The funding for the parade was limited this year due to the VFW gambling crackdown that occurred earlier this year, so they were not able to afford the out-of-town bands that usually show up for the parade. I like having the extra bands, and I hope that they find a way to fund them next year.
There are a few events that go on each year that really make a difference in Milford. These are things like the pumpkin festival, the Fourth of July fireworks, and the Labor Day parade. These are all key contributors to improving the spirit of the town, and as such, they indirectly help to increase the economic vitality of the town. Because they are so important to the town, I think that we should support them at least partially though taxes rather than though private funding. I would be in favor of putting at least partial support of the Labor Day parade on the ballot as a separate warrant article next year to see if others in town agree. It would be a shame if the parade were to disappear due to lack of private funding.
There was a good selection of politicians this year since it is a Presidential primary year. I like having the politicians in the parade, and I'd like to see that continue. There are some people that really don't like having the pol's around, but I think that they add a lot to the mix.
We had two top tier presidential candidates with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, a second tier candidate with Chris Dodd, our Congressman Paul Hodes, and Governor John Lynch as the Grand Marshall of the parade.
I sat in an area with a mix of residents ranging from little kids to seniors. Everyone in our area seemed to really enjoy themselves.
Barack Obama came over to our area to shake hands, and it was really interesting. You could feel the electricity in the air when he came by, with just about everyone getting excited. Mitt Romney also shook hands in our area, but the response was much more muted.
No comments:
Post a Comment