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A Taste of Excellence: Schoolcraft’s Culinary Arts Shine
at the Annual Schoolcraft Foundation Celebration
| | Trustee Brian and Donna Broderick, SCF Board member Soraya Larkin and husband John. | | The Culinary Art Students were at their best preparing and serving up samples of some awesome food. | | Trustee Brett and Kristyn Gierak along with Dawn Margenta, Executive Director of the Schoolcraft Foundation. | |
The typewriter and bodybuard along with SCF Treasurer Robin and Mark Whitfield. | Wayne Kinney of Rockout Entertainment—seemingly always present—served as master of ceremonies, expertly working the live auction with lively banter. | | |
The aroma of ambition and artistry filled the VistaTech Center as Schoolcraft College hosted its highly anticipated annual Foundation event—an evening that proved once again why the Culinary Arts Department is the beating heart of the campus.
Guests were treated to a dazzling showcase of culinary talent, where students transformed ingredients into edible masterpieces. From savory hors d'oeuvres to decadent desserts, each dish a testament to the creativity, and passion cultivated within Schoolcraft’s renowned program.
This typewriter and bodyguard made the rounds, catching up with so many friends and swapping opinions on the scrumptious culinary creations—pictured above here with John and Wendy Peterson, along with Chuck and Renee Dardas. We also had the chance to reconnect with Maureen Brosnan and Greg Dimit, sharing stories and a few well-earned laughs.
It was the perfect blend of company, conversation, and community spirit. The VistaTech Center—already a beacon of innovation and hospitality—truly came alive as future chefs showcased their talents, impressing every guest with their creativity and skill. What a night to remember.
But this event was more than a feast. It was a celebration of community, education, and the power of investing in tomorrow’s talent. Trustees, donors, alumni, and local leaders gathered not just to enjoy the food but to support the Foundation’s mission: providing scholarships, enhancing programs, and ensuring that Schoolcraft continues to be a launchpad for excellence.
Executive Director Dawn Magenta and her team orchestrated an evening that blended elegance with purpose. Live auctions, heartfelt testimonials, and the unmistakable buzz of pride filled the Center.
And at the center of it all were the students—confident, capable, and ready to take their place in the culinary world. With patrons of the College continuing the community long long-standing support for one of the best colleges in Michigan.
In a city that values craftsmanship and community, Schoolcraft’s Culinary Arts Department is defining what it means to lead with flavor and purpose. The annual Foundation event didn’t just raise funds—it raised expectations, and reminded everyone that the future of food is being plated right here in Livonia.
Add to the food, the acoustic guitars, fellowship as friends, new and old mingled, it focused attention on the need for continued support of a College, that since the early 1960s has helped define Western Wayne County as the home not just to K-12 education, but rather K-14.
Schoolcraft College defining quality of life
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Meet the Leadership Team serving on the
Schoolcraft College Foundation Board of Governors
Marina L. Shoemaker, President
Ram Ramanujam, Vice President
Robin L. Whitfield, Treasurer
Clyde Rivard, Secretary
Lynn Coburn, Past President
Dawn Dyer Magretta, Executive Director
Members
Stuart Baker, Ashwini Balasubramanian, Charles Dardas, Michael Davenport, Melanie Duquesnel, David Groth, Jeff Hamilton, PE, Kimberly Keaton Williams, Claude B. Kendrick, Jr., Mark Knoth, Soraya Kim Larkin, Kelli Lewton C.E.C., Alec Thomson, PhD, John Walsh, JD, Helen Wilkie
| | | | Cultural Opportunities in Livonia Continue to Expand, showcasing some awesome talent | | |
Motor City Youh Theatre recently started a goup of adult actors with the opening play showcasing "Guys and Dolls Sr."
Nancy Florkowski says that "This has resulted in a wonderful production of a shortened version of Guys and Dolls with actors, most of whom have had years of experience on stage!
"I promise you will love this production with all proceeds benefiting our MCYT Kids' productions and future adult productions!"
If you have ever seen the full production of "Guys and Dolls", it usually runs over two hours in length with an additional intermission. This production is just over an hour long with no intermission, and it is packed with fun and all the familiar songs from the original show.
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This is a family-friendly show with all seats available for only $10 at the door (cash only).
The show opened on October 24, 25, and 26 and will showcase the second weekend of performances on October 31st and November 1st at 7:00, and on November 2nd at 2:00.
This is just another example of why Livonia is the cultural
heartbeat of Southeast Michigan.
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Celluloid to Streaming: A Cinematic Romance Across the Decades Between this Typewriter and the Silver Screen.
The past four weeks for this typewriter have been the backdrop to a nostalgic plunge into the golden age of cinema. It began quietly—at home, lights dimmed, and after collecting enough pop bottles to stay up to date on the rising cost for all the streaming services, reliving the eerie elegance of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), followed by the chilling paranoia of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). These black-and-white classics didn’t just entertain—they transported me to a time when suspense was built on shadows, silence, and the slow creep of dread, or maybe just the smiles generated by some of the early film techniques.
Then came the pilgrimage to the historic Penn Theatre, a jewel of Plymouth City, where the screen flickered with Technicolor terror. The Blob (1958), seen originally in Decatur, Georgia, at age 9, oozed its way into hearts with campy charm, while Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963), seen at the Penn Theatre at age 14, reminded everyone that fear can come from the skies—and from the masterful mind of a director who knew how to make silence scream.
There’s something electric about watching older films in a modern world. It’s not just the vintage clothing or the analog effects—it’s the storytelling. These films were made in an era when imagination had to work harder, when monsters were metaphors, not understood at the time but certainly appreciated today, and at a time when audiences leaned in, not back. Watching them now, especially in a venue like the Penn Theatre, is like stepping into a time capsule where the seats creak with history and the screen glows with legacy.
When Maraget Wilson, a true community benefactor, the second owner of the Penn, having purchased it in 1964 from Harry Lush, who had owned it from 1939, sold the Theatre, the community got together for an evening to thank Maraget and to welcome the new owner. A narrative and short play was shared by the organizers, with this typewriter acting as Harry Lush. My last stage role.
Just as the curtain falls on this four-month retro reel for the typewriter and bodyguard, a new release rises: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the biopic chronicling Bruce Springsteen’s raw, introspective journey during the creation of his 1982 album Nebraska. Opening this week at our Livonia Art in the Park--the Phoenix Theatre, the film stars Jeremy Allen White as The Boss, loved in The Bear, and dives deep into Springsteen’s battle with fame, family trauma, and mental health.
Earlier this year, Bob Dylan's A Complete Unknown provided a poetic glimpse into the birth of a legend, with Dylan’s electric transformation and the cultural messages written into the 1960s. And now, Bruce Springsteen is stepping into the spotlight with Deliver Me From Nowhere, which I expect to be a raw, introspective portrait of a man wrestling with fame and the ghosts of his past.
Together, these two films mark a cinematic renaissance of American music icons—not just celebrating their hits, but revealing the solitude, struggle, and soul-searching behind the soundtracks that have impacted generations. From Dylan’s Greenwich Village grit to Springsteen’s New Jersey shadows, it’s not just music history—it’s like an archaeological find.
For fans, it’s a rare thrill to witness these stories unfold on the big screen, echoing the same timeless resonance as the classics that came before.
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It’s a fitting transition—from the monsters of fiction, defined only on the screen to the demons of reality, walking alongside and within each of us. Where The Blob and The Birds externalized fear, I am expecting Deliver Me From Nowhere to internalize it, showing how Springsteen turned pain into poetry. The film is already generating critical buzz for its emotional depth and stripped-down aesthetic, mirroring the haunting simplicity of the Nebraska album itself.
This cinematic journey—past and present—proves that Livonia, in that fact any hometown, isn’t just a place to live; it’s a place to feel. Whether it’s the thrill of vintage horror or the soul-searching of a rock legend, our city continues, if we just look around us, to offer cultural experiences that resonate across generations. And with venues like the Penn Theatre in Livonia Southwest, okay, in Plymouth, the Phoenix Theatre, and events like the Schoolcraft Foundation’s celebration of artistry, reviewed in a headline article today in Musings, Livonia remains a vibrant hub for those who love stories—whether told in black-and-white or blazing color.
So grab your ticket, cue the soundtrack, and let the screen light up your imagination.
The past may be behind us, but in Livonia, it’s always playing.
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Tlaib, Dingell Urge Corewell Health Wayne Hospital Not to Close Labor and Delivery Unit
Livonia's Member of Congress Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and Debbie Dingell (MI-06) sent a letter to Corewell Health Southeast Michigan President Lamont Yoder amid concerns that the board of directors is considering closing the labor and delivery unit at Corewell Health Wayne Hospital. Given the growing challenges to healthcare access due to President Trump’s budget cuts, lawmakers have grave concerns about eliminating or reducing services that residents depend on.
“Corewell Health Wayne Hospital has served residents across Wayne County, including constituents from both of our districts, for decades,” the lawmakers write. “Notably, the hospital has been a critical provider of obstetrical and gynecological services and was designated in 2021 as one of the ‘Best Hospitals for Maternity Care’ when it was operating as Beaumont Hospital – Wayne in 2021.”
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“We are hearing you are considering eliminating obstetrical and gynecological services at Corewell Health Wayne Hospital, and we are deeply concerned about the impacts it would have on patients across Southeast Michigan,” the lawmakers continue. “Patients, many of whom already come from at-risk communities, would have to seek care from other health systems miles away which are likewise under tremendous strain. Not to mention, Corewell plays a vital role in training the next generation of residents in obstetrical care. Should residents be required to train at alternative locations, our region may lose this important workforce we need to retain in our community.”
“We urge you to maintain these critical obstetrical and gynecological services and redouble your efforts in investing in women’s health and growing the workforce necessary to support it,” the lawmakers conclude. “We stand ready to support you in any way possible.”
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