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At 12 noon the smiling faces were ready for an afternoon packed with fun, corn and conversation
The day started with normal anxiety. What if no one showed? What if the 27 groups planning on attending got scared off with the possibility of rain showers? What if? Those age old conundrums that can only be answered when it is time and the results are right in front of you.
 In this case the mysteries and answers proved one point. The Good Old Fashioned Neighborhood Corn Roast was a success. The rain scared no one  off. The volunteers were in abundance and the community groups joined in the smiles on the faces of the families attending.
One issue that will need to be addressed if there is a Year 4. The typewriter only had one ear of corn and only one pulled pork and no Kona Ice.
But I sure was proud of our hometown.
Robert Donovic showed up at Westborn promptly at 8:00 and loaded the corn into his pickup along with the Jaycee soda pop and water. After dropping it all off at Stymelski Park he tagged Brandon McCullough as the next go to volunteer as he headed to Greektown for a party catered by his family restaurant. He returned later.
In the meantime 4 students from the Rotary Interact Club under the watchful eye of the YMCA's Carrie LaCross arrived to start shucking the corn, moving the tables, setting up canopies. Then in came Robb Drzwicki to spend a day volunteering. And at the end of the day complained about being sore. "Glad to be a part of it. My shoulders are killing me,  but it was well worth it. Now we're off to hand out flyers for our neighborhood block party."
And before you know it there was Jim Davis lending a helping hand, first setting up the Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian tent  and then pitching in as needed, "Another busy day in Livonia! What a great city we are blessed to be a part of."
I would be remiss in not mentioning that as soon as McCullough arrived it was time for a doughnut break. Looney Bakery. What can I say. Double chocolate.
Turn around and there is Billy Keppen, Recreation Supervisor, along with Jason and Jacob. So fortunate, Livonia is, to have a Parks and Recreation Department as on-point as ours.
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Byron Freshwater, Maureen Brosnan
Joan Modes
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Turn around one more time and there are Veronica Cruz and Lexi Gillis from AlphaUSA ready to pitch in to help. Busy day for these two as they headed over later to Schoolcraft for the Culinary Extravaganza. Another hometown project sponsored by Alpha.
Chris Last our Urban Forester was a huge help coming early and returning later. "Great group of good people, team work and vittles. Crowd seems to get larger every year."
The Livonia Civic Chorus started arriving, and then the Livonia Youth Symphony and the Ian Clemons Foundation and the Livonia Arts Commission. By noon 26 organizations were in place, the rain was holding off, for a little while anyway, and we were ready for our Livonia neighbors to start arriving.
The Arts Commission gathering names interested in the Alexander Zonjic Concert this Friday. The Youth Symphony, Michigan's oldest blended the youth members and some of the older mentors. The Civic Chorus entertained multiple times through the afternoon.
The corn was ready and samples were plentiful. The Livonia Lions Club sure have this down pat. They know what they are doing.
There comes the Blue Plate Diner with Bob and Joan Modes.. Before you know it there is the Kona Ice Truck with the children attending making a bee line to pick their favorite ice flavor.
Byron Freshwater joined in to help serve up pulled pork. He was there from start to finish. And yes they ran out of pulled pork just as things were wrapping up. Maureen Miller Brosnan who partnered with the Modes family to sponsor the sandwiches brought her apron and pitched right in.
Brosnan posted after the event, that she Served up corn & pulled pork at the Good Ol' Fashioned Livonia Corn Roast at Livonia YMCA. Thanks to Friday Musings for putting on this wonderful event!"
Hats off to our Honorary Corn Roasters. Pitching in to help the Lions serve up the corn. Commissioner Terry Marecki, Councilwoman Cathy White,Superintendent Andrea Oquist,   School board trustee Colleen Burton, Maureen Miller Brosnan, Greg Coppola, Senator Dayna Polehanki, Treasurer Lynda Scheel.
 Lonna Baum was there with copies of all three of her successful children's books. A Livonia writer sharing her skill set. Cool.
Helene Weir
, President/CEO of the Metropolitan Detroit YMCA was on hand and had the opportunity to see a successful Livonia YMCA project, under the leadership of
Brian Wolverton
and in partnership with the Livonia Parks and Recreation.
Wolverton was in attendance after having driven his daughter to Ohio for a softball tournament in the morning, turned around and made it back to
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Laura Toy, Jim Davis, Helene Weir,
Kellie Whitlock, Kate Mackie
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Livonia. Now that is dedication.
Laura Toy
set up a table and had friends passing
out Livonia TV water bottles and information about our city. There was Seedlings Deb Bonde and Karen Smith. Always present and supportive of their hometown.
Karen Bonnanno
greeted one and all as they stoppoed by her booth, Save our Youth.
Our Greenleaf Commission on Sustainability (left) made sure that attendees learned all they could about recycling.
Barefoot Productions walked away with a box full of contact information of people wanting information about this welcome addition to the Livonia art scene. Rotary had not one but two clubs on hand, AM Club and the Noon Club. They worked the crowd passing out information and coupons for a complimentary luncheon. The AM Club was one of the community sponsors of the Corn Roast.
Charlie Mahoney was on hand to talk up the Livonia Symphony Orchestra and the Livonia Community Foundation. She was joined for part of the time by Greg Coppola talking up the Beer and Wine Tasting for the Foundation.
State Representative
Laurie Pohutsky joined in on the festivities after attending the human trafficking forum at the Bennett Public Library. So we had both our legislative representatives with us, Pohutsky and Polehanki.
One new addition this year was the Methodist Children's Home based in Redford but covering Livonia.
One of the most popular organizations was the Livonia based Michigan Treasure Hunters. They built a small sandbox and placed in trinkets that the children could go exploring for with real treasure hunters tools.
Former Livonia Mayor Jack and Senie Engebretson stopped by to sample the corn and share conversation with the typewriter and bodyguard. Managed to snap a picture of Jack and Senie with Kathy Ventittelli and Schoolcraft Trustee Gretchen Alaniz.
When the rain started around 2:30 the typewriter was convinced that folks would head to their cars. But not to be. The pavillion worked perfectly as people continued with their pulled pork sandwiches and corn on the cob. Others gathered until individual organization tents as most brought canopies that worked great.
There was a real sense that people just did not want to leave quite yet. Another sign that we may have hit on a tradition, which can be called tradition after the third year, that could have legs.
The early returns from folks attending was positive:
Conrad Schwartz expressed his happiness at such a "wonderful event. As it has gotten so huge I know many others are helping as well, but without FridayMusings there would be no corn, no pork, no frozen ice and most importantly no neighborly sharing the success and quality of this great city. Thank you so much."
Nancy Osborne says that "this is the first time we've been to the annual Livonia Corn Roast. It was great fun. We'll definitely be back next year."
So many groups, so many smiles, so many personalities
working together for a fun afternoon that helps define our hometown Livonia.
It is too easy to sit back and watch as a community grows. Soon that concept of watching becomes the existing paradigm and growth is illusory.
What this typewriter learned today is that people want to connect, want to reach out and say "I'm here," want to be a part of a vibrant community. So the question that must be addressed is "how do we connect, how do we become inclusive, making sure that voices are heard and that invitations are extended."
Like right here in this article. I am sure that there are dozens of pictures not included and several organizations not mentioned. That certainly is by omission and not commission. But I know that if one more smile can be put on the face of a neighbor, if one more person says "I counted," if one more organization can let others know of their mission, then we will have been a success.
The question I will take to bed each night is what can we do so that we are not simply watching but rather positively defining Livonia.
To answer that question will give meaning and purpose to the Good Old Fashioned Neighborhood Corn Roast.
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