April 6, 2020         Your News source for All Livonia. All the time. All ways positive. 
Musings masthead website
A note from the typewriter:

Today we are concentrating on the good work and partnerships being formed to provide assistance. Our service clubs, our Community Foundation, local business folks, the City of Livonia and the Livonia Chamber of Commerce. Find one and become a part of the hometown solution. So many are standing up and being counted. I know the readers of Musings is right there at the front line. 

Thank you.

Hospital staff at our hometown St. Mary Mercy need meals
Bob Carris (Rotary AM), Matt Collins (Lions), Jeff Adams (Jaycees) step up with Livonia Service Clubs

While doctors, nurses & hospital staff work tirelessly to combat the COVID19 pandemic, local hospitals are operating at maximum capacity & have had to reduce meal options to staff.


Saint Mary Mercy Hospital has recently closed its coffee shop & gift shop and reduced the amount and variety of food available in its only cafeteria. As a result, it is more difficult for staff to acquire food, especially when working long shifts spanning two meals, and working off-shifts.

SMML is currently accepting Donations of Food for their medical staff, but donations have been sporadic to date. Please join us with our hometown service clubs to help gather and deliver a steady stream of food donations to St. Mary Mercy Hospital during this C-19 pandemic.

The Livonia AM Rotary Club is partnering with the Livonia Lion's Club and the Livonia Jaycees and all the other service clubs of Livonia, including several local small businesses to raise money and meals for St. Mary Hospital's health professionals & staff.

The Livonia Lions and Livonia AM Rotary delivered the first of potentially 7 weeks of daily meals & snacks to the staff at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in livonia.  Matt Collins ,president of the Lions and Bob Carris president-elect of Livonia AM Rotary were on hand to present the first donation to hospital personnel. The clubs are looking for donations to be able to provide sandwiches, subs, pizza, etc. twice a day for as much as 7 weeks. 

 How you can help

Our mission requires a community-wide mobilization of resources in order to provide adequate relief for our doctors, nurses & hospital staff. With your donation, we can provide local medical staff with meals and invest in the local economy. Your help is critical. Let's give back to those who are making the ultimate sacrifice.

Those who wish to donate to this effort can donate directly by going to either clubs website: livonialionsclub.org or livoniaamrotary.com/covid19Livonia has also had a long time supporter, Rosemary Hughes, who has pledged to match any other outside donors gifts, dollar for dollar up to $1000.

All approved food items will be purchased and delivered by the service clubs for efficiency and safety.


Saturday was the first day when 2,000 snack packs were delivered to the hospital with plans to donate 200 sandwiches each day in the coming week or weeks. 

The Senate Coney Island is donating 100 sandwiches with Matt Collins coordinating the sandwich deliveries. If you have a restaurant or source for sandwiches contact Matt at 248-224-8116. 

The Rotary AM club has set up a donation portal for cash donations. The  portal can be reached by clicking here.

One nurse responds to the offer of help:
.
Janice Gatny Keeler, Respiratory Therapy Dept in a conversation with Jeff Adams on facebook says that they  "try to gather between 12-1 when possible to eat and huddle to discuss what's going, who needs help and to just lean on each other. I can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate the food, snacks and beautiful cards we've been receiving. It really does lift up our spirits."

Jeff Adams responded by saying " Be safe, we have you guys covered."

You gotta love Livonia.
Partnerships available for you to make contributions to help the medical cause in Livonia
Livonia always rises to the occasion. Here is the one donation with our Livonia Community Foundation 
you can count on.
The city of Livonia along with the Livonia Chamber of Commerce are engaged in an effort to collect donations of medical protective equipment in great demand at our local hospitals. Individuals and Businesses  who don't have extra masks, gowns or sanitizer, but want to contribute toward the cause can do so through the Covid-19 Community Health Response Fund established by The Livonia Community Foundation.

Those interested in making monetary donations for the Covid-19 Community Health Response Fund can write a check to the Livonia Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has supported Livonia's charitable, cultural, arts, historical, educational and recreational efforts in Livonia for 25 years. The donation will be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Checks should be mailed to the Livonia Community Foundation, 33300 Five Mile Road, Suite 102, Livonia, MI 48154. Please put Covid-19 Response Fund on the Memo Line.

A credit card or debit card can be used to make a contribution via the Livonia Community Foundation website:  http://www.livoniafoundation.org/community-response.html.

What our hometown Hospital needs and how you can contact St. Mary Mercy folks to help out:

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, which includes member hospital St. Mary Mercy Livonia, announced plans to accept much-needed hospital supplies from area businesses and the community to support St. Joe's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
The following unused and unopened items are being accepted:

PAPRs, Regular masks, Face shields, N95 masks, Gowns, Hot glue sticks, Surgical caps/protective caps, Eyeglass shields/goggles, Nasal testing swabs, M4 viral media, Lysol or Clorox wipes, Hand sanitizer, Transparency sheets, Elastic banding for masks. 

In addition, commercially prepared and packaged food items will be accepted.

At this time, health guidelines do not allow the use of hand-crafted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gowns, surgical masks and shields as they do not offer the same protection for nurses and other health care workers.

Those interested in making a donation should contact Kim Niethammer at  Kim.Niethammer@stjoeshealth.org to ask questions and to coordinate supply drop offs at any one of the following Donation Center locations:

 St. Mary Mercy Livonia - 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday thru Friday: Drop off behind Emergency Department, located at 36475 Five Mile Rd., Livonia.  Please use the West Entrance off of 5 Mile Rd. and follow the signs to the donation center, or 
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To make a monetary donation to support the COVID-19 hospital response effort and the staff who are facing financial hardships with their families due to this crisis, please visit  St. Joe's Giving, ( https://www.stjoeshealth.org/about-us/ways-to-give/) and click on our "Make Your Gift" button to select your hospital.

Musings follows Our Arts
Livonia Civic Chorus Sings for you
Just like many of you, the 72 volunteer members of the Livonia Civic Chorus are Staying Home to Stay Safe, but they  are continuing to SING! They  are currently preparing for their next Concert and singing every day!!

I'llBeThereforYou from Friends
I'll Be There For You from Friends

The Livonia Civic Chorus' vision is to enrich the musical experiences for their members and the cultural life of our  community. 

To achieve this vision during the COVID-19 crisis, they want to provide you music for your enjoyment  and get our community singing-along!

How about YOU? Let's all Sing a Song!



Musings follows Livonia Happenings
April in Livonia
April is cancelled. Go directly to May
Every night M-F @ 7:00 check him out 

April 20 @ 6:30 -- 7:30

Representative Laurie Pohutsky
Virtual Coffee Hours
Join her online: https://www.facebook.com/RepPohutsky
Join her over the phone: (605) 475-4818
Access Code: 748496#

May in Livonia
May is cancelled go directly to 
June for what's happening
If things change look for the events here
June in Livonia
June 6 @ 9:00 -- 4:00
St. Colette's 4th Annual Custom 
& Classic Car Show
Free to Spectators with plenty of
Food ,beverages , D. J. ,  50 / 50
drawings and Prize Raffles.. 

June 7 @ 3:00
Livonia Civic Chorus Spring Concert
Churchill High School Performing Arts Center
July in Livonia
July 25 @ 9:00 -- 2:00
Touch-a-Truck sponsored by Rotary AM Club
 
August in Livonia
August 16 @ 3:00

September in Livonia
Bob Bennett Memorial Golf Outing
Date to be determined

September 13 @ 12:00

October in Livonia
October 1 @ 7:00
Hall of Fame 2013
Presenting Sponsor:
Dan MacIver
Financial & Portfolio Advisors
Proud sponsor of the Detroit Red Wings v Livonia All-stars coming to town Aug 16, 3:00.
Musings follows the 2020 elections
Vote
None have been certified by Board of Canvassers


Donald J. Trump (I) (R)

Democratic Candidate has yet to be determined
 

United States Senate
Gary Peters (D-I)

Bob Carr (R)

John James (R)

United States House of Representatives
Haley Stevens (D-I)
Endorsed by:
Michigan Education Association

Kerry Bentivolio (R)


Whitney Williams (R)
Endorsed by:

Eric Esshaki (R)

Michigan House of Representatives
Laurie Pohutsky (D-I)
Endorsed by:
Sierra Club
SEIU
 Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights
Congresswoman Haley Stevens


Martha Ptashnik (R)
Endorsed by:
City Council President Kathleen McIntyre

Wayne County Commissioner
Terry Marecki (R-I)

Schoolcraft College Trustee
Brian Broderick (I)
Joan Gebhardt (I)
Terry Gilligan (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
Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan situation update April 3th


The response to cancellation of Spree shows just how much Spree has become a welcome tradition for many Livonia families
Read the letter and then check out just some of the overwhelming response from our neighbors.    Spree is genuinely loved and looked forward to.



Lindsay Bennett Spence While I know this is the right thing to do, it makes me so sad. It's my favorite week of the year and I've been to every single one of them since day one. 

Jim Jolly   The kids have taken everything else in stride, but this really made them them sad. Summer won't be the same.

Ginger Camilleri Jim Jolly same, both got super teary

Nikki Mehelich Ours understood, because we have been warning them for the last week or so that this might happen. However, it is their favorite week of the year, and I know they're disappointed.

Gail Chamberlain McKillop Hopefully next year we'll really have something to celebrate. Good decision sir

Christine Lynne I have been trying so hard to see the positive. To smile. To see the glass half full. I just can't anymore. While I understand the decision, it doesn't make it any easier to handle.

Jeffrey P Swan The only thing more difficult that being informed of this, would be having to make such a decision. I thank and commend you for what certainly can not be a favorite part of the job. Although it was clear what needed to be done, it could not have be easy to bring such bad news. Thanks again, and be encouraged. You have many good people behind you.

Rose Kachnowski It is extremely difficult for those in charge to make the call to cancel an event. Many hours and probably money was more than likely already put into the planning since planning begins right after the last event has finished. I applaud the Spree Committee for putting families first for their reason to cancel Spree for this year. That's Livonia...and that's what we are all about.
Two Livonia residents are defining the "new front line."











"This battle has a different front line." Two Livonia residents Geno Grabinski and Bob Modes, owners of the Print House have taken up the cause of supporting our local hometown hospitals and their charities to purchase supplies and equipment.

One of the graphic artists at the Print House designed this t-shirt which is now available for purchase with profits from the shirts being donated. Click on the image for the order form.

Click on the page, make a copy, order your shirt (s) and either mail or fax. Simple as 1. . .2 . . .3. . .
Another partnership ready to help our emergency responders
Does your business have items that can be used to support Livonia's Emergency Responders and health care workers?

The City of Livonia, the  Livonia Chamber of Commerce  and eSimplify Solutions are coordinating a collection of personal protection equipment. Businesses can drop off items at the Kirksey Recreation Center Monday through Friday from 8 - 10 a.m. Help us help our heroes!

Dan MacIver wants to knock your socks off with this
well kept Best Kept Secrets of Livonia