HomeMy WebLinkAboutLHC 2017-08-16
HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Dennis Wright
Greenmead Historical Park
MAYOR
20501 Newburgh Road
Livonia, Michigan 48152
Linda McCann
(248) 477-7375 DIRECTOR
Fax (248) 426-8568
Community Resources Department
33000 Civic Center Drive
Livonia, Michigan 48154-3097
(734) 466-2540
LIVONIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION
AUGUST 16, 2017
VOTING MEETING MINUTES
The meeting was called to order on August 16, 2017 at the Alexander Blue House at
6:32 p.m.
Present: Deanna Brown, Nancy Frye, Barbara Mansfield, Michael Marihugh, Stephanie
Miner, Gary Pritchard, Sandi Pritchard, Patty Trojan
Also Present: Emily Tchorz, Kathy Johnson Bartshe
Absent: Mary Cambridge
The May 17, 2016 meeting minutes were reviewed have been approved as presented.
The June 21, 2017 meeting minutes were reviewed and approved as corrected.
Mary Cambridge was not present to present the Treasurer’s reports.
Barbara Mansfield, Chairman, reported: The Red, White & Blue BBQ was held July 8,
2017. The retirement event for Linda Wiacek was July 12, 2017. The Pancake Fun Run
was July 16, 2017 and was attended by over 90 persons. She has attended many
Cemetery Walk meetings with the Preservation Commission. She facilitated ticket sales
and answered the phones at the Blue office on July 19th and July 26th. The LHS
Society Picnic was August 14, 2017. She has called for tour guides and states that
changes need to be made in the way communication is made between the volunteers
and the Greenmead staffing. Ideas to improve communication will be discussed at the
end of the tour season. She also has done the shopping for the Ice Cream Sunday
tours.
Commission’s reports of activities & participation since last meeting:
Mary Cambridge has attended the Cemetery Walk meetings, facilitated cleaning of the
Bungalow and worked in the Cranson-Hinbern as Commissioner-on-Duty. Gary
Pritchard worked the Pancake Fun Run and was present at the Highland Games. Patty
Trojan worked weddings and was the lead facilitator of the Pancake Fun Run.
Stephanie Miner attended Cemetery Meetings, worked the Red, White and Blue BBQ,
and was Commissioner-on-Duty at the Cranson-Hinbern. Sandi Pritchard worked at the
Pancake Fun Run, sold tickets, attended the Society Picnic, worked at the Hinbern, has
attended Cemetery Meetings and worked the Highland Games. Nancy Frye obtained
the new nametags, worked the Pancake Fun Run, and greased the doors of the
buildings. Deanna Brown worked the Red, White & Blue BBQ, weddings, attended the
retirement party for Linda Wiacek, worked the Fun Run, worked at the Hinbern and
attended the Highland Games. Mike Marihugh worked the Fun Run, did a presentation
to 5th & 6th graders at Schoolcraft regarding Michigan History, worked the Hinbern and
worked the One Day Trunk Sale.
Emily Tchorz reported:
• Maintenance Update: The Farmhands house door has been replaced and
painted. Repairs at church have included the shingles on vestibule, fixing of the rotten
threshold at entry doors, fixing of the paint on the ceiling, & replacement of rotted wood
at NE corner. The Schoolhouse cedar shingles have been replaced & the interior water
damage is being fixed. Judge Blues office has new roof & Tom, a new maintenance
worker from the city who comes for 4.5 hours every day, has cleaned the Blue office.
The Geer Store chimney had to be taken down due to leaning; the inspection
department said it had to be taken down per Bongero construction. They are putting it
back up with repurposed bricks and will be tying it into the building with brackets. Before
the end of the year we would like to have new screen doors handmade and fabricated.
Currently the Geer Store has a new front screen. We are looking to have the back door
of the Geer, the back door of the Shaw, the back door of the Kingsley and the Carriage
House done. The Geer store and the Hill House railings have been ordered and
fabricated, but need to be installed. The south side of the Blue House needs to be
painted as well as the rotting wood replaced & painted. The chimneys in the Blue
House have been leaking; they have been reflashed to resolve the problem. Linda
McCann is working with the housing department to find other contractors to do work in
order to speed up the maintenance at Greenmead.
• Cemetery Arch at the Livonia Center Cemetery: The arch is currently down. The
Preservation Commission budget for all 4 Livonia cemeteries is $2,200 for the year. We
have 3 bids for the Arch with the lowest being $4,325.38. A motion was made by
Deanna Brown to allocate up to $3,000 from the Trust for the replacement of the arch. It
was seconded by Michael Marihugh. 08/01 Motion approved unanimously.
• Rental Income to Date for 2017: For the Meeting House from December 2016 till
August 12, 2017, we have brought in $3,940 in rental fees after subtracting the
supervisor fees. The Church from December 23, 2016 till August 12, 2017 has brought
in $9,045 after subtracting supervisor fees.
• Wifi Expansion: WOW has extended the Wi-Fi to the Meeting House and to the
Hinbern. The Hinbern is in need of another receiver in order for the Wi-Fi to be
accessible; this could also lead to Greenmead being credit-card friendly for purchases.
This will allow for easier access to our accessioning program.
• Nankin Mills Schoolhouse: The school is now over its foundation spot on the
“Jenga Blocks”. The foundation blocks are to be delivered within the week and the plan
is to have it set on the foundation by Thanksgiving.
• Accessioning and Organizing our Collections: Kathie Glynn and Danielle Lewon
have been working at the Kingsley to remove non-period items and accessioning. Emily
Tchorz has been working at the Hinbern cleaning the upstairs. Mary Cambridge has
made headway at the Bungalow and is now working on the basement. The DUR is
ready to go minus fixing and/or replacing the door. The Blue Office has been cleaned.
• Flea Market: There were discussions about having the food vendor do 2 trucks
instead of Greenmead handling the hotdogs this September. Discussion between the
commissioners led to the agreement that that would cause a loss of money made for
Greenmead. Gary Pritchard made a motion to continue to sell hotdogs/soda/chips at the
Flea Market. It was seconded by Deanna Brown. Motion 08/02 approved unanimously.
Maureen Casey placed a ½ page add in the Trader Magazine. Currently we have 167
spaces rented for the Flea Market and have 10 still available.
Past and Future Events:
1) June 16-18 Irish Fest
2) June 25 Spree – no tours
3) July tours – July 9, 16, 23, 30
4) Red, White & Blue BBQ – July 7-9, 2017, July 6-8, 2018, July 12-14, 2019
5) Fun Run & Pancake Breakfast – Sunday July 16, 2017 – Patty Trojan did a
wonderful job planning and executing this event. We made money. It was
suggested that we have an activity for children. It was recommended that we pair
it with another event such as a car show to draw in more people. The pancakes
are gluten free.
6) July 2017 tours – July 23: S. Turlo/S. Pritchard, July 30: N. Klein/ D. Brown
7) Special Group tours: Ameriprise Saturday July 29
8) August tours – August 13: S. Turlo/ M. Cambridge
9) Highland Games August 4 – B. Mansfield / S. Pritchard. Stated that there was
poor set up this year. We need to make sure that they do not block the houses,
church or Hinbern.
10) Future tour Sunday’s
a) August 20 – AMC Car Show – Hinbern only open by P. Trojan / N. Frye
b) August 27 – Ice Cream Day, D. Brown/ P. Trojan
c) September 3 – Labor Day weekend – no tours
d) September 11 – Flea Market
e) September 17 – Cemetery Walk at Clarenceville Cemetery & Livonia Corn Roast
(1st Annual) by the YMCA
f) September 23-24 – Guns n’ Gowns Civil War Living History event with building
tours
i) September 23 – M. Marihugh/ R. Bakewell
ii) September 24 – N. Klein / N. Frye
Additional Business & Action Items:
• A donation was made in memory of Joseph Soltesz by his family and friends for
a total amount of $585.00.
• A motion was to name the following months Voting Meetings for the Livonia
Historical Commissions 2018 calendar year: January, April, May, August, September,
and November. The motion was made by Sandi Pritchard and seconded by Nancy Frye.
08/03 approved unanimously.
• 3 bids are needed in order to redo the Church carpet. Deanna Brown would like
to see the floors be redone prior to redoing the carpet.
• The State History Conference is September 22-14, 2017.
• Nancy Frye would like to obtain buttons for the volunteers to wear. We would be
able to obtain roughly 100 buttons for under $300.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 P.M.
The next meeting will be September 20, 2017 at the Alexander Blue Hose at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Stephanie Miner
Secretary
Livonia Historical Commission