Category Archives: Uncategorized

The governor has proclaimed Sunday, September 27^th to be First Responders Day. Citizens for Milford joins Governor Baker in extending our sincerest gratitude to all the active and retired men and women of our local police force, fire department, and emergency medical service units.

We are putting those words into action by working to promote this important date. We have discussed this with the Board of Selectmen, and we have also asked the school department, library, and local business owners to post “Thank You” notices on their community message boards on 9/27. The response has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Most importantly, we invite YOU to join us in thanking the dedicated men and women of our local police force, fire department, and emergency medical service units who honor our community with their commitment and service. Your “thank you” can come anytime so don’t worry if you miss out on September 27th.

Here are a few ideas:

• Take a moment and say “thank you” to a first responder in our community.
• Ask the young people in your life to draw pictures, write a poem, or make thank you cards.
• Bake a special treat and drop it off at the police station, fire station, or ER.
• Recall a moment when a first responder has helped you or a loved one and write about it in a thank you letter.

Do you have other suggestions? Please send them to us by email at CitizensforMilford@gmail.com or through our Facebook page.

Read Governor Baker’s proclamation.

Read Citizens for Milford’s Letter to the Editor in the Milford Daily News.

Help us spread the word! Download a copy of our flyer.

If you are looking for details about our recent “A Conversation with State Legislators” event, please click here.

Citizens for Milford’s Public Meeting to Feature
State Representative Fernandes and State Senator Fattman

Citizens for Milford invites all area residents to attend our next public meeting, “A Conversation with State Legislators,” to be held Thursday, September 17^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall of Saint Mary of the Assumption Church in Milford.

State Representative John V. Fernandes and State Senator Ryan C. Fattman will be joining us to discuss topics of the day and answer citizens’ questions. Constituents in all towns within the Worcester and Norfolk senatorial district, as well as in the Tenth Worcester district for state representative, are invited to attend.

Citizens for Milford Co-Chairman John Seaver says, “Our goal for this meeting is to provide an opportunity for area citizens to meet face to face with our state legislators in a casual environment. Our agenda for this meeting is simply to enable citizens to meet with Representative Fernandes and Senator Fattman so they can share their concerns and ask questions.”

The meeting will be video recorded and available for all to watch on Milford TV at subsequent times. The video will also be available to watch on this website  and our Facebook page as soon as it is available following the event.

The Parish Hall of Saint Mary of the Assumption Church is located at 17 Winter Street in Milford. Parking is available in the adjacent lot and on neighborhood streets. Main entry into the Parish Hall is located on the side of the building that faces Sumner Street. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

You can learn more about each of our legislators (such as their committee memberships and sponsored legislation) on the Massachusetts Legislature website

• To visit Representative Fernandes’ page, click here.
• To visit Senator Fattman’s page, click here.

Help us spread the news! Download a copy of the event flyer. 

A concrete batch plant is in the works for the property at 400 East Main Street (Route 16) in Milford. This property is located diagonally across from Hickey’s Liquor Store, just east of the I-495 overpass.

The Planning Board discussion that was originally scheduled for August 11 on this issue has been POSTPONED to September 1. 

GET INFORMED! To learn more about what happens at a concrete batch plant, what its impacts are on a community, and what the plans are for mitigating those impacts, go to our Concrete Batch Plant page.  On this page we have summarized the plans for the plant and provided links to documents from the developer, as well as links to pertinent news articles.

If you are concerned about the impacts such a facility will have on Milford and what steps the developer is taking to mitigate them, then we urge you to attend Tuesday night’s Planning Board meeting. Although the property is zoned correctly, Citizens for Milford wants to ensure all protections built into this plant to safeguard air quality, water supply, etc. will be implemented correctly, monitored, and enforced.

Although many of Milford’s town boards are composed of elected members (such as the Board of Health and the Planning Board), the town also benefits from the time and talent of Milford citizens who volunteer to serve on other boards and committees and are then appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Town boards and committees that are filled with volunteer positions include:

• Cable TV Complaint Committee
• Capital Improvement COmmittee
• Cedar Swamp Pond Development Committee
• Commission on Disability
• Community School Use Committee
• Conservation Commission
• Council on Aging
• Fair Housing Committeee
• Finance Committee
• Historical Commission
• Industrial Development Commission
• Memorial Hall Cultural Center Committee
• Milford Cultural Council
• Milford Geriatric Authority
• Milford Youth Commission
• Personnel Board
• Zoning Board of Appeals

For Milfordians who are eager to share their expertise with the community on a volunteer board or committee, your first step is to complete the Application for Appointment to Board or Committee. Once completed in full, you need to submit the form to the Board of Selectmen by mailing or dropping it off at their office in Town Hall. The town will keep your application on file for three years.

Details regarding the total number of members, appointments, term limits, powers, etc.  for each board and committee can be found in the General By-Laws of the Town of Milford.

Is there a blighted property in your neighborhood? Do you suspect that a nearby home has been divided into illegal apartments or is simply overcrowded?

Well, now you can share your concerns directly with Milford’s Neighborhood Task Force using their recently launched tip service. All you need to do is call the new tip line phone number (774-462-3307) or fill out the online form available on the town website to let town officials know about Milford properties you believe violate state health and safety codes. If you choose to submit your concern online, you can upload as many as three photographs showing the problems. Before calling or completing the form, be sure you know the street address of the property.

To submit a tip directly using the town website’s online form, click here. If you prefer to call in your tip, call 774-462-3307.

Read more about this new service in “Town Launches Housing Tip Line” in the Milford Daily News.

On May 18th, Milford Town Meeting passed all but one of the articles on the warrant, including Article 21, which will allow the Milford Farmers Market to operate in specific residential zones (classified as RA) instead of being restricted to commercial zones. Citizens for Milford supported this article and thanks everyone who advocated on behalf of the Farmers Market by either discussing the issue with your Town Meeting member or by voting on it as a Town Meeting member. 

Although Article 21 passed, the Milford Farmers Market will continue to operate at the Milford Water Company this year. Opening day is scheduled for Saturday, June 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Farmers Market will run each Saturday through September 26. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information about the Milford Farmers Market, check out their website and Facebook page:

• Milford Farmers Market Website
• Milford Farmers Market Facebook Page

On Monday, May 18th, Milford Town Meeting members will be voting on nearly four dozen articles. One article of particular interest to every Milford citizen is Article 21, which will allow the Milford Farmers Market to operate in specific residential zones (classified as RA) instead of being restricted to commercial zones. Although the exact future location of the Farmers Market has yet to be determined, their goal is to host the Farmers Market in a downtown location with plenty of pedestrian traffic and parking. The grassy grounds of either Stacy or Memorial School are the targeted locations. Passage of Article 21 would pave the path to realizing this goal.

Citizens for Milford supports the Farmers Market’s efforts to move to a downtown location and recommends a “yes” vote on Article 21.

The Milford Farmers Market is a truly valuable asset to our community. Not only does the market provide convenient access to locally grown produce and associated goods, it also provides the opportunity for friends and neighbors to gather in a clean, quiet, and family-friendly atmosphere. Allowing the market to operate downtown will provide the added benefit of walkability to Town Park, as well as the restaurants and shops on Main Street.

Although the zoning change being requested by Article 21 is not specific to the current Milford Farmers Market, there are protections built into the process so that other groups that might like to host their own markets in the future would first be required to seek a special permit—just as the current Milford Farmers Market group will have to do.

If you are a Town Meeting member, please support the Milford Farmers Market by voting “yes” on Article 21. If you are not a Town Meeting member, please ask the members in your precinct to vote “yes.” A list of Town Meeting members by precinct, as well as the complete Town Meeting warrant, are available for easy download below.

Thank you,
John Seaver and Steve Trettel
Co-Chairmen, Citizens for Milford

Supporting Documents and Links

• Milford Town Meeting Warrant May 2015
  Read the complete text of all the articles on the warrant in this file, including Article 21. 
• List of Town Meeting Members
  Find your Town Meeting members in this list, which is organized by precinct.
• Milford Street List With Precincts
  Find which precinct you are in using this alphabetical list of streets in Milford.
• Milford Precinct Map
  Find which precinct you are in using this map that shows the boundaries of Milford’s eight precincts.
• Milford Farmers Market Website
• Milford Farmers Market Facebook Page

Milford’s annual Town Meeting will be held Monday, May 18th at 7:30 p.m. in upper Town Hall. Town Meeting members will be asked to vote on nearly four dozen articles in this year’s warrant. Do you know what is on the warrant?

To download a copy of the warrant, click here.

Milford Town Meeting June 2013 Photo (c) Mary MacDonald for Milford Patch

Even if you are not a Town Meeting member, take some time to review the warrant and be sure to share your opinions with your Town Meeting members. Town Meeting members represent the citizens in their precinct. Even if you are not a Town Meeting member, you do have a voice.

If you don’t know who your Town Meeting members are, then click here to download the most up-to-date list, which is organized by precinct. And if you don’t recall your precinct, you can download either one of the following two files to help you figure that out:

• Milford Street List With Precincts
  Find which precinct you are in using this alphabetical list of streets in Milford.
• Milford Precinct Map
  Find which precinct you are in using this map that shows the boundaries of Milford’s eight precincts.

Please plan to join us anytime
between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, April 25th, to help clean our community!

Meet us in the parking lot across from Sacred Heart Church to munch on a few donuts, chat, then pick up your assignment and work gloves. We will be there rain or shine!

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. 

Free t-shirts will be given to the first 100 volunteers who show up. All supplies and t-shirts are being donated by Republic Services.

Citizens for Milford and the Milford Farmers Market are grateful for the assistance, volunteer support, 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 news! Download a copy of our flyer and hang in your business window or give to a neighbor!