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Two nights. Two venues. Two celebratory events.

All this in one hometown, proud of those who make a difference.

40th Anniversary Celebration

October 2, 2024, 5:30 – 8:30 pm

Vista Tech Center @ Schoolcraft College

Join the Livonia Hometown Community at the VistaTech Center at Schoolcraft College for a casual celebration of Seedlings’ 40th anniversary!

But that is not all as they will also be honoring the founder and director of Seedlings, Debra Bonde, before she heads into retirement.

A HUGE thank you to the headline event sponsor, Masco and to Deb Bonde for 40 years of smiles.

Tickets for only $20 can still be purchased here.

20th Anniversary Induction

October 3rd, 7:00 pm

Rosedale Gardens Church

You are invited along with your friends and neighbors for the 2024 Induction Ceremony on October 3rd.

For 20 years, this event has been free and open to the public, as this day belongs to those being inducted.

It is a day we salute the inductees individually and collectively.

Look forward to seeing you.

Let's have Livonia enjoy the renaissance of Sheldon Park with Noble Library the centerpiece for a new and revitalized Plymouth Road

The Fisher. The Noble. The Henry. One name says it all.

Thanks to our neighbors, John and Doreen Cole, the bodyguard and I had the absolute pleasure of participating in the Albert Kahn Sonata, celebrating the architecture of Albert Kahn at the Fisher Building.

As hundreds gathered, I strolled around the Fisher Building's lobby, initially overwhelmed by the intricate details of this iconic structure.

However, as I sat listening to Colorado's Forrest Howell, pictured left, on the piano and watched a film narrative by Detroit's John Hanson, pictured below, that towered above, celebrating Detroit's cultural tapestry and honoring the city's past, I was captivated by how one building, one architect, could become a centerpiece attracting people from across the country.

It was there, as Howell played Gonzaga University Michael Kropf's music, which he described to me as "engaging with evocative places and histories," that I no longer felt separate from the walls. I felt a sense of belonging, as if I were part of the Kahn architecture.

Thanks to the Coles, who partnered as an Architect's Maestro sponsor with Cranbrook Schools, Cranbrook Music Guild, and Albert Kahn, I was able to close my eyes as the music played and, before Hanson's videography was projected, envision an event like this honoring the Noble in Livonia.

One architect, one community, merging a creative and unique design. While not on the scale of the Fisher, the Noble once attracted thousands annually to a focal point in Livonia.

Families walked or rode bikes to the Noble; its design made people take notice. This unique building helped define Livonia as family-friendly, artistically supportive, and a hometown with a meeting place where there was none before.

In Livonia, there are proposals to demolish The Noble. Some view the former library as obsolete and claim it no longer serves a purpose.

This perspective is short-sighted. Livonia ought to cherish The Noble, designed by noted architect Gunnar Birkerts, recognizing its pivotal role in drawing young families and the historical importance of Noble's engineering contributions. Noble should be a key element in the development of Sheldon Park, which has remained unchanged since 1963, the year I played for the Blue Jays.

I know money is short what with all the other infrastructure needs being tackled by this Mayor and Council. And correctly so. Long put-off. Time to update and upgrade. A transformation is needed.

Plymouth Road Corridor Task Force

FridayMusings is proposing a Plymouth Road Corridor Task Force that we sit down with to discuss what is becoming Livonia's Automobile Gateway with new dealerships and improved facilities springing up transforming what was once, as our hometown grew, downtown Livonia.

Parades were held up and down Plymouth Road. We had Carnivals at Sheldon Center. There was the first Library in Livonia.

Let's do like Jim Jolly and Ted Davis did with their lunch with the Celani Family, which turned into Celani Park, and with it came a donation to make it possible.

We take a master plan for Sheldon Park including the Noble, we set a dollar amount needed and we throw down the gauntlet to raise the funding necessary to make it all a gem for what was once the center of Livonia.

The bodyguard and I enjoy driving so many different neighborhoods in Detroit, marveling at the partnerships between the city and the business community in each sector of the city.

Noble is and could be a catalyst for a renaissance for the Plymouth Road Corridor. It is time to move ahead and develop the entire park with Noble as the centerpiece.

The Noble. A change agent for all of Plymouth Road

Let's find a way to place The Noble as the change agent for all of Plymouth Road. Let's be inspired by what once was used in 1968 as a draw for young families. We can maintain this vision and bring it to life once again.

Thank you, Doreen and John, for a wonderful evening celebrating this Jewish immigrant and piano prodigy, Albert Kahn, and his legacy which changed the face of industrial architecture.

John Cole your involvement with the preservation of the Kahn legacy perhaps could give inspiration for Livonia to move to preserve the legacy of the Noble.

One day we might have an evening combining music, videography, and a community coming together, linking our past while moving to our future.

Trinity Health Michigan is getting ready to host this fall's Senior Fit classes. Taking place at several locations across Metro Detroit, these programs focus on exercises and stretches tailored for people ages 55 and older, to help reduce the risk of falling and provide a framework for a healthier lifestyle.

Please take a look at this document for more information, including how to register for classes.

Mail Address

19514 Bainbridge 48152

E-mail address

rwilliamjoyner@gmail.com

Cell address

734-674-5871

Archive--Bill Joyner's FridayMusings

The typewriter is not available for phone calls or emails Saturday and Sunday. Mental health and rehabilitation time. Out and about enjoying life.

What motivates FridayMusings:

We can't only define Livonia as taking small steps toward maintaining the way things were. That will give us mediocre outcomes. Our goal needs to be innovative and transformative.