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*Music under the Stars. Held at various locations in Livonia throughout the summer.
*Music under the Stars. Held at various locations in Livonia throughout the summer.


==News==
In local recent news two men reported bigfoot sightings in the wooded area commonly known as Dead Man's Creek. The two men claimed they were hiking through the trails of the woods when they saw an ape like creature sitting around a fire. One of the men reported that he made a loud clattering noise that alarmed the creature. They said the creature looked up at the men and titled its head and made a loud high pitch noise that rang through the forest. They said the creature stood up and went into an all four stance, they claim the creature was getting ready to attack them when they both ran out of the woods towards the cemetary. They were approached by a gravedigger who led the men out of the woods and to a nearby phone. The men described the creature as being a tall and large, about 7 to 8 feet in height. They said it was covered in dark reddish hair, the head had longer unkempt hair that feel down along the creatures shoulders and back. They also said the creature gave off a skunk like smell and that, dubbing it the skunk ape. Chief of police Brad Joffrion stated to a local newspaper "I would search the woods with my finest men, however it is illegal to travel through those woods with loaded guns as it is owned." There are signs posted along the entrance and exits of the woods forbidding people to travel through that area with guns, those include paintball and airsoft guns aswell. A local resident Theodore Johnson has been living in Livonia for more than 60 years and at 67 claims he knows the creature. Theodore told the police that the creature is more scared of us then we are him. Theodore also said he has spoke to the creature and call him "Robert". Theodore told the local newspaper that it wasn't anyones business and the police should not include themselves in the creatures habitat. As far as hunting down the creature Theodore is openly against the idea. Chief of police Brad said that if the creature was a threat he would indeed carry out investigation and gain a search warrant to explore the area possibly with weapons. Recently people have reported large footprints.




Revision as of 17:41, 22 March 2008

Livonia, Michigan
City
Livonia City Hall
Livonia City Hall
Location of Livonia within Michigan
Location of Livonia within Michigan
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyWayne
Government
 • MayorJack Kirksey
Area
 • City35.8 sq mi (92.8 km2)
 • Land35.7 sq mi (92.5 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.30 km2)
Elevation
640 ft (206 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • City100,545
 • Density2,815/sq mi (1,086.8/km2)
 • Metro
4,488,335 (Detroit metro)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
48150-48154
Area code(s)734, 248
FIPS code26-49000Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0630841Template:GR
Websitehttp://ci.livonia.mi.us/

Livonia is a city located in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 100,545, making it the eighth largest in the state. In effect, though, Livonia is simply a very large suburb with low density housing and no defined downtown area. The municipality is a part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and located approximately 22 miles (35 km) northwest from downtown Detroit, and two miles (3 km) from the western city limits of Detroit (Redford Township lies in between the two).

History

First settled by pioneers from New England and New York, an act by the legislature of the Territory of Michigan established the borders of Livonia Township on March 17, 1835. The city was named after the Livonia region in present day Latvia and Estonia. It is likely that the township was named after this region due to Latvian immigrants who settled in the area. Livonia was incorporated into a city on May 23, 1950 by vote of the citizens of the township. A significant motivation was to gain tax revenues from the DRC (Detroit Race Course), which was Michigan's only thoroughbred horse racetrack that closed in 1998. Livonia has been visited by five U.S. presidents, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.[citation needed]

Politics

Livonia is located in Michigan's 11th Congressional District, and is represented in Congress by Thaddeus McCotter (Republican), who was first elected to Congress in 2002. Livonia's mayor is Jack Kirksey. On November 6, 2007, Livonia's mayoral election took place between Jack Kirksey and Maureen Miller Brosnan, with Kirksey the winner.

Livonia is Michigan's 6th State Senate District, and is represented by Glenn S. Anderson (Democrat), who was elected to the State Legislature in 2006.

Livonia is Michigan's 19th State House District, and is represented by incumbent John R. Pastor (Republican), who is term-limited as of 2008. John Walsh, Executive Director of Development and Governmental Relations at Schoolcraft College, is expected to run as Representative Pastor's successor.

Infrastructure

Chapel (1874) of the Felician Sisters in Livonia, Michigan - architectural sculpture by Corrado Parducci.

In addition to its schools, colleges, churches, parks, recreation center, libraries, and St. Marys Hospital, Livonia has commercial and industrial sectors, restaurants, and shopping.

Livonia has two malls in its city Limits: Laurel Park Place at 6 Mile Road and Newburgh, and Livonia Mall at 7 Mile Road and Middlebelt. It also has a number of shopping centers, including Wal-Mart supercenter, two Target stores, one Meijer store and many smaller stores.

Wonderland Mall opened as an outdoor shopping mall on the site of an airport in Livonia in 1959. It was eventually turned into an indoor shopping mall which proved popular until the 90's. At one time it was the third regional shopping center in the state of Michigan, and was the first of three malls to open in the city of Livonia. Wonderland Mall was demolished in 2006 and has been replaced by a Wal-Mart supercenter.

Livonia has in recent times ranked among the list of safest cities in the United States, finishing in the top ten numerous times. In 2006 it was ranked 7th, while its close neighbor Detroit was ranked the second most dangerous. Murder, for example, is rare in the city and when one does occur, it is usually not random.

Livonia Fire & Rescue is made up of 80 persons crosstrained in firefighting and emergency medical care. It operates five fire and rescue stations located throughout the municipality:

  • Farmington Road, just south of Five Mile Road (headquarters)
  • Middlebelt Road, just north of Plymouth Road
  • Middlebelt Road, just south of Seven Mile Road
  • Plymouth Road, just west of Newburgh
  • Seven Mile Road and Wayne

The department responds to approximately 8,500 emergency calls per year, mostly calls for medical aid.

Education

Eastern Michigan University, Continuing Education Center in Livonia.

Livonia is home to Madonna University and Schoolcraft College.

There are currently five high schools in Livonia; four public: Franklin, Churchill, and Stevenson High Schools in the Livonia district, Clarenceville High School in the Clarenceville Public School District, and one private: Ladywood High School, a Catholic all-girls school run by the Felician Sisters.

Each Livonia Public Schools high school offers a different program to make up for the fact that Livonia Public Schools no longer offers School of Choice, due to over-crowding. Stevenson High School is the home of the school of Global Education, an alternative education model which combines students' English and Social Studies classes with a focus on the student's role in the world. Churchill houses the MSC program, (Math, Science, and Computers) and CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts). Franklin is currently in the process of adopting an International Baccalaureate program.

Frost Middle School houses the MACAT program (Middle Alternative Classrooms for the Academically Talented). The public school Webster Elementary School (a K-6 school) is home to the ACAT program (Alternative Classes for the Academically Talented), as well as many afterschool programs.

There are a number of parochial grade schools attached to Catholic and Lutheran churches around Livonia, including:

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.8 square miles (92.8 km²), of which, 35.8 square miles (92.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.33%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19001,460—
19101,365−6.5%
19201,60817.8%
19303,19298.5%
19408,728173.4%
195017,634102.0%
196068,702289.6%
1970110,10960.3%
1980104,814−4.8%
1990100,850−3.8%
2000100,545−0.3%
2006 (est.)96,736

As of the census² of 2000, there were 100,545 people, 38,089 households, and 28,071 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,815.0 per square mile (1,086.8/km²). There were 38,658 housing units at an average density of 1,082.3/sq mi (417.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.45% White, 0.95% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.94% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.

By 2006 there were 96,736 people in Livonia. This represented a 3.8% decline in the city's population since 2000.

In 2000 there were 38,089 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $71,593, and the median income for a family was $85,361.[8] Males had a median income of $54,137 versus $35,273 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,923. About 2.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Livonia has received some attention as the US city with the highest percentage of Caucasian residents among cities with 100,000 or more residents. At the same time, its neighbor, Detroit, Michigan, has the highest percentage of African American residents among cities with 200,000 or more residents.(Heath 2005).

Major employers

Notable people

Broadcasting

Acting

Dance

Sports

Business

Politics

  • Thaddeus McCotter: US Congressman for Michigan's 11th district
  • John R. Pastor: State Representative for the majority of Livonia's population, excepting the South-Eastern portion, which is represented by House Speaker Andy Dillon (Redford)

Music

Festivals

  • St. Andrew's Society of Detroit Highland Games at the Greenmead Historic Village. Usually the first Saturday each August.
  • Livonia Spree [9] Is located in Ford Field at the corner of Farmington Road and Lyndon in the last week each June. Includes Spree Fireworks.
  • Music under the Stars. Held at various locations in Livonia throughout the summer.

News

In local recent news two men reported bigfoot sightings in the wooded area commonly known as Dead Man's Creek. The two men claimed they were hiking through the trails of the woods when they saw an ape like creature sitting around a fire. One of the men reported that he made a loud clattering noise that alarmed the creature. They said the creature looked up at the men and titled its head and made a loud high pitch noise that rang through the forest. They said the creature stood up and went into an all four stance, they claim the creature was getting ready to attack them when they both ran out of the woods towards the cemetary. They were approached by a gravedigger who led the men out of the woods and to a nearby phone. The men described the creature as being a tall and large, about 7 to 8 feet in height. They said it was covered in dark reddish hair, the head had longer unkempt hair that feel down along the creatures shoulders and back. They also said the creature gave off a skunk like smell and that, dubbing it the skunk ape. Chief of police Brad Joffrion stated to a local newspaper "I would search the woods with my finest men, however it is illegal to travel through those woods with loaded guns as it is owned." There are signs posted along the entrance and exits of the woods forbidding people to travel through that area with guns, those include paintball and airsoft guns aswell. A local resident Theodore Johnson has been living in Livonia for more than 60 years and at 67 claims he knows the creature. Theodore told the police that the creature is more scared of us then we are him. Theodore also said he has spoke to the creature and call him "Robert". Theodore told the local newspaper that it wasn't anyones business and the police should not include themselves in the creatures habitat. As far as hunting down the creature Theodore is openly against the idea. Chief of police Brad said that if the creature was a threat he would indeed carry out investigation and gain a search warrant to explore the area possibly with weapons. Recently people have reported large footprints.


See also

Further reading

  • Cantor, George (2005). Detroit: An Insiders Guide to Michigan. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030922.
  • Fisher, Dale (2005). Southeast Michigan: Horizons of Growth. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 1891143255.
  • Gavrilovich, Peter and Bill McGraw (2000). The Detroit Almanac. Detroit Free Press. ISBN 0-937247-34-0.
  • Heath, Brad (2005), "Racial divide haunts Metro Detroit", The Detroit News, retrieved 6/7/2007 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Livonia, Michigan.

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