New Milford Honored with a Plate

Adapted from The New Milford Times, July 2006
by Emily Olson, Managing Editor

The New Milford Tricentennial Committee will have a booth the Village Fair Days, July 28 and 29. Members will be selling the commemorative New Milford plate and the 2007 Tricentennial Calendar, featuring a collection of submitted photographs chosen by a selection committee during the last few months.

Penny candy, tricentennial stickers and volunteer opportunities will be provided by members of the volunteer commission at the Fair Days as well. The committee is also collecting "Pennies for Abe," an effort to restore the town's Lincoln Memorial statue on the village green.

The commemorative plate is a limited edition collector's item. Commission members are confident that with only 500 produced, at a cost of $35 each, they'll sell quickly. The red-and-white plate, which depicts memorable scenes from New Milford, is perfect for gift-giving and collectors. If it sells out, committee members are considering ordering a second plate in a different color with the same design.

The calendar will feature event dates for tricentennial celebrations throughout 2007, as well as important and interesting historic dates in New Milford, according to commission chairman Katy Francis. The calendars will be $10 each, and will also be available for sale are several downtown businesses after the Village Fair Days. Residents can also order the calendars on the Web site.

Fairgoers will also have the opportunity to see a mock-up of the Woldemar Neufeld book, which will include a collection of the late artist's paintings of New Milford that were done from the 1940s to the 1960s. Sponsorships for the book, at $500 each, entitle supporters to have their name printed in the commemorative book and to receive a giclee print of their choosing from a collection specifically set aside for the book promotion. Mr. Neufeld's son, Laurence, is overseeing the book project.

Pre-orders will be taken for the Neufeld book if people are interested. The book is expected to be available for Christmas gift-giving and will be sold at local retailers in New Milford, as well as online.

Ms. Francis is also chairman of the parade subcommittee. That event will be held on the July 4th weekend in 2007, and will feature a big parade, speeches and other events during the day. Ms. Francis is continually looking for volunteers to help plan and oversee the parade event next year. Ms. Francis said that groups are still signing up to participate, and that anyone who is interested should contact her to get involved.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the tricentennial is invited to contact Katy Francis at 860-354-7137, or by at Katyfrancis@earthlink.net.

To learn more about the commemorative plate, the calendar, the Neufeld book and the events planned, visit the commission's Web site, www.newmilford300.org. The site is being updated and will have new information and links within the next week, according to Ms. Francis.

If you have any ideas for our upcoming celebration or information to contribute, please contact the committee by using our online form .