Author Archives: Geri Eddins

Citizens for Milford is looking forward to working with others in the community to organize another year of signature events. All these community events are free and open to everyone.

Candidate Forums: March 21 and 22, 2023 (Tentative)
Next month we will be collaborating with Milford TV to host our Tenth Annual Candidate Forum series featuring the candidates in contested races in Milford’s upcoming town election. At this time, we plan to host two forums: one on the evening of Tuesday, March 21 and the second on the evening of Wednesday, March 22. Both will be held in Upper Town Hall and broadcast live on Milford TV. We may change this plan depending upon how many candidates pull and return papers by the deadline of February 14. The candidates will be invited to meet voters at 6:30 p.m. before each forum begins at 7:00 p.m.

Milford Beautification Day: April 22, 2023
For the eighth year, Citizens for Milford will work in partnership with Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail to organize Beautification Day. Beautification Day is Milford’s annual clean-up event, 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 22 (rain or shine) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags:
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day
Citizens for Milford and the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army are planning the initial installation of the 2023 Field of Flags in Draper Memorial Park on May 24 for Memorial Day. This first display of the year will launch the seventh year for this project, which serves as a tribute acknowledging the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel. Additional displays of the Field of Flags are scheduled for Independence Day and Veterans Day.   

Veterans Day Ceremony: November 10, 2023
The Milford Veterans Advisory Council and Citizens for Milford invite all area veterans and residents to attend a special ceremony commemorating Veterans Day on Friday, November 10 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.

Christmas Tree Lighting: December 1, 2023
Citizens for Milford is planning the Eighth Annual Milford Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Draper Memorial Park on the evening of Friday, December 1. All Milford residents are invited to arrive starting at 5:30 p.m. for cookies, hot chocolate, and chili. The tree will be lit at 6:30 p.m. Highlights of this annual event include the holiday carol sing-along led by members of the Greater Milford Community Chorus, as well as a special visit from Santa Claus.

ALL Residents Invited to Attend. Santa Arrives at 5:30 p.. Chorus Begins Sing-Along at 6:00 p.m. Tree Lighting at 6:30 p.m!

Citizens for Milford is planning the Seventh Annual Milford Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Draper Memorial Park on the evening of Friday, December 2. All Milford residents are invited to arrive starting at 5:30 p.m. for cookies, hot chocolate, and chili. The tree will be lit at 6:30 p.m. This community event is FREE and open to everyone.

Highlights of this year’s event will include the holiday carol sing-along led by members of the Greater Milford Community Chorus, as well as a special visit from Santa Claus. Santa will arrive at 5:45 p.m. and will visit with kids and families until the event ends at 7:00 p.m. Families are encouraged to take their own photos with Santa.

Citizens for Milford invites all Milford residents to join us for the seventh year of the Christmas Tree Lighting. The ceremony provides a wonderful opportunity for Milford families and neighbors to gather, even for a short while, as a community to celebrate the peace and joy of the season.
– Event Chairpersons Rosemary Trettel and Kim Smith

If it rains or snows heavily on December 2, Citizens for Milford plans to light the tree at 6:30 p.m. but will scale back other activities as needed.

Citizens for Milford is thrilled to be collaborating once more with the Greater Milford Community Chorus, Milford’s Red Heat Tavern, the Milford Public Schools Food Service, and the Milford Parks Department to provide the best possible community event this year.

The beautifully revitalized Draper Memorial Park occupies a triangle of land in the downtown Milford area, located at the intersection of Congress Street and Main Street.

The Milford Veterans Advisory Council and Citizens for Milford invite all area veterans and residents to attend a special ceremony on Veterans Day, Friday, 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 clergy, veterans, and the Milford High School Marching Band. Peter Scandone, who is chairman of the Veterans Day Ceremony Committee, will serve as master of ceremonies in partnership with
Jo-Ann DeMaria Morgan, chairperson of the Veterans Advisory Council and the Post-9/11 War Memorial Committee.

Three Milford veterans will make remarks regarding military service. U.S. Marine veteran Jason Mack, who served 1999 – 2003 in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, will speak regarding the brotherhood of veterans. Kristina Handley (U.S. Air Force – Retired), who served for 22 years and was deployed in 7 countries as a cyberspace operations officer, will speak about the varied roles women perform in the military. Lastly, Ronald Howland (U.S. Air Force Major – Retired), who currently works in the Military War Records office in Milford, will share the history of the Merchant Marines.

We encourage all Milford residents to join us for the Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony and to demonstrate our support and gratitude for all the Milford men and women who have valiantly served our country.
– Peter Scandone, Ceremony Committee Chairman

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 week 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.

In Case of Inclement Weather
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.

About the Milford Veterans Advisory Council
The mission of the Milford Veterans Advisory Council is to continuously support all Milford veterans through the collective efforts of veterans organizations and the community; to raise awareness of veterans’ needs and their contributions; and to preserve their memory and honor their accomplishments.  

About Citizens for Milford
Citizens for Milford is a volunteer, nonpartisan, grassroots organization, which includes a diverse group of citizens who care about our community. Participation in our projects and events is open to everyone in Milford.

We invite all area residents to take some time to walk among the flags and take note of the many names and photographs attached to each flag pole. The flags will remain in Draper Park until Monday, June 6. We will install them again on Wednesday, June 29 in time for the Independence Day holiday.

We launched the Field of Flags back in 2016 in partnership with the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army. We also work collaboratively with Jim Asam and the Parks Department and with support from John Pilla and the Veterans Services office. In addition, many local groups, businesses, and residents volunteer to help Citizens for Milford install and take down the flags for each display. We could not execute this tribute to our veterans and service members without their assistance. In particular, we would like to recognize the employees of Milford Federal, many local veterans, and members of the Milford Veterans Advisory Council and the US Army Recruiting Station in Milford.

THANK YOU partners, volunteers, and flag sponsors for supporting this important community project. And last, but certainly not least….THANK YOU to ALL WHO SERVED and CONTINUE TO SERVE!

At its May 4^th meeting the Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee voted to cancel the May 17, 2022 Pre-Town Meeting Forum due to an insufficient number of Town Meeting Members having responded to the request for Articles to be considered.

Deadline to Sponsor a Flag for Memorial Day is May 23

Citizens for Milford and the Milford Corps of  the Salvation Army are excited to announce that the initial installation of the 2022 Field of Flags in Draper Memorial Park will take place on May 25 and will remain in place until June 6. This will begin the sixth year for the project, growing from 89 flags in 2016 to nearly 200 for 2022. The remaining displays will be installed for the Fourth of July and 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 $40.00 donation.

Each flag includes 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 personalize each flag by providing a photo if desired.

“Each flag honors the heroism of our many local veterans and active duty service members. Our goal is to secure enough flag renewals and new sponsorships to have 200 flags flying in the beautifully revitalized Draper Memorial Park this Memorial Day.” – Field of Flags Chairperson Peter Scandone

To sponsor a flag , complete this form and mail it to the address provided with a $40 check made out to the Salvation Army BEFORE May 23.

Questions? Email us at CitizensforMilford@gmail.com

Request Articles to be Discussed NOW by Email or US Mail

The Milford Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee (TMSIC) is sponsoring a Pre–Town Meeting Forum which will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Town Hall.

The purpose of the Pre–Town Meeting Forum is to provide an opportunity for Town Meeting members, as well as members of the public, to obtain answers to questions they may have regarding some of the Articles contained in the May 23, 2022 Annual Town Meeting Warrant.

Sponsors of Articles will be available to make brief presentations and to answer questions. Participants are encouraged not to advocate for or against a particular Article. No votes or decisions concerning any of the Articles in the Warrant will be made at this forum.

Town Meeting members and the public are requested to indicate which Articles they would like to have addressed. Articles with the highest number of responses will receive special emphasis for discussion. The May 23, 2022 Annual Town Meeting Warrant is available on the town website here.

To submit a request for Articles that you would like to see addressed, please send an email to tmsic@townofmilford.com by May 2. In the subject line please write “Pre–Town Meeting Forum,” and in the body of the email indicate the Article number(s).

For those who do not use email, please mail the Article–number(s) you would like to see addressed to Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee, Town Hall, 52 Main Street, Milford, MA 01757 or deposit in the Town Hall Dropbox

Thirteen Truck Loads of Trash Collected and Delivered
for Safe Disposal at Transfer Station

Members of Citizens for Milford and the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail extend their sincerest gratitude to the record number of individuals, families, groups, businesses, and government entities that worked together to make the 2022 Milford Beautification Day a tremendous success this year. Over 150 volunteers helped to make a clean sweep of the Milford Upper Charles Trail and Milford’s parks, streets, and parking lots in this year’s community-wide effort to pick up trash on Saturday, April 23.

Volunteers picked up a variety of garbage, a lot of which we see every year, such as empty drink containers, candy wrappers, nip bottles, masks, and mattresses. More unusual items collected this year include men’s underwear, an animal skull, and mouse traps with dead mice attached. Organizers are disappointed to report that plastic water bottles filled with urine continue to be a problem.

Volunteers in three different pick-up trucks, as well as Milford Highway Department employees in a town dump truck, picked up the bags and garbage that were collected and made 13 trips to the transfer station, dropping off not only bags of trash, but also construction debris, scrap metal, a car bumper, a standing oscillating fan, light fixtures, and road signs.

“We could not host Beautification Day without the help and labor of so many different people and organizations. We deeply appreciate everyone’s efforts and would like to remind all residents to be careful with your trash and to consider taking the time to pick it up when you see it.” – Beautification Day Chairperson Amie Sanborn

In advance of Beautification Day, employees from Tingley Home Services cleaned up along sections of the Upper Charles Trail, volunteers from Milford Federal Bank worked to pick up the downtown area, and volunteer inmates from the Northeast Corrections Center in Concord worked to pick up along busier roads in town including Dilla Street, Central Street, and Route 140.

Volunteers from many different groups also assisted in the clean-up efforts, including the Milford Youth Center; Connections Program at Milford High School, affiliated with the United Way of Tri County; Milford High School National Honor Society; Milford Democratic Town Committee; Cub Scout Pack 71; Boy Scout Troop 291; Brownie Troop 65017; and Girl Scout Troops 30570, 65222, and 64720.

A number of town and state officials also contributed their time to clean up Milford, including Town Administrator Richard Villani, Select Board member Michael Walsh, Town Moderator Michaelangelo Bon Tempo, State Representative Brian W. Murray, and State Senator Rebecca L. Rausch.

After completing their clean-up routes on Saturday, volunteers were treated to hamburgers and hot dogs courtesy of the Milford Lions Club.

Trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and water were provided to all clean-up volunteers courtesy of funds donated by the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Highway Department, and Amazon. Representative Murray secured a $1,000 donation from Amazon for supplies.

See even more photos on our Facebook page!

All Milford Residents and Groups Invited to Volunteer
to Help Clean Our Community

Citizens for Milford, in partnership with Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, is organizing the Seventh Annual Milford Beautification Day. Beautification Day is Milford’s annual clean-up event, 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 23 (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 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.

Beautification Day provides a wonderful opportunity for residents to come together and demonstrate pride in our community by cleaning the parks and streets of Milford. We invite everyone to come to help, even for just an hour or two. –Beautification Day Chairperson Amie Sanborn

Trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and water will be provided to all clean-up volunteers. Funds to purchase these items are being donated by the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Highway Department, and Amazon.

In conjunction with the efforts being organized for Beautification Day, the Milford Highway Department has arranged for volunteers from the Norfolk County Sheriff’s office to initiate the Beautification Day work by conducting a clean-up of main streets around town on April 21 and 22.

The two event sponsors are sincerely grateful for the assistance and support provided by the Milford Highway Department, Norfolk County Sheriff’s office, and State Representative Brian Murray. Representative Murray secured a $1,000 donation from Amazon for supplies.

Questions regarding any of the Beautification Day efforts may be submitted by email to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

PHOTO: Volunteers from the Milford Youth Center at the 2021 Beautification Day