Bill Joyner's FridayMusings 7/18/22

July 18, 2022 When we are not limited, we all thrive

Meet Your 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame Class of 2022

On October 6th the 16th Class of the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame will be inducted. At 7:00 the Master's of Ceremony, Hall of Fame Inductee Class of 2015 Alan Helmkamp (pictured left), and County Commissioner Terry Marecki (pictured below), will join Livonia community leaders in introducing and inducting the Class of 2022.

The Class of 2022 will be accepted on behalf of the City of Livonia by Jim Jolly, President of the Livonia City Council. The business community will be represented and accepted by Dan MacIver, President of Financial & Portfolio Advisers.

The 1835 Livonia Hall of Fame was named after the year Livonia Township was incorporated. It was started by former Wayne County Commissioner Bill Joyner in 2005. who says that the six inducted this year in the Class of 2022 are a great example of what Livonia has to offer.

"The thought of community is what created the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame, recognizing the disparate groups of the arts, education, philanthropy, service, volunteerism," he said. "This year is no exception, as the six being inducted into the Class of 2022 embody that sense of community — spokes on a wheel that, when moving together, take our hometown in a direction of which we can and should be proud."

Patricia Hutchison

to be introduced by

Liz Jarvis,

Trustee, Livonia Board of Education

Patricia Hutchison has a passion for theatre. That coupled with her heart for families and Community provides a synergy that has propelled the Livonia Community Theatre onto the center stage when it comes to Livonia being a heartbeat of cultural excellence.

11 years ago, Patricia Hutchison, a retired Livonia Public School music and drama teacher, founded Livonia Community Theatre with “familiy” and “Community” as its core mission. 11 years later they are still proud to have the same vision for Livonia and the surrounding communities.

The Mission of the LCT is the same as the day she announced its formation. The mission is to provide opportunities for everyone to participate in drama and musical theater. They have stayed true to themselves by providing family-friendly programming and community-focused educational opportunities that are accessible to everyone.

Hutchison understands the role that community theatre plays whether by being directly involved or simply having the opportunity to watch a performance, community theatre is available to everyone. She fully acknowledges that community theatre is the first – and only – exposure to performing arts for many.

Livonia Community Theatre, formerly Paul’s Players, changed its name to Livonia Community Theater to reflect its deep commitment to the City of Livonia.

Livonia Community Theater is a non-profit organization whose mission is to offer a quality theater experience that will entertain, enrich, and educate people of all ages. It continues the tradition of Livonia community theatre that has played a significant role in Livonia since the 1960's when our Livonia schools established a highly successful summer theatre program.

Thank you Patricia Hutchison for helping define Livonia as a cultural heartbeat of southeast Michigan.

Steve Spreitzer

to be introduced by

Haitham Fakhouri,

Livonia Human Relations Commissioner

Steve Spreitzer, is a graduate of Stevenson High School where he was on the track team. He is president and CEO of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion having first served as Interim President and CEO from August 2013 until July 2014, Director of Programs from 2008 to 2013, and managed the Roundtable's Interfaith efforts from 1996 to 2008.

As a Livonia high school graduate Spreitzer joins the ranks of Livonia residents who after graduation took his skill set across the state making an impact on the lives of thousands of Michigan residents. From Livonia on loan to Michigan.

Steve received his Masters in Social Work at Michigan State University, where he studied the role of the faith community in advancing social justice. Steve has worked in community mental health, criminal justice ministry, and legislative advocacy. He has received recognition from the World Sabbath for Religious Reconciliation, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, the Catholic Youth Organization, and the Hindu American Foundation.

The Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion was originally founded in 1941 to mediate religious differences. Over time the Roundtable evolved to also mediate cultural and racial differences.

The Roundtable became known as a leader in promoting harmony among racial, religious, cultural, and economic groups. Today, the Roundtable serves as a human relations organization whose purpose is to overcome discrimination and racism by crossing generational, geographic, racial, religious, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.

With leadership coordinated by Spreitzer, the Roundtable’s primary goals have been centered on solving two societal issues: 1) systemic disparities related to racial, cultural, and social injustices; and 2) combating institutional and inherent bias.

Spreitzer and the Roundtable address these issues by exploring how racism has affected the State of Michigan and the Metropolitan Detroit area’s ability to flourish by focusing on three key programming areas: Community Engagement, Youth Development, and Workplace Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Consulting.

Trinity House

To be introduced by Laura Toy, Dean of

Livonia City Council

40 years ago Trinity House set out to provide a venue where artists can perform in a variety of genres, performing their own music in an intimate setting. Since that first year, Trinity House has attracted performers from across the country, nationally known entertainers making Livvonia a stop on their national tours.

“Trinity House has been such a great place to perform . . . great dynamic setting . . . perfect for acoustic music," is how Jason Dennie describes Trinity House.

Stewart Francke has a great description of the Trinity House in which he says “Of all the venues–clubs, listening rooms, outdoor sheds & festivals, large & small theaters, even the select few shows at arenas–some of the very best nights and concerts I’ve been a part of have been at the tiny Trinity House Theater in Livonia.

"We’re running out of these intimate venues in the greater Detroit area, where you can go hear an accomplished artist in a variety of genres perform their own music, giving you their truth, their soul, so close to you that you can touch ’em.”

Trinity House, as an organization gives further proof that Livonia is the cultural heartbeat of southeast Michigan. A best-kept secret whose reputation continues to expand bringing recognition as a hometown proud of the arts and proud of the Trinity Theatre.

Doug Kurtis

To be introduced by

Alan Helmkamp

Hall of Fame

Class of 2015

Doug Curtis is a graduate of Stevenson High School and if you are a runner in Michigan or anywhere around the globe you probably know the name, Doug Kurtis.

In the 1980s and ’90s, he was the guy to beat in the marathon. He won the Detroit Free Press event six years in a row, from 1987-92. Before his victories, he came in second three years in a row.

He is the world record holder for most career sub 2:20 marathons (76) and most marathon victories (40).

Kurtis, 65, doesn’t run marathons anymore, after accomplishing his 200th sub-three-hour marathon in 2013. Instead, he encourages others to reach their goals as race director for Detroit’s Turkey Trot and Corktown race.

World Record holder for most career sub 2:20 marathons-76
Winner of 40 marathons- Detroit 6 times, grandmas 2 times, Bangkok 3 times
Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame in 1998
Total of 205 marathons, 200 under 3 hours
Best marathon 2:13:34, and ran 2:15:47 at age 42, masters winner

Dan Spurling

to be introduced by

Maureen Miller Brosnan

Livonia City Mayor

Dan has lived in Livonia for over 30 years joining the Livonia Arts Commission in 2003 after many years of helping with different activities put on by the Arts Commission.

Livonia prides itself on the number of volunteers who worked hard to create a hometown of which we can be proud. That was true in the '60s and continues with the current generation of hometown volunteers like Dan Spurling, working to make sure that programs established in Livonia during our hometown community's infancy are continued, not just as a named project but that they continue to get better every year, making an impact on the lives of our residents.

That is where Dan Spurling comes into the equation.

Described by many residents and community leaders as a hard working, dedicated volunteer he has helped with many of the Arts Commission projects from Co-Chairing the Art From the Heart, or helping pick out the music for the Music From the Heart concerts.

He is considered the go-to guy to help get things done.

Not only is he a commissioner for the Arts he also serves on the Livonia Anniversary Committee better known as the Livonia Spree.

After all this, he still has time to spend with his 7 grandchildren.

Gary Deschanes

To be introduced by

Brandon McCullough,

Livonia City Council

Deschenes is a 30-year Livonia resident, who grew up in Carrollton, Mich., and has owned his Livonia Foresters branch for over 20 years.

He describes his work at Foresters as a door opener into the community, "A lot of my community work is geared to the job. We are expected to do that. But it's also my nature."

This combination of professional work and community involvement is a template that other businesses have started using as a way to give back to the town which they call home. Deschenes has taken the template to another level.

Deschenes, a Livonia community advocate, counts the late Tony Fillipios, who lost both his legs at age 10 and was well-known as a champion for people with disabilities. In his own life, Fillipios just kept plugging away, helping others and creating Athletes for Disabilities, of which Deschenes was a board member. "We were best friends for eight years," Deschenes said, referring to Fillipios, who passed away in 2007.

Establishing relationships is a trademark of those defined as community volunteers. Deschenes works to the point that it is now second nature in bringing people together for the good of the community. A synergy that evolves from the work of successful volunteers.

Livonia needs to continue building on the concept of volunteerism and in order to bring that full circle, live-work-volunteer, requires leadership of which Deschenes is one who embodies that concept and through his energy is able to attract good people to do good work.