August 14,2020 Your Source for Livonia Happenings
Gordon Draper, 85, passed away leaving an active legacy to be remembered
Livonia lost another good one. Gordon Draper, inducted into the 1835 Livonia City Hall of Fame Class of 2018 (pictured here at his induction, front and center), passed away this past Saturday. An outdoor visitation will be held today, August 14, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Harry J Will Funeral Home in Livonia. A funeral service will be held Saturday, August 15 also at the Will Funeral Home.

Gordon was long active in community affairs, he has served in the Boy Scouts of America for over 68 years. To commemorate his 50th year, a cabin was named in his honor at the Great Lakes Council scout camp. A conference room at scout headquarters has now also been named in his honor.

Former Mayor Jack Engebretson knew Gordon Draper to be "a very kind and decent man who made a huge positive impact on our community. He will be missed."

He was bylaws chairman for the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) and was President of the Northwest Chapter of the same organization for 11 years.

After six terms as Chairman of the City of Livonia Youth Commission, he served as Livonia’s Traffic Commissioner.

He has served 24 years as president of his church choir at Newburg United Methodist.
He was a life member in the Society of the Third Infantry Division, US Army and served as Vice President of Outpost 13, located in Southeast Michigan. His active service was in Germany from 1957 to 1959 as a reporter/photographer for the Marne Rock, the division newspaper. He then served three years in the 70th reserve unit.

One of his several hobbies has been travelling. He has explored 125 countries, each of the world’s 24 time zones, and has been in all of the United States and the Canadian Provinces. In fact, he has finished his goal of visiting all of the 3,141 counties in the United States. He got to his last continent, Antarctica, twice in a year’s time.

Photography has been an important part of his travel. Gordon has taken slides for over 40 years and the collection now numbers about 30,000 pictures.

Charlie Mahoney summed up the reaction of many in Livonia saying "Rest In Peace Gordon - you will be missed."
Rally scheduled asking LPS to reconsider vote on start of school year
There will be a rally this Sunday asking the Livonia Public Schools to reconsider their current vote for Virtual Learning for all to start.

Tamera Oliverio is one helping to organize the rally. She describes their effort this way, "This group is asking for choice for families and staff and to allow F2F learning on Day 1 for those who want/need it."

The rally is scheduled for 6:00 in front of the LPS school district offices.
Livonia School Board Race
Don't blame me for the plan to restart our schools. The blame game is under way. Some like the recommendation. Others, like the group in the article at the top of the page don't like the proposal being offered by the Livonia Public Schools.

Open the buildings. Go all virtual. Give us a blend. The anger and blame starts.

The administration is at fault. The school board gets the blame. Your next door neighbor just doesn't understand. Withdraw the children. Sign up for a charter school. No, let's join a virtual school. Forget logic, let's just go negative. Partisan labeling. Anything but trying to understand the dynamics of the issue.

Districts across the state and around the country are all struggling with the question, "What do we do and how do we do it?" The President responds "Open the schools." The Secretary of Education offers no plan.

Millionaire coaches say open the colleges, play football. Make more money for schools. I am digressing. Let's stay with hometown schools.

To open or go virtual will require answers. And Money. How do we ventilate. How do we distance. How do we quarantine?

What statistics do we believe? The President? He says statistics prove him right. The Secretary of Education? She just says open up or lose money. The scientists? They point to the 90,000 children diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last week.
There is no one answer. I hope the race for Livonia school board does not get caught up in the blame game.

One group of people I am not going to blame. Nor should you. And that is the four Livonia Board of Education members running for re-election. Tammy Bonifield, Karen Bradford, Crystal Frank and Dan Centers.

They have worked diligently over the past four years to be a team, to study issues, to work together. Make your decision on who to vote for, these four or one or two of the challengers, Madeline Acosta or Nicole Hoskins-Goudreau. Your choice.

I hope that we have a discussion on our schools that look at the full range of leadership needed to serve on the school board. I am hopeful, and I am sure that they will, that the two challengers will offer up suggestions on how they could have done a better job over the last four years. I join the voters in our school district looking forward to what the challengers have to say.

Short of suggestions, and I am waiting, these four have become a team and under the paradigm that our schools operate under they may very well deserve re-election. But that is what campaigns are all about. Not just a name on a yard sign. Significant and solid, logically thought out issues and solutions.

I wait to hear their reasons for election. The ball is in the challengers corner and the public waits. Just like we are waiting for a national plan. Oh, well, the blame game is how we solve problems in our nation. A shame.
Still time to get Graduation banners & put another smile on your graduate
Still time to get your official Livonia "Congratulations Class of 2020" banner.lSend a check made out to one of three non-profits: Friends of Greenmead, Clarenceville Education Foundation, Livonia Kids and Family. Mail your check to Bill Joyner, 19514 Bainbridge, 48152.
Checks will be bundled, presented by Dan MacIver and Councilman Rob Donovic.
If It's Friday
Livonia's Gotta Smile
Lauren Peters explains that they picked an amazing 8.8 lbs of blueberry's at Hazens Blueberry Farm in Howell. She hopes they’re, thoroughly, exhausted. 
August in Livonia

15, 22, 29 Wilson Barn Farmers Market

11 PFLG Monthly Meeting @ 7:00
9435 Henry Ruff Rd, Livonia, MI 48150

17 2020 Golf Outing Benefitting MiWorkMatters @ Idyl Wyld Golf Course

17 & 19 School Supply Drive
@ Journey Church, 31100 Plymouth Road

21 Summer Fun Series @ 6:30
@ Kirksey Recreation Center

22 Grab and Go Backpack and Supplies

30 The ARC NW 2020 Golf Outing
Fox Creek Golf Course

30 St. Baldrick's 10th Annual Shave-a-thon
@ 12:00 -- 5:00 One Under

September in Livonia

12, 19, 26 Wilson Barn Farmers Market
There is no Farmer's Market September 5

12 Thomas A. Dooley Knights of Columbus Golf Classic @ Fox Hills $100 includes dinner and prizes. To sign up call John Glennon 734-968-2286 or Lou Fiorentino 248-808-3834

21-27 Livonia Symphony Orchestra Week
A note from Andrea Oquist
The Livonia Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the Return to Learn plan for the 2020-2021 school year, which offers families the choice between two options: 

1. An in-person instruction option which will begin with Safe Start September (a remote learning start) followed by in-person instruction that will begin with a gradual, blended model for return, anticipated to begin Oct. 1st.
or 
2. A fully online, long-term option via Livonia Virtual 

Of course, we will continue to closely monitor the current conditions within our region related to COVID 19 as we plan to welcome back students to in-person learning. Our goal is to do so in a thoughtful and meaningful way, which focuses not only on a welcoming reentry for our students back to the school setting, but also places a priority on the health and well being of all within our school community. 

While the start of 2020-2021 will look different than in years past, we are no less dedicated to making this an exceptional year for your child to learn and grow. They are at the heart of our work. I have great confidence that together, with our caring and committed LPS staff, we will partner together in the best interest of the students we serve. 
Don't have students in Livonia Public Schools? Take a look at what parents are going through with these two options.
Don't have students in Clarenceville? Take a look at the options their parents are looking at.
Regardless of what school will look like
let's use August to either donate supplies
or head out to pick up some supplies


Will you partner with Journey Church to help set up our students for success?

No matter what back-to-school looks like this fall supplies will still be needed. In the classroom or at home the students still have work to do. And, you can help!

They are collecting the following items:

Notebooks, Pencils, Pens, Rulers,
Hi lighters, Crayons, Glue Sticks, Folders

Mark your calendar now and start collecting those school supplies
Live in Livonia? Attend Clarenceville or Livonia schools? Make it a point to pick up a backpack and school supplies Saturday, August 22
Tracey Stevenson Educational Ministry Leader & NPAAS Founder says it is time to get ready for school. She is sharing a program for the distribution of backpacks and supplies:

It’s that time again! Time for our future medical professionals, safety and law enforcement officers, firemen, scientists, educators, etc.. to return to the classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year.

Given the economic challenges facing our families, our community and the Michigan public school system today, the El Bethel Baptist Church, Northville Parents of African American Students (NPAAS), and Parents of African American Students in Novi (PAASN) are working together to provide assistance to our future leaders and prepare them for a successful learning experience. 

As a coalition of partners, we are preparing to launch our Annual Project Get Ready - Back to School Rally. Activities for this year’s event are limited due to the impacts of COVID-19 on our society. This year, we will be sponsoring a Grab ‘N Go service for students to receive book bags filled with school supplies and accessories that adequately prepares our school-aged children for successful learning throughout the upcoming academic school year, regardless of the format in which it may be presented. In addition to physically preparing our children for learning, we will provide resourceful information for our families and community.