Enhancement committee brings out the best

Milford Welcome Party sparks Jean Hoff’s commemoration MILFORD — Once in a while, there is a moment or an event that manages to set aside the trials and tribulations of life as we know it and bring out the best in us. In 2006 the Milford Enhancement Committee’s Welcome Party just so happened to be that event when it turned a birthday honor into another family’s commemorating treasure. The party just so happened to be extra special that year, as it fell on Dick Snyder’s - the Chairman of the Milford Enhancement Committee and spearhead of many community enriching activities - birthday. Although the weather was rainy, Jean Hoff, resident of Milford, felt something special that day when she walked the red carpet to attend the yearly event that was held at Case de Fabarno, home of Arnold Green and Fabio Disla. The event was still a new concoction by the Milford Enhancement Committee (MEC) and the community loved it; a chance to meet new people, greet returning snow-bird residents and have a wonderful time. So even though the rain was falling, attendees were enjoying the once signature Hurricane cocktails, and toasting to not only the improvements to the streetscapes of Milford, but also birthday wishes and the dedication and hard work put forth by community leader, Dick Snyder. For the first time one of the benches that is up for sponsorship dispersed throughout the town was an auction item. Among a handful of other items that were up for bid, it was the first item to actually be auctioned off and it afforded attendees the opportunity to start the bidding at $1,500, instead of its traditional $2,500 sponsorship price. Many hands were raised and prices flew quickly, but Jean Hoff had already decided that the bench was hers. “I had wanted to honor my parents and when we, my husband, Tom, and I, were at the party, I was having such a great time,” said Jean Hoff. “Between Dick’s birthday and the intense, fun spirit of the party, I couldn’t resist. I had to have the bench.” The Hoff’s moved to Milford thirteen years ago from Mahwah, N.J. and fell in love with the town when visiting Tom’s parents who, at the time, lived on Twin Lakes Road. Tom, a retired vice president of Sales Promotion and Advertising at Hoffman-La Roche, Inc., and Jean, a retired Home Economics teacher, are active in many community minded organizations in the town, including the Milford Enhancement Committee. They regularly attend church at the First Presbyterian Church on Broad Street, which made perfect sense when choosing the location for the bench that would honor her parents. “With the church right around the corner from our house, we figured it would be a perfect place to pay homage to my parents, Edith and Roland Leonard,” Jean mentioned. “I actually watch and see the different people that rest on the bench. Sometimes it’s people waiting to go to church, other times it’s people just taking a break. There is this one woman that frequents the bench with her dog; it really warms my heart to see people enjoy the space.” Edith and Roland Leonard spent most of their life in Delaware, with a 10-year stint in Birmingham, Alabama. Jean remembers them as incredibly encouraging and supportive parents, smiling fondly whenever she speaks of them. She also recalls the sacrifices they made, especially when they put her through college, ensuring her success in whatever direction she decided to take in her life. The celebration of the annual Welcome Party, as well as Dick Snyder’s birthday was intoxicating to Jean, making the bench an irresistible proposition to commemorate her parents. From sponsoring the bench to choosing its location, it was an experience she will always treasure. If you, too, would like to commemorate someone special, a moment that is forever ingrained in your mind or a feeling you never want to go away, you can sponsor a pedestrian light or bench in the town of Milford by calling 570-296-6249 or by e-mailing paula@sql.ms. The Milford Enhancement Committee (MEC) is still working hard to enhance and beautify the streetscapes of Milford’s business district. With five alluring phases complete, the committee moves onto the sixth phase, but not without apprehension. This year, more than ever, the nonprofit organization needs the financial support of the community and all those that support its cause, prompting its “Make a Memory” campaign. Focusing on memories deserving of commemoration, the Milford Enhancement Committee encourages all those that want to remember that special moment, person or feeling to have it etched into one of Milford’s own pedestrian lights or benches to “Make a Memory” in our town’s continuing development process. The MEC has spent the last eleven years raising more than $3 million through private contributions and grants, to improve Milford’s streetscapes through the installation of bluestone sidewalks, period pedestrian light fixtures, benches, the re-establishment of tree lines and grass verges, and other landscaping, giving the town that picture perfect look that evokes special moments. Alongside the MEC, The Delta Group, a Philadelphia urban planning and design firm, has assisted the committee throughout the years, helping them to visualize how the main streets could look, and they have provided the technical expertise necessary to satisfy grant and contractual requirements.