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Free & Simple Foods, a small-batch Michigan brand founded by Renee Sorgi, is now stocked at the new Meijer Grocery that opened Aug. 19 on Seven Mile at Farmington — not the Middlebelt supercenter. The company makes crackers and granola built on tigernuts and cassava flour instead of wheat, and says its products are made without all nine major food allergens. Sorgi writes that she started the business after three years of managing her own autoimmune issues left her with almost nothing she could buy at a grocery store, then realized food-allergic families were working from the same short list; she told Livonia Thrive it began in her home kitchen during the pandemic and has since grown into stores across Michigan. The lineup runs four crackers — sea salt, garlic, rosemary and chive — plus chocolate chip and cinnamon granola, with the chocolate chip granola and sea salt crackers as the best sellers. The article closes by asking readers who've been to the new store what they think, and anyone who's spotted the product to say which aisle.

Heat peaks near 101 degrees Wednesday before Saturday brings the week's heaviest rain, just under a sixth of an inch. The City of Livonia is warning residents about scammers impersonating city departments, commissions and employees by phone, email, text and social media, and asking anyone contacted to verify through Livonia.gov/Directory rather than a number given in the message itself — this was the only genuinely new item in Livonia's news feed this week (the rest was last week's published coverage or a South Lyon obituary judged too tangential to lead a Livonia digest). Regionally, Detroit Regional Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah warned that escalating U.S.-Canada tariffs could raise prices for Michigan consumers and disrupt the auto industry. On the field, Franklin, Churchill, Stevenson and Clarenceville all play varsity football Thursday, after Stevenson hosts Churchill for a crosstown soccer match Wednesday — the hottest day of the week.

Espresso AL is a new coffee shop at 37164 Six Mile Road in Livonia, started by two friends from Albania, Anxhela and Lorena. The name comes from their initials and from Albania, and the storefront sign reads "A Family Café." They chose Livonia because it felt like a good fit for what they wanted to build, particularly for families — and that focus shaped the space. In Albania, cafés commonly include a place for children to play while parents sit with a coffee, something the owners missed after moving here, so they built a kids area that's free to use. It sits behind interior windows facing the seating area and holds a play kitchen, a toy register, picture books, a bean bag and a chalkboard, with a mural of a coffee shop on one wall. The menu covers coffee and espresso drinks, matcha, specialty drinks, sandwiches, desserts and gelato, and there's patio seating out front.

Study Meeting (8:00 p.m.) The council reconvened at 8:00 p.m. for a 31-minute study session that took no votes at all — study meetings exist solely to sort the coming agenda, routing routine items to the consent agenda and contested ones to the regular agenda for the August 31 voting meeting. Six of the eight items went to consent: a sidewalk waiver on Auburndale Avenue, the Amoco rebrand at Seven Mile and Middle Belt (whose pylon sign must become a monument sign), Target's new sign package on Haggerty, $23,169 in already-completed golf course roof design work from OHM Advisors, $204,387 owed to Wayne County for Middle Belt paving finished in December 2025, and a storm water agreement with True Community Credit Union. Councilmember McDonnell pulled the other two — a $72,063 security camera award for the Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center and two pools, where she wants each bidder's pricing sheet to confirm identical scope, and a $379,655 library elevator modernization, where she questioned the procurement source — extending the same scrutiny that had just consumed the regular meeting. Taormina also confirmed the Planning Commission is expected to reopen Book Five for another 45-day comment period and a rehearing, and four residents used the podium to ask for a gas station pump-modernization policy, cost scrutiny on capital projects, real public input on the master plan, and a professional conduct standard for city government.

Regular Meeting (2046th, 7:00 p.m.) Livonia City Council took 16 recorded votes over just over three hours on Monday, August 17, with all seven members present. The longest fight wasn't a zoning case but a procurement one: a $152,596 recommendation to replace the boiler at Robert and Janet Bennett Civic Center Library was tabled 7–0 to August 31 after Councilmembers Brandon McCullough and Eileen McDonnell objected that the low bidder never attended the mandatory pre-bid meeting city ordinance requires and that its bid bond was never countersigned — with City Attorney Eric Goldstein declining to rule without seeing the documents. Council also denied a 12-bed adult foster care conversion at 38525 Eight Mile Road 5–2, overruling the Planning Commission, and unanimously approved a drive-through Culver's and 4,675 sq ft retail building at 29155 Seven Mile Road. President Kayleigh Reid's move to return agenda preparation to the City Clerk went to Committee of the Whole 6–1 over McCullough's separation-of-powers objection and six residents' opposition; Flock cameras were referred to the Public Safety Committee 7–0; and Planning Director Mark Taormina committed to reopening public comment on the Book Five master plan after four residents said it reached its final reading with only statutory notice.

Livonia's week opens with the wettest day in weeks — 2.6 inches falling today — before Sunday drops to 72° and Monday and Tuesday turn dry and pleasant, with storms returning Wednesday and Thursday. In the news, the man accused of murdering four members of his own family has been ruled unfit to stand trial, pausing proceedings pending treatment to restore competency, while Livonia police closed a weeks-long vehicle break-in investigation by matching fingerprints across scenes and stopping the suspect's escape with a Grappler device. Schoolcraft College became the first institution in Michigan to grant associate-degree credit for building trades apprenticeships, and the Kirksey Recreation Center is closed all week for annual maintenance. On the field, Livonia's four programs went 7–7 across 14 games as fall sports opened, with Churchill posting the biggest margin at 8–0 over Taylor and sweeping Franklin in the crosstown volleyball meeting. Football arrives Thursday and Friday at all four schools, and Saturday brings a free speed climbing tournament on Hubbard.

LIVONIA — Aug 16–22 A court amnesty deadline lands Friday, the week's rain concentrates entirely on Wednesday, and fall soccer opens at all three high schools. The 16th District Court's amnesty program closes Aug. 21, waiving the $35 default fee, 20% late fees and the $75 warrant fee on overdue citations while cancelling outstanding warrants. Separately, a $2.48 million Wayne County project is rehabilitating Inkster Road between West Chicago and Schoolcraft. Weather is mild all week except Wednesday, which takes 1.3 inches of rain and drops to 76°. Monday stacks four city meetings in a single evening — Law & Education, Arts Commission, City Council and a study session. Thursday brings home soccer at Franklin and Churchill, Friday at Stevenson, plus the Do Good Dinner for Holy Cross's pantry and five years of LEARN at SuperNatural Brewing.

Livonia's Planning Commission met August 11 for its 1,248th hearing, taking up six petitions and adjourning at 10:08 p.m. Six of seven members voted; Vice Chairman Long was absent. **Denied, 6–0:** rezoning 32520 Seven Mile Road from C-1 to C-2 for a Jiffy Lube. Commissioners found the automotive use incompatible with the residential around it. **Tabled 45 days, 6–0:** Book 5 of the Vision 21 Master Plan, the state-required housing chapter. Its 45-day review drew zero written comments, which commissioners took as evidence nobody had seen it. Ventura challenged the plan's premise; Droze faulted the outreach. **Approved, all 6–0:** an S.D.M. license for Fogo de Chão (39000 Six Mile); a second-hand store for Hands of Time (19704 Middlebelt), with new conditions on the parking lot, dumpster and landscaping; and two buildings and 72 units at Clover Self Storage (28900 Schoolcraft). **Approved 5–1:** rezoning the rear 25 feet of five Camden Street lots for Fountain Bleu parking. Dinaro opposed, backing the parking but not a commercial zone that could outlive the owner. Everything but the denial goes to City Council for the final vote.

Livonia and the Deer: The Numbers (~7,200 words) Livonia had 77 deer-vehicle crashes in 2023 — none fatal. That's the most of any Wayne County community, but only 0.13% of the state's 58,806. Per resident, Livonia's rate is identical to Southfield's, which voted to cull, and half of Farmington Hills'. The neighboring three-city cull targeted 400 deer and took 70. Culling works while it runs — four programs show 49–77% crash reductions over 8–15 years — but none has ever been shown to last after stopping. Princeton, NJ banned firearm discharge in 1972 and crashes rose 436% in a decade. The real choice is an ongoing annual cost versus an ongoing upward trend. Most alternatives don't hold up: contraceptive feed doesn't exist, sterilization runs 3.5× the cost of sharpshooting, relocation isn't permitted, and deer whistles, reflectors and lower speed limits don't work. The best-evidenced cheap option — Meridian Township's volunteer archery program, crashes down 152 to 77 over fourteen years — wasn't among the options presented locally. The comments split 59 coexist to 57 cull.

Livonia gets one good day before the week turns — Monday brings nearly two inches of rain and possible hail, Tuesday adds more, and Saturday closes with a high of just 70°. A federal court has ordered the owner of four Leo's Coney Island locations, including Livonia's, to pay $515,857 in unpaid overtime to 143 workers after investigators found the restaurants kept two sets of timecards. On the calendar: the St. Rafka Summer Festival wraps Sunday, four ribbon cuttings land midweek, and the Human Relations Commission hosts a free mental health and wellness event Saturday.

The Livonia City Council's July 27 study session reviewed 13 agenda items ahead of the Aug. 17 voting meeting. Five routine items were placed on the consent agenda, while eight were moved to the regular agenda for additional discussion. The biggest topics included a proposed Culver's and retail development on Seven Mile Road, a 12-resident adult foster care home on Eight Mile Road, a $152,596 library boiler replacement that raised concerns over increased costs and bid paperwork, and a new Capital Planning and Budget Manager position that prompted questions about the city's organizational structure. Public comment also focused on the ongoing Steve King recreation facility ban and the Sheetz rezoning lawsuit, with the city attorney explaining that the law department automatically defends the city whenever its decisions are challenged in court. The council will take final votes on all agenda items at its Aug. 17 regular meeting.

The Livonia City Council unanimously approved all 15 agenda items during its July 27 meeting, including a senior housing tax exemption for Ziegler Place, a new banquet hall on Schoolcraft Road, and several city contracts. Public comment focused on deer overpopulation, questions about ARPA spending, the city's legal defense in the Sheetz rezoning case, Steve King's lifetime ban from city facilities, and safety concerns involving motorized bikes on sidewalks. Officials also provided updates on deer management efforts, election preparations, and several city projects.

The article is a summary write-up of the City of Livonia's Summer/Fall 2026 Connections Magazine. It covers: Upcoming election — Aug. 4 vote on renewing the Public Safety Millage (~$9.9M/year, 45+ police/fire positions) and the Cultural & Senior Services Millage (~$1.4M/year, funds the Senior Wellness Center and Greenmead Historical Park). Both are renewals, not new taxes. Park upgrades — completed renovations at the Kirksey Recreation Center (#RecreatingTheRec) and an in-progress overhaul of Shelden Park. Kirksey Rec Center details — membership pricing, the Reinke Aquatic Center, climbing wall, and swim-lesson program. Fitness & wellness — personal training, nutrition counseling, dozens of group classes, and a massage therapy menu. Special events calendar — from Shakespeare in the Park to the Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting. Adult and youth programs — sports leagues, martial arts, golf, tennis, fencing, and more. Senior Wellness Center — activities, meal program, transportation, and trips. LPS student home-renovation program — a feature on students renovating foreclosed homes, funding library and community initiatives. Greenmead Historical Park & the Public Library — fall event calendars for both. City services — public works info, a city department directory, and a community photo spread.

The city is not ADA compliant. Those aren't my words — they're the Mayor's, from her own 2024 State of the City address. We spent time digging into what accessibility actually looks like in Livonia right now: polling place audits, a FOIA'd transition plan, a sworn affidavit, and a City Hall ramp problem that was flagged by independent auditors a full year before it became a public controversy. Only 2 of 14 polling places met all 4 federal accessibility criteria in 2025 7 schools had voting machines set up with zero privacy The Mayor has publicly said the city can't currently hire a wheelchair user to work at City Hall The city's only ADA transition plan on file covers parks and rec — not City Hall, not the police department, not the courts, not the libraries None of it comes with a timeline for fixing it City Hall is also Livonia's sole early voting site for the 2026 primary and general election, starting today. Most of what's broken doesn't need a construction budget — it needs someone to plug in a headset, angle a screen, or set a booth up before the polls open. The rest needs sustained pressure from residents. If you've hit a barrier in Livonia: Disability Rights Michigan (800-288-5923), Michigan Dept. of Civil Rights (800-482-3604), or local group Access Livonia NOW 504. Sources: Detroit Disability Power's 2025 polling place audit, City of Livonia FOIA records, WXYZ reporting, and the Mayor's own 2024 address.

Livonia heads into a mostly sunny week with storm risk building over the weekend (highs near 90°) before cooling into a drier stretch. On the news side, a Detroit Lions star made a local appearance, the city's police & fire millage debate is heating up ahead of the August 4 vote, and Madonna University added a new AI certificate program. The events calendar is packed with City Hall programming — from Shakespeare in the Park to the Highland Games — plus several city council and commission meetings.

The day Marcus Elliot was supposed to get his saxophone was September 11, 2001. His parents had to turn around and go home. A week later they tried again — and a stranger at the rental counter overheard them hesitating over the price, and said: my son's saxophone is just sitting in a closet. Take it. That instrument became everything. 🎷 Five albums. A Kresge Fellowship. A Joyce Award. Twenty years of teaching — and a personally funded scholarship at his own high school. Marcus Elliot has been giving back what was given to him ever since. Catch him live this Tuesday, July 21 at the Detroit Public Library — Java and Jazz, 6–8 PM, free admission. Link in bio for tickets.

1,247th Public Hearing and Regular Meeting · Tuesday, July 14, 2026 · 7:00 p.m. · City Hall Auditorium, 33000 Civic Center Drive, Livonia, Michigan · Presiding: Chairman Ian Wilshaw

Study Meeting of the Council of the City of Livonia · Monday, July 13, 2026 · 8:00 p.m. · City Hall Auditorium, 33000 Civic Center Drive, Livonia, Michigan · Presiding: Council President Kayleigh Reid

2,044th Regular Meeting of the Livonia City Council · Monday, July 13, 2026 · 7:00 p.m. · City Hall Auditorium, 33000 Civic Center Drive, Livonia, Michigan · Presiding: Council President Kayleigh Reid

Summary of news for Livonia for the week.