Author Archives: Geri Eddins

Citizens for Milford is continuing its partnership with the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army to expand the DRAPER MEMORIAL PARK FIELD OF FLAGS, a tribute acknowledging the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel with a display of American flags to be placed in Draper Memorial Park on five patriotic holidays each year. The next display will be installed this Veterans Day.

All area citizens, organizations, and businesses are invited to sponsor a 3′ x 5′ American flag to fly on a 10′ staff in Draper Memorial Park for a $60 donation. Each flag will include a yellow ribbon with an attached card naming the person being honored, the honoree’s military branch and years of service, and the sponsor’s name. Sponsors can choose to honor a veteran (alive or deceased), an active member of the military, or all our nation’s veterans. Previous sponsors are encouraged to renew their flag sponsorship for another year.

The $60 donation sponsors a flag in Draper Park for all five of the following patriotic holidays: Veterans Day 2017 and Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day 2018.

Field of Flags Chairperson Peter Scandone says, “Since we launched the Field of Flags last Veterans Day, we have accepted sponsorships for over 100 flags, each one honoring the heroism of our many local veterans and active duty service members. Our goal is to have every one of those flags renewed and to gather enough new flag sponsorships so that we will be installing 200 flags this Veterans Day.”

To sponsor a flag for the “Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags” project, citizens need to download and complete this  form and mail it to the address provided on the form with a $60 check made out to the Salvation Army before November 3.  Anyone who is renewing a flag sponsorship can simply mail the check without the form as long as the sponsorship information has not changed.

NEW THIS YEAR!
Medals of Liberty and Missing Man Table Ceremonies Planned for Veterans Day Ceremony Following the Parade

All area residents are invited to join us for the annual Veterans Day Parade on Friday, November 10 and to attend the Field of Flags Dedication Ceremony, which will immediately follow the parade in Draper Memorial Park. Citizens for Milford anticipates the ceremony will begin at approximately 11:00 a.m. For the first time, the ceremony will feature the distribution of Medals of Liberty to the families of eight Milford residents who were killed in action. Another new highlight this year will be the Missing Man Table remembrance ceremony, which honors military members missing in action. Music will be performed by the Milford High School Band.

If the parade is cancelled due to rain, the Medals of Liberty Distribution and Missing Man Table ceremonies will be held in the Italian-American Veterans Club, located at 4 Hayward Field.

Draper Memorial Park occupies a triangle of land in the downtown Milford area, located at the intersection of Congress Street and Main Street. The park features monuments that list the names of veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Standing tall in the park is the statue of General William Franklin Draper by sculptor Daniel Chester French, whose work also includes the massive marble statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The care and management of Draper Memorial Park falls under the authority of the Milford Parks Commission and Milford Veterans Services. Citizens for Milford is grateful for both office’s enthusiastic support for this project.

For more details about the Field of Flags, click here.

The Town of Milford will be holding a Special Town Election on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. Polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Precincts 1 & 6 vote at the Milford Senior Center (60 North Bow St.)
• Precincts 2 & 3 vote at the Italian American Veterans Hall (4 Hayward Field)
• Precincts 4, 5, 7, & 8 vote at the Milford Portuguese Club (119 Prospect Heights)

If you are unsure which precinct you are in, please call the Town Clerk’s office at (508) 634-2308 or enter your address in the Secretary of State’s website.

On the ballot will be ONE question, which asks voters whether or not they want to allow recreational marijuana establishments to operate in Milford.

Massachusetts voters approved the use of recreational marijuana through Ballot Question 4 in November 2016. This law allows adults 21 and over to possess, grow, and use marijuana for recreational purposes.

Possession and use of medicinal marijuana as recommended by a doctor was legalized in Massachusetts in 2012. Per Massachusetts law medicinal marijuana can only be purchased at a medical marijuana treatment center.

Massachusetts and Maine will be the first states in New England to legalize the use and sales of recreational marijuana. Other than Washington, D.C., no other states along the East Coast have legalized recreational marijuana. Recreational sales will be legal in Maine in February 2018. Sales in Massachusetts will be legal July 2018.

Read the original Massachusetts law (Chapter 94G: Drug Stewardship Program) here.

Read the revisions to the law in the House Bill (3818) signed by Governor Baker on July 28, 2017 here.

Milford’s Ballot Question

The ballot question to be voted on September 19th in Milford has NO IMPACT on anyone’s personal freedom to possess, grow, and consume medical marijuana OR recreational marijuana. The question provides Milford voters the opportunity to opt out of hosting recreational marijuana establishments in our community. This option was included in the Massachusetts legislation that was approved by voters. 

Editor’s Note: The following ballot sample is the final version, which was changed due to the revised state legislation signed by Governor Baker on July 28, 2017.

To download and print a copy of the sample ballot, click here.

Milford CARES will be holding the COMMUNITY FORUM ON RECREATIONAL IN MILFORD Tuesday, September 12th  at 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Hall of Milford Town Hall, located at 52 Main Street in Milford. This event is intended for all Milford citizens who have lingering questions regarding the September 19th Special Town Election on recreational marijuana and the consequences of living with recreational marijuana establishments in our community.

Milford CARES Chairwoman Donna Niro urges all Milford residents who are concerned about recreational pot shops, especially those who are still looking for answers, to attend. Niro stated, “The legalization and commercialization of recreational marijuana is a new frontier for Massachusetts. The September 12^th forum will provide the opportunity for everyone in Milford to learn more about what allowing pot shops here could mean to our kids’ health, public safety, and the integrity of our family community from our knowledgeable line-up of speakers who will present the facts about this critical issue.”

The forum will include presentations by several speakers, all of whom will also sit on a panel to answer questions from the audience as time permits. State Representative Brian Murray will provide an overview of the Massachusetts marijuana law. Senator Viriato M. deMacedo (Plymouth and Barnstable), who was a member of the Massachusetts Special Senate Committee on Marijuana, will identify lessons learned from Colorado in the three years since recreational marijuana was legalized and commercialized there. Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins (Medical Director, Emergency Services, Milford Regional Medical Center) will speak about public health issues. Members of Milford’s Board of Selectmen and School Committee, as well as other community leaders, will also share their perspectives on this critical issue.

Regarding the panel discussion to be held following the speakers’ presentations, Niro stated, “We intend to allow as many Milford residents as possible to ask questions of our panel members and to be given honest answers. Our goal is to have everyone who attends go home feeling like they have the answers they need to make the right decision at the ballot box on September 19th.”

Interested citizens can learn more on the Milford CARES web page and Milford CARES Facebook page.

Help us spread the word! Download and print our event flyer.

Mission Is to Advocate that Milford Voters Opt Out of Retail Marijuana Sales on September Ballot Question to Ensure a Safe and Healthy Future for Our Kids and Community 

Citizens for Milford, along with community leaders and other Milford residents, has organized Milford CARES (Milford Community Against Recreational Marijuana Retail Establishments), a Ballot Question Committee whose sole mission is to maintain the health, safety, and integrity of the community by informing Milford residents about the consequences imposed by retail sales of recreational marijuana and by advocating that voters elect to prohibit pot shops when they vote on Milford’s Marijuana Ballot Question this September.

Milford CARES Chairperson Donna Niro says, “We certainly respect each person’s right to consume medical or recreational marijuana as allowed by state law. Milford CARES wants to ensure that Milford voters are aware of the potential negative impacts our family community could face if we allow retail pot shops to open here. One particular concern is increased access to edible marijuana products containing high levels of THC, such as cookies and gummy bears, that appeal to kids and are not easily distinguished from their non‑marijuana counterparts.”

Local realtor Joshua Lioce shares concerns regarding Milford’s reputation, “Having retail marijuana shops will work against the image of our town, which will have more of a negative impact not only on real estate values but the image of our community and even our school system.”

Regarding the potential impact on schools, Milford’s School Committee Chairman Joe Morais says, “Edibles are easy to share and conceal, and monitoring products of this nature in schools will be an additional and challenging responsibility for our teachers and administrators.”

Milford’s Special Town Election will be held Tuesday, September 19. The ballot will include only one question, which asks voters if they want to prohibit recreational marijuana retail establishments in Milford. A “yes” vote would prohibit such businesses, but would have no impact on medical marijuana treatment centers or other types of recreational marijuana establishments (such as cultivators, testing facilities, and product manufacturers).

Milford CARES encourages Milford voters to review the content on its web page, which includes the sample ballot, a map of the allowed marijuana zones in Milford, a list of actions being taken in surrounding communities, and relevant links and statistics regarding the community impacts of recreational marijuana on the health of our youth, public safety, and the integrity of the community.

The mission of Milford CARES is supported by all members of the Board of Selectmen; Amy Leone of Community Impact and Milford’s Regional Substance Abuse Program; Milford Public Schools Director of Nursing Judy Dagnese and Wellness Coordinator Lisa White; members of the Milford School Committee; members of the Milford Board of Health; and State Senator Ryan Fattman.

Any Milford resident who is interested in volunteering is welcome to send an email to MilfordMACARES@gmail.com.

Milford CARES will be hosting a public forum the week before the Special Town Election. Details will be announced at a later date.

Citizens for Milford has formed a Community Task Force, Milford CARES (Milford Community Against Recreational Marijuana Retail Establishments), to address the potential for retail sales of recreational marijuana in Milford. This Task Force is a cross-functional team of concerned citizens, local officials, subject matter experts, educators, and health care providers whose mission is to inform Milford residents about facts, concerns, and consequences of retail marijuana sales.

We need the support of other community leaders. Please contact us to let us know how you can help! Simply send an email to us at: MilfordMACARES@gmail.com

Mission Statement

The mission of Milford CARES is to maintain the health, safety, and integrity of our family community by informing Milford residents about the consequences imposed by retail sales of recreational marijuana and by advocating for a YES vote on September 19 to opt out of retail sales of all nonmedical marijuana in our town.

In addition, Milford CARES respects the rights of citizens to consume medical marijuana for compassionate care, as well as the rights of all Massachusetts citizens to consume recreational marijuana as legally allowed by Massachusetts state law.

Learn more on the Milford CARES page on this website.

The Town of Milford will be holding a Special Town Election on Tuesday,
September 19. On the ballot will be one question:

Shall the Town prohibit the operation of Marijuana Retailers, as defined in G.L. c.94G § 1, within the Town of Milford, a summary of which appears below?

SUMMARY:

General Laws Chapter 94G, Section 3, allows cities and towns in the Commonwealth to approve By-Laws or Ordinances prohibiting certain Marijuana establishments to operate. The question above, if voted in the affirmative, would prohibit the establishment of Marijuana Retail Establishments in Milford, such establishments being defined in G.L. c. 94G, § 1 as “…, an entity licensed to purchase and deliver marijuana and marijuana products from marijuana establishments, and to deliver, sell or otherwise transfer marijuana and marijuana products to marijuana establishments and to consumers.” An affirmative vote would not prohibit “Marijuana Cultivators” or “Marijuana Product Manufacturers” as defined in said statute and would not prohibit Medical Marijuana Establishments.  Further, no ban would be in effect until the Town Meeting should pass a By-Law establishing a ban on such establishments.

To view and download a copy of the sample ballot, click here.

Have you visited the Field of Flags yet?

We invite you to visit Draper Memorial Park in downtown Milford and walk through the glorious sea of red, white, and blue that honors our veterans and active military men and women.

The Field of Flags will remain up through Flag Day (June 14).

Each of the 110+ American flags has been sponsored by an individual, family, business, or local organization.

We encourage everyone who visits to read the names that are memorialized on the cards attached to each flag. The flags are placed in alphabetical order, starting at the Park Street entrance to Draper Park and going counter-clockwise.

Flags sponsored in honor of ALL VETERANS are placed behind the WWII Monument. Last-minute flag sponsorships are placed along Park Street, after the Zs.

To download a map that shows the flag locations by first letter of each honoree’s last name, click here.

Learn more about the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags here.

Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags Honors Veterans and Active Military Personnel

Last November Citizens for Milford  partnered with the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army to launch the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags, a tribute acknowledging the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel with a display of American flags placed in Draper Memorial Park on Veterans Day. Folks who sponsored a flag last November will have their flags redisplayed in Draper Memorial Park on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day this year. They will be invited to renew their sponsorship for another year after Labor Day in time for Veterans Day 2017.

If you missed out on our first Field of Flags display, you can choose to sponsor a flag in time for this Memorial Day for a $60 donation. If you sponsor a flag now, your donation will place a flag in Draper Park for the following four patriotic holidays:

• Memorial Day
• Flag Day
• Fourth of July
• Labor Day

To sponsor a flag for the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags project, click here to print a copy of the Field of Flags Order Form. Be sure to complete the form and mail it to the address provided on the form with your $60 check made out to SALVATION ARMY as soon as possible.

If you need to be mailed a copy of the form, please email us at CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

If you prefer to sponsor a flag for the entire Sponsorship Year of all five patriotic holidays (Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day), then please wait to send your sponsorship form until this coming Labor Day has passed.

Your $60 donation qualifies as a tax-deductible charitable contribution.

Each $60 donation includes a 3′ x 5′ American flag, standing tall on a 10′ staff, in Draper Memorial Park. Each flag will include a yellow ribbon with an attached card naming the person being honored, military branch, years of service, and sponsor’s name. You can choose to sponsor a flag in honor of a veteran (alive or deceased) or an active member of the military. You can also choose to sponsor a flag in honor of all our nation’s veterans.

Please visit the DRAPER MEMORIAL PARK FIELD OF FLAGS page to learn more about this community project.

Volunteers Needed to Help Clean Our Community

Citizens for Milford is organizing the Third Annual Milford Beautification Day, an opportunity for 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 29^th (rain or shine) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All interested citizens are invited to meet with organizers anytime between those hours in the parking lot across from Sacred Heart Church (5 East Main Street) to get supplies, instructions, and assignments.

Beautification Day Chairperson Amie Sanborn says, “Last year nearly 200 volunteers joined us to demonstrate their Milford pride in a practical way, simply by picking up trash around our community. We encourage everyone who loves Milford to join us, even for just an hour.”

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. 

Trash bags, gloves, and water will be provided to all volunteers. Many of the supplies are being donated by Republic Services. The Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail is co-sponsoring Beautification Day with Citizens for Milford.

In conjunction with the efforts being organized for Beautification Day, Citizens for Milford has also arranged for volunteers from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department Community Service Program to initiate the Beautification Day work by conducting a clean-up on April 27 and 28.

Anyone interested in volunteering or participating in any way on April 29—as an individual, a family, or a group—should contact Amie Sanborn by email at CitizensforMilford@gmail.com. Although it is not necessary to sign up in advance, Sanborn notes that having an idea of the number of interested participants can help ensure enough supplies are available.

The event sponsors are grateful for the assistance and donations provided by the Milford Board of Health, the Milford Highway Department, Republic Services, and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department Community Service Program.

Help us spread the word! Download the flyer.

Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization formed in 2005 to benefit the Town of Milford and surrounding areas, working diligently and in cooperation with the Town of Milford Parks and other departments, various community groups, and interested parties to educate area residents about the recreation and transportation opportunities offered by the Milford section of the trail; promote the use, development, enjoyment, and care of the Milford section of the trail; and raise and expend funds to support trail maintenance and improvements for the benefit of the residents of the Milford area. Information is available on the organization’s website (MilfordTrail.org) and Facebook page.

Just over 17% of Milford voters went to the polls Tuesday, April 4th to participate in this year’s Town Election. Citizens for Milford extends its sincerest gratitude to all the candidates for their commitment and service to our community. We also thank everyone who took the time to vote.

Winners of the five contested races are:

3 Year Selectman: William Buckley
2 Year Selectman: Michael Walsh
Board of Assessors: Joshua Lioce
Planning Board: John Cook
Constable: Nadine Ladeau

Download the 2017 Annual Town Election Official Results (UPDATED 6 April 2017).