Bill Joyner's FridayMusings 12/07/2022

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What motivates FridayMusings:

We can't only define Livonia as taking small steps toward maintaining the way things were. That will give us mediocre outcomes. Our goal needs to be innovative and transformative.

FridayMusings Wednesday, December 7, 2022 Helping define Livonia Quality of Life

City Council votes down Non-Discrimination Ordinance

The Livonia City Council defeated the Non-discrimination ordinance last night by a vote of 5-2 with Jim Jolly and Brandon McCullough voting yes for passage and Scott Morgan, Scott Bahr, Laura Toy, Rob Donovic, and Kathleen McIntyre voting no. The Mayor issued a statement with her reaction to the council's action.

“I share the disappointment and frustration of many community stakeholders and residents as our City Council fails to pass a substantive non-discrimination ordinance for our community. This proposal would have brought state and federal protections to the local level, providing residents a community-based option for enforcement of and compliance with these laws.

"The conversation about this policy has only amplified the need for the protection of a non-discrimination ordinance. There are real, albeit rare, instances of discrimination in our community, and we need to do more to ensure Livonia continues to grow as a welcoming community.

"In the weeks and months to come, my pledge to Livonia residents is to keep the conversation about our inclusive values going. Last year, I implemented a non-discrimination policy that ensures equal access to public services and facilities in the City of Livonia. During my time as mayor, we have begun offering a variety of DEI training to all City of Livonia employees for the first time, worked diligently to ensure diverse representation on our City boards and commissions, and now in 2023 will recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a paid holiday for our City employees, allowing them to participate in whatever service and reflection they so choose.

"I have asked the City’s Law Department to present me with possible courses of administrative action to advance similar priorities as our non-discrimination ordinance. Livonia is a great community, and I know that our residents share my mission of growth and progress towards a more inclusive, welcoming future.”

FridayMusings encourages Livonia voters to ask candidates running for City Council in 2023 to stake out a position on a Livonia NDO and to look closely at their position on this community-defining issue.

FridayMusings readers poll. Are you more likely or less likely to vote for a Livonia City Candidate opposing the NDO?

Are you more or less likely to support a city candidate opposing an NDO?

Less

It does not matter one way or another

An opinion on the elimination of the

print edition of the Livonia Observer

Livonia resident, photojournalist and inductee of the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame Bill Bresler dropped a dime sharing his opinion on the elimination of the print edition of the Livonia Observer. FridayMusings shares his thoughts with our readers.

I guess ending the print edition of the newspapers doesn't bother me too much because hardly anyone wanders out to the front porch to pick up a newspaper. I think we have 2 residents on our street who still had the paper delivered, and I'm not one of them.

The big loss is in staff. A news organization needs warm bodies working the streets to effectively cover local news. Back in the late 80s the O&E had about 70 full-time editors, reporters and photographers. Now there are only 5 survivors. There are no editors. There are no copy editors. There are no staff photographers.

These 5 are obliged to cover an area from Birmingham, down to Canton, and west to US-23.

The western suburbs are effectively a news desert.

I don't blame Phil Power for selling out. I'm both appalled and filled with admiration by how much money Phil received from the 2004 sale to Gannett. Gannett, known by those in the news business as the Evil Empire, is to blame for what's left.

As a former O&E publisher once told me, "Once a month Gannett backs up a truck to the loading dock and we have to fill it up with cash, and cut expenses until it's full."

Gannett has squeezed just about all it can out of the organization, and to hell with the communities that relied on the organization for local news.

Livonia has a long standing tradition of supporting the arts

Since 1995 Livonia takes lead in developing a strong Community Foundation thanks to the vision of Bob Bennett

The Livonia Community Foundation was chartered 27 years ago in 1995 for the purpose of building and administering an endowment fund, and to seek contributions to grow that fund.

It was the foresight of former Mayor Bob Bennett combined with his leadership and community leaders who have since served on the Board of Trustees that grew the Livonia Community Foundation to $386,000 by December 2001 and to over one million currently.

The earnings on the fund are used to support the Foundation’s mission of supporting Livonia’s own cultural, historical, educational, and charitable institutions. The number of contributors has grown each year and now includes more than 750 Livonia families, individuals, and businesses.

Dinner at Coaches Corner with Gary and Brandon. Seedlings benefits from successful auction

At the recently completed Seedlings online Auction over $51,000 was raised resulting in this hometown favorite non-profit being able to provide another 5,100 braille books for children across the country.

One of the auction items was dinner with Councilman Brandon McCullough at Coaches Corner. The winning bidder was Gary Selesko. This week McCullough took Selesko to dinner with the typewriter along with Franklin High School math teacher and Stevenson High School graduate Sam Vomastek.

Thank you Gary for your donation to Seedlings. It was quite an enjoyable evening at Coaches Corner.

The good attributes of our city are the reason we will not fail. Keep the hope!

Councilman Brandon McCullough has the next but not final word on the results of the vote on a Livonia NDO:

In reflecting on last night, I must say that I was very disappointed throughout most of the night.

However, I woke up this morning motivated and filled with hope. Last night was a perfect example that the wheels of change are in motion, slow, but it’s happening.

I value and applaud everyone that shared their stories and experiences last night during audience comment. That took an immense amount of courage and it was not unnoticed.

We obviously still have a lot of work going forward and I promise to continue doing my part as your city councilman.

We have a lot of great things and people in our city that far outweigh the negativity and complacency. I am confident that the actions last night will provide an awaking of our citizens to become more engaged in local government.

The good attributes of our city are the reason we will not fail. Keep the hope!

Two days left to order Dearborn Ham to support Clarenceville Class of 2023

The Clarenceville Senior All Night Party is once again selling Dearborn hams to help raise funds for the party on graduation night.

Two days left as all orders are due by December 9th. If interested in ordering, please complete the online form and they will coordinate your payment and dropoff/pickups.

https://form.jotform.com/223376255948063

Santa's Mailbox ready for you at French's Flowers

If you missed the Sant's Mailbox at the Livonia Kirksey Center there is still time at French's Flowers, one block west of Farmington south of Five Mile. They are now accepting letters until Dec. 19th!

Make sure to leave a return address so Santa knows !

Mail Address

19514 Bainbridge 48152

E-mail address

rwilliamjoyner@gmail.com

Cell address

734-674-5871

Books that help children understand differences & disability awareness

These books were written after Livonia resident Lonna Baum spent several years presenting a disability awareness program to 1st and 2nd graders. She says that "These books are to help children understand differences and cut down on bullying. Have had great fun reading in school and interacting with students. One told me he had a disability - one of his taste buds fell out."

Baum wrote the books and Livonia artist Dave Messing provided illustrations. Available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.

Gotta love it!