9/3/13 - Construction will begin in the near future on the new Veterans Memorial, to be located at Mill Pond Park in downtown Brighton. The memorial will replace a simple boulder, a memorial plaque and flag that have stood at the site since the 1950's. The new memorial, to be located on the east side of the park near St. Paul Episcopal Church, will be a horseshoe design with the back portion to consist of medallions and flags representing the five military branches - the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. The center piece will be the large boulder and plaque and the American flag, which will be moved from their present location at the front of the park. Concrete pavers will line the surface of the memorial on what will be called the "Walk of Honor", and many of the pavers are being engraved with the names of past service men and women, their unit and military history, years of service and any honors bestowed upon them. Anyone wanting to order a paver may do so by going to the group's web site at www.brightonveteransmemorial.org. The Unilock Company, located in Green Oak Township, is donating the pavers themselves, and the cost to order an engraved paver is $115, which covers the cost of engraving. A 501©(3) foundation has been established through the Kiwanis Club of Brighton and, as such, all donations are tax-deductible. Bryan Bradford, the chairman of the Veterans Memorial committee, says fund raisers, donations and in-kind services have brought the amount raised to within striking distance of the $125,000-$150,000 goal. He tells WHMI that fundraisers scheduled for later this month and in October should result in meeting the goal of $125,000-$150,000. Construction on the project should begin next week and the memorial is to be completed by Veterans Day, Nov. 11th. A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, November 9th. Bradford stresses that no taxpayer money is being used to construct the memorial. (JK)
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