Deep Water Bluegrass Band (Toledo)

-Duane Donald

Sunday, July 3^rd, I was out at the Farmlane Equestrian Camping Park located in Waterloo on Clear Lake Rd.

Farmlane put on a bluegrass festival beginning July 1^st through the 3^rd. The event was sponsored by Best Buy of Ann Arbor, Briarwood Ford of Saline

Briarwood Ford Main Supporter

and our own, Lighthouse Coffee Company here in Milan.

The intense heat during the Fourth of July weekend unfortunately worked against the promoters of the Farmlane Fest resulting in attendance being lower than excepted. It’s unfortunate because a lot of people missed out on some really exceptional bluegrass/mountain music. Some friends and I endured the heat on Sunday and though hot, we all had a great time. It was really nice seeing all the horses trotting around the grounds on top of hearing some really accomplished bluegrass bands take the stage.

When we arrived at about 2:30, a great sounding group called Deep Water Bluegrass (Toledo, OH) was on stage. Deep Water offered a more traditional sound with wonderful three part harmonies in the five piece band. Two guitar players, and upright acoustic bass, mandolin and banjo were all pulling it together in a very tight, polished sound. Deep Water offered up some true standards along with some of their own originals and then just for kicks, mixed in a few rock favorites like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s, “A Simple Kind of Man” but with an acoustic, bluegrass feel.

I spoke to Deep Water band member, bass player, and song writer, Jeff Birdwell about the group.

“We’ve been together as a band for about 4-4 ½ years but this current line of Deep Water has only been together for about three years,” Birdwell said. The group sounded so tight and seamless you’d have thought they’d been playing together for decades.

Having spent years living throughout various mountain ranges I’ve learned a deep appreciation and joy in well played mountain music so this assignment was right to my liking. But I feel even people that are not really schooled in good bluegrass/mountain music would have liked what they heard during this festival at Farmlane.

Owner and Event Coordinator Don Walz

I spoke with event coordinator and Farmlane owner, Don Walz. Don was hard to pin down as he was trying to juggle twenty things at once but he took a few minutes out to talk to me about Farmlane Equestrian Park and FarmFest 2011.

How many years have you had the Farmlane Bluegrass Festival out here in Waterloo?

“Well, we actually had the first FarmFest here in 2008 and then again in 2009,” Don Walz said. “But we had to skip a year in 2010 because the economy was so tight. So we were excited to put the Bluegrass Festival back on this summer.”

What was the catalyst for the putting on a bluegrass festival in the first place?

“We were looking for a way to generate interest in our Equestrian Park and fund it to keep the park going. So we had been having, and still have free live music out here at Farmlane every Saturday night in the summer. So this festival kind of grew out of that whole idea of live music,” Walz told me. “I began pulling all the bands together for that first event back in ’08 and so this year I still worked hard to pull all this great talent together for everyone to enjoy.”

Members of Coaltown band

After Deep Water Bluegrass stepped off the stage, a group of three men came on called, Josh Slone and Coaltown. Coaltown is normally a four member group but for some reason the band’s mandolin player got held up and didn’t make the show. To be honest, the three remaining band members had such a tight, well-rehearsed sound, I am sure no one in the audience noticed a thing.

Coaltown is out of Kentucky. Band leader, Josh Slone told me, Coaltown has the number one bluegrass album of the year (2011) according to the National Traditional Country Music Association. They also have three top hits on the bluegrass charts. They are going to be showcased at the International Bluegrass Awards this year and Slone said that they are scheduled to play on “Mountain Stage” next year. Mountain Stage is a nationally broadcast bluegrass program played on NPR (Sat on WEMU in our area 89.1). Coaltown had more of a bluegrass/country mix going on with their music but they were a very polished band who sounded great.

Lewis Maynard

I thought for an outdoor event, the sound quality was exceptionally clear. The audience could hear every individual instrument and a clear vocal. I spoke briefly to the event soundman, Lewis Maynard. Maynard heads up a group called, Southern Comfort out of Willis, MI. His band played Saturday night and Maynard said they had a very good turn out Saturday and the crowd was really into the music.

“Bluegrass is just good clean fun,” Maynard told me. “When you listen to mountain music you can see the humor in their lyrics and hear the clean, clear sound of America’s music. Bluegrass is a true American folk sound.”

Waiting to go on stage, Jim LaPrad of the group Nitro Hill (out of OH) was telling me that his group had been around since 1977 when banjo player Donny White formed the band and they’ve been playing festivals like the one at Farmlane ever since.

Farmlane is one of only a couple Equestrian camping parks in Michigan that have on-site electric for its campers. What I found the most intriguing was how Farmlane is surrounded by very beautiful, heavily wooded forest. Don Walz told me that his park offers over twenty-five miles of riding trails with a great deal of those winding through the surrounding forest.

Walz is a fourth generation owner of Farmlane. The farm use to be a dairy farm but in 2003 the economic climate was such that they had to sell off their cows and Walz soon after decided to open a big part of their farmland into the equestrian park.

Don Walz went on to say that the park is having a hard time making ends meet during these tough economic times. He hopes events like this bluegrass festival will be enough to keep them going. As I watched the many riders taking their horses out to the trails, I could see that any equestrian would love it out at Farmlane.

Supplying food for the event was Waterloo Pizza/Deli. We stopped by their pizza shop, just down the road from Farmlane, on our way home. Owner Mark Schroder made us some very wonderfully crafted pizza and ice cream.

“We try to keep our prices low and fair when we’re at events like this one,” Schroder said. “Other vendors argue with me sometimes about setting my prices so low but I don’t charge more for pizza, or ice cream while I’m set up at a festival than I do at my pizza shop down the road.”

Great hiking and horseback trails

If you have a horse or two and are looking for a beautiful place to ride, I strongly urge you to check out Farmlane. I think you’ll be very happy with their facilities and the beauty of their surroundings.

(For more information about Farmlane Equestrian Camping Park visit their website at farmlanecampground.com)

A thrilling adventure in modern day Milan, Michigan

PROLOGUE

Friday, OCTOBER 22, 2010 – 5:58pm

(the following is conjecture based on police reports)

The dead man held the steering wheel with one hand and the bleeding hole in his stomach with the other.

His vision began to weaken but he could not stop, not yet. His only impulse was to keep moving. The time he bought himself to get away offered only the merest advantage. He knew his murderer would be on his trail by now and close behind.

“Jerome, you stupid bastard, what have you done to yourself?”  “Gotta do something with this data…” His thoughts twisted with the lines on the road.

The next sign off the highway read: Willis Rd. exit 31 but as he scanned the approach, he saw no real commerce nearby. No commerce meant no authorities at hand. He no longer knew who would end up with the information he held but he figured any authority would be better protection than simply dying at the side of the highway, awaiting his murderer to catch up and take what he was after.

“Why did my contact not show?” His thoughts assailed him as he picked the data up in his hand. Why? Had he only been there I might have gotten away with this.” The dead man took the bottle of water from the cup holder and in one heavy, laborious gulp he swallowed the balloon wrapped data chip. “How did the killer find me? I’d been so careful.” His car swerved again, he was losing focus rapidly. “Bastards will have to dig for that damned data now.”

His head swam, cast in a dripping sheen of sweat, and his vision blurred but he kept his foot on the accelerator. Eighty, eighty-five, ninety, were there no damned state cops patrolling this section of highway? His car swerved like a drunken rummy after an all-nighter. Thankfully, the traffic was sparse on this part of US-23 south so there were few obstacles to move around at 6pm.

The dead man played the scene at the restaurant over again in his head. He saw the man with the gun walk into the building, heard the muffled cough of a gunshot hidden by a sound suppressor and he bolted. He did not even realize he’d been hit until he was on the highway, when the shock of pending capture abated and the intensity of pain began.

He had his window rolled down in the hopes the cool October air would keep him focused enough to make it to…somewhere, wherever this highway would take him in the few minutes he had left.

His left hand sweated profusely as he gripped the steering wheel. He could feel sweat running in rivulets down his face as his body grew feverish from the infection of the bullet that passed through his midsection. He could not imagine how he did not at first feel the bullet tear through him. So riddled with pain he was now, like a thin molten hot iron rod as it’s shoved through his stomach.

He’d not even seen the man raise the gun but then, professional assassins could probably shoot from the hip with accuracy like those in the old westerns.

Hot acrid bile welled in his esophagus. It felt like boiling acid being pored down his throat. He could not draw breath until it passed.

With each new agony, his sight and thoughts dimmed. His face twisted in pain.

What did that sign to the right say? He squinted trying to make it out but his loss of blood weakened him by the second and the seconds streamed by.

Milan – Carpenter Rd. exit 27

He could see signs that told of commerce: restaurants, gas stations, even a car dealership. Cops could not be far from that level of activity. He had to hold on for less than two miles. He swerved again, not madly but dangerously. He knew at these speeds he could loose control in a fraction of a second.

The pain coming from his stomach grew so bad, so encompassing, it was a full body pain. It was the kind of pain that reaches every nerve in a person’s system. From the ends of his hair, right down to his toenails, his body screamed. He winced but could not double over as his body fought to do. He had to keep his eyes on the road.

He glanced at the blood gushing between his fingers. It was sticky and left his fingers cold. Blood was supposed to be warm as it left a person’s body. With the winds of October blaring through the open window, it felt only cold.

Bullets never leave clean passages as they slice through one’s body. The majority of bullets are designed to spread open on impact like a blossoming lotus flower. But there is nothing beautiful about a bullet as it shards, splinters, and cuts through a human body. Had this round been a target round like a wad-cutter, it likely would have left a nice clean piercing straight through the dead man’s left side stomach. It would have hurt like all hell but he might have lived. No this was a silver tipped hollow-point round designed to tear into a human body, splinter apart, twirl and cut its way through the body’s soft tissue like a blender blade ripping organs apart as it slices. There simply was no coming back from a wound like this and the dead man knew it.

He drove, his heart thudding hard for every beat. How he’d held out this long was beyond him. He was a self-proclaimed computer geek and proud of it. He was not a spy, not a proper field-agent. Why had he volunteered for this insane assignment?

His cover story had held long enough for him to complete his task but he never thought getting away would be this difficult. It was a senator’s officer for goodness sake. He should have been able to walk right out the front door and then back to his handler. But oh no, not him, he had to uncover something deeper, something darker and more sinister by far than a senator messing about.

The chases in Chicago garnered him some very important data and proof his handler would need. Chicago proved to him that if he kept his head, he could get away from his professional pursuers. But now, in Michigan, they’d finally caught up to him. He’d been so careful, but in the end, they’d been just a little better.

He only chose Michigan because he knew places here that he could lay low until the feds got their heads together and took these shadows out completely. That was the only way this would have worked in the long run, the shadows had to go down.

Slowly, his face no longer winced uncontrollably with each new surge of pain. As it all seemed like pain, there was now no lull. His body began to accept the pain as normal with every passing second. That, or as he came closer to death and his body weakened, his mind no longer registered the waves of agony shooting through him. His body was giving up.

He figured this is what approaching death really was – acceptance.

The exit came up faster than he anticipated. There was a part of him that was amazed he could still make calculations like how much pressure he had to exert on the brake pedal to slow his vehicle as he glided off the exit ramp. He figured it was just muscle memory.

He wondered if there was a chance, even a slim chance that he’d find help in time for someone to save his life, but as he slowed to turn right off the highway and onto this Carpenter Rd exit, his vision began to shadow, blur, and dim, his eyelids grew heavier with every moment. He knew time was about to run out.

He was far away from friends. He had run and now he crawled but never once thought he would die in a place where there was no one he knew to carry him home. That’s where he really wished this road led him, he wished it led him home.

He once again pushed the accelerator and drove the car forward. He saw two traffic lights both green. He focused on the second, furthest away, deeper into this area of commerce, furthest from the highway. The first light turned red but he sped through without a pause. Thankfully, no other vehicles moved through the intersection. He did not want his last act in life to injure some innocent schlep just trying to make their way home.

The second light came up fast and at the last minute it too turned red. He saw a sign just past the intersection and his eyes locked on it:

CAMPFIRE family restaurant

There were other signs he might have aimed toward. There were signs all around him, but in his haze of blurred, double vision, he locked onto this one. With only minutes, perhaps seconds left he stomped the accelerator.

His car bucked hard as it jumped the curb and rammed into a dirt mound. His forehead hit the horn as the momentum carried him forward. His head spun wildly and he could feel his own heart rate begin to slip away. As he lay slumped forward in his seat, restrained by his safety belt, he thought how strange that he could feel his death approach so tangibly.

If he was going to die anyway why did any of this matter? Why did he still care who got the information, the data? He just held on because some part of him said – he cared, Jerome Kirkwood cared enough to see his part through, his last act. It cost him his life and in the end he prayed that would count for something.

Dale Osborn 7/16/11

Live Saturday with a Folksy Flair

-By Duane Donald

July 16^th – Ken Eby’s, Live Saturdays at the Lighthouse Coffee Co. this week featured folk guitarist/vocalist, Dale Osborn. Dale has played at the Lighthouse many times and is always entertaining.

Dale plays two beautiful Canadian made, Larrivee guitars. One a six-string, the other a twelve-string. Why Larrivee guitars, I asked.

“I really like the way the Larrivee sound,” Osborn said. “They have a different bracing than most guitars, with a little smaller chamber so they have a little different resonation to them. Plus I kind of like using a guitar that not everyone is playing.”

How long have you been playing guitar and performing?

“Ahh, many years. I began playing guitar when I was seventeen so I’ve been playing for something like thirty-five years.”

I detect some formal training in your music.

“Yeah, many years ago I studied classical guitar,” Dale Osborn told me. “It was never my intention to play classical music but I wanted to learn the technique so that I could incorporate it into the styles that I enjoyed playing.”

What exactly is your style? I hear several different influences in your sound.

“As far as placing a label to it, I am a folk artist. But I enjoy music from several different genres and I then incorporate covers from those different styles into my folk style. Putting my stamp on them I guess you’d say.”

While I listened, Dale played several different covers of varying styles music, including a folk’s version of “Message in a Bottle” by the Police. Dale plays many instrumental numbers as well. Here he shows off some of that classical training he spoke of.

Have you recorded any of your original pieces?

“I have. In 1999 I produced a CD of my music called, “On the Edge of Our Town”.

Where could one buy your CD or just listen to some of your music to check out your style?

“One can buy my CD at Amazon.com, and also they can hear it or buy it on i-tunes. There is also a website called CDBaby.com where hear can hear my music.”

Dale began playing at the Lighthouse during the Wednesday night, “Open Mike”. When Ken Eby started the “Live Saturdays” concert series, he asked Dale if he’d contribute his time and talent and he has repeatedly.

If you haven’t checked out the “Live Saturdays” shows, I urge you to drop into the Lighthouse on Main St. on any Saturday and have a listen. DMN carries the concert line-up in the paper. Even if you’re not sure if you like folk music or coffeehouse concerts, I think you’ll enjoy yourself at “Live Saturdays”. Ken Eby is your host and there is always good ice cream, muffins, and yummy coffee drinks to be had while you sit back and listen to some good music. So come on down and enjoy some of what Milan has to offer.

(To learn more about Live Saturdays or the Lighthouse Coffee Co. please visit them online at lighthousecoffeeco.com)

01 Sands of the Kalahari

02 On the Edge of Our Town

dosborn@provide.net

All Kinds of Fun 7/2/11
— Rod Hill

Ken Eby’s LIVE Saturdays started off July with a night of truly unique sounds. The Potter’s Field is a duet of Rochelle Clark and John Natiw. They start off sounding like the kind of classic folk music that evolved into what we now think of as Classic Country. Twangy vocals counterpointed with soft guitar in this spare but nourishing musical package. The contrast of the two vocal tonal qualities sneaks up on you. John’s fairly standard and forthright but when Rochelle comes in, sometimes sweet like Emmy Lou, other times quirky like Kasey Chambers, the songs take on a whole different dimension.

Their playing virtuosity is spot on. John will go through six different tunings during a set. “My guitar hates me in the summer time” he admits. “With so many temperatures, and different tunings, by this time of the night, I can just hear it say ‘enough, already!’” It’s clear that they’re having all kinds of fun with their performance. Most all of their works are original and they cover just about every American folk motif.

They bring a couple of innovations that I’ve never heard before. On some of their pieces you’ll swear you hear a harmonica and it takes a bit to discover that it’s Rochelle with just her voice. Talk about “twangy”! She smiles at the impression her effect has on the room. Another thing that took awhile to figure out was something John calls a “Porch Board Base”. If you can’t see what he’s doing you might think he’s pounding a base drum with his foot. “I picked it up in Australia. You can tune it to sound like a drum or crank it up to castanets.” Think of playing out on Grandpa’s front porch and keeping time with your work boots.

The group has been together for about two years, but they are not a couple. Rochelle and her husband live in Chelsea, John is from Plymouth/Canton. “We were both playing at an open mic, and we just sort of caught each other’s attention.” Say’s Rochelle. “It’s been a very organic thing, kind of two solo performers melding together.” And why “The Potter’s Field” you may ask? “We’ve both got a playful dark side, like Kasey and Shane Nicolson. It’s Americana but sort of Creepy Americana.”

You missed them in July but they’ll be back in October. Maybe it will be a special Halloween performance!

————————————————————————————————————————–

Classic Electric 7/9/11
— Rod Hill

Between Generations returned to the Lighthouse Coffee Co. last Saturday evening with their expanded duet and classic guitar Americana. Earl Hyde and Terry Buist, from Kalamazoo, brought their Les Paul electric melodies and a repertoire of favorites to the July 9 session of LIVE Saturdays. Ranging from California beach ballads to some interesting renditions of Big Band standards, BG demonstrated what two master guitarists with an ear for the creative, and an electronic ensemble, are capable of.

There’s always a different sound on these LIVE Saturdays. We had a version of Glenn Miller’s One O’clock Jump where their two guitars took the place of ranks of trombones and saxophones. It was pretty effective but that was only one of the many creative interpretations. BG’s range runs from Big Band to 70’s Rock and Roll. Whether it’s the Eagles, the Ventures, or even Benny Goodman, Terry and Earl play them for keeps. Most of their pieces are pure instrumental but every once in awhile Terry will come in for a vocal that is perfectly balanced to the music they play.

Their mellow renderings always make it seem as though there are many more instruments in the room. Even when it’s just the two of them they can still fill the place with their beautiful sound. This is Between Generations’ second LIVE Saturday and they’re sure to be back again so don’t miss.

CITY COUNCIL 11/28/11

By Duane Donald /-/

The Council meeting this week began with a work session that came just before the actual council meeting. That work session was about the possible moving ahead of the Greenway Trail Project. This is a project that the city has been talking about since the 1970’s and every subsequent council since. This is a proposed trail to connect the west side of our park’s system to the east side creating an ambling pathway from Softball Park (Gump Lake Park) to Wilson Park. So what makes things any different this time? Well it’s a matter of funding.

 Considering a project like this with the revenue constraints that the City of Milan is facing over the next few years would not work at all if Milan wasn’t getting some exceptional grant money for just this kind of Parks and Recs kind of project.

The primary funding would come from a fund called the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPRC). This fund carries $600,000 worth of funding for these kinds of development projects and Milan pays into this fund so we can use that money to help fund our Greenway project. 

In addition: Most of the other grants available to this project would require a percentage match from the City of Milan in order for those grants to take effect. The good news this is, we can use this grant from the WCPRC fund to pay down these grant matches from the other available funds that we’ll need in order to pull this project off.

 Some of the other grants include: the MDNR Trust Fund which would require a 25% match from Milan. That fund can supply up to $300,000.

 MDOT Transportation Enhancement Fund which has no set limits as to money available but, Milan would have to match 20% of whatever monies the city uses.  

 The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has one million dollars available with no set minimums. That would be a great source for this project. 

 MDNR Passport Grant has $30,000 available but requires a 25% match from the city.

Now as I said, these matches would be a significant amount for the city to come up with but we can use the WCPRC grant money to pay those other grant matches so that is another huge burden off the city’s shoulders.

 There is also the City of Milan Major Streets Fund that the city will use to reinforce the lakeside area of Wabash St. against further erosion.

Contributions will also be a major part of this funding from the area groups here in Milan.

 Stantec Engineering is drawing up the official plans for this project. The preliminary plans will go before the council by Dec. 12^th with the final plans laid out on Dec. 19^th for the go ahead. So it’s really looking like this greenway project is going to make it to the construction phase this time. 

 There will be three parts to the construction. Pt. 1 will run a sidewalk/path along the Saline River and through some wetlands in that area. Part 2 will amount to mending and reconstructing some sidewalks at a junction area before it moves over to Part 3 which will create a promenade area at Wabash St. which as was pointed out earlier, would require some reinforcement from erosion along the Ford Lake side of the road. 

This issue did not come up again during the regular council meeting but I am sure we will all hear much more about the Greenway Project in the weeks to come.

 The main topic of discussion for this meeting was the vote on resolution 2011-24. This resolution would revise (raise) the official fee for use of the city’s water and sewer facilities.

 Before the topic came to the table, local resident, Debbie Suddeth spoke to the council saying that her water bill had gone up forty dollars this last billing cycle and she asked the council to consider the loss of wages to the city residents and how hard the economy has impacted the average citizen before they voted on raising the water/sewer rates even further. She also asked for clarification on the necessity of raising these rates.

 The Mayor responded by telling Debbie Suddeth that the discussion was coming up shortly and a clear response would be given at that time. 

 The original resolution was to be a three year adoption of billing increases running from years Dec 1^st 2011 to Nov. 30^th 2012 (first year) same dates from 2012 to 2013 and finally 2013 to 2014 but Councilman Michael Armitage asked that the resolution be amended to only one year citing that they could not predict water/sewer usage amounts accurately enough to establish a three year increase. He wanted the council to revisit this issue in 2012. The amendment was accepted.

 City Administrator Ben Swayze went on to tell the council all the particulars about this resolution. He mentioned how the city has had to dip into its water utility fund this year in order to balance out their water/sewer bills and to continue that president would have negative affects further down the road.

 Swayze read down a list of comparisons from surrounding community water rates. This rate comparison placed Milan near the lower half of what the average household pays in water/sewer rates. The majority of local communities pays a higher rate, and in some cases a much higher rate for water/sewer than the residents of Milan.

 The rate increase comes as a result of a loss of water/sewer flow thus a loss of revenue. Naturally the primary reason for such significant losses is the closing of the ACH/Inergy plant which accounted for ten percent of the city’s water/sewer yearly usage.

 If approved, the rate increases would go as follows (per average household): Beginning Dec. 1, 2011 there will be a 5% increase over the current $167.87 bringing the average quarterly bill to $176.26. In Dec. 1, 2012 (if later approved), there will be a 4.98% increase bringing the quarterly rate average to $185.30. And come Dec. 1, 2013 (again if later approved) there would be an additional 6.29% increase bringing the total to $196.66. To reiterate, this vote is only for this coming year (running Dec. 1, 2011 to Nov. 30, 2012).

 Ben Swayze made the point that the waste treatment plant expansion bond payment is what’s driving the high costs to consumers. Once that bond is paid off the rates could conceivably come down significantly. The thing is, there is an additional fifteen years to go on that bond rate so it’ll still be some time before the water/sewer costs come back down.

 Michael Armitage reiterated that he wanted to see council revisit this issue come next December to see if the pay rates could be lowered at all at the end of the first year. He pointed out that these rate hike averages are based on a worst case scenario and thus should be reexamined next year opposed to three years later. The Mayor said she agreed.  

 Martha Churchill commented that she was happy that the work on the Crescent/Argyle water/sewer lines was near completion. “Those lines needed work every season and caused men and women to brave the weather to go out there and fix them and it cost the city a significant amount of money every year,” Churchill said.

 Joe Chapin mentioned that the communities that appear to have lower rates do not have many of the issues that Milan is facing. Such as the expansion bond we have to pay on with our water/sewer revenue. And again pointed out that even with the rate hike, Milan water/sewer rates are still going to be lower than most of the surrounding communities.

 Dominic Hamden wanted to make sure Debbie Suddeth’s question from earlier got sufficiently answered so Ben Swayze went ahead and clarified his earlier statements on the issue. Hamden did not want people to confuse the issue of trash pickup fees (which have also gone up by 3% this year) with the water/sewer rate hike. – The resolution carried. 

 Bills paid this month came to just over $440,000. Ben Swayze mentioned that this was a little higher than normal monthly bills due to the completion of the Uptown Village improvements and now the construction company would understandably like to be paid. – Carried

 Debbie Suddeth once more came to the podium during citizens matters form the floor. She mentioned she was not pleased that the resolution was approved but appreciated that the council would revisit the issue in a year to see if water/sewer rate could be adjusted downward at that time. She also suggested that in the future more information be made available to the citizenry whether by the news media or online.

 During closing statements by the city staff, Chief Lewis pointed out that Saturday evening (Dec. 3^rd) is the Christmas Parade and that there would be no parking on Main St. beginning at 5pm that night. And Tolen St. will be closed from 3pm to 8pm that evening.

 Mr. Grostick (Building/Zoning Dept.) said that though they were behind a little on the leaf clean up, that overall the city was looking pretty good and all leaves would get picked up very soon and then it will go to a pick up as needed basis.

 Russell Dotson had no comments nor did Joe Chapin, Michael Armitage, or Ben Swayze.

 Doug Gilson echoed Chief Lewis about the Christmas Parade. “Everyone come out and have a good time.”

 Martha Churchill pointed out that Sunday Dec. 11^th beginning at 1pm was the Hack House Christmas Open House. She urged people to come out and enjoy an afternoon at the famed Hack House.

 Dominic Hamden made a formal apology to both Moving Milan Forward and Michael Armitage for not being in attendance at the Veteran’s Wall of Honor Ceremony (on Nov 11^th). Mr. Hamden was deeply involved in a very large jury trial that encompassed most of that week and was unable to get back home that night until around 10pm. “Despite any controversy surrounding that project, the Wall looks absolutely gorgeous,” he said.

 Also Milan Senior for Healthy Living is sponsoring Bongo next week at the Senior Center just a few doors down from City Hall. Mr. Hamden urged citizens to contact the Senior Center for details.

 Mayor Muckler again brought up the Christmas Parade and the issue of throwing candy. In years past people could toss candy to the children from the parade vehicles but it gets dark at that time so one kid darting out for a piece of candy at an inopportune moment could cause a disaster and possibly nix that whole event from that point on. So this year and likely from now on, any candy tossed or distributed to the children will have to come from the people who walk along the parade route with the floats. 

 With comments made, the mayor told us all to go home because the council had to have an executive session to discuss labor negotiations. So, that did it until the next meeting.

 (For a video on this or previous council meetings, go to milanmich.org)

by Nancy Goings

Discover Milan News owner, Dave MacPherson and Lynne Downs were married Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. The ceremony was originally planned to occur at Wilson Park. The weather, however, was not permitting. It was very chilly with wind gusts up to 30 mph, so it was decided to move the whole affair to the Campfire Restaurant, where they had planned to hold the reception anyway. It was a little cramped, with seating for only a few, but nobody minded standing through the short ceremony and exchange of rings.

It was a beautiful ceremony, with a purple theme. Dave wore a black suit, lined in purple with a lavender tie. Lynne had on a gorgeous mauve-purple dress with spaghetti straps and a short-waist jacket with ¾ length sleeves. The dress was composed of layer upon layer of subtle ruffles, and Lynne looked positively radiant as she walked down the “aisle” with her mother and son, who jointly, gave her away.

The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Tim Gibelyou , and was brief, but very moving. Many of Dave’s family were there, his brother and two of his sisters. The guest list was an impressive who’s who of Milan City Officials, and Chamber people. I caught Martha Churchill (Milan City Council) wiping the tears from her eyes, and I have to admit, I was beginning to get a little choked up, myself.

The tables all had purple napkin-size covers over the white tablecloths, and the cake was decorated with purple flowers. Lynne’s mother wore purple, as did many of the wedding party, including Dino, owner of the Campfire.

After the ceremony, the reception was held right there at the Campfire, so people didn’t have to move to yet another venue. The food was provided, of course, by the campfire, and consisted of pizza slices, chicken kabobs, stuffed mushrooms, meat balls, and fruit and veggie platters. It was all very delicious (especially the stuffed mushrooms) and this reporter went back for seconds!

Among the fun was a face painter, Lucy Fundaro (A.K.A. Lu-C-Lu the Clown, of Brooklyn, MI.), who painted not only the kids’ faces, but some of the adults as well. Dave’s brother donned a clown face with a big red rubber nose.

Dave and Lynne tried to use local business as much as possible for many of the wedding accoutrements. Dave’s hair was done by Ray’s Barber Shop. Music was provided by Doug Gilson and the Back Street CruiZers. Lynne’s hair was done by H&H Styles, and her shoes were from Sarah’s Bridal and Prom Boutique. Flowers were provided by Milan Floral and the rings were from the Diamond Setters.

The wedding cake was made by Leesha King Elka, and the groom’s cake by Milan Bakery. As I mentioned earlier, the venue for the wedding and the reception and the food were all provided by the Campfire Restaurant.

Other non-local businesses that provided services were: Invitations printed by Best Image; Lynne’s dress was from David’s Bridal; Groom’s suit was purchased at J.C. Penney. Photos were by Lori Heath Weeks of Adrian, MI.

We all wish Dave and Lynne much happiness and many fulfilling years together.

–By Nancy Goings

Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 was Veteran’s Day. The Milan Middle School held its 4^th Annual, school-wide Veteran’s Day Assembly. This program was organized largely by Jim Braunlich, a Milan Middle School Science Teacher. He has been promoting Veteran’s Day awareness in the classrooms for the past ten years, but the school-wide programs are relatively new.

Veterans and their families arrived at the Middle School around 8 am. Coffee and treats were served in the cafeteria by Mrs. Jill Gerweck’s Leadership students, among other community members. The students were released from classes to proceed to the gymnasium shortly after 8:30 am, followed by the veterans and their guests.

While we were waiting in the cafeteria for the students to be seated, I talked to a couple, Betty and Jack McClary, who were both veterans of World War II. She, a cadet nurse in the Army, and he, an artillery Capt. of the highest rank in the Army. I asked if they met during the war, and the answer was “no”. They had known each other since childhood, grew up, married, and joined the armed services together. They have been married for 65 years. Remarkable.

After everyone was seated, Dr. David Schmittou, the Middle School Principal, welcomed all the distinguished guests. Everyone was asked to stand for  the Presentation of Colors, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, and the National Anthem performed by the MMS band under the direction of Mrs. Alicia Upton, who did a very animated job of conducting.

Mr. Braunlich stood up to introduce the Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Vance McCrumb. He gave a very moving speech, including the names of men from Milan who have been killed in wars, before introducing each guest speaker. Michael Armitage took the podium to make the presentation of the “Milan Wall”, and remind everyone of the dedication ceremony that evening (11-11-11) at 5:30.

The first veteran speaker was General William Henderson, a Vietnam veteran. He was a Marine fighter pilot, who spent the last 6 months of his tour of duty in the First Marine infantry, so he saw action from the air and the ground. He gave a short talk, not so much about himself, but thanking the school for organizing the program, and the veterans for coming. The first all-school event had only 5 veterans show up, and today, there were approximately 80 seated in the seats of honor. Before wrapping up his talk, he advised all the young people to pay attention to history, to learn what they’re in for, and possibly prevent it from happening again.

The second guest speaker was Dale Thorneberry, a Vietnam assault helicopter pilot and Veterans Radio founder. He logged 1300 hours of flight time in a war zone, but said his most dangerous job ever was teaching 7^th and 8^th graders! Part of his speech included what he called the three most important words: Duty, Honor and Country. We are duty-bound to do the best we can, we must honor our commitments, and never forget that we live in the greatest country in the world, with the most freedoms. That  is what this day is all about: To honor those who have sacrificed so much to protect those freedoms.

The third speaker was John Wranesh, a WWII POW, who was an Air Force gunner shot down over Germany. His talk was more like a travel log than a simple speech.

It was only their 2^nd mission. They were  to bomb an ordinance facility near Cologne. With only 5 minutes to their target, they were hit by enemy fighter planes, and lost their engines, and two crew members. He related his experiences, from getting shot down by enemy fire, to parachuting out of the plane into enemy territory, to being captured by local German authorities, and turned over to the military as a prisoner of war and transported to Brunswick. He talked at length of his harrowing experiences of ill treatment, horrible conditions, and bad food (Mostly potatoes. Being cooped up in a small space with 25 other men from all over the world, taught him respect for others’ privacy. He also learned the ropes of prison life from some of the long-term prisoners.

He and the other men were plagued with the constant boredom of nothing to do. They spent a lot of time just walking around the cell, just to be moving and getting some exercise. He, and the other prisoners were transported all over Germany, from one prison camp to the next; by truck, and by train. Many times the tracks had been bombed, so they spent hours on a stagnant train, waiting for the tracks to be repaired. They were forced to walk for 86 days, from Stalag Luft IV in Grosstyghow in eastern Germany, to Stalag XI B near Brunswick, a distance of over 600 miles … and he’s still around today to tell us about it! Absolutely amazing.

The program organizers also kicked off the Letters to Vets Campaign. Letters will be collected through Thanksgiving and passed on to the veterans in the VA hospital this holiday season. The program ended with the MMS choir singing “America the Beautiful” , accompanied on the piano, under the direction of Mrs. Shayla Powell .

The Milan Middle School Veteran’s Day Assembly is a good tradition, one which I hope will continue for many years.

–By Nancy Goings

What’s a Princess Party?, you might ask. Princess Parties are offered through Stylin-N-Milan for girls of any age to get pampered, preened, and prettified, from the head down to the toes.

The different kinds of parties you can book are listed below. All parties include the basics of: invitations, and a personal decorated party room.

The Tea Party includes: Choice of theme, mini manicure, and a simple hair style, served with sparkling punch. The guest of honor will receive a personal photo and frame. $225.00 for 5 guests, with additional guests at $9.00 each.

The Pampering Princess Party includes: Choice of theme, polished nails and toes, hair curl and style, and spa facial. The guest of honor receives a personal photo and frame. $250.00 for 5 guests, with additional guests at $12.00 each.

The American Girl Party includes: Choice of theme, spa manicure, makeup, simple hair style, and personal photo shoot. Guest of honor receives a birthday bag. $325.00 for 5 guests with additional guests at $15.00 each.

The Dazzling Diva Party includes: spa facial, spa manicure, spa pedicure, curl and style, personal photo shoot with frames, cake and punch, and 1 large pizza. The guest of honor receives a birthday bag. $375. For 5 guests with additional guests at $25.00 each.

There are also many additional add-ons you can choose to enhance your pampering, including: Mini pedicure, $12.00; Mini manicure, $7.00; Curl & Style, $15.00; Make-up, $9.00; Mini facial, $15.00; Spa facial, $19.00; Additional birthday bags, $3.75; Pizza starting at $10.00; Cake, ice cream and sparkling punch, $40.00 and up.

Stylin-N-Milan can also bring the party to you, for an additional $115.00 set-up and clean-up charge. All parties must be reserved with 2 weeks advance notice and a $125.00 non-refundable deposit.

If you are planning a birthday, baby or wedding shower, or just a day out with the girls, Stylin-N-Milan is booking parties for December right now. The phone number is 734-439-2700 and you can view their web site at: http://stylinnmilan.net/index.htm.

–By Nancy Goings

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Toys for Tots, a charity toy drive spearheaded by the Marines? Well, Ray was collecting toys for that program, when something happened and the person in charge of the Toys for Tots program in this area, decided not to do it anymore, leaving Ray with more toys than a grown man needs. So he sat down one night with his wife, and they talked about what they were going to do with all those toys. That’s when they hit on the idea of donating them to Mott Children’s Hospital, in Ann Arbor. That was four years ago.

When he first approached the hospital, he was worried that they wouldn’t need the toys, because they have so many other donors and supporters. But, evidently, it was a slow year and they hadn’t collected hardly any toys yet, and so they were delighted to receive Ray’s toys.

Last year Ray had so many toys, it took two van loads to get them all there. He shops for toys all year long. Ray says, “If you don’t like to go shopping, or don’t know what kind of toy to get, you can just donate money, and we’ll do the shopping for you.” The deadline for donating toys (or money) this year is Dec. 20, so he can get them to the hospi­tal by Christmas.

You can donate any type of toy, though he does discourage war toys, such as guns or any kind of
weapon. Stuffed animals are always popular, and this year it’s the pillow pets that seem to be in great demand. Any kind of game is good too, as long as it’s an indoor game. Ray has bought two little blue wagons so far this year. His grandsons will each pull a wagon into the hospital filled with toys.

Ray says he will keep collecting and delivering toys to Motts for as long as he’s able. He’s Milan’s very own real-life Santa Claus.

–By Nancy Goings (with help from Coach Straub)

On Sunday, Oct. 30,  the #1 and #2 teams of the Milan 5^th & 6^th Grade Football League squared off for the final game of the 2011 championship at Wilson Park. The Black team was the #1 team and the Red team was the underdog. One week before the big game, the Red team decided to fight against something bigger than the Black team. They decided to take a stand against breast cancer, and the whole team wore pink socks for the rest of the week before the game.

They took a lot of ribbing from the other kids. It was Shawn Phifer who started the pink sock idea, and it took off like wild fire. Kyle Johnson wore his pink socks everywhere with pride, even to bed at night.

During the game, all the parents and supporters of the Red Team wore pink ribbons in the stands.

Early in the game, the Black Team’s Evan Dunkin scored the long run touchdown, and scored the extra two point conversion, making the score 8 to nothing. The Red Team worked their way down the field. Trevor Ballard made a touchdown and a two point conversion to tie the game 8 to 8. Late in the game, Trevor Miller, the full back for the Red Team, drove the ball down the field, scoring a touchdown, with Trevor Ballard kicking our two point conversion. The Red Team was up by a touchdown and a two point conversion, and held the Black Team for the last two minutes of the game. The Red Team won the Championship game with a 16 to 8 victory!

Having so many practices early in the season, really payed off. The boys worked hard and pushed their way to the top, though they had some tough competition coming into this Championship game. Previously the Black Team beat the Red Team in two games, winning by 5 touchdowns to nothing.

Special thanks to the director Ron Reed. Without Ron, the football program wouldn’t be where it is today. We thank him for giving the boys a great opportunity to play and learn the fundamentals of football.

–By Nancy Goings

Golden Limousine International, only two months ago, took over the RV Sales lot on Carpenter Rd., just north of Willow Rd. Golden Limousine has been under the same ownership since the early ‘90s. They first operated out of Weber’s, then moved to S. Industrial Dr., both in Ann Arbor. Their last location was Varsity Drive in Ann Arbor. I commented that they moved around a lot, and Brandon said, “We were in our last location for 12 years.” That’s a good record.

They provide: Sedans, Limousines, Vans, Minibuses, Motorcoaches, and Trolley services. You cannot rent these vehicles to drive for yourself, these are all chauffer-driven services. They do the bulk of their business in airport limousine services.

On 11/23/2011, they took one of their tour buses, rounding up around 100 homeless people, and transportedg them to Bethesda Church in Ypsilanti for a free Thanksgiving Dinner.  What a wonderful gesture, for a business new to the community, to introduce themselves.

You can reach Golden Limousine International in several ways:

734-668-8282 (voice); 1-800-300-5151; 734-668-0433 (fax); www.goldenlimo.com

Look for more on Golden Limousine International in a future issue.

–By Nancy Goings

As of January 1, 2012, A & J Travel Agency, currently at 52 East Main Street, Suite 101 in Milan, will be moving to 382 Greentree Ln., out near the Kroger Store. Owner Chuck Pratt, is moving his business to his home, in order to cut down on expenses. That’s right. Chuck and Debbie Sudduth, his assistant/associate will be working out of their homes.

The business will be run the same, with all the same services. The only difference is the change of venue. If you currently have reservations through A&J, the move will not affect you or your plans in any way.

Chuck is still certified by CLIA (Cruise Line International Association), and by IATA and ARC, both governing bodies of the airline industry, certificates which are needed to provide customers with travel services.

New as of July 1, 2011, all travel agencies selling travel insurance need to be licensed with the State of Michigan, which Chuck and the agency are. He needs two separate licenses: one for himself, and one for the agency.

I asked Chuck if there was anything else he wanted to tell our readers. And he said, “The cruise lines, like Princess and Royal Caribbean, are offering some incredible discounts. Both Delta Airlines and Disney are offering some good vacation deals. There’s really just too many to mention.” So, if you’re planning a winter vacation, go see Chuck for details. The phone number will not change.

A & J Travel – 734-439-3300 and 734-439-8082, ajtravelpratt@aol.com: Debbie, 734-915-1496.

http://www.andjtravelhome.com

Correction: In the DMN printed paper, I reported that Lori (I also misspelled her name) is Joe’s wife. That is INCORRECT. Lori is Joe’s employee, not his wife. My most sincere apologies to Joe and Lori and whoever else may have been upset by my error. –By Nancy Goings

The Milan Elevator has been in its present location since the late 1800s. Joe Bixby has been there for 18 years. His employee, Lori Hayes, has worked for him for 8 years. He says, “People still think that this is a working grain elevator and that we still take in grain and sell bulk feed. This store quit doing those things 25 years ago. We don’t sell bulk feed for large animals and we don’t sell farm stuff, except for lawn and garden tools and accessories, seasonally. Our biggest market is supplies for dogs, cats, horses and wild birds.” They also sell supplies for rabbits, hamsters, gerbils and tame birds.

They sell lots of pet foods, supplies, toys and accessories. They do a huge business in wild bird seed. They have an incredible array of bird feeders, both seed and nectar feeders. And some pretty unusual stuff, like horse liniment, which, I’ve learned, many people use for sore muscles, and rubber muck boots.

Joe says, “Since the economy got bad, I’ve sold lots more premium dog foods. People are starting to get the idea that if they feed their dogs (and cats) premium products, they have fewer problems with obesity and other health issues, and the animal lives longer. It’s worth it to spend a little more on pet food, if you can spend a little less at the vet’s office.”

He also has tons of dog and cat toys, dog and cat food dishes, raw hide toys and collars and leashes. I love to go in there just to play with the toys.

Joe has a greenhouse that he operates seasonally, selling bedding plants, hanging flower baskets, and vegetables. He likes to think they have the best products, as he hand picks all his plants for sale, personally. He also takes special orders for plants. If you want more than he has in stock, or want something you don’t see at all, he’ll get it for you. He doesn’t sell Christmas trees, though. He says it’s because he doesn’t want to stay open at night, or ask any of his employees to work those hours. And there are just too many other places to compete with.

He also sells bulk vegetable seeds for gardeners. Instead of buying those tiny little packets of garden seeds, you can go to Joe and get scoops of whatever seeds you need for your summer vegetable garden, as well as bulk potatoes and onions. They sell gift certificates, too, for anything in the store.

I have always bought my wild bird seed from Joe. I can remember going in there a few years back, in the spring, and he had little baby chicks and ducks for sale. I asked him if he still did that. There was a resounding “no: I quit doing those years ago. There was just no market for them anymore. When the store used to do that, before my time, they would sell over 85,000 baby chicks and ducks in a season. The last year I did it, we sold less than 1,200. It just wasn’t worth it anymore, and way too much trouble.”

He provides excellent customer service, and will have your purchases carried out to your vehicle for you. Joe and his other employees, 2 part-timers are customer oriented and very friendly. And, of course, you can’t talk about Joe and the Milan Elevator, without mentioning Foxy. Foxy is Joe’s Jack Russell terrier, who has been the official store meeter and greeter for the past 13 years. And it’s true, everyone loves Foxy. While I was in there interviewing Joe, I would have to step aside when a customer came in, so they wouldn’t have to wait. The first thing everyone would say, when they walked in the door would be, “hi, Foxy”, or “there’s my girl”, or “hi, sweetheart”. It appeared as Foxy had her favorite people, as well. She is a real sweetheart, and a popular member of the Milan Elevator family.

If you’ve never been to the Milan Elevator, I would recommend a visit. Talk to Joe or Lori, do some browsing, buy some bird seed and a feeder, play with the toys and meet Foxy. It’s well worth the trip. They are located at 525 Wabash St., just south (and I mean immediately south) of the railroad tracks.

– Duane Donald

The dedication of the Veterans Wall of Honor was held on Friday 11/11/11. Shown is the Battle Cross composed of helmet rifle and boots. The Battle Cross was graciously donated by Bob and Connie Schrock of Milan. Behind it is the main panel of three, each with names inscribed on both sides. Photo by Lynne MacPherson

Veteran’s Day – 11. 11. 11 saw not just the yearly tributes that Milan pays to its vets, but it saw the official opening of the Veteran’s Wall of Honor at the mouth of Wilson Memorial Park on Wabash St.

Much has been said and debated about this wall. There have been pros and cons, voices for and voices, well, only kind of for the project. But Friday night (Nov. 11th), standing in front of that statue, looking at that magnificent tribute to the veterans of this area, all those other arguments and debates seemed petty and pointless.

The surge of emotion and the deep feeling of thanks one holds looking at all of those names of the men and women that have paid an ultimate price in both their life and their service to the advancements of our American way of life, that was what this project was about, it was about remembrance and thanks.

Mayor Pro-tem, Martha Churchill was asked to stand in for the ill Mayor Muckler.

Churchill was on hand during the ceremony and I think she may have said it best with this quote: “It’s not enough to say we remember our vets, we have to remember their names, we have to remember that they were and are real people. That’s what this wall is really about, that’s what is important.”

Martha was highly instrumental in supplying names of soldiers for the wall that served from this area, dating all the way back to the War of 1812 and ahead.

“I got many names from a newspaper article dating back to 1896 that specified service people in our area from the War of 1812, the American Civil War, and later the Spanish-American War. But there was no one source for all the names collected, there is no central archive. Many came to me by individuals and even older census records. This is called genealogical research and it is an accumulation of several people coming forward and many hours of research.”

The two men most credited for bringing this project about and for seeing it through are, first Tom Dupuis who first brought the idea and initial plans to Moving Milan Forward. Secondly is Councilman Michael Armitage who, working with Tom took the project before Moving Milan Forward in order to use their tax-free status thus allowing potential contributors tax-deductible donations.

I spoke to both Tom Dupuis and Michael Armitage after the ceremony.

“I thought the whole thing was a complete success,” Tom said. “I’d like to thank Troop #449 of the Milan area Boy Scouts for their service as color guard tonight. Those young men really braved the cold temperatures with no coats, just their uniforms on to offer us a great service. And really I’d like to thank everyone who gave their services for tonight’s presentation.”

While I was interviewing Michael Armitage, Sergeant Major Stephen Young of the US Army’s Golden Knights Paratroopers Corp, awarded Michael a coin for excellent service embossed with the symbol of the Golden Knights in honor of his contribution to the veterans of the Milan Area.

SMA Young, in his full parade dress, was specifically moved by Milan’s dedication to our area vets.

“It is an honor to serve this country,” SMA Young said. “And for Milan to show such devotion to your area veterans is a fitting tribute to your city and your vets.”

USMC Lt. Corp. Anthony Watt was also present at the night’s ceremony. “I thought the entire ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Everything from the design of the memorial to the presentation to your city is very impressive.

Michael Armitage seemed very moved and honored by the gift of the coin from SMA Young. Michael told me he’d just received another coin from the Vietnam Veterans of Washtenaw County the night before. He seemed almost speechless by the gesture, which for anyone who knows Michael, realizes that is a rare occurrence.

“I think that this tribute and the memorial itself is a true testament to the people of Milan,” Michael said. “All the letters and e-mails, and all the words of encouragement I received while we were trying to bring this project about really helped everyone involved. We really needed to hear those words from the people in our area as we were trying to make this project work and in the end, it did work, we pulled it all together and it has turned out magnificently. I just want to say, none of this could have happened without the help and dedication of Moving Milan Forward. Their devotion to this project was exemplary and I am deeply grateful for everything they’ve done. There are just too many individual people to thank them all by name but they know who they are and I want them to know I am extremely honored to have worked with them on this project.”

I spoke to one of the people from Moving Milan Forward of whom Michael Armitage spoke. DMN reporter, Rod Hill was on hand to speak to me about this project and Moving Milan Forward’s contribution.

“When Tom and Michael brought the idea to MMF, we immediately knew, we could not just use our tax-exempt status and leave it at that. We all knew this was going to be a project that we’d have to take on at a personal level,” Rod told me. “We really grabbed onto this and went full ahead. The program tonight was very much a collaborative effort of everyone from Moving Milan Forward. The itinerary for tonight’s events was put together by all the different groups that came to us and volunteered to be a part of this tribute program. We went through every one and chose those groups that we felt would best serve this program given the time constraints and location.”

How did the helicopter flyovers come about?

The U.S Coast Guard provided a flyover during the dedication. Photo by Lynne MacPherson

“Originally we were going to have an F-16 flyover but due to severe budget cuts, the US military had to cancel such training flights (the categorization of such flights),” Rod Hill clarified. “As a result, Michael (Armitage) contacted our State Representative, John Dingell and then Mr. Dingell made a call to the US Coast Guard and arranged for the helicopter flyovers. And I think they were fantastic. We are all very grateful for their involvement.”

Rod also asked that I make individual mention of the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, Lucy Ann Lance of WLBY radio (1290AM) for coming to this Veteran’s Day event.

In honor of those individuals no longer with us, the United States flag was presented to Councilmembers, Russell Dotson and Joe Chapin. Both of whom have in the past served our country with distinction.

Dotson, who served in the US Navy Reserves, was later called up to serve in the first gulf war: Desert Storm. I asked Russell what he felt about the night’s ceremony.

“I thought it was just magnificent. It really could not have been better.”

How did it come about that you and Joe Chapin received tonight’s flag. It seems like that would normally be something that might get presented to the city mayor.

“Well it seemed kind of spontaneous. We were contacted yesterday about receiving the flag,” Dotson said. “Though it was a little unexpected, we were honored to do it.”

Next I spoke to Joe Chapin. Joe served in the US Marine Corp. and wore the rank of corporal when he left service, though, as Joe reminded me, “Once a marine, always a marine.”

“I was deeply honored to receive the flag on behalf of the city of Milan,” Joe Said.

Where does that flag get displayed now?

“I believe it will get permanently displayed at City Hall.”

Russell told me that you and he were asked to accept the flag for the city yesterday. Is that when they found out that Mayor Muckler would not be coming to the presentation?

“Well it was my understanding that Moving Milan Forward had discussed who they would get to represent the city in the absence of Mayor Muckler’s involvement sometime earlier, but yes, they contacted us yesterday.”

I heard that the mayor was ill and that was why she couldn’t make it.

“Yeah, well, it’s interesting that Mayor Muckler knew she was going to be sick a full day before she was expected at a major event for this city,” Chapin said. “Kym Muckler elected not to come to this presentation. I would have had to be on death’s door not to make this event.”

It was good to have Martha Churchill (Mayor Pro-tem) there to represent Milan.

“Martha believes in this project,” Joe told me. “She gave a lot of time and effort to this project. Martha believes in Milan.”
Joe wanted to remind everyone that, “The Veterans Wall of Honor is an ongoing project. Names can be added on to the wall for years to come as can commemorative bricks. This is a monument that will be with this city from now on. So please continue to make donations to the wall project.”

The Michigan Patriot Guard with Storm the service dog honoring the ‘Milan Veterans Wall’ dedication. Photo by Lynne MacPherson

After everyone had gone home and the park was empty, I walked back to the vet memorial and just stood and looked at it. It may just be granite, mortar, and stone, but there is a special kind of energy surrounding this kind of memorial. It has as a part of it all the energies and emotions of all of those who poured their hearts into its construction. It carries the dedication and remembrance of those whose names are carved into its relief. And it carries the ghosts of the past in those names. I stood and felt tears pool in my eyes as I looked at this wonderful and magnificently charged memorial and I felt the power that such a collection of granite, mortar, and stone can carry. I strongly urge all of you to do the same. You may or may not know someone who has served in the US military, but it’s about more than that, it’s about paying that simple homage to all of those that have chosen to serve today and yesterday. And it’s not something that we can do just today and be done with it. On some level, we owe our very freedoms and hopes for tomorrow on those names.

DMN thanks all of our veterans for their service and dedication.
(For a full list of names on the wall or to make a donation to the project, go online to milanveteranswall.org)

DMN believes that others may have some questions and views. DMN will publish letters to the editor expressing Milanite rebuttals and views in space available. Registered users of this website are able to leave comments also and at DMN’s discretion.