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Ceremony Will Be Held in Draper Memorial Park at Conclusion of Parade

The members of Citizens for Milford invite all area veterans and residents to attend a special ceremony on Veterans Day, 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.

Participating in the ceremony will be local veterans, clergy, and the Milford High School Marching Band. Members of the Italian American War Veterans Milford Post #40 will present the Colors. The Grand Marshall of this year’s Veterans Day Parade, Robert Pavia (U.S. Army veteran), will be the ceremony’s first speaker. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Michael Aghajanian and Bob Savin, who is Lead Coordinator for Irreverent Warriors of Massachusetts, will also make remarks. Participating clergy will include Father Dan Collier of Trinity Episcopal Church and Reverend Peter Joyce, Pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Church. A member of the Waters Corporation Veterans Employee Resource Group will present a wreath honoring veterans at the World War I monument. Milford Fire Lieutenant Scott Keefe will perform “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes during the wreath presentation. Peter Scandone, who is chairman of the Veterans Day Ceremony Committee, will serve as master of ceremonies.

The Milford’s Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony offer everyone in the community an opportunity to demonstrate our support and gratitude for all the Milford men and women who have valiantly served our country. We encourage everyone to join us on Main Street for the parade and at Draper Park for the concluding ceremony to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans. – Peter Scandone

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 Monday 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.

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. Please check the Citizens for Milford Facebook page (Facebook.com/CitizensforMilford) if the weather looks questionable.

The Veterans Day Parade is organized by the Milford Department of Veterans Services. Please address questions regarding the parade to this office in Town Hall at 508.634.2311. Questions regarding the Veterans Day Ceremony can be emailed to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

Speaker Biographies

Retired Milford Police Detective Robert Pavia is a disabled U.S. Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Robert served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a police officer with both the Transit Police in Boston and the Milford Police Department for a combined 22 years. He retired in 2022 after sustaining a spinal injury while performing his official duties. He is the recipient of both the Trooper George L. Hanna Medal of Valor and the Boston Police Medal of Honor. Robert currently serves as the Senior Vice Commander of the Italian American War Veterans Post #40.

Bob Savin is the Local Coordinator for Irreverent Warriors in Milford and Worcester. He has been a volunteer with the organization since 2017 and a resident of Milford for 19 years. Bob is passionate about fostering camaraderie among veterans and supporting their mental health through community events.

Michael Aghajanian served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1997 to 2005, following in the footsteps of his late father, also a Marine. Activated after 9/11 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, he spent about 18 months on active duty, during which he met his wife. In 2004, he worked for 13 months with the Chief of Staff of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Fallujah, Iraq before leaving the Marines as a Sergeant in 2005. A third-generation Milford resident, Michael continues to serve his community as an elected School Committee member, Town Meeting member, and member of the High School Building Committee.

All Area Residents Invited to Our Final Events of the Year!
Citizens for Milford is hosting three more events in 2024.

Field of Flags
We look forward to installing the final display of the Field of Flags in Draper Memorial Park to commemorate Veterans Day. All are invited to help us install the flags on Wednesday, November 6 and to take them down for the winter’s rest on Monday, November 18. We will meet in Draper Park at 9:30 a.m. both dates. 

Veterans Day Ceremony
Citizens for Milford will once again be organizing the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday, November 11 to take place in Draper Memorial Park at approximately 11:00 a.m. 

Christmas Tree Lighting
The annual Christmas Tree Lighting will take place on Friday, November 29 at 5:30 p.m. in Draper Memorial Park. Yes, this is early! But we plan this for the Friday before the Santa Parade to ensure the tree is lit for everyone the day of the parade. And the Santa Parade is Sunday, December 1. 

Don’t Miss Out! Send Your Sponsorship Form NOW!
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.

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. Previous sponsors are encouraged to renew their flag sponsorship for another year and will receive an enrollment form either by email or U.S. mail.

Sponsors can choose to honor a veteran (alive or deceased), an active member of the military, or all our nation’s veterans.

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 dedication. Sponsors can personalize each flag by providing a photo if desired.

To sponsor a flag for the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags project, complete this form and mail it to the address provided with a $40 check made out to the SALVATION ARMY before May 18. Requests for a sponsorship form can be submitted by email to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

DON’T MISS OUT! A total of 215 flags can be installed.

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!

New Flag Sponsorships and Renewals Now Being Accepted. Send Your Sponsorship or Renewal Form BEFORE May 18

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.

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. Previous sponsors are encouraged to renew their flag sponsorship for another year and will receive an enrollment form either by email or U.S. mail.

Sponsors can choose to honor a veteran (alive or deceased), an active member of the military, or all our nation’s veterans.

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 dedication. Sponsors can personalize each flag by providing a photo if desired.

To sponsor a flag for the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags project, complete this form and mail it to the address provided with a $40 check made out to the Salvation Army before May 18. Requests for a sponsorship form can be submitted by email to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

DON’T MISS OUT! A total of 215 flags can be installed, so we urge you to send your form and check as soon as possible.

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

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.

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. 

 I hope that many people, young and old, join us to clean up the streets of Milford on April 27. It is a great way to meet others from the community who take pride in our town. —Beautification Day Chairperson Nancy Wojick

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.

To help ensure the organizers can plan the clean-up routes for volunteers, the group is asking residents to report streets and neighborhoods that are of particular concern. Residents can submit their recommendations by emailing them to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com or by messaging them to the Citizens for Milford Facebook page (@CitizensforMilford) before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 25.

Community involvement with Beautification Day continues to grow. Citizens for Milford is sincerely grateful to the Milford Highway Department, Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail, Milford Lions Club, and volunteers from Milford Federal Bank who are continuing their partnership with us. In addition, Citizens for Milford is pleased to welcome volunteers from Planet Aid and the Milford Doubletree Hotel, who will be joining our clean-up efforts this year. Combined with the work of all residents who continue to volunteer on Beautification Day, this event is a true demonstration of community pride.

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

Seated at left table: Moderators Geri Eddins and Tom Harmon. Seated at right table: BOARD OF HEALTH CANDIDATES Loriann Braza and Diana Haynes.

Citizens for Milford hosted the eleventh Candidate Forum on April 13 at Milford Town Hall. The forum featured the candidates vying for positions on the Milford Board of Health and the Milford School Committee. THANK YOU to those in attendance who posed questions, as well as those who submitted questions in advance and texted, emailed and messaged via Facebook during the forum. We wish we had enough time to pose all of your outstanding questions!

We would especially like to thank each of the candidates for their willingness to serve the town of Milford by running for office and for spending time answering questions on the minds of voters. THANK YOU to MILFORD BOARD OF HEALTH CANDIDATES: Loriann Braza and Diana Haynes and MILFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE CANDIDATES: Gregory Allegrezza, Meghan Hornberger, Christopher Wilson, and Matthew Zachilli.

We also extend A HUGE THANK YOU to our partners at Milford TV for their live coverage of the event. WATCH THE FORUM VIDEO HERE.

Candidates for Milford School Committee (L to R): Gregory Allegrezza, Matthew Zachilli, Christopher Wilson, and Meghan Hornberger.

VOTING REMINDERS

• The DEADLINE to register to vote for MILFORD’S LOCAL ELECTION is March 23rd by 5:00pm.
• The DEADLINE to apply for a Vote by Mail application for this election is March 26th by 5:00pm. (allow mailing time)
• ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, APRIL 2nd!! BE SURE TO VOTE!

*Photos By Kim Smith and Steve Eddins

All Milford Voters Invited to Attend and Ask Your Own Questions of the Candidates in April’s Town Election
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.

The forum will be held Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. and will feature candidates running for one seat on the Board of Health and candidates running for three seats on the School Committee. The forum will take place in Upper Town Hall. All candidates have been invited to meet voters beginning at 6:30 p.m. before the forum begins. This event is free and open to the public.

Candidates running for Board of Health who will be participating in the forum include Loriann Braza and Diana Haynes. The third candidate vying for this seat, Charles Skaff, is not available to participate. All four School Committee candidates will be participating, which include Gregory Allegrezza, Meghan Hornberger, Christopher Wilson, and Matthew Zachilli.

Citizens for Milford members José Costa, Geri Eddins, and Tom Harmon will moderate the forum. A highlight of the forum will be the opportunity for audience members to pose their own questions to the candidates.

Citizens for Milford Vice Chair Kim Smith states, “It is an honor for Citizens for Milford to be hosting the Candidate Forum for the eleventh year. We urge voters to join us in Town Hall on March 13 to meet the candidates and ask their own questions regarding issues confronting the community and our schools.”

Milford voters who are unable to attend the forum are encouraged to send their questions for the candidates in advance by email (citizensformilford@gmail.com) or by Facebook messenger (@CitizensforMilford). In addition, Citizens for Milford will accept questions during each live broadcast by email (citizensformilford@gmail.com), Facebook messenger (@CitizensforMilford), and by phone. The phone number will be displayed on the TV screen during each broadcast.

Milford TV will broadcast the forum live on the public channel (Comcast 8 | Verizon 38), Verizon channel HD 2140, MilfordTV.net, and live streaming on YouTube at YouTube.com/mymilfordtv.

Questions can be emailed to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

The members of Citizens for Milford are thrilled to be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the group’s founding.

Since organizing in early 2014 as a nonpartisan, volunteer organization, Citizens for Milford (CFM) has spearheaded numerous projects and events aimed at encouraging active citizen participation and improving the quality of life in our community. Over these last ten years, the group has established an annual calendar of five foundational events: Candidate Forums in March; Beautification Day in April; Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags in May, July, and November; Veterans Day Ceremony in November; and the Christmas Tree Lighting in December.

Candidate Forums
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.  

Beautification Day
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.

Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags
Citizens for Milford partnered with the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army in 2016 to organize the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags, a tribute acknowledging the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel. The Field of Flags is a stunning display of American flags placed in Draper Memorial Park on three patriotic holidays each year. Over 200 flags are displayed on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day. Each flag is sponsored in honor or memory of a veteran, in honor of an active service member, or in honor of all veterans.  

Veterans Day Ceremony
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.

Christmas Tree Lighting
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.

Special Projects and Events
Other special projects and events we have coordinated include collaborating with the Milford Medal of Liberty committee to present the 2017 and 2018 award ceremonies; advocating for the revitalization of Milford’s two war memorial parks (Calzone Park and Draper Memorial Park); creating the Milford TV special programming event Confronting the Challenges of COVID-19 at Milford Regional Medical Center: Honoring Our Healthcare Heroes, a tribute to our community’s healthcare professionals; initiating the creation of the Town Meeting Working Group to advocate for changes in Town Meeting; and the hosting of special “Conversations with our Legislators” events, such as the “Conversation with Kennedy” in 2016.

Working together with town entities, community groups, Milford businesses, and media has been a priority in all that we do. In fact, we completely acknowledge that we could not carry out our projects without the support and help of the community. 

Heartfelt Thanks!
As we initiate our plans for our eleventh year, we would like to share our sincerest gratitude to all our friends, neighbors, partners, and dedicated volunteers. With your support and participation these last ten years, we have created a solid foundation of community events and traditions that we look forward to hosting for years to come.

Our 2024 CALENDAR OF EVENTS is posted on the top-right of this page. We invite you to join us!