It has been encouraging to see how local communities have been coming up with creative ways to preserve signature events and make enhancements, even as government funding for such projects has dissipated.

Just to the south of Ann Arbor, Milan residents formed Moving Milan Forward, which has spearheaded a number of projects. We talked with Milan City Council Member Michael Armitage this past week on 1290 WLBY, about those efforts. He said when city government could no longer afford to give, his community went into action.

Armitage: That’s how Moving Milan Forward really got started. In 2006 the city had to make a few financial cuts, basically the extras such as the concerts in the park, the donation toward the fireworks, and support for the Christmas parade. A group of citizens got together and formed Moving Milan Forward, and they started doing a Spirit of Milan Campaign. The idea was if 100 people gave $100, they could return that funding to these events. They hit the streets, and sure enough, they started getting the money. In 2010 Moving Milan Forward actually got its 501c3 designation.

Lucy Ann: How big is the group?

Armitage: About 10 people meet every week.

Lucy Ann: The group’s mission is to maintain, enhance, and provide improvements to the Milan area.

Armitage: Preserving those community events that the government used to be able to pay for but really just isn’t able to anymore. So, this group of citizens just got together and are doing it themselves.

Lucy Ann: This latest project of Moving Milan Forward is the Milan Veterans Wall of Honor. What is this going to be like?

Armitage: This is going to be absolutely gorgeous. Tom Dupuis, who’s a Vietnam veteran, had this idea of building a Veterans Wall. Starting in early March we met with some landscapers and providers for construction and granite, and came up with a conceptual plan and then brought it to city council. What makes it unique is not just memorializing those who have died, but to also recognize anyone who has served from the Milan Area.

Lucy Ann: The living as well.

Armitage: Yes. There are several people on this wall who are currently over in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have just left military service, are still in active duty or in training, so this is honoring everybody. Because even if you didn’t serve in a wartime, you still made a great sacrifice for this country and we want to recognize everyone who has done that. Now it’s going to become a reality for Milan.

Lucy Ann: Where will the Milan Veterans Wall of Honor be located?

Armitage: It’s going to be at the entrance of Wilson Park, right on Wabash Street across from Ford Lake. Currently there, we have the Blue Star Memorial put in by the Garden Club, and we also have a plaque memorializing those who were killed in World War II.

Lucy Ann: Will those stay there?

Armitage: Yes. We’re going to refurbish the plaque and put in boulders so we can add plaques for Vietnam, World War I, Korea, and the Gulf Wars.

Lucy Ann: How much money will it take to have all of this erected, constructed, and preserved?

Armitage: It’s a total of $75,000. We’re about $16,000 shy.

Lucy Ann: You hope to have it dedicated on Veterans Day in November?

Armitage: We do, and it’s an ambitious goal. May 28 is the day that we started the fundraising campaign and to think that now, just over a little more than three months later, we’re at $61,000, is just incredible. It’s just been an outpouring of community support. We’ve had donations anywhere from loose change to $1,000. One individual gave $5,000, but most of our donations are $25 to $100.

Lucy Ann: Brick pavers will be going in around the area where the wall will be. How can people take part in the paver program?

Armitage: You can put any message you want on the brick. The small size is $100 and the larger size is $350. The nice thing about the larger bricks is that you can actually put a logo on it, so a lot of organizations and companies in town are actually displaying their logo on one of these engraved bricks.

Lucy Ann: What kind of sponsorship help did you get from companies?

Armitage: Toyota in York Township donated $1,000 & Waste Management donated $1000. We designed this wall so it’s expandable and we can continue to engrave. I’ve been getting a lot of calls as word spreads. We have donations from New Jersey, California, Florida, Nevada, Utah, all over the country. We also have a website set up at www.milanveteranswall.org, and from there you can get the form to buy a new brick.

Lucy Ann: Do you think you can do it before Veterans Day?

Armitage: I think we can. We’re going to be pushing the brick sales over the next month. The deadline for that is August 1. There are still sponsorship opportunities available for the flowerbeds for $3,000, and a Battlefield Cross for $5000.

Lucy Ann: We have a wonderful Veterans Wall in Ypsilanti Township at the Civic Center. Did that play a role in your design?

Armitage: We worked a lot with Vance McCrumb from the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310, and they actually donated toward this project as well. They’ve been very supportive.

Lucy Ann: Great cooperation there. How important is this to your community in Milan?

Armitage: I think it’s very important, especially seeing the outpouring of support we’ve had so far in such a short period of time. It means a lot to a lot of people and I think the most rewarding thing is that when you do a project this big there’s a lot of work and some days at the end of the day, you’re just beat. Last week I got an e-mail from a Vietnam vet and he was thanking me because he said this is the first time that anybody other than a family and friend has recognized his service. That’s what it’s all about. It really is.

Council Member Armitage points out that their goal was to have 150 names committed for the wall by this past June. They currently have 650. An organization like Moving Milan Forward is an excellent way of galvanizing a community. But what it really comes down to are the people behind it. Michael Armitage and others like him should be saluted for helping to build a strong and vibrant community. He even donated his last year’s council salary ($4,100 after taxes) to the Greater Milan Area Community Foundation, another organization helping to ensure Milan’s future.

Lucy Ann Lance co-owns Lance & Erskine Communications, which produces “The Lucy Ann Lance Business Insider” (M-F, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.) and “The Lucy Ann Lance Show” (Saturdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.) on 1290 WLBY. The programs are live streamed at www.1290WLBY.com, and podcast on www.lucyannlance.com. The above interview is a condensed version of a longer conversation that is edited for clarity. The complete audio interview is posted online at www.lucyannlance.com.