Botox Pajama Party

Downtown Milford business The Bed Chambers is partnering with Attitudes Medi Spa to bring you a unique and fun-filled evening. Thursday, August 30th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The Bed Chambers and Attitudes Medi Spa will host a Botox Pajama Party at 808 Seabury Avenue in Milford, Delaware.

Guests can relax and have fun with friends while enjoying decadent chocolate, beautifying with Botox, and of course shopping for new sleepwear items. As an added bonus, shoppers will receive 10% off Bed Chambers merchandise and $50 off Botox all night long.

RSVP is required for this special evening. Interested participants can call 302-422-3356 for more information.

Photography Exhibit

A Photography Exhibit Open Reception will be held Thursday, August 23, 2007 at Angelucci Fine Woodworking & Stained Glass. The exhibit will be open from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the 7 Park Avenue location in Downtown Milford, Delaware.

Digital and Black & White Film students will have their works on display. The Digital Class photographers include Diane Riley Brown, Dean P. Geyer, Kristie Hazel, Margaret Melson, and Barbara Rowe. The Black & White Film Class photographers are Jessica Daleiden, Jamie Holzman, Michelle Peters, and Tejas Sheth.

Instructor Marc Clery is a professional photographer experienced in photojournalism, commercial, wedding, portraiture and fine art photography. The heart of his work is his pursuit of photography as a medium of artistic expression and a means of examining the human condition.

Currently the Director of Photography at the Delaware Coast Press, Clery has received numerous awards from such professional organizations as the National Press Photographers Association, the Florida Press Association and the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association. He has worked with The Miami Herald ,The Vero Beach Press-Journal, The Wilmington, Del. News-Journal and the Delaware State News and his work has also been published in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Wall Street Journal newspapers and in Delaware Today and Wine magazines.

Clery started his full-time career in photojournalism in 1978 with The Milford Chronicle, where he was the first and only full-time photographer. “The Chronicle gave me a sense of community that has stayed with me throughout my photojournalism career,” he said.

Marc's photography can be viewed at http://www.marcclery.com/. He can be contacted at 302-228-8616 or via e-mail at fstpo8@comcast.net.

Pictured above: The 2006 Capturing Light Photography class images.

President's Message

Progress is “positive movement”. I am happy to report that Downtown Milford, Inc. (DMI) is making progress in all areas of operation. Some of that positive movement is at a speed we are all pleased with; other movement is slower than expected, but is movement nonetheless.

Since my last message, Dan and Rhonda Bond completed their amazing renovation of the “Governor Tharp Building” at the corner of NW Front and Church Streets. This total rehabilitation of one of Milford’s most historic structures surprised many skeptics who saw only condemnation and demolition in the building’s future. The work was financed in part through monies obtained through DMI. The building now houses offices and the LadyBug Shop on the ground level and five modern apartments on the upper levels.

The week of April 28-May 4 was “Ladybug Week”. It started with the most successful “Bug & Bud Festival” ever and culminated with the “Ladybug Gala & Auction” at which many thousands of dollars were raised for DMI and our partner, the Mispillion Art League--all through ticket sales and the auction of the 15 ladybug art forms that had been on display in local businesses prior to the Festival.

Slower progress, yet progress still, is being made in our two main projects. In partnership with the City of Milford, DMI hopes to complete the process of making Milford a “Main Street” community as soon as the state Main Street Office prepares its new application and schedules a training session for prospective members. While DMI emulates a traditional main street community in its current operations, membership will bring much-needed consultative advice to help us better manage in the future. Information about the nation-wide Main Street Program can be found on their website at www.mainstreet.org.

Slow but sure progress is also being made on the extension of the “Streetscape” project on N.E. Front Street, from Washington Street to the renovated Riverwalk Shopping Center. This project will involve the burying of utility lines, removal of utility poles, rebuilding the street surface, and creating sidewalks, plantings, benches, and lighting similar to what we did in the first phases on Walnut and N.W. Front Streets. This project will be funded through the generous help of our local state legislators, Senator Gary Simpson, Representative V. George Carey, and Representative Bob Walls and the in-kind contributions of the City of Milford.

Finally, you may have noticed the unruly bushes along the sidewalks in downtown have been removed by the City. In the near future they will be replaced by annuals and perennials chosen and paid for by DMI’s streetscape improvement fund.

All this work is carried out by our dedicated Executive Director, Beth Durham, and our many volunteers. Ongoing work and future projects will need additional volunteers. Please contact us if you can give a lot or a little of your time.

Pictured above: Downtown Milford, Inc's Board of Directors President, Mitch Crane

Farmers' Market Week Proclamation

Governor Ruth Ann Minner has signed a proclamation declaring August 5 through August 11 as Farmers’ Market Week in the State of Delaware.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) strongly supports and promotes the development, operation and expansion of First State markets and the “Grown Fresh with Care in Delaware” campaign, as well as other direct-to-consumer marketing activities for Delaware’s agricultural producers. Gov. Minner and Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse recognize that farmers’ markets provide farmers with excellent marketing opportunities while providing consumers with delicious, nutritious, fresh-picked local fruits and vegetables.

There are currently 10 farmers’ markets throughout the state of Delaware offering consumers a variety of fruits and vegetables, herbs, cheeses, flowers baked goods, meat and much more.

The growth in Delaware farmers’ markets reflects the national trend. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers’ markets nationally increased more than 7 percent between 2005 and 2006.The new numbers are based on an update of the National Farmers Market Directory by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and the preliminary results of the 2006 USDA National Farmers Market Survey, conducted by AMS in partnership with Michigan State University.

Gov. Minner’s proclamation urges all Delawareans to recognize and support Delaware’s 10 farmers’ markets while celebrating the bountiful production and the significant contributions First State farmers and agricultural producers make to our way of life in Delaware.

Vist Downtown Milford's Farmers' Market on Saturdays through October from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The market is located just off S. Walnut Street near the Mispillion Riverwalk.

Things to do at Milford Public Library

The Milford Public Library, located along the scenic Riverwalk in the heart of downtown, has many exciting programs and events coming up. On August 17th, a cancer screening will be sponsored by the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. Interested participants can contact Melany or Laura at 888-672-9647 to schedule an appointment and learn more about FREE mammograms for those who qualify. The screening will be done by health professionals in their mobile health van in the library parking lot from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

The Friends of the Milford Public Library will continue their well-known and highly anticipated book sales beginning August 31st at 7:00 a.m. and ending September 8th and 3:00 p.m. Stop in the lower level of the library to browse thousands of titles as well as a variety of second-hand gift items. Put this date on your calendar now!

And of course, the Music in the Park series continues in August with two performances in the library's amphitheater. Bring your picnic blanket or beach chairs. Riverfront Cafe will open at 6:00 p.m. for pre-concert BBQ. Relax in the early evening twilight with your friends and family as highly talented musicians entertain you. The concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. In the case of inclement weather, the concerts will be held inside. August 8th features Mark Mitchell, jazz and gospel saxophonist and on the 22nd visitors will be entertained by Barbara Benedett and Mary Kate Newell's "Pop, Jazz, and Light Classical" concert.

Adult Book Clubs continue to meet once a month for a lively discussion and light refreshments. Call 422-8996 for more information. Each monthly book selection can be Found in the Kent/Sussex Library system.

Be sure to check back here for further details conerning October's Mystery Book Sale and December's Holiday Bazaar.