Concerts in the park

MILFORD - There may be music in the park this summer. Steve Panicucci and Eric Yetter on Monday asked the borough council to consider a series of seven Sunday concerts, running from mid-June through July. Panicucci, who is involved with the Cal Ripken Baseball league, initially was involved with the the borough’s parks and recreation committee efforts to upgrade the borough Little League field. While Panicucci admitted he knew little about music and the performing arts, he had also hoped find a way to get them into the park schedule. Reading about Yetter’s background as a songwriter, performer and his hosting of the open-mic at 7th Street Coffee, Panicucci had found a guy with contacts. “I gave him a call.” The idea still needs to be considered at a public hearing before final council approval, so performers and dates have not been completed. But the programs would be varied and include jazz, folk, classical and pop. “We’re not planning any rock,” Panicucci said. Performances would be staged from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Memorial Park gazebo, starting a week after the conclusion of the annual Milford Music Festival on June 19 and concluding at the end of July. Panicucci was successful in funding the baseball field renovation with business sponsorships and he plans to use the same technique for the concert schedule. Individual concert costs of about $300 each would be provided by a sponsor, whose name and business would appear in publicity and on program fliers for the peformance. “The idea is to create a family activity. Parents can come out and let the kids play while they listen to the music,” Panicucci said.