Milford pride was on full display this past week as the community enthusiastically came together to beautify Milford in the ninth annual clean-up event!
Citizens for Milford and the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail extend their sincerest gratitude to the dozens of individuals, families, groups, businesses, and government entities that worked together to make the 2024 Milford Beautification Day a tremendous success. Over 200 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 effort to pick up trash on multiple days the week of April 21. The event culminated with a community-wide pick up on Saturday, April 27.
Volunteers picked up a variety of garbage, a lot of which we see every year, such as empty drink containers, candy wrappers, nip bottles, and tires. 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 numerous trips to the transfer station, dropping off not only bags of trash, but also construction debris, full-sized basketball hoop, 50” TV, broken grocery cart, frame of a reclining chair, large signs, and a rusted firepit.
In advance of Beautification Day, volunteers from Milford Federal Bank worked to pick up the downtown area, volunteers from Milford’s Doubletree by Hilton Hotel tackled Beaver Street, members of the Senior Center’s Chi Walking Group cleaned up the section of the Upper Charles River Trail near the Senior Center, and members of the Nueva Jerusalem Church picked up downtown parking lots on Earth Day. In addition, a crew from the Massachusetts Department of Correction in Norfolk worked to pick up along busier roads in town, including East Main Street.
Members of the Greenleaf Garden Club filled all the planters around town with blooming daffodils the week ahead of Beautification Day then worked to clean out community gardens the day of the event.
Volunteers from many different groups also assisted in the clean-up efforts on April 27, including 18 young people from the Milford Youth Center and 50 students from the Milford High School National Honor Society. Many scouts also participated, including young people and leaders from Daisy Troop 65354; Brownie Troop 65217; Girl Scout Troops 30570, 65017, 30016; and Boy Scout Troop 4.
Several town and state officials also contributed their time to clean up Milford, including Town Administrator Richard Villani, Select Board members Paul Mazzuchelli and Michael Walsh, Town Moderator Michelangelo Bon Tempo, and State Representative Brian W. Murray.
Organizers were pleased to welcome the participation of volunteers from two local businesses—Doubletree Hotel and Planet Aid—working in the clean-up efforts for the first time.
After completing their clean-up routes on Saturday, volunteers were treated to hamburgers and hot dogs courtesy of the Milford Lions Club and—new this year!—New City Microcreamery ice cream served by Milford’s The Rail Trail Flatbread Company.
Trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and water were provided to all clean-up volunteers courtesy of Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Highway Department, and Citizens for Milford.
Citizens for Milford is thrilled to see participation in Milford’s Beautification Day continue to grow. The enthusiastic support and hard work contributed by so many different people and organizations ensured the success of this year’s event. We deeply appreciate everyone’s efforts and would like to remind all residents and businesses to be careful with your trash and to consider taking the time to pick it up when you see it. THANK YOU ALL!
Citizens for Milford and the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army are excited to announce that the Field of Flags will return to Draper Memorial Park this May to commemorate Memorial Day. The flags are installed on three patriotic holidays each year (Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day) to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel.
The official results of the 
Citizens for Milford is organizing the Ninth 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.
All Beautification Day volunteers are invited to a free lunch courtesy of the Milford Lions Club, whose members will be cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on site as a thank you to everyone’s efforts to beautify our community.
Citizens for Milford, in partnership with Milford TV, invites all Milford voters to attend the eleventh annual Candidate Forum featuring candidates in contested races in Milford’s upcoming town election.
Recognizing a need to help residents get to know the candidates running for local office, CFM’s very first event, held in our inaugural year of 2014, was a forum featuring candidates in Milford’s town election. CFM has hosted annual candidate forums every year since—including by ZOOM during the pandemic—offering members of the public the opportunity to meet the candidates and pose their own questions. CFM has also hosted forums featuring the candidates running for state senator and state representative when those races are opposed. Outreach is expanded through our partnership with Milford TV, which broadcasts each forum live and rebroadcasts the forums in the days leading up to each election. 
In 2015 Citizens for Milford launched its first Beautification Day, a community-wide effort held in April to pick up trash around town and beautify the community. We work in partnership with the Milford Highway Department, Milford Parks Department, volunteers from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department Community Service Program, E.L. Harvey & Sons, and Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail. Many local businesses, Scouts, church groups, youth organizations, families, and individuals volunteer to help each year. In recent years the Milford Lions Club has provided freshly grilled lunches free to all volunteers.
With support from the Milford Veterans’ Services office, CFM organized the first Veterans Day ceremony in Draper Memorial Park in 2016. The now annual ceremony begins at the conclusion of the Veterans Day parade and features the presentation of the colors, the singing of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” comments by local veterans, and prayers led by clergy. A highlight of the ceremony the performance of the “Armed Forces Medley” by the Milford High School band.
Citizens for Milford initiated a new holiday tradition in December 2015 when we worked with the Parks Department and tree warden to plant a Christmas tree in Draper Memorial Park. The Tree Lighting ceremony that year was short and sweet, but has grown over the succeeding years to include a holiday carol sing-along led by the Greater Milford Community Chorus, visits with Santa Claus, free cookies baked by the Milford Public Schools Food Services department, and free cocoa and chili served by Milford’s Red Heat Tavern.
Other special projects and events we have coordinated include collaborating with the Milford Medal of Liberty committee to present th
The weather is not cooperating with tonight’s CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, so we have made the tough decision to scale back our activities. PLEASE JOIN US in Draper Memorial Park at 6:00 p.m. to count down to light the tree! We will have freshly baked cookies to share.
The 2023 VETERANS DAY CEREMONY held in Draper Memorial Park on Friday, November 10 featured many powerful moments, including music, prayers, speeches, and a wreath presentation, all focused on honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
