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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 Friday, December 9, 2022    Helping define Livonia Quality of Life

Happy 65 years AlphaUSA on making a difference every day in your community and in the lives of your employees.

A community is a composite of so many parts. Neighborhoods. Families. Schools. Churches. Businesses, both retail and industrial.

There is one company, AlphaUSA, that crosses so many lines pulling together disparate parts and helping to combine all into a community that cares, that in total defines a template of cooperation, building a community of which we are all so proud.

This week AlphaUSA celebrated 65 years since its founding. What better way to celebrate than inviting all the employees to lunch because yes, the employees define Alpha which in turn helps define Livonia.

Not a week goes by that this typewriter doesn't write a story about AlphaUSA reaching out with programs helping to improve the lives of students, families, schools, and Livonia.

The genesis of so much good. First Responders Foundation. Tour de Livonia. Livonia Kids and Families. Emerson/Franklin food pantry. Detroit Red Wings v Livonia All-Stars. Clarenceville technology center. Livonia Civic Chorus. Thanksgiving dinners at McNamara Towers. Lunches at the Livonia Senior Center. And on and on. . .

Get the point? Happy Birthday, AlphaUSA. As Brandon McCullough posted on facebook, "Congratulations and thank you to AlphaUSA for 65 years! We are so grateful for everything you do for our Livonia Community! Cheers! Here’s to 65 more!"

Since 1957 AlphaUSA has believed in community service:

"We are aware of our social responsibility in the global marketplace we serve. We adhere to principals that protect the well-being of our employees and enable us to give back to the community.

"The future of the communities where we live and work was important to founder George Strumbos and is very much still part of the company’s fabric. What we do to help our youth today will have an impact on their success tomorrow. That is why we participate in National Manufacturing day where kids tour our facilities and learn about the possibilities of a career in manufacturing.

"We also support our schools because we believe knowledge is power. 

"We salute our military and first responders who unselfishly put themselves in harm’s way, everyday so we can live and work safe. We reach out to all generations of our community from our youth to our seniors. We are not only building a business in the community, we are very much part of it."

There are those now pushing for a delay in City Elections with expectations of holding them at the same time as Presidential and Governor elections

When Laura Toy first proposed to me that the City elections should be moved to even-numbered years placing the elections of our local hometown officials on the same ballot as President one year and the Governor two years later I thought for sure this was merely a discussion that would never gain traction. But then other people suggested that she had also raised the specter with them of moving our city election and I was dumbstruck.

The proposal as suggested by Toy would cancel the 2023 elections and grant our elected officials, as allowed under state law, another year in office with the next city election scheduled for the same date as our vote for President of the United States. This is legal and was done most recently with our school board elections.

Absolutely not. This would open the door to the nationalization of our community elections, removing Tip O'Neal's mantra of all politics being local. No more discussions on community priorities. I want to meet our community candidates, talk with them, and discuss our needs and priorities. Instead, we will tie in local officials with their support for whichever national party will benefit their own election.

Toy's response? It will save us money. She is putting a price tag on democracy and this is something that tears at the very fiber of America. We already have dark money, anonymous mailings, and less retail campaigning and the one thing we need less of is another price tag on local elections.

Add to that the cost of mailing city voters in an election year. Can't be done. Too expensive unless you are an incumbent with access to special interest money. Talk about keeping the establishment in an office with little likelihood for new personalities, policies, and programs to be discussed much less elected.

Toy is telling friends that she is expecting to run for Livonia City Clerk next year. She has suggested to the typewriter that this proposal is one that will be a part of any campaign waged next year.

Keep Livonia elections about Livonia issues. Say no to this proposal which has now been introduced at the Council level and referred to a committee. Keep it there.

FridayMusings readers opinion on being less or more likely

to vote for a City candidate supporting the NDO.

Less likely 17.3% More likely 71.2% Does not matter 11.5%

It is time to put a Livonia performing arts center on the agenda

Livonia built a library with an auditorium. Not conducive for performing arts. Short-sighted in scaling it back.

Livonia Public Schools built three auditoriums. Not conducive for community organizations due to scheduling and price for the rental.

Ten years ago local art organizations along with one member of the City Council held several meetings to discuss a community performing arts building; studied locations and started looking at cost projects. It was met with resistance from the Mayor and the group stopped meeting.

Our hometown is looking at tens of millions for Greenmead design and a new senior center. But no discussion on a performing arts center that can be used by community groups, including our growing theatre presence.

It is time that the Community Performing Arts Center be brought up for discussion and placed eventually on the implementation agenda.

We could also have the Livonia Public Schools follow through on the commitment made to this typewriter that community organizations would have a cost-effective rental plan coupled with scheduling availability ready to implement when the three performing art auditoriums open. Still waiting while at least two major organizations in Livonia express their frustrations to the typewriter weekly.

The leadership of the Livonia Community Theatre is spearheading a public awareness campaign with a hoped-for campaign fundraising drive to start the discussion on location and cost.

Without a commitment from the elected leadership, we will still be talking about this ten years from now. Put this idea on the table and start adding the dollars to the long-delayed community infrastructure that keeps getting pushed down the road.

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19514 Bainbridge 48152