Unity and Pride...

Reprinted from The New Milford Times, January 2007

Unity and pride were the buzzwords of the evening in the sanctuary of the First Congregational Church in New Milford, which was filled to the brim with residents last Sunday night as the Tricentennial Committee kicked off the town's 300th birthday celebration with a patriotic service filled with laughter, music and speeches.

The service marked the official beginning of a year-long roster of events being held to celebrate the founding of the town, and it drew hundreds to the charming sanctuary of one of New Milford's oldest churches. Amid the hallowed nature of the setting, it was a celebratory, non-denominational affair.

Entertainers Jerry and Peggy King got the crowd warmed up with their renditions of "Silvery Moon" and "Be My Baby Bumblebee," and the church choir followed with "Down by the Old Mill Stream." A slide show with black-and-white images of historic buildings in town added to the mood of the event, which began with opening remarks by the Rev. Michael Moran, pastor of the church, vice chairman of the Tricentennial Committee and the organizer of the service.

He reminded everyone to turn off their cell phones and beepers, and told residents that the church was located at one time at the end of the green, but was rebuilt at its present location in 1833. "Many religious communities are present here tonight," he added, asking anyone representing the numerous churches in New Milford to stand up.

"This isn't a religious ceremony-you can tell, because there's no collection," the Rev. Moran joked, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

Committee chairman Katy Francis, whose family, the Ferrises, is one of the town's oldest, introduced her fellow members and reminded everyone to participate in any and all of the events planned throughout the year. Her comments were followed by a proclamation read by Mayor Pat Murphy.

"I urge all citizens to join in the celebrations," the mayor said. "And on a personal note, Happy Tricentennial."

The service invited residents to sing along with members of New Milford High School classes of 1936 to 1957, who offered a rousing version of the school song. The group, dressed in green-and-white sweaters and waving green and white pompoms, sang enthusiastically and drew cheers and applause.

Rabbi Norman Koch of Temple Sholom, Ross Detwiler, a veteran and commercial pilot, and Deborah Calhoun were the guest speakers, and each kept their speeches short and to the point. Rabbi Koch spoke of his first experiences in New Milford and his gratitude for being accepted back in the days when wearing his yarmulke was a concern for some in town.

"Our unity in New Milford is our diversity," he said. "As we enter New Milford's fourth century, what can we do? ... It is my hope and my prayer that unity will help us continue to build New Milford."

Mr. Detwiler, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Air Force who has served his country repeatedly for decades, also spoke of unity and reminded the audience that since the Revolutionary War residents of New Milford have served their country proudly. "I've got three centuries of soldiers to go through, in five minutes," he said. "Citizens from this place became soldiers and they still are. Let's go into the forth century with optimism, but never forget the citizens from this place that became soldiers."

Ms. Calhoun had a similar message. The director of the Afrikan-American Cultural Awareness Association that leads tours of the Underground Railroad in town noted that the town had a vibrant past that needed to be protected. "I encourage all of you to take part in all planned and spontaneous events this year," she said. "Let's learn from our history. Let's pull together as we go into the future."

The St. Francis Xavier Church folk group led the audience in a medley of patriotic songs, including "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Grand Old Flag," "O Beautiful" and "God Bless America," ending with "This Land is Your Land," with a modified version mentioning New Milford places such as the Housatonic River and Candlewood Lake.

After the audience sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing," led by the choir, Patrick Maguire piped a postlude on his bagpipes, accompanying the crowd as they made their way to the church basement for a reception, hosted by New Milford Hospital. There, hospital representative and executive director of external affairs Marydale DeBor gave a brief talk on the hospital's part in the town's history.

"I'm so pleased with the way this all went-Mike [Moran] did a wonderful job," said Ms. Francis at the reception. "It went just great."