Author Archives: Geri Eddins

IMPORTANT! The Veterans Day Ceremony WILL be Held in Draper Park on Monday Following the Parade. PLEASE JOIN US in Honoring Our Veterans.

The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee and Citizens for Milford invite all area veterans and residents to attend the Third Veterans Day Ceremony, to be held Monday, 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.

The Veterans Day Ceremony will begin with a prayer from Father Peter Joyce of St. Mary of the Assumption Church, followed by the sharing of war-time stories by area veterans and their families. Medal of Liberty Chairperson Peter Scandone will preside over the ceremony. Music will be performed by the Milford High School Marching Band and a Milford High School quartet.

Making remarks regarding military service will be US Army veteran Steven Petak speaking about his service in Vietnam; Angela Manella Kantor sharing the experiences of her father US Air Force Lt Col Joseph Richard Manella as a prisoner of war during World War II, and Ed Cormier speaking about his brother US Marine Corps Private Eugene Cormier, who was killed in Vietnam during Operation KINGFISHER.

The Field of Flags, a tribute acknowledging the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel, will be installed in Draper Memorial Park the Wednesday before 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.

Peter Scandone says, “Generations of Milford men and women have served our community and country honorably and heroically. We encourage all residents to join us for the Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony to show our support and gratitude.”

If the weather is excessively cold or rainy, the committee will hold the ceremony inside at the Italian American Veterans Hall (4 Hayward Field, Milford) following the parade. Notification about this change of venue will be posted on the Citizens for Milford Facebook page and website on Sunday, November 10. If the parade is cancelled due to rain, the Veterans Day Ceremony will be held in the spring following the Memorial Day Parade.

The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee and Citizens for Milford extend sincerest gratitude to the Milford Veterans Services Department and the Milford Parks Commission for enthusiastically supporting both the Veterans Day Ceremony and the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags project. We also thank the leadership and students in the Milford High School Music Department for performing at the Veterans Day Ceremony.

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.

About the Milford Medal of Liberty Committee
The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee is dedicated to honoring the families of all of Milford’s fallen heroes who are qualified to receive the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty. Committee members also work to promote this honor to families in surrounding communities.

In Addition to Reviewing 10 Articles, the Forum Will Feature a Demonstration of Electronic Voting

The Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee has selected and ranked the Oct. 28^th Special Town Meeting Warrant Articles to be addressed at the October 22, 2019 Pre-Town Meeting Forum from those submitted with the highest number of responses.

The Committee encourages Town Meeting Members and the public to attend and participate in the Forum and thereby become better informed on the issues that will be considered at the October 28, 2019 Special Town Meeting.

The Forum’s goal is to address the 10 selected articles in approximately one and a half hours.

RESOURCES

• Warrant for the October 28th Special Town Meeting
• Ground Rules for the Pre-Town Meeting Forum
• Pre-Town Meeting Forum Agenda

Forum Will Be at 7:00 p.m. in Upper Town Hall. All Invited to Attend!

The Milford Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee (TMSIC) is sponsoring a Pre-Town Meeting Forum on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Upper Town Hall. The Forum is open to the public.

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 October 28, 2019 Special Town Meeting Warrant.

• Read the Town Meeting Warrant.
• Read the Ground Rules for the Forum.

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.

To submit a request for Articles that you would like to see addressed, please send an email to tmsic@townofmilford.com by October 10. In the subject line please write “Pre-Town Meeting Forum,” and in the body of the email indicate the Article-numbers.

For those who do not use email, please mail the Article-numbers you would like to see addressed to Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee, Town Hall, 52 Main Street, Milford, MA 01757.

Please note, the forum will include a demonstration of Electronic Voting.

Help us spread the word! Download and share the event flyer!

Number of Flags More Than Doubled Since Project Launch in 2016

Citizens for Milford and the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army will be installing the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags two more times this year. This community project—created to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel on five patriotic holidays each year—began small with just 78 flag sponsorships four years ago, but has now more than doubled to an expansive display of over 180 American flags.

The Field of Flags will be installed in Draper Park this Wednesday, August 28, in honor of Labor Day, and come down September 12. The flags will return to Draper Park in honor of Veterans Day, going up November 6 and down November 13.

Flag sponsors Stephanie Fino and Stephen Laczenski state, “We are so proud to visit the Draper Park Field of Flags that are displayed during patriotic holidays throughout the year. It is comforting to see our Dad next to all the veterans of all the wars who fought so bravely for our country to secure the freedoms that we enjoy today.”

And flag sponsor Flora Kasparian says, “The Field of Flags keeps Vartan Panagian in his family’s memory. It’s a beautiful sight in Milford….in a town that he loved. Thanks for such a caring project!”

Each flag is sponsored by an individual, family, group, or business for a $60 donation. Sponsors can personalize each flag by providing brief information about the person whom they are recognizing (name, branch of service, dates served, etc.), as well as a photo if desired. Citizens for Milford prints this information on cards and laminates the cards and photos so they can be attached to each flag pole. The laminated cards and photos are typically attached the day after the flags are installed in the ground.

The flags are arranged in Draper Park in alphabetical order, with last names starting with A located in the park entrance off Park Street. Flags that have been sponsored in honor of all veterans are located at the other end of the park behind the WWI monument.

Citizens for Milford and the Salvation Army organize all the work involved in managing the Field of Flags, including everything from maintaining sponsorship information to transporting and storing the flags. Both groups are extremely grateful for the assistance provided by volunteers from other Milford groups. Volunteers from Milford Federal Bank, the Milford Junior Woman’s Club, and Montgomery Lodge, as well as many flag sponsors, often assist with the installation and take-down of the flags. All residents are welcome to help.

“Volunteering for Field of Flags is a humbling and powerful experience. It is a visual reminder of the veterans who have served our country, and the pride we feel, which is reflected in the beautiful display of flags. When I am done helping, I always leave with a grateful heart!” says Cheryl Miller, a member of the Milford Junior Woman’s Club.

Citizens for Milford will be accepting new flag sponsorships next year. Although renewals have been requested before Veterans Day during previous years, Citizens for Milford decided to restructure the sponsorship period to coincide with the calendar year. Therefore, renewal notices will go out in 2020 before the first flag installation.

The majority of funds donated by flag sponsors are used to support the work of the Salvation Army here in Milford, specifically for food assistance and after-school activities for families in need. Citizens for Milford receives a small amount to pay for supplies, such as the yellow ribbons, card stock, and laminating materials. Like the flags, these materials need to be replaced periodically due to weather exposure.

Questions may be emailed to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

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.

From the Town Clerk:
The Census Bureau is currently conducting Address Canvassing, the first major field operation of the 2020 Census, and will continue to run through mid-October. Census Bureau address canvassers ensure an accurate and complete count by verifying addresses, which involves noting where houses, apartments, shelters, and other residences are located. Prior to the 2010 Census, address canvassing was done for 100% of the addresses. For the 2020 Census, only about 30% of the addresses will be visited by address canvassers and only in areas where there has been significant changes over the past 10 years. The address canvassers will knock on the door of an address they are trying to verify to confirm the address and inquire if there are any other separate living quarters in the house. These activities will take place during daylight hours. If no one answers the door, the address canvasser will look for visual identifiers to confirm the address, such as an address on a mail box, and if nothing can be found, the address will be flagged for further follow-up.

We have reached out to the Census Bureau requesting advance notice of the locations and dates of any Census address canvassers who will be working in Massachusetts, so that we can distribute this information to you to disseminate publicly to avoid further inquiries. However, it seems unlikely we will get this information. The Census Bureau has stated that they are proactively working with local law enforcement. Their Office of Security sent a memo and a poster about Address Canvassing to each and every law enforcement agency in the country. The poster contains sample pictures of the official government badge with photo ID and the bag and laptop with the 2020 Census logo that address canvassers will have with them. In addition, via a partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, every police station in the country will show the Address Canvassing video this week at the start of police shifts, known as roll call, so that police officers know the operation is occurring and how to identify a census worker. We’ve asked the Census Bureau to provide us with additional information, including handouts and posters, that you can use to display in your city and town halls regarding the program. As we explained to the Bureau, it is likely that you will receive inquiries as residents may be confused with the local street listing process.

Here is a link to the information already publicly distributed by the Census Bureau regarding the program. At this link, there is a short video that you can put on your municipal website that helps explain the program and how to identify address canvassers.

“Verify Census Workers in Your Area”

Learn more: https://2020census.gov/en/census-takers.html

If you are visited by someone from the Census Bureau, and want to verify their identity and occupation, here are some tips to assure the validity of the field representative:

• Census takers must present an ID badge that includes a photograph of the field representative, a Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date.
• Follow this link and enter any field representative’s credentials.
• Note that census workers may be carrying a Census Bureau phone or a laptop as well as a bag with a Census Bureau logo.
• This link shows a map of locations where Census workers will be working. https://gis-portal.data.census.gov/arcgis/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1a0004d1745547888c8fd2f4d929d42f
• If you still have questions, call 800.991.2520 to speak with a Regional Census Bureau representative.

Download the tri-fold flyer regarding the 2020 census here.

Honor a Veteran, Active Member of the Military, or All Veterans by Sponsoring a Flag for a $60 Donation

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 placed in Draper Memorial Park on five patriotic holidays each year. The next display will be installed this Memorial 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. Sponsors can also choose to include a photograph to be attached to the name card.

A $60 donation paid this spring sponsors a flag in Draper Park for the following patriotic holidays in 2019: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

IMPORTANT! If you paid for a flag sponsorship last November, you do NOT need to fill out a new form or send money. The sponsorship donation you paid last year will keep your flag flying through Labor Day this year. If you want to sponsor a NEW flag, you do need to complete the form and send a donation check.

Field of Flags Chairperson Peter Scandone says, “We are truly grateful to everyone who has chosen to sponsor a flag as a visual testament to the heroism of our many local veterans and active duty service members. We are eager to accept new sponsorships to continue increasing the sea of flags in Draper Memorial Park.”

To sponsor a flag for the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags project, citizens need to complete the sponsorship form and mail it to the address provided on the form with a $60 check made out to the Salvation Army before May 15. Requests for a sponsorship form can be submitted by email to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

You can read more details about this project here.

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.

The Town Meeting Study and Improvement Committee (TMSIC) will be hosting the Pre-Town Meeting Forum on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m.in Upper Town Hall.

This event provides an opportunity for all Milford residents—not just Town Meeting members—to listen to presentations about 10 to 12 different articles on the Town Meeting warrant and to ask questions. A secondary goal of this forum is to promote a greater understanding of Town Meeting.

A sample of the articles to be discussed include the following. The complete list of articles is listed in the agenda.

• Article 11: Increase the Board of Selectmen from Three to Five Members
• Article 18: Change the Annual Town Election Date from April to November
• Article 13: Purchase Fees for the Milford Water Company
• Article 12: Health Insurance for Surviving Spouses of Town Empl0yees
• Article 15: Police Chief Services

You can find additional information in the following documents:

• Pre-Town Meeting Forum AGENDA
• Pre-Town Meeting Forum GROUND RULES
• Town Meeting WARRANT
• Pre-Town Meeting Forum FLYER

THANK YOU MILFORD! Over 130 Volunteers of All Ages Worked to Beautify Milford This Year–the Most Volunteers Ever!

Citizens for Milford and the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail once again teamed up to organize the Fifth Annual Milford Beautification Day on April 27, 2019. A cloudy, blustery day did not deter intrepid volunteers from the hard work of picking up all kinds of trash on Milford’s streets, parks, and trails.

The Friends expanded Beautification Day efforts this year with an opportunity for families with kids to plant hostas at Louisa Lake and a fulfilled request for Daisy Scouts to weed the butterfly garden on the trail. For the second year, Girl Scouts distributed free tree seedlings.

Although our trash recon efforts earlier this week revealed a cleaner Milford than last year, plenty of areas were in need of a good pick up. Four pick-up trucks gathered all the bags of trash, as well as miscellaneous large items that had been dumped around town. One truck reported having collected 70 bags plus a glass metal table, multiple items of upholstered furniture, a refrigerator, 70″ TV, two tires, one mattress, three doors, wooden bench, keyboard, and a shovel–all now safely delivered to the Transfer Station. A second truck delivered six truck loads of bags, four grocery carts, ten tires, and one sofa. The third truck delivered 120 bags. Yep, that’s right—120 bags of trash!

Citizens for Milford extends a sincere THANK YOU to EVERYONE who helped! In particular, we thank the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Highway Department, Milford Board of Health, and Republic Services for supporting our efforts. We also thank the volunteers from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Community Service Program and from Milford Federal for jump starting our clean-up efforts on Thursday and Friday.

And MORE thanks go to Milford residents who gave up part of their Saturday to participate in this community effort, including members of the following groups: Daisy Troops 64892, 64940, 65017; Brownie Troops 64720 and 30016; Girl Scout Troop 11276; Scout BSA Girl Troop 219; Milford MA Rotary Club; The Milford Youth Center; St. Mary of the Assumption Confirmation Class; and Milford High School Honor Society and Connections Program! Everyone worked hard and it SHOWS!

Working together, we can KEEP MILFORD BEAUTIFUL!

Check out all our photos in our Facebook album! You can view the photos even if you do not have a Facebook account.

All Milford Residents Invited to Help Us Make a Clean Sweep of Our Community! Watch Our Quick VIDEO INVITATION!

Citizens for Milford is organizing its Fifth Annual Milford Beautification Day, 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 27th (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. 

Event co-sponsor Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail will be expanding their Beautification Day efforts this year. In addition to organizing the clean-up of the Trail, they will also be working with interested families to help plant a flower garden near the Trail entry at Louisa Lake.

Trash bags, gloves, and water will be provided to all clean-up volunteers. Top soil, mulch, and plants will be provided to the volunteers who work on the garden project. The clean-up supplies are being donated by Republic Services, and the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail are donating the planting materials.

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 of main streets around town on April 25 and 26.

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

The two event sponsors are sincerely 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.

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 (Facebook.com/Friends-of-the-Milford-Upper-Charles-Trail).

And THANK YOU to EVERYONE Who Served Our Town by Running for Office!

Unofficial polling results for the Milford Town Election from the Town Clerk’s office show that 2,266 votes were cast, which is 13% of Milford’s total registered voters. 

Mike Walsh will retain his seat on the Board of Selectmen. James Ligor will also retain his seat on the School Committee. He will be joined by John Erickson. Margaret Myatt and Stephanie Abisla will take seats on the Library Board of Trustees. All incumbent constables will retain their positions. Scott Vecchiolla retained his seat on the Vernon Grove Board of Trustees; Kristen Gardner will join him on that board.

Congratulations to all the winners, and THANK YOU to everyone who threw their hats in the ring! We truly appreciate your service to our Town!

Read the complete unofficial results here.