Troy Nelson, Principal at Clarenceville High School dropped a dime on Musings early Thursday morning.  Let me tell you that FridayMusings is really excited, let me say that again, really excited. The story is so creative that needs to be shared.  In the words of Nelson here it is:

"I know (Musings has) been a supporter of education and of Clarenceville and thought you would enjoy this joyful story.

"The staff of Clarenceville High School will be driving to the home of every Senior in the Class of 2020 Thursday and Friday to deliver cap and gowns, Honk for the Class of 2020 lawn signs as well as Honors and Recognition packets.

"We are a traveling celebration parade using a decorated bus and adorned cars to celebrate the Clarenceville High School Trojan graduating Class of 2020!"

Musings adds, that is so cool!

Phoenix Theatres Announces Re-Open Plan

Returning to The Movies with Confidence, Ideally in Time for 20th Anniversary

Lets congratulate Community Choice Credit Union for providing three $5,000 scholarships to Livonia graduating seniors

Congratulations to Stevenson High School graduate Emma Prowse and Franklin High School graduates Madison Moore and Madison Reynolds for receiving $5,000 academic scholarships from Community Choice Credit Union! Members of Community Choice were joined today by LPS Superintendent Andrea Oquist as they were presented with their scholarships in their front yards!

All three were selected from more than 1,400 applicants for their community service, academics and personal interview s.   Emma Prowse will attend Grand Valley State University, where she will study nursing. Madison Moore will attend Central Michigan University to study recreation and event management or communications. Madison Reynolds will also attend Central Michigan University to study human services.

FridayMusings feels good that the news in our hometown just keeps on coming and keeps on getting better. This announcement from Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan tells how Livonia's innovative Together Livonia Cares program expanded this week to provide coronavirus testing for those who live and work in the City's Senior Housing facilities.

Livonia Firefighters are visiting residents in all four of our sites - McNamara Towers I and II, Newburgh Village and Silver Village - offering testing, education and a supply of personal protective equipment.

"Livonia has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan. "But true to form, we have risen to the challenge and are working hard to keep our residents safe."

Together Livonia Cares (TLC) initially focused on contacting and visiting over 35 long-term and adult foster care facilities in the City, where the Livonia Fire & Rescue team offered their expertise on best practices for quarantining patients and use of protective equipment. At the same time, they also delivered personal protective equipment to help staff and residents at those nursing care sites.

"We are doing our best to reduce the number of COVID-positive cases at Livonia nursing, assisted living, independent living and adult foster care homes," said Mayor Brosnan.

The State of Michigan and Wayne County have attempted to initiate a program for testing at several long-term care sites. This effort was launched with significant advocacy by the City of Livonia and Wayne County Commissioners Terry Marecki and David Knezek. "The state and county testing effort has been limited so far," said Mayor Brosnan.

Expanding the TLC program to offer testing at Livonia's independent senior housing sites, with the use of federal relief funds, is another step to help those who are among the City's most vulnerable residents.

Many seniors living at McNamara Towers welcomed this project, according to Brandie Isaacson, Director of Housing. "The residents really feel appreciated that the Fire Department were here, especially offering them the personal protective equipment," Isaacson said.

"There was a great sense of community during the testing," said Mayor Brosnan. "Testing will go a long way to help us manage its spread as we wait for a vaccine. We believe this TLC program is the only one of its kind in Michigan and we're proud that it is in Livonia."

         

Wedesday, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11), along with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and other House and Senate Members, introduced new legislation, the Child Care is Essential Act, to create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund within the existing Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program.

 As businesses begin to re-open and working families need child care, many providers across the country remain shut down or are operating with significantly reduced capacity. Child care providers that are able to stay open are struggling to cover their increased operating costs with limited revenue, and many are at risk of permanent closure.

The new Child Care Stabilization Fund would provide grant funding to child care providers to stabilize the child care sector and support providers to safely reopen and operate. These grants would help child care providers and working families by:

·        Ensuring that the grants adequately support providers' operating expenses and funding gets to them quickly;

·        Requiring that providers continue to pay their staff;

·        Providing tuition and copayment relief for working families;

·        Promoting health and safety through compliance with public health guidance;

·        Prioritizing providers that serve underserved populations;

·        Ensuring grants are awarded equitably across child care settings; and

·         Conducting oversight through robust reporting requirements.

"Child care providers in Michigan and across the country are facing serious challenges, with many providers shut down or operating well under capacity for the duration of the pandemic," said Congresswoman Stevens. "We need these businesses to stay afloat, both to provide safe and affordable child care for frontline workers right now and to ensure that child care services will be available to families as our economy reopens. I have called on House Leadership and the Trump Administration to provide the necessary financial support to protect the child care sector from total devastation. I am proud to join my House and Senate colleagues to introduce the Child Care is Essential Act, which will establish a new Child Care Stabilization Fund to help struggling child care providers weather this economic downturn."

Earlier this month, Congresswoman Stevens  sent a letter  to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calling on Congress to establish a Child Care Stabilization Fund, similar to what was funded for the K-12 system as part of the CARES Act, to provide dedicated assistance that meets the unique needs of child care providers.

In April, Congresswoman Stevens  sent a letter  to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, asking the U.S. Treasury to work with the Federal Reserve to make federal assistance available to struggling child care providers.

FridayMusings agrees. New Child Care Rescue Package Is Essential to America's Economic Revival