and while working with the executive leadership team of the hospital helped turn it into a world class care facility and cornerstone of health care in Livonia. 

Livonia needs more than just nice. Livonia Maureen Miller Brosnan who is experienced in taking an organization, defining its mission, establishing goals and managing the organization to see that the goals do in fact enhance the defined mission. Livonia needs Maureen Miller Brosnan.
We enjoy hearing from our readers. . .emails, phone calls, Facebook.
Thoughts that need to be shared.
Greg Coppola, candidate for Livonia City Council: I was recently called out by a local blogger about my lack of response to a campaign flier circulated in support of me and several other candidates on one side, and critical of three other candidates on the other side. I had only been made aware of the flier the evening before the blogger suggested my silence. To be clear, I had no prior knowledge of, and no involvement with the production and financing of this flier.

It is not clear what the blogger expected of me in that the piece accurately reflects my stance on the issues conveyed as well as the support the other candidates have received and communicated through an earlier mailing by the Livonia Democrat Club.

I have no direct knowledge of the positions these three candidates have in regard to the positions for which the piece states they stand. I will leave it to those candidates to correct the record, if necessary.

As election day quickly approaches, I ask that you look to my record of service and dedication to the community and the city, my extensive public and private experience and my leadership, and vote for me on November 5th. Thank you for your trust and support.

(FridayMusings: Glad you read FridayMusings and all the best in the campaign. No idea who this blogger is but Musings is glad to post your position as we have numerous times since you filed for city council.) 

Edie Goodsell:   Thanks for the wonderful job FridayMusings does for our community.

What criteria do you use in selecting a candidate you'll vote for to elect our next mayor?

For me they include leadership, political savvy, administrative skills, the ability to attract businesses, jobs, and young families while as mayor have the ability to oversee all the city's main departments, including the police, fire, education, public works, housing and transportation departments. This is why I believe Laura M. Toy is who I will vote to be our next Mayor of Livonia.

Leadership means ability to assess and prioritize the needs of the city and to engage all the shareholders: local municipal leaders as well as those on the county, state, and federal levels; business owners; developers; and citizens all the while living within the city budget and keeping the city's tax base low. With Laura's help our city's tax base is
one of the second-lowest in Wayne County and our public service ranks second to none. As Livonia's first female State Senator, Laura was named the Police Officers Association of Michigan 'Legislator of the Year'.

Laura Toy is a familiar face because she has been a longtime successful public servant. Early in her career she was a Trustee and Vice President of the Trustees of Schoolcraft College. Plus she's been the successful small business co-owner of Cardwell Florist, for over 35 years. These experiences all helped hone her skills to know how important
it is to a city to work collaboratively with education and how to continue to keep Livonia fiscally sound by attracting more companies to join our city and others to expand their businesses.

She served as City Treasurer for 4 years; Council Member for 18 years, many as Council President and is now our current Council President. In between her time serving our City Council she served in Lansing as Representative and Senator for 8 years during which she served on many committees including: Assistant Majority Whip, Vice-Chair of the Capital Outlay Committee; Family Independence Committee; Member of the General Government; Judiciary Committee; Seniors, Veterans & Military Affairs; Local & State Government; Economic Development & Commerce; Technology & Energy including serving on various caucuses and working as Chief of Staff for Senator Emmmons working as an advisor for 501c3 non-profit organizations including the Institute on Human Trafficking Education & Information where she was instrumental in writing and enacting 27 laws, some being the first for our state for Human
Trafficking. 

Her list of Civic and other Memberships is equally long and impressive. Laura's priorities have consistently been to serve people. She has always been a good listener and voice for residents, fighting for families and seniors. Her experience has been varied and extensive always serving with integrity. It is no wonder that she has the endorsements of Mayor Dennis Wright and former Mayor Jack E. Kirksey and Mayor Jack Engebretson. As Mayor Wright says: "There is no one as prepared as Laura to take over the reins of Mayor of Livonia"

Annette Rogers SchwartzI I t has been sad enough to watch the three Livonia libraries go from full time hours to part time hours at Noble and Sandburg libraries. Please if you (Maureen Miller Brosnan) are elected work to find a way to make sure literacy and libraries are a priority for Livonia's residents and their families. Noble needs to be remodeled and needs to be reopened!

(FridayMusings: The Noble library needs to stay open. Make the repairs and reopen. This is the most densely populated square mile in Livonia we cannot afford to close the library.)

Nathan Lee, Livonia resident and President Livonia Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 1164:


Sen. Polehanki Legislation to Revamp Third Grade Reading Law

Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) introduced legislation to reform the state's third grade reading law that, in its current form, could flunk 5,000 Michigan third graders this spring.   
 
"As many as 5,000 Michigan students could be retained in the third grade based on their performance on a standardized test that they take this spring," said Sen. Polehanki, a former English teacher with nearly 20 years of experience in the classroom. "Retaining kids based solely on a test score isn't innovation - it's regression. In this revamped legislation we retain the best parts of original bill, but not the students."  
 
Experts who have studied grade retention agree that, at best, it's neutral. At worst, it yields negative effects on academic outcomes -  including increased rates of high school dropouts, reduced college attendance and  psychological stress, even in elementary-aged students . Additionally,  retention may disproportionately penalize African American, special education  and  economically disadvantaged students .
 
Senate Bill 633 would eliminate mandatory grade retention based on a student's test score while maintaining provisions to:  
  • Monitor student progress on reading abilities, use early literacy coaches and reading intervention programs;
  • Provide K-3 teachers with professional development opportunities on reading; and,
  • Notify parents of early literacy delays and provide them with "Read at Home" plans. 
"No two students are alike," Sen. Polehanki said. "We must do away with this test-and-punish blanket retention practice, and instead give families and education professionals the freedom to tailor a path that is right for each student - and my bill is designed to do just that."  
Stevenson's National Honor Society invites to you a huge event
Madonna University Repertory Theatre Presents
Neil Simon's The Star-Spangled Girl 
and  A 1940's Kaleidoscope Radio Hour 
The premiere mainstage season for the Madonna University Repertory Theatre kicks off Friday, Nov. 1, with Neil Simon's comedy The Star-Spangled Girl.

The show involves the perfect All-American girl. When she moves in next door to two college buddies writing a protest magazine, sparks are sure to fly.  Add romantic attraction to the mix - that somehow becomes a lover's quadrangle - and the resulting fireworks rival any Fourth of July celebration. 

Performances, in Kresge Hall, are Nov. 1 & 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 general admission, and $10 Student /Seniors. Purchase tickets online here  ( https://t.e2ma.net/click/ute3ac/qaxt3l/iggi5k ) or at the door.

Madonna University's Repertory Theatre performers are giving more than a stellar performance. They also are giving back to the community through their support of The Bride's Project (TBP), a non-profit bridal salon i
n Ann Arbor. Theatre patrons are encouraged to donate their five-year-old or younger wedding gowns to TBP when they attend The Star-Spangled Girl. Money raised by the sale of the gowns supports families touched by cancer. The TBP mission is to offer sustainable funding to the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor, and to offer brides a socially-conscious, eco- and budget-friendly option to purchase a wedding dress.

Liberal arts education, career preparation and service-learning have been the hallmarks of a Madonna University education for more than 80 years. In addition to the beautiful main campus, conveniently located at I-96 and Levan Road in Livonia, Madonna offers academic programs in Gaylord, Macomb, and online in China, Haiti and the United Arab Emirates. Michigan's most affordable, independent, Catholic, liberal arts university, Madonna also offers more than 100 undergraduate and 35 graduate programs in the colleges of arts and humanities, natural and social sciences, education, and nursing and health, as well as the School of Business.
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 Madonna University also invites you to a 1940's Kaleidoscope Radio Hour.  A self-written script and compiled show featuring performers from our Performing Arts Ensembles: Lyric Theatre, Chorale, Jazz, Repertory Theatre, and a tap dancer. Songs, commercials, 5-min mysteries with Foley sounds, Who's on First, Stop the Music game segment; all representations of a 1948 radio show.