A young woman waiting in line at the wake for Maren Sanchez pets a therapy dog, one of several stationed outside the wake Thursday.

A long line of people wrapped around the Cody White Funeral Home today to pay respects to the family of Maren Sanchez, the 16-year-old girl who was stabbed to death at Jonathan Law High School on Friday.

The wake continues until 7 p.m.

Many mourners wore purple, which was Maren’s favorite color, and some downtown shops had purple balloons flying in front of their buildings in the girl’s honor.

David Kristy, a friend of the family, said the scene inside the funeral home was orderly and that Maren’s mother was holding herself together as people offered their condolences.

Maren, he said, “looked beautiful in there.”

He said the make up on her face made her look exceptional but that she was always beautiful — even without makeup.

Maren Sanchez

The past six days have been difficult, he said, but the love and support from the community has been helpful.

Kristy said he will remember Maren’s smile and the way she loved and supported others around her.

Several handlers walked along the crowd outside the funeral home with therapy dogs, and several mourners stopped to pet them.

Media from far and wide positioned themselves on the green, behind barriers that the Milford Police Department had put up as a press staging area.

Several hours earlier just down the street from the funeral home, local clergy and officials gathered for a National Day of Prayer ceremony at Milford City Hall. Several speakers talked about Maren and the need for the community to start healing.

Pastor Michael Bulkley from Kingdom Life Christian Church prayed for Maren’s family and others impacted by her murder.

He also called for an end to hatred and violence.

Father Maurice Maroney from St. Gabriel Church prayed for peace, especially for the Jonathan Law High School community and Maren’s family.

Father Maurice Maroney of St. Gabriel Church in Milford talks about Maren Sanchez during Milford’s National Day of Prayer at noon Thursday at Milford City Hall.

“The life of a bright, promising student was cut short by tragic circumstances beyond our understanding,” Father Maroney said.

He praised faculty and staff that tried to help her as she was being attacked, and those who started emergency medical treatment.

Christopher Plaskon, the 16-year-old boy who will be charged with murder for her death, is due in court Friday morning.

Plaskon will reportedly be tried as an adult. Friends have said that Plaskon stabbed Maren because she would not go to the prom with him.

Maren Sanchez

The family of Maren Sanchez, the teenager killed at Jonathan Law High School last Friday, released the following statement today through the Milford Police Department. 

Our hearts are forever broken by the loss of our Maren. The outpouring of compassion, support, and love from the community she touched during her life and in her passing has moved us deeply and has offered our family great comfort and solace during this difficult time.

We wish to thank each and every one of you for your time, effort, resources, comfort and other support.

To the students, parents, staff and faculty of Jonathan Law High School and the Milford Board of Education, the Milford Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, State of Connecticut and Town of Milford officials, the Cody-White Funeral Home, and the Knights of Columbus of Milford, we are grateful. To the countless other businesses and individuals, who donated their time and resources, and every person, many completely unknown to us, who have reached out to offer their comfort and other support to us, we thank you all. We wish that we could thank each of you individually.

Thank you also for your continued respect for our privacy. We ask that you keep us in your prayers during this time as we continue to mourn our loss.

Sarah O’Connell, a junior at Foran High school, and her family have organized a Zumba for Maren Fundraiser scheduled for Friday, May 23 at 6 p.m. in the Foran High School Gym.

Zumba fitness celebrity Master Instructor Eddie Calle of Energ-E fitness will be conducting a 90-minute master class with local area guest instructors, Gloria Cora and Freddie DeJesus.

Foran High School has donated the use of the space. Mitchco Party has donated staging, and other area businesses are donating banners, flyers and more.

“The event is meant to be a celebration of the positivity, light, love and energy that Maren gifted to the world every day,” organizers said

Cost is $10 per person. There will be waters for sale, raffle prizes, and all proceeds directly benefit the Maren Sanchez Memorial Fund. The event has been given approval by the Sanchez Family.

For information contact Joan Poirier, 203-522-2933 or Zumbaformaren@gmail.com.

May 5 – 9 is the 45th Annual Municipal Clerks Week and it will be Milford’s fifth year celebrating.

During the first week in May, the City Clerk’s office will hold a reception for title searchers, attorneys, real estate agents and visitors, appreciating their business and aiming to increase awareness of the vital services we provide.

This year the office will be collecting donations for the Milford Food Bank.

Donations may be brought to the City Clerk’s office Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during May.

Residents can put food out at their mailbox Saturday and the mail carriers will take it to the Milford Food Bank.

Individuals may also bring their donations to the center, 9 Jepson Drive, on Saturday.

The Milford Food Bank is housed at the Milford Senior Center. Groceries and monetary donations to assist those in need are welcomed.

The Milford Striped Bass Club has released the name of winners in this past weekend annual Children’s Trout Derby.

Winners

Largest overall

Rich Esposito, age 15, 19.5” rainbow

 Largest rainbow

1ST Maia Schwing, age 9, 18.5“

2ND Carter Krenicki, age 3, 18.5”

3RD Brynn Herrera, age 7, 18”

 Largest brook trout

1ST Dillon Hurley, age 5, 14”

2ND Mike Latella, age 6, 13 1/8”

3RD Cassidy Warakonski,  age 9, 13”

Largest brown trout

1ST John Schmedlin, age 9, 14”

2ND Ben Massena, age 9, 14”

3rd Zayne Paskewitz, age 6, 14”

 Largest golden trout

1ST Justin Forde, age 12,14.5”

2nd Alexis Purcaro, age 4, 14”

3rd MacKenzie Krenicki,  age 4, 13.5”

 Casting contest

Age 5 and under

Dillon Hurley and Alexis Purcaro

Ages 6 to 8

Charles Randall and Agnes Haynes

Ages 9 to 12

Caiden McManus and Taylor Rose

Ages 13 to 15

Dominick LaPuglia and Zowie Paskewitz

To read more about the derby, click here.

The following students were named to the third quarter honor roll at Jonathan Law High School:

First honors

Grade 9 — Trisha Brady, John Corsa, Lexi Fisk, Sarah Golden, Katherine Lacadie, Olivia Murro, Emma Saley, Olivia Steiner, Nathan Tavares.

Grade 10 — Luigi DeCastro, Laura Gonzalez, Veolette Hanna, Leo Merturi, Alyssa Paladino, Kavita Rana, Amita Sastry, Kelly Scianna, Emma Shea.

Grade 11 — Sofya Calvin, Jamie Georgelos, Ming-Yeah Hu, Kelsey Kopazna, Dhruvit Patel.

Grade 12 — Kristin Connolly, Abrielle Corda, Alexis Corda, Robert Daniels, Elizabeth Fowler, Jennifer Gill, Edwin Gonzales, William Hayden, Timothy Maher, Hijab Mir, Nicole Poulin, Ryan Riordan, Kira Topalian.

First honors

Grade 9 — Laney Ackley, JonPaul Amaro, Valeria Araujo, Jillian Bendlak, Ashley Boehm, Tyler Chavez, Melanie Coleman, Victoria Contaxis, Eden DeOcampo, Gina DiFederico, Samir Elhelw, Thomas Faller, Jonathan Feher, Nisali Fernando, Simone Fletcher, Tanner Georgelos, Logan Henricksen, Alexandra Hessberger, Megan Hripak, Donovan Johnson, Paul Johnson, Jennifer Kallmann, Nicole Kopek, Kyle Krois;

Also, Madison Laezzo, Casey LaScola, Michael Maccio, Kavitha Mohanarajan, Jovana Mrvic, Kyra Murray, Scibher Orpiano, Owen Paiva, Lauren Paredes, Kristen Passaro, Beatrice Relucio, Samuel Rossi, Maeve Rourke, Deepika Senthilnathan, Margaret Sullivan, Meghan Sumner, Dennis Sweeney, Gillian Tan, Olivia Tramuta, Michael Vergara, Ryan Wasserman, Matthew Zancewicz.

Grade 10 — Elyssa Alber, Emmanuel Alesna, Camila Araujo, Sara Beck, Sidra Butt, Michael Capobianco, David Carelli, Jenelle Grant, Geremy Hayes, Ian Hugo, Molly Krupienski, Gianna Laezzo, Nicole Macchio, Brandon Macey, Elizabeth Mainieri, Casey Malone, Vishal Manglani, Casey McDonald, Francesco Mucciacciaro, Ireoluwa Opayemi, Daniel Ouellette, Alicia Paight, David Patrick, Joseph Romick Barrell, Adam Streeter, Peter Zynko.

Grade 11 — Maryzyrene Adao, Mohammed Alharbali, Brittany Bajerski, Justine Bannon, Drew Carolan, Evelyn Castro, Tiffany Coleman, Colin DiPisa, Jeremy Doucette, Jeffrey Eng, Emily Fetter, Raeven Grant, Morgan Hennessey, Cori Kalafus, Sengchan Khamhoung, Nicholas Lawrence, Brittany Manganiello, Michael Murray, Hannah Naiburg, Patrick O’Brien, Jewel Okwuosa, Haley Palmer, Nikita Patel, Marissa Prizio, Sean Rice, Matthew Sakowicz, Kyle-Gabriel Tan, Joshua Weizel, Christina Zikopoulos.

Grade 12 — Deniz Akman, Lena Arnold, Danielle Biondino, Mark Bluemer, Brooke Bonetti, Cassandra Bostic, Kate Brady, Matthew Cadrin, Stephanie Cameron, Matthew Capobianco, Jesiree Carrera, Korinne Cavallaro, Lara DeCastro, Jacqueline Delprete, Brianna DeLucca, Esha Deshmukh, Richard Dow, Hebani Duggal, Lydia Dupree, Madison Edson, Megan Fitzsimons, Frank Giustino, Elizabeth Gregorio, Dylan Hallett, Mariah Hanania, Ciara Hayden;

Also, Kristyna Hill, Taylor Keramis, Kaleigh Kozek, Kelly Kruysman, Soumya Kundu, Hayley Lapadula, John Lawless, Christina Macaluso, Zan Manzar, Christina Mazzeo, Tristan Ortiz, Joshua Paton, Nicole Postighone, Emily Romero, Jake Rouse, Gabriel Salles, Brittany Scott, McKenna Staurovsky, Krishnan Sureshkumar, Matthew Tighe, Victoria Vergara, Caseyanne Viera, Molly Wasson, Justin Whitham, Jessica Whitney.

Second honors

Grade 9 — Sean Ahrens, Hassna Alharbali, Sean Ancheta, Zachary Anderson, Malena Araujo, Brianna Arnold, Joshua Arroyo, James Boyles, Emily Broderick, Isabella Brown, Tiffany Carlson, Melissa Chodziutko, Rebecca Cobin, Juan Correa, Jessica Cuevas, Haley Dattilo, John Dattilo, Michael Dattilo, Jillian Davis, Andrew DeMarco, Bethany Edwards, Ryan Emmons, Thomas Gambardella, Megan Gleason, Nicholas Glorioso, Jenny Goldstein;

Also, Jessica Gray, Taylor Haase, Michael Jalaf, Jessica Katrick, Kevin Keramis, Ally Maccio, Samantha Markham, Jacob McElligott, Madeleine Mizzoni, Hieu Nguyen, Leea Palmer, Marissa Pollack, Shanza Qaiser, Ann Reed, Alexandra Remy, Catherine Rice, Colleen Rice, Arianna Rivera, Juliana Rivera, Isabela Roldan, Sage Russell, Hena Sasaoglu, Madison Sosa, Alexander Tampellini, Dennis Theis, Benjamin Warters, Abigail Williamson.

Grade 10 — Brandon Argyros, Colby Brennan, Timothy Caldwell, Kayla Carollo, Jenna Caron, Emily Carroll, Maxwell Caserta, Nicholas Catandella, Dalton Champagne, Kira Chandra, Isabel Cortez, Vanessa Cuevas, Kaylee Curran, Logan Danville, Patience Deprey, Mark Dow, Maria Finitsis, Gabrielle Gluhanich, Megan Grabowski, Destin Johnson, Thomas Kinross, Justin Knoth, Monica Lomme, Sean Lonergan, Kaitlyn Lynch;

Also, Renee Lynch, Mattheus Mejia, James Mercaldo, Saniya Mumtaz, Victoria Nabors, Andrew Navarro, Amanda Norman, Tyler Papallo, Kristen Parks, Jaret Petrie, Danielle Petruccelli, Shannon Pritchard, Jennifer Rondinelli, Kyle Rosenthal, Erin Saley, Vincent Sementilli, Devon Sharafanowich, Heather Sherrick, Megan Smith, Elyse Velky, Nadia Watt.

Grade 11 — Adil Ali, Alessandra Alling, Amar Almidani, Shahd Almotairi, Mathew Becker, Aubrey Bepko, Angeli Caliwara, Samantha DeMarco, Timothy Edson, Ava Favazza, Kathryn Frawley, Max German, Melissa Hanania, Phoebe Herbert, Jake Jalaf, Razan Kaisar, Sarah Kaisar, Charles Knights, Joshua Kucewicz, Emily LaLuna, Branden Laneuville;

Also, Amanda Leone, Benjamin Longobardi, Alexis Maltes, Zachary Mullins, Carol Phillips, Alberto Principe, Hayley Sanchez, Paige Schwarz, Jordan Shackett, Austin Stewart, Holly Stewart, Shannon Sullivan, Nicole Thibodeau, Kailee Tierney, Matthew Toole, Dylan Vienneau, Brittany Welkes.

Grade 12 — Ryan Axtell, Dean Bibens, Alexander Boyd, Benjamin Buczek, Nicholas Casagrande, Joshua Cortes, Hope Cupole, Michael DiBartolomeo, Hadir Elhelw, Michael Emmons, Casey Finn, Ashley Franklin, Sarah Gambardella, Melissa Grabowski, Danielle Gray, Brianna Grazynski, Adam Hiatt, EunGee Hwang;

Also, Muhammadali Khan, Michael Kowalsky, Melissa Kross, Jack Lambert, Maryann Lonergan, Monica Macchio, Tyler Macey, Ian Malone, Brittany Marino, Lianne Maynard, Luke Mazzeo, Megan McAndrew, John Merva, Rebecca Minahan-Rowley, Caroline Neumann, Michelle Novak, Angelica Olmos, Scott Osborne;

Also, Melissa Padilla, Camila Palacio, Jacqueline Pelella, Jasmine Perez, Selena Potenzo, Mariah Root, Jason Savisky, Sean Scianna, Giovanni Sciarappa, Ryan Siddall, Meaghan Sollitto, Aaron Tejada, Jocelyn Travis, Jose Trujillo, Michael Vaccaro, Tristan Walker, Cassie Wasson, Danica Wens, Sami Yousef.

Citizens from Milford and surrounding towns are invited to contribute items for the 2014 time capsule project.

In celebration of Milford’s 375th Anniversary, the Time Capsule Project is being spearheaded by long-time Milfordite DeForest (Frosty) Smith, along with a team of fellow citizen volunteers.

“We look at this project as giving all citizens a way to help tell Milford’s story to residents of the future,” Smith said. “It is an exciting project and I hope we receive many submissions.”

Time capsule submission forms will be placed strategically throughout the city. Residents are asked to complete a submission form and attach it to their contributed item. Items may be deposited in the collection boxes at the City Hall lobby, George J. Smith Building at the end of the Milford green and the Milford Public Library.

Forms are available at each location and will also be distributed around town at local businesses. Forms are also available online at milfordct375.com.

The deadline to submit items for the time capsule is Aug. 1.  The deadline for student submissions is June 1.

Student input

In addition to reaching out to the adult Milford community, the committee has been working with the school community.  Submission boxes will be distributed to each school in the city — along with submission forms.

For time capsule projects in the past, Smith said the contributions from the schools have been particularly robust.

“For time capsule projects in the past, we’ve enjoyed taking a look at letters, photographs, drawings, reports, and many other items kids have contributed over the years,” Smith said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids to be involved in this wonderful Milford tradition.”

The 375th Time Capsule will be buried on the grounds of the Parsons Governmental Center in September. It will be opened 25 years from now during Milford’s 400th anniversary celebrations.

For information contact Frosty Smith via e-mail at dsmith@hpearce.com.

Barnes & Noble of Milford will host a book fair and open mic night at the bookstore Saturday, May 10, noon to 5 p.m.

“Anyone is welcome to share words, songs, instrumental music and dance,” a Barnes & Noble spokesperson said. 

To schedule a time to speak or perform, call Karen Dydzuhn, Community Relations Manager, Barnes & Noble Milford, at 203-301-0371 or email crm2240@bn.com.

U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro will be honored as Democrat of the Year at the Milford Democratic Town Committee’s 6th Annual Awards Dinner  next month.

Also being honored are former Milford Mayor Alberta Jagoe (Lifetime Contribution), Leticia (Letty) Malone (Outstanding Community Service), and Benjamin D. Gettinger of Milford (Young Democrat).

The dinner will be Friday, June 6 at Aldario’s Restaurant, 240 Naugatuck Avenue in Milford beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $75 in advance, $100 at the door and can be purchased by calling 203-876-9717.

For information contact Richard Smith, Chairman, Milford Democratic Town Committee at 203-874-8704.

12:20 p.m.: Reports indicate police are investigating this morning’s incident as a fatality.

11:12 a.m.: An Amtrak train struck a pedestrian in Milford this morning, causing some trains to be halted for as much as 30 minutes.

Railroad officials said the incident occurred west of the Milford train station shortly before 11 a.m. There was no immediate word of the person’s condition.

Southbound trains are currently delayed about 10 minutes. More information when it becomes available.

Police were stationed at the Milford Train Station Friday around noon, near where a man was struck and killed by an Amtrak train.

A man was killed in Milford today after being struck by an Amtrak train just west of the Milford train station.

According to Aaron Donovan, MTA spokesman, a white man was struck on the tracks just before 11 a.m.

The man was hit by an Amtrak train that had departed from Boston at 8:15 a.m. bound for Washington, D.C.

Donovan said the man’s name has not been released. MTA police, working with Milford police, are still investigating. Donovan could not say yet if the death was an accident or intentional.

Trains on the New Haven line were delayed as police conducted their investigation. One track was open, so while lines grew long, people were able to be transported, Donovan said.

The Mayor’s Youth Award ceremony, previously scheduled for May 1, will take place on Thursday, June 26, at 5 p.m. in the Veteran’s Auditorium at the Parsons Complex.

Mayor Benjamin G. Blake, in conjunction with Milford Youth & Family Services, will host the 26th Annual Mayor’s Youth Award ceremony.

One goal of the awards process is to acknowledge the dedication and achievements of Milford’s youth.

For information call Christie Roche, program coordinator at 203-783-3253.

The front of the Melba Street Firehouse, which will be sold at an auction May 10.

The City of Milford will sell the old Melba Street firehouse at an auction Saturday, May 10, and residents are invited to submit their bid. The minimum bid is $477,000

The Melba Street firehouse is one of two city firehouses that was closed when the new East Side Fire Station was built on New Haven Avenue, consolidating the Melba Street and the Kings Highway fire stations. The Borough of Woodmont will use the Kings Highway fire station for its new borough hall.

The Melba Street property for sale consists of a piece of land totaling approximately 20,000 square feet, located at 204 Melba Street, and acquired by the City of Milford on May 24, 1944.

The property is located in a Business District Zone.

A generator, communication tower and all associated equipment currently located on the property will be removed by the City of Milford.

Other than that, the property is being sold “as is.”

Interested buyers can download bid packages from the city website at www.ci.milford.ct.us. Click on the “Changes in Bids” icon for any applicable addenda prior to the date of public auction.

Anyone wishing to participate in the bidding must register with the City of Milford’s agent and/or representative 30 minutes prior to the auction and present  a certified or bank check in the amount of $47,700.

Qualified bidders will be issued numbers, and bidding will be conducted and recorded by those numbers. The successful bidder will be required to deposit the check with the City of Milford’s agent and/or representative at the end of the auction.

Bidding will begin with a minimum bid of $477,000. All additional bids must be in increments of $1,000.

The successful bidder must be prepared to sign a sales contract immediately upon the conclusion of the auction and to pay the balance of the purchase price no later than June 6.

The auction will take place at the firehouse at noon May 10.

People can tour the property on the following dates Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to noon, prior to the bidding.

Bidding instructions may be obtained from the Purchasing Department or downloaded at www.ci.milford.ct.us.

Click on “Services”, select “Departments”, then select “Purchasing Department”, then select “Current Bids”

For information call 203-783-3250, between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.

Potential

Mayor Ben Blake thinks the old Melba Street firehouse would make a nice mixed-use building, maybe a flower shop or a breakfast shop below and residence above.

Or the building could be used for offices. Then again, it could be a single-family home for someone with an eye toward the eclectic. Blake said there is nothing precluding a buyer from using the old firehouse, which is in a business district zone, as a single-family home.

“There are a lot of people who love fire departments and firehouses,” Blake said. “When I was a little boy, I dreamed of being a fireman.”

The two-story building comes with a spacious living area, at 5,498 square feet, according to the city assessor’s office, which includes a very large garage — roomy enough for firetrucks, in fact — and two very large automatic garage doors.

“This would be great for someone who had a couple of cars they wanted to restore,” the mayor said.

The stucco/masonry exterior gives the building a bit of a beachy feel, and according to city officials, there is a view of the beach from the flat roof. The roof appears, however, to be accessible only by a metal rung ladder mounted to the second-floor wall.

The spacious main room on the second floor offers a glimpse of the water through the tree line — only a glimpse, but ocean view nonetheless. And the room itself is open and airy, leading to what could be one small kitchen — functional, but in need of updating — three bedrooms and a spacious though commercial-type bathroom, complete with lots of pink wall tile.

One of the would-be second-floor bedrooms is fitted with a huge mirror, which the mayor said is there because the room was used as a weight room when it was a firehouse.

One media representative who toured the property Monday said the long mirror would be a great asset if the firehouse became a dance studio.

The mayor echoed that, and noted that the Lee Lund Dance Studio in downtown Milford was once a city firehouse.

The building features gas heat, a lower floor bathroom — also in need, of course, of a little upgrading — and fairly high ceilings.

Firefighter Greg Carman spent a lot of time at the old firehouse and has fond memories of it. Still, he wouldn’t consider it for a single-family home because it’s not quite old enough for him.

“I like my homes built before 1900,” Carman said. “The best probable use because of the zoning and location, I would say, should be a small deli/grocery store with a single apartment above. The neighborhood needs this since Beachside closed and due to the many seniors in the area.”

The best part of Station 6 and Station 5, which also closed and will soon house the new Woodmont Borough Hall, were that they were like a neighbor to the community that surrounds them, Carman said.

“We welcomed in the joggers or cyclists for a drink of water, or the local kids to fill their flat tires on their bikes, and gave them a quick tour of the fire trucks, Carman said.

The building is livable. According to the mayor, several disaster relief coordinators lived for a short time in the building after Hurricane Sandy.

The potential buyer looking for a true firehouse experience here won’t find the two fire poles that once allowed firefighters to get quickly from the main level to the street level. Fire poles were removed from most firehouses about 15 years ago, Blake said, but he noted the infrastructure is still there if someone wanted to try to put them back in.

On the other hand, the city does plan to bless the buyer with some firefighting tokens.

Fire Chief Douglas Edo said he believes the department can come up with some smoke detectors to donate, and likely some plastic fire hats that the department gives out to children at special events.

An Arts & Crafts Show is taking place on the Milford green this weekend.

There are artists and artisans. There will be music and a food court.

Free parking and admission.

Vendors sought for Milford Rotary’s third annual EcoFest and environmental celebration on May 17. This family–focused event runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milford Rotary Pavilion behind the public library on New Haven Ave., rain or shine. Any organization or business that can help our planet Earth to be a better place should consider participating. Space is $25 for Non-profits and $125 for for-profit vendors ($125). For additional information contact Darcy Lapp-Rabinovitz at 203-876-5123.

Families Anonymous — Families Anonymous is a free self-help support group for adults concerned about the drug, alcohol or related behavioral problems of a relative or friend. The group meets Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at St. Andrew Episcopal Church Hall, 283 Bridgeport Avenue. No registration is required. For information call Judy D. at 203-283-3867 or Charlene at 203-878-0669.

The City of Milford’s 375th Anniversary Committee will host a Grand Parade on June 15 at 2 p.m. through Downtown Milford.

The theme of the parade is “Past, Present and Future, 375 years of Milford’s Progress” and will feature floats from Milford organizations, businesses and community members.

“This will be the biggest parade Milford has seen in a long time,” said Committee Chairman Bob Gregory. “This delivers a chance to see what our community has to offer and have a whole lot of fun while doing it.”

The Parade Committee, led by Director of Recreation Paul Piscitelli, anticipates 100-125 units participating in the parade.

Parade applications are available at the Recreation Department or email Piscitelli at ppsicitelli@ci.milford.ct.us for an online application.

Contact Bob Gregory for more information at 203-988-2274.

Additional details can also be found at milford375.org.

Milford Earth Day Volunteers are needed for Milford Earth Day 2014, Saturday, May 17 from 8 a.m. to noon at Wilcox Park.

Preserving the woodland diversity at Wilcox Park for today and for future generations is vital to protecting this public open space that is also a State Wildlife refuge designated in 1931, city officials said.

Non-native invasive species are overwhelming the 105-year-old Wilcox Park.

Volunteers will be celebrating Milford Earth Day this year by cutting non-native invasive plants that are damaging the native woodland community. They also will be building habitat brush piles and planting native plants and flowers.

“Invasive threats are not a new problem in Milford,” said Steve Johnson, the city’s open space coordinator. “In 1797, Milford voted to make it lawful to ‘dig up and destroy’ European Barberry bushes because our early townspeople understood the damage that the barberry bushes were causing to their grain crops.”

Volunteers will learn why these non-native invaders are the biggest threat to the conservation of open spaces today. Working in teams, people of all ages can lend a hand to make a difference at Wilcox Park.

“It is hoped that participants can take their new knowledge back to their own homes and neighborhoods and work to eliminate non-native invasive species they find growing there,” Johnson said.

For Information contact Johnson at milfordearthday.org or 203-878-7812 or e-mail: stevenjohnson@ci.milford.ct.us.

Land Rover Milford will be the lead corporate sponsor of the Rose of Hope Celebrity Champagne Reception, part of the Rose of Hope Luncheon, an annual benefit for the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, for the second year.

The luncheon, which takes place in June, raises funds for the center’s programs for underserved women.

Each year the Breast Care Center helps more than 1,000 women access free screening and diagnostic services to prevent early death from breast cancer through its Medically Underserved Initiative, the largest program of free care in the area. The annual luncheon, which raises funds to support this program, attracts over 600 individuals, many of them breast cancer survivors, and takes place in Fairfield.

Television personalities Giuliana and Bill Rancic will deliver the keynote address. Giuliana, a breast cancer survivor, is the co-anchor of television’s E! News. Her husband, Bill, is a motivational speaker and Chicago real estate developer who was hired by The Trump Organization at the conclusion of the first season of The Apprentice.

“We are fortunate to have so many committed supporters and friends,” said Dr. Donna Twist, executive director of the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center. “Land Rover’s generosity ensures that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of women and their families.”

For more information about sponsorship or for tickets to the Rose of Hope Luncheon, call the Breast Care Center at 203-255-5300.

Part of Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System, the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center has served more than 20,000 women and their families since it was established in 1999.

One of only 200 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the center provides a range of diagnostic care and treatment at its Bridgeport Hospital and Fairfield locations, including medical oncology, surgical and chemotherapy services, plastic surgery, mammography and radiation therapy, and genetic risk assessment as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials.

Milford Hospital will be offering “Basic Wound Care” on May 14 at 6:30 p.m. given by Milford Hospital Wound Care Center.

Learn a practical approach to managing wounds. What to look for, how to care for them and when to seek medical attention.

This is a free event and registration is required.

To register, go to milfordhospital.org or call the Department of Education at 203-876-4004.