Citizens for Milford

Speakers to Include Lt. Colonel Vincenzo Valastro (U.S. Army Retired), Cynthia A. Mainini (U.S. Army Retired), and Arthur A. Russo (U.S. Army Veteran)

Citizens for Milford invites all area veterans and residents to attend a special ceremony on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 in Draper Memorial Park, weather permitting. The ceremony will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Veterans Day Parade at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Participating in the ceremony will be local veterans, clergy, Sons of the American Legion, Milford High School senior Aolani Clayton singing the national anthem, and the Milford High School Marching Band. Commander Eric P. Ruscitti and Jr. Vice Commander Tim McDonough, both representing the Italian American World War Veterans Milford Post #40, will post the Colors.

Lt. Colonel Vincenzo Valastro (U.S. Army Retired), who served our nation in uniform for 28 years, including during the Cold War, Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Desert Storm, and as a civilian at Natick Labs for over 19 years, has been honored as Grand Marshal of this year’s Veterans Day parade. Valastro will be leading the remarks. Also speaking in the ceremony will be Cynthia A. Mainini (U.S. Army Retired), who volunteered to join the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) in 1972 and continues to serve in the Protection Engineering Support Division of the U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center. The final speaker will be Arthur A. Russo, a third-generation U.S. Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War and was deployed to convoy escort duty in the Mekong Delta for the Ninth Infantry Division. (Scroll down to read more info about the speakers.)

Members of the Waters Corporation Veterans Employee Resource Group will present a wreath honoring veterans at the World War I monument. Milford Fire Lieutenant Scott Keefe will perform “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes during the wreath presentation. Peter Scandone, who is chairman of the Veterans Day Ceremony committee, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Scandone says, “As the 250^th anniversary year comes to a close, we invite all area residents to honor and celebrate our veterans. Please make plans to join us on Wednesday, November 11 as we line up on Main Street for the parade and then gather at Draper Memorial Park for the concluding ceremony.”

The Field of Flags, a tribute to the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel, will be installed in Draper Memorial Park prior to Veterans Day and remain flying until the Monday after Veterans Day. Parade and ceremony attendees are invited to walk among the flags and monuments in Draper Park and read the names of the veterans and active military who are memorialized and honored there.

A limited number of chairs will be available for ceremony attendees at Draper Park.

If the parade is cancelled due to rain, the ceremony will be held at the Italian American War Veterans of the U.S. Post #40 Hall (4 Hayward Field) beginning at 10:00 a.m. If the weather is poor but the parade still marches, the ceremony will be held at the Italian American War Veterans of the U.S. Post #40 Hall beginning at approximately 12:00 noon. Please check the Citizens for Milford Facebook page (Facebook.com/CitizensforMilford) if the weather looks questionable.

The Veterans Day Parade is organized by the Milford Department of Veterans Services. Please address questions regarding the parade to this office in Town Hall at 508.634.2311. Questions regarding the Veterans Day Ceremony can be emailed to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

Speaker Biographies

Grand Marshal Vincenzo Valastro (U.S. Army Retired)
Lt. Colonel Vincenzo Valastro immigrated with his family to Milford from Sicily as a child and has been honored to serve our nation in both uniform and as a civilian for 47 years. Upon graduating Milford High School in 1972, he was accepted to Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military school, launching his career in the U.S. Army.

Over 28 years of service, Valastro underwent rigorous and expansive training at bases around the United States, including Forts Devens, Bragg, and Leavenworth, and ultimately earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. These years of service put him in active duty not only during the Cold War, but also during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Valastro’s time in uniform was followed by over 19 years as a civilian for the Department of Defense, working as a contracting officer at the Army’s Soldier Systems Center (Natick Labs) before retiring in 2015.

Valastro and his wife, Maria (Cocimano) Valastro, continue to live in Milford and have two children, Peter and Francesca.

Cynthia A. Mainini (U.S. Army Retired)
Cynthia A. Mainini (U.S. Army Retired) volunteered to join the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) in 1972 and was stationed at the Headquarters Battery U.S. Army Field Artillery Center at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In 1974 she joined the 181st Engineer Battalion, a unit of the Massachusetts National Guard. Mainini continues to serve and has been working in the Protection Engineering Support Division of the U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center for over 16 years.

Mainini and her husband, Marble L. Mainini III (U.S. Army Retired), have two daughters, Elizabeth A. Mainini Sanchioni and Kathleen A. Manoogian.

Arthur A. Russo (U.S. Army)
Arthur A. Russo is a third-generation Army veteran who joined the Army in 1968, trained as a military police officer, and served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969 with the 516^th Military Police Battalion assigned to the Ninth Infantry Division. Russo was deployed to convoy escort duty in the Mekong Delta and was awarded the Combat Infantrymen’s Badge, flight wings, and meritorious service ribbon.

He began his career in law enforcement in 1970, when he joined the Milford Police Department, where he served for 37 years as a safety officer, motorcycle officer, and a member of the first public safety dive team.

Russo and his wife, Beth Ann (Pomponio) Russo, have one son, Damian Russo, who continued the family’s military service for 20 years with the Coast Guard, including a deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

All Invited to Attend Veterans Day Ceremony in Draper Memorial Park at Conclusion of Parade

The members of Citizens for Milford invite all area veterans and residents to attend a special ceremony on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 in Draper Memorial Park, weather permitting. The ceremony will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Veterans Day Parade at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Participating in the ceremony will be local veterans, clergy, Scouts, and the Milford High School Marching Band. Peter Scandone, who is chairman of the Veterans Day Ceremony committee, will serve as master of ceremonies. Representatives of the Italian American World War Veterans Milford Post #40 will present the Colors. Members of the Waters Corporation Veterans Employee Resource Group will present a wreath honoring veterans at the World War I monument. The list of ceremony speakers will be announced soon.

“As the 250^th anniversary year comes to a close, we invite all area residents to honor and celebrate our veterans. Please make plans to join us on Wednesday, November 11 as we line up on Main Street for the parade and then gather at Draper Memorial Park for the concluding ceremony.”
– Peter Scandone

The Field of Flags, a tribute to the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel, will be installed in Draper Memorial Park prior to Veterans Day and remain flying until the Monday after Veterans Day. Parade and ceremony attendees are invited to walk among the flags and monuments in Draper Park and read the names of the veterans and active military who are memorialized and honored there.

A limited number of chairs will be available for attendees at Draper Park.

If the parade is cancelled due to rain, the ceremony will be held at the Italian American War Veterans of the U.S. Post #40 Hall (4 Hayward Field) beginning at 10:00 a.m. If the weather is poor but the parade still marches, the ceremony will be held at the Italian American War Veterans of the U.S. Post #40 Hall beginning at approximately 11:00 a.m. Please check the Citizens for Milford Facebook page (Facebook.com/CitizensforMilford) if the weather looks questionable.

The Veterans Day Parade is organized by the Milford Department of Veterans Services. Please address questions regarding the parade to this office in Town Hall at 508.634.2311. Questions regarding the Veterans Day Ceremony can be emailed to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

Citizens for Milford and the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army continue to partner with the Milford Parks Department and the Department of Veterans Services to bring the Field of Flags to Draper Memorial Park on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. Each display honors the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel. The Independence Day display will be extended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Members of the community are invited to help install and take down the flags for each display period. See the schedule in “Upcoming Events” to the right. We also encourage you to follow us on our Facebook page for last-minute changes to the schedule. 

11th Annual Beautification Day a Tremendous Success!

Citizens for Milford extends our sincerest appreciation to all our partners and all the volunteers who helped make the 2026 Beautification Day held on Saturday, April 25 another great community event! Following are lists of participants and stats summarizing the day.

60 students from Milford High School’s National Honor Society joined us bright and early to get assignments and supplies.

Citizens for Milford is organizing the Annual Milford Beautification Day, which enables area residents, organizations, and businesses to work together to beautify our community by picking up trash around town.

Milford Beautification Day will be held Saturday, April 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with a rain date of Sunday, April 26th from noon to 3:00 p.m. All interested citizens are invited to meet with organizers anytime between those hours in the municipal parking lot across from Sacred Heart Church (5 East Main Street) to get supplies, instructions, and assignments.

Who Can Participate?
Families, community groups, churches, local businesses, and teenagers who need to perform service hours are all invited to participate. Younger children are encouraged to attend as long as they are accompanied by a supervising adult.

Did Someone Say FREE LUNCH?!
All Beautification Day volunteers are invited to a free lunch courtesy of the Milford Lions Club and Milford’s Rail Trail Flatbread Company to thank everyone for their efforts to beautify our community. Lions Club members will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs on site, and folks from Rail Trail Flatbread Company will be serving samples of New City Microcreamery ice cream. Master Roof will also be hosting a water bottle refill station and allowing public access to its restroom, conveniently located across the street. In the event of rain, food service will not be available on Sunday.

Problem Areas?
To help ensure the organizers can plan the clean-up routes for volunteers, the group is asking residents to report streets and neighborhoods that are of particular concern. Residents can submit their recommendations by emailing them to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com or by messaging them to the Citizens for Milford Facebook page (@CitizensforMilford) before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 23th.

THANK YOU!
Citizens for Milford is sincerely grateful to the Milford Highway Department, Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Lions Club, Rail Trail Flatbread Company, and Master Roof. Corporate volunteers continuing their partnership with us this year include Milford Federal Bank and Milford Doubletree Hotel. Combined with the work of all residents who volunteer on Beautification Day, this event is a true demonstration of community pride.

Questions?
Email us at CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

Candidate Forum on Monday, March 16 AND Beautification Day on Saturday, April 25

Citizens for Milford Announces Forum Featuring Candidates in
Milford Town Election. All Milford Voters Invited to Attend and
Meet the Candidates on Monday, March 16.

Citizens for Milford, in partnership with Milford TV, invites all Milford voters to attend the twelfth Candidate Forum featuring candidates in Milford’s upcoming town election.

The forum will be held Monday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. and will feature candidates running unopposed, as well as the three candidates running for one seat on the Board of Health, which is the sole contested race this year. The forum will take place in Upper Town Hall (52 Main Street). All candidates have also been invited to meet voters beginning at 6:30 p.m. before the forum begins. This event is free and open to the public.

Two of the three candidates running for the one open seat on the Board of Health will be participating: Rosemary Cerqueira and Diana Haynes. Scott Vecchiolla will be out of town. Other candidates who will be participating include Select Board incumbent Thomas O’Loughlin, Town Clerk incumbent Amy Hennessy Neves, Town Moderator incumbent Michelangelo Bon Tempo, Tree Warden and Gypsy Moth Superintendent incumbent Charles Reneau, School Committee incumbents Michael Aghajanian and Brendan Rickert, Vernon Grove Trustee incumbent Scott Crisafulli, and Vernon Grove Trustee newcomer M.E. Cissy Hull-Allen. Other participating candidates will be announced here once confirmed.

Citizens for Milford Chair Geri Eddins and Town Meeting member Bill Sanborn will moderate the forum. The forum will begin with opening statements from each of the candidates, followed by questions from the moderators. Audience members will be provided the opportunity to pose their own questions.

Milford TV will broadcast the forum live on the public channel (Comcast 8 | Verizon 38), Verizon channel HD 2140, MilfordTV.net, and also streaming live on the Milford TV YouTube Channel, which can be found at YouTube.com/mymilfordtv or by searching “mymilfordtv” on the YouTube app. In addition, Milford TV will record the forum for on-demand viewing and will rebroadcast it in the days leading up to the election on April 7. Citizens for Milford will also provide a link to the video on its website and Facebook page as soon as it is available.

LEARN MORE about the Milford Town Election on our 2026 Elections page. 

Annual Milford Beautification Day Scheduled for Saturday,
April 25. All Milford Residents and Groups Invited to Volunteer to Help Clean Our Community!

Citizens for Milford is organizing the Annual Milford Beautification Day, which enables area residents, organizations, and businesses to work together to beautify our community by picking up trash around town. Milford Beautification Day will be held Saturday, April 25^thfrom 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with a rain date of Sunday, April 26^th from noon to 3:00 p.m. All interested citizens are invited to meet with organizers anytime between those hours in the municipal parking lot across from Sacred Heart Church (5 East Main Street) to get supplies, instructions, and assignments.

Families, community groups, churches, local businesses, and teenagers who need to perform service hours are all invited to participate. Younger children are encouraged to attend as long as they are accompanied by a supervising adult. 

All Beautification Day volunteers are invited to a free lunch courtesy of the Milford Lions Club and Milford’s Rail Trail Flatbread Company to thank everyone for their efforts to beautify our community. Lions Club members will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs on site, and folks from Rail Trail Flatbread Company will be serving samples of New City Microcreamery ice cream. In the event of rain, food service will not be available on Sunday.

In addition, Master Roof will be providing a water bottle refill station and will allow access to their restroom, which is conveniently located across the street.

To help ensure the organizers can plan the clean-up routes for volunteers, the group is asking residents to report streets and neighborhoods that are of particular concern. Residents can submit their recommendations by emailing them to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com or by messaging them to the Citizens for Milford Facebook page (@CitizensforMilford) before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 23th.

Community involvement with Beautification Day continues to grow. Citizens for Milford is sincerely grateful to the Milford Highway Department, Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Lions Club, Rail Trail Flatbread Company, and Master Roof. Corporate volunteers continuing their partnership with us this year include Milford Federal Bank and Milford Doubletree Hotel. Combined with the work of all residents who volunteer on Beautification Day, this event is a true demonstration of community pride.

QUESTIONS? Email us at CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

Here’s a list of all the positions that will be on the 2026 Milford Town Election ballot, including the names of the incumbents:

SELECT BOARD: Thomas J. O’Loughlin

HIGHWAY SURVEYOR: Scott J. Crisafulli (See note below!)

TOWN CLERK: Amy E. Hennessy Neves

TOWN MODERATOR: Michelangelo Bon Tempo

TREE WARDEN/GYPSY MOTH SUPERINTENDENT: Charles E. Reneau

BOARD OF ASSESSORS: Steven Borges

BOARD OF HEALTH: Open Seat

BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES: Edward Bertorelli and Mary Frances Best

HOUSING AUTHORITY: Katherine E. Consigli

PARKS COMMISSION: Paul J. Braza

PLANNING BOARD: Martha White

SCHOOL COMMITTEE: Michael Aghajanian and Brendan Rickert

SEWER COMMISSION: Leonardo L. Morcone

TRUSTEES OF VERNON GROVE CEMETERY: Scott J. Crisafulli and Chase Filosa

WATER COMMISSION: Philip Ciaramicoli

TOWN MEETING has openings in precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

IMPORTANT NOTES!

1) The incumbents listed above will only be on the ballot if they pull and return their papers before the deadline.

2) Milford Town Meeting voted in October to make the Highway Surveyor an appointed position. Because that change needs to be approved by the state legislature, the Highway Surveyor position will be on the ballot, but it’s possible the law approving this change will be enacted before the election.

3) DATES TO REMEMBER! Nomination papers are available NOW through 5:00 p.m. February 13 in the Town Clerk’s office in Milford Town Hall. Please call the Town Clerk’s Office at (508) 634-2307 in advance so they have time to prepare the papers for you. ALSO, the deadline for candidate to SUBMIT their nomination papers is 5:00 p.m. on February 17. And the deadline for candidates to WITHDRAW their nomination (from the Town Clerk’s Office) is 5:00 p.m. on March 5.

4) Candidates for all positions except Town Meeting are required to obtain at least 50 valid signatures from any registered voter in Milford. New Town Meeting candidates must obtain at least 30 signatures from voters within their own precinct.

POSITIONS ON THE STATE PRIMARY AND STATE ELECTION BALLOTS

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