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Posted on Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 3:03 p.m.

Patrick Little, Alicia Ping honored for combined 28 years on Saline City Council

By Lisa Allmendinger

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Patrick Little and Alicia Ping were honored recently for their many years of service to the city by Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

The Saline City Council lost a combined 28 years of experience recently when Patrick Little and Alicia Ping left city government.

Little served on the City Council for 17 years, six years as the mayor from 1991-1996. He was a founder of the Celtic Festival and was a member of the Sister City, Sauk Trail Business Park and Washtenaw Area Transportation Study Policy committees. He also served on the environmental and local access cable television commissions and the Saline Area Fire Department executive board.

Ping was on the City Council for 11 years, most recently from 2006-2010. She was a member of the Arts and Culture Committee as well as the environmental and historic district commissions. Ping also served as a delegate to the Michigan Municipal League and the Saline Youth Council.

Little is retiring from public service and plans to spend time with this family, dog and grandchildren, while Ping was recently elected to represent the Saline area on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Little and Ping were honored with plaques at the Dec. 20 Saline City Council meeting.

Little’s name is on the new Department of Public Works Building, and Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell said it should also have been placed on the recreation center building because of the amount of work Little did to make the new building a reality.

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Patrick Little receives a plaque from Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell for his 17 years of service to the city both as mayor and as a City Council member.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

“You are a real hero to me,” Driskell told Little in presenting the plaque. “There aren’t enough words to share how much you’ve done for this city. We know how much this city means to you.”

Driskell also praised Ping. “Alicia, you’ve served not just on boards, but in your heart,” Driskell said.

Saline Area Fire Chief Craig Hoeft quipped that Little had been around the fire station for so long “his name was on a purchase order for 24 leather buckets.”

Little was on City Council when Hoeft was hired as chief in 1999. Ping was on the council when the department switched to a full-time firefighting staff. “She knew our community and was a big advocate,” Hoeft said.

Council member Glenn Law said he learned a lot from Little after first being elected to the City Council in 2004. Law said Little brought knowledge and experience to the table. “I’ll miss his candor and wit, his respectful and tactful comments; the City Council is losing a great person,” Law said.

Law also praised Ping's approach to council discussions. He called her "an innovator who always listened to all sides of an issue. She was a bridge builder.”

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Alicia Ping receives a plaque from Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell for her 11 years on the Saline City Council.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

Council member Brian Marl said Ping was a mentor to him. “She began serving at a young age, as I did, and she served with sincerity and integrity.”

Council member Pat Ivey said, “I know the council will miss Alicia. She was a good resource, not afraid to question the status quo. I know I’m gonna miss her.”

Ping said she was the true beneficiary of her time on council. “I did a lot, but I got a lot more out of it; it’s added and enhanced so much of my life,” she said.

Little said jokingly after receiving his plaque, “I look at this and I understand why I’m tired.”

He said he was honored that the citizens of Saline “trusted me enough to elect me mayor and on the City Council. I feel the City Council will do a bang-up job without me and I’ll try not to complain for a few weeks.”

Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.

Comments

David

Mon, Jan 3, 2011 : 9:04 a.m.

These two individuals have served their community well. I would like to thank them both and wish them all the best. I look forward to continuing to interact with them for the good of the community.

oletroop

Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 6:27 p.m.

Congratulations Pat and thanks for all your service to Saline, WCSO and WCC from one of your old WCS hockey teammates.