December 20, 2019 Your source for All Livonia news. All the time. All ways positive.
Happy Holiday. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Whatever your faith, celebrate and make it happy. See you again January 3.
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| Top Four in the Nation. Livonia it is time to move it on up. And you can help. |
Our Livonia UPS Store, Five and Newburgh, is ranked in the top four of all stores in the UPS system nationwide. Read that again.
 Number four of all the stores in America in the collection of donations for T
oys for Tots. And even more remarkable there is only $250 that separates the store owned by Eric Ladwig with the leader.
Nationwide UPS Stores have set a goal of $300,000 nationwide.
Over the next three days it would be great if you would make it a point to stop by the UPS Store, Five and Newburgh, and make a donation. One dollar, five dollars, twenty dollars. At this point every extra donation will make a difference.
The money collected at the Ladwig UPS Store stays right here in the community. He has made a partnership with Seedlings as a part of the Toys for Tots Literacy program. Ladwig comments, that "together with the other UPS Stores in Southeast Michigan, we have raised over $8,500 for Seedlings Braille Books for Children through the Toys for Tots Literacy Program."
How cool would it be to announce that Livonia was home to the number one store in America in support of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program. This typewriter is pledging to stop in Friday, Saturday and Monday and donate $5.00 each day. Even $1 will help show that we are engaged in helping this program while at the same time telling the nation that Livonia stands with our small business sector, and with literacy programming.
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| 2020 campaigning in Livonia is ready to kick off and it is only 2019. |
On December 28th Livonia will officially have a campaign for State Representative, a seat currently held by incumbent Laurie Pohutsky who has already announced for re-election. Martha Ptashnik, republican, will
 hold an announcement party at Coaches Corner, December 28 from 2:00 - 4:00. If Penny Crider follows through on her unofficial announcement then we have a republican party primary. There is no indication that Pohutsky will have a Democratic primary.
So who is Martha Ptashnik? For a start let's take a look at what she has posted on her website. As the campaign progresses we will share that information with you:
Martha grew up in the Old Rosedale neighborhood in Livonia and when Martha and her husband of 27 years, Brian, decided to start a family they decided that they wanted that same Livonia style upbringing for their own family. They have two children, David and Kate, both graduates of Livonia Public Schools.
Martha is a teacher for Livonia Public Schools and is committed to the education of all of Michigan's children. Martha is currently the mathematics department chairman at Livonia Churchill High School.
Martha earned a Masters in Educational Technology from Livonia's Madonna University, and her Bachelor's Degree from Michigan State University.
She has spent the past 13 years teaching in Livonia Public Schools. Prior to teaching, Martha worked as a retail buyer for Marshall Fields, Dayton-Hudson & Montgomery Ward's. Martha's business experience as well as her teaching experience give her a unique view on many of the challenges Michigan is facing.
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| It might be time to revive a movement to expand our transit programs. Let's find out. |
 Now that we have a new city administrator, it might be very opportune to get a movement going to get the Smart Bus rolling again through Livonia.
Really, Livonia business owners who are struggling finding workers might be more interested in hiring non-residents if they had a way to get into Livonia. There are folks coming into Livonia to work that do not live here. The quality of these workers is proven every day when you see these folks getting off the Smart Bus at the city borders, who walk in freezing temperatures to their jobs inside Livonia is amazing.
Maybe we should do our own Musings Survey of Livonia to find out if they support employees coming to their places of business and if they were willing to hire more if they had transportation in Smart busses?
We ask that rhetorically, but in January FridayMusings will put this to the test with a survey of Livonia residents and readers of Musings, many of which are business owners.
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INDOOR TRIATHLON REGISTRATION UNDERWAY
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Registration is underway for the
annual Indoor Triathlon Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center, 15100 Hubbard.
Participants compete in a 20-minute swim, 20-minute bike, and 20-minute run with 10-minute transition times between each event. Swimming takes place in the 25-yard lap pool. Biking will be on upright stationary bikes. Running will be done on treadmills in the fit hub. Scoring is determined by the total distance covered in all three events.
"If you are looking to take part in your first triathlon, this event provides a great experience in a motivating and encouraging atmosphere," commented Ted Davis, Superintendent, Livonia Parks and Recreation.
The registration fee of $35 includes a participation t-shirt and refreshments. Awards will be given to the top male and female in each of the following age groups 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61 and over.
Registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 14. For more information, please call (734) 466-2900 or visit
www.livoniaparks.org
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Part Three:
Get Ready for Taxes: Gather Documents and Organize Tax Records
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The Internal Revenue Service urges taxpayers to act now to avoid a tax-time surprise and ensure smooth processing of their 2019 federal tax return.
This is the third of a four-part tax series of reminders to help taxpayers get ready for the upcoming tax filing season. To that end, a
special page
, newly updated and available on
IRS.gov
, outlines things taxpayers can do now to prepare for the 2020 tax season ahead.
The IRS urges all taxpayers to develop a recordkeeping system − electronic or paper − that keeps important information in one place. Keep copies of filed tax returns and all supporting documents for at least three years. This includes year-end Forms W-2 from employers, Forms 1099 from banks and other payers, other income documents, records documenting all virtual currency transactions, and Forms 1095-A for those claiming the Premium Tax Credit. Add tax records to the files as they are received. Having complete and timely records can help any taxpayer file a complete and accurate return.
Taxpayers should confirm that each employer, bank or other payer has a current mailing address or email address. Typically, year-end forms start arriving by mail - or are available online - in January. Review them carefully and, if any of the information shown is inaccurate, contact the payer right away for a correction.
To avoid refund delays, be sure to gather all year-end income documents before filing a 2019 return. Filing too early, before receiving a key document, often means a taxpayer must file an amended return to report additional income or claim a refund. It can take up to 16 weeks to get an amended return refund.
Anyone using a software product for the first time may need the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) amount shown on Line 7 of their 2018 return to file their 2019 return electronically. Consult the taxpayer's copy of last year's return, or alternatively, visit the
View Your Tax Account
link on
IRS.gov
. Learn more about verifying identity and electronically signing a return at
Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return
.
To learn more about what documents you should gather to organize your tax records, please contact a tax professional at Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs at 734-427-2030. You can also visit our website at
www.cndcpa.com
.
About Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs (cndcpa.com)
Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs (CND) has been providing quality, personalized financial guidance to local individuals and businesses for more than 50 years. Our expertise ranges from basic tax management and accounting services to more in-depth services such as audits, financial statements, and financial planning. CND is one of the leading firms in and throughout the area. By combining our expertise, experience, and the team mentality of our staff, we assure that every client receives the close analysis and attention they deserve.
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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)
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Click on this image for all movie times at the Phoenix
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12 more days of homegrown art on display at the Robert and Janet Bennett Civic Center Library
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 The Fine Arts Gallery, located on the second floor of the Robert and Janet Bennett Civic Center Library, is featuring the works of
"Artists on Five" for the month of December.
"Artists on Five" is a group of artists that either teach at the Visual Arts Assocition of Livonia or are on the Board of Directors for VAAL. Works are presented in acrylic, oil, calligraphy, collage, pastel, watercolor, alcohol ink, linocut relief prints, monotype and mixed media. Over 40 beautiful paintings.
Virginia Bosak, past President of VAAL and a member of the Livonia Arts Commission hopes "you can take time from your busy Holiday schedule to visit the Gallery to relax and enjoy some quiet time with the art of Susan Aitkin, Dorothy Amberger, Durwood Coffey, Mary P. Cline, Jean Figurski, Sandy Steed, Laura Host, Edee Joppich, Karen Judnich, Rose Marie Starke, Fran Seikaly, Julie Tibus, Laraine Walowich and Kitty Weaver. You might even find that special present you are looking for."
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December in Livonia
Livonia Youth Symphony Winter Concert
Kresge Hall @ Madonna University
December 25
Merry Christmas to all from
Paul, Raquel, Leonardo and Denaulo
December 28 2:00 - 4:00
January in Livonia
January 13
Official launch of the Tour de Livonia
January 18 @ 11:00 - 2:00
Franklin High School
PTA DADS Chili Cook-off
January 23
Senior Center Book Club: Failures of Presidents
A Project of AlphaUSA
Moderated by Chuck Dardas and the typewriter
March 14
33rd Annual Bowling for Braille Bopoks
Novi Bowl Family Fun Center
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The Livonia Civic Chorus tells our hometown
of their love for singing
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Dr. Peggy Gaskill, President of the Livonia Civic Chorus provided FridayMusings with the following that she asked to be shared with our readers:
 Many thanks for your review of the recent Holiday Concert of the Livonia Civic Chorus, "Bring a Little Jingle". It was a pleasure for our 66 volunteer members to share our love of singing and the results of our preparation by our Music Team of Jeff Swan and Kimberly Swan with our always appreciative audience.
There are really two components to one of our concerts. First, the work of the Chorus related to music selection and the nurturing of our vocal skills (part of our Mission) to prepare the variety of music for the full chorus, the Men of the Chorus, the Women of the Chorus, ensembles and soloists to arrive at our concert venues, ready to perform. We have the commitment of the members and our fabulous Music Team, Jeff and Kim, to thank for that.
The second component to a successful concert for the Livonia Civic Chorus is the concert venue and the skills of the technical team at the Churchill High School Performing Arts Center. This concert, after about eight (8) hours of rehearsing and fine tuning between our two teams, resulted in a Livonia Civic Chorus concert performance of which both teams can be proud. This is the bar we'd like to meet or exceed for future concerts at Churchill's PAC.
This collaboration, between the LCC members and its Music Team and the technical team at the Churchill PAC helped this performance contribute to the success of our Vision of "enriched musical experiences for our members and the cultural life of our community."
A special "Thank You" to the students and staff who were responsible for the lovely holiday decor of the auditorium. We were more than happy to add a few touches to create our concert theme.
I would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the work of Bill Joyner and Kathy Ventittelli who help us prepare our Concert Programs which become some documentation of the "Story" of the Livonia Civic Chorus. We also thank Dan MacIver for providing copies of Bob Hardies' "Best Kept Secrets" for our concert patrons.
As the Chorus was performing again on Tuesday evening for the Harry J. Will Funeral Homes' Ceremony of Remembrance, many of us were thinking of two individuals special to the Chorus who passed away in 2019...Chorus member Joann Blair and our Community Friend Bob Hardies. We used our musical voices to honor them and the family members of the performance attendees.
Happy Holidays from the Livonia Civic Chorus. We'll see you "in concert" again on June 7, 2020 for our Spring Show: "Road Trip: 'Staying Alive' at 55!"
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Livonia Community Foundation giving back while
working with the community |
 If you are involved with a charity that is qualified to apply for a grant from the Livonia Community Foundation, please remember that this is the first year we
will only be accepting applications through our new online process and all grant applications must be completed prior to midnight on January 15th.
Annually the Livonia Community Foundation reviews grant applications submitted by 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations serving the residents of the City of Livonia for programs and projects which they believe meet the mission of the Foundation. Generally, the Livonia Community Foundation does not provide grants for administrative or operational activities. The applications due to the Foundation by the 15th of January.
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| Congresswoman Haley Stevens on issues before Congress |
Congresswoman Haley Stevens from Michigan's 11th District in the U. S. House of Representatives shared her thoughts on impeachment, health care, manufacturing and education:
With an open mind and after careful review of the evidence unearthed by the impeachment inquiry, I intend to vote in favor of both articles of impeachment today.
I love our country and I am truly heartbroken that it has come to this. The facts are clear that President Trump abused the powers of his high office and deliberately obstructed the congressional investigation into this abuse.
I want you to know that my desire to deliver for you has never been stronger and I will continue to work with all of my colleagues to deliver for our families. The work continues.
Since the impeachment inquiry began in September, I have introduced and passed bipartisan bills focused on health care, manufacturing, and education, convened a bipartisan field hearing in Livonia to discuss the future of mobility in suburban communities, and launched a Congressional Task Force to address our plastic waste problem.
In addition to the somber vote on the articles of impeachment, Congress has more consequential work to do this week that will impact our great state.
Tomorrow, I intend to vote for the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, a strong bipartisan trade deal that will help Michigan businesses and protect Michigan's best-in-class workforce. Please stay on the look out for additional updates as the year comes to a close.
I will never stop fighting for you and your family.
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The Livonia Youth Symphony of Michigan is ready
for their 61st Winter Concert. This weekend ! |
 Livonia Youth Symphony of Michigan will be holding their 61st Winter Concert on December 21st at 2pm at Madonna University. They will be holding the concert in Kresge Hall. Tickets will be available at the door.
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| Celebrate the Holidays at Unity of Livonia |
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Unity of Livonia will celebrate Christmas this year with various events throughout the month of December for adults, youth, and families.
The celebration will begin on Sunday, December 22 with a Christmas Service at 10:00 a.m. On Tuesday, December 24, the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will begin at 5:00 p.m. This service is a metaphysical journey to the birth of the Christ within.
Special music and traditional Christmas songs will be performed by Maggie Ferguson.
On Sunday, December 29, Unity will offer the annual New Year's Burning Bowl Service at 10:00 a.m. Start your New Year with a powerful and symbolic Sunday Service - release the limitations, boundaries, and negative thought patterns of the past and clear the way for new beginnings.
All of these events at Unity of Livonia are available on a Love Offering basis (donation). Unity is located at 28660 Five Mile Road, Livonia, MI 48154 (east of Middlebelt).
About Unity of Livonia:
Unity of Livonia is a loving and inclusive spiritual community that honors the Christ presence in every individual. While we believe there are many pathways to God, we follow this Unity Truth Principle: There is only One Power and One Presence active in the universe and in my life, God, the Good, Omnipotent. Unity of Livonia is a Spiritual Center offering a positive path to spiritual living.
We practice a "positive, practical Christianity" that offers a New Thought upon the life and teachings of Jesus. A world in need of transformation, spirituality, caring, and compassion brings us together from all walks of life. If traditional religion no longer feeds your soul, come home to love, acceptance and diversity. Come home to Unity of Livonia.
We inspire and empower individual transformation through positive prayer, education, and service.
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What is the talk circulating throughout Livonia about this
one-of-a-kind guitar being raffled off by the Livonia Symphony? |
  Susan Parker Stewart had promised to post some detailed pictures of the Alembic bass guitar on facebook that the Livonia Symphony Orchestra is raffling off.
So what is all this talk circulating through our hometown about this one of a kind guitar that has so many people really excited about the opportunity to win while helping our hometown Symphony.
Let's let Susan Parker Stewart tell you a little about it:
So I believe that this is a Mark King Deluxe model with a bunch of upgrades. It is a hand built custom 4 string bass guitar with a gorgeous buckeye burl wood top and back with the electronics covers on back being continuous (cut from the same piece of wood).
The core body wood is mahogany and the pick-up's are Alembic custom wound active type.The neck is maple with purple heart wood stripes, the fingerboard is ebony with abalone oval inserts.
Another custom feature is that the side marker dots are blue and red LED's. They are gorgeous when illuminated on a dark stage.
These instruments typically take months to complete and cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
This one was donated to the Livonia Symphony Orchestra for a fundraising raffle with 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales funding LSO operations.
300 tickets are being sold for $100 each and the drawing is to be held on Saturday May 9th 2020 at a Symphony concert between 5:00 and 5:30 at the Clarenceville High School Schmidt Auditorium.
These raffle tickets will make excellent Christmas gifts! You need not be present to win!
For raffle tickets please contact LSO board member Emily Bauman ebauman.lso@gmail.com or call (248) 509-4744. |
| Richard and Geraldine Scholarship application is available. |
 Bob and Bill Joyner would like to tell you that here is still time to get your scholarship application for the Richard and Geraldine Joyner Scholarship to be applied to classes at Schoolcraft College. Whether you are planning to attend or are already enrolled this $600 scholarship can help you out.
In fact there are two scholarships available.
Drop a note to rwilliamjoyner@gmail.com to obtain the application. Needs to be turned in by the last day in December and will be awarded in January.
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