1. What we did in 2015

2. 23 years of serving Milford: DO-IT/MIT is a not for profit 501(c)6 organization working for and on behalf of the Town of Milford, run by its Executive Director and an all-volunteer board of directors. MIT coordinates community events and projects on behalf of the Town of Milford, for the benefit of its businesses and residents. MIT sponsored events/projects bring an increased awareness of the greater Milford region as a travel/tourism destination, as well as promoting the potential for investment and commercial activity in Milford. In 2015, MIT-coordinated events attracted well over 35,000+ attendees to the Town of Milford

3. Winter can be a very slow time for our local businesses. In an effort to get people out of their houses and get them shopping, dining, and going out for services, MIT organized a “Make It Milford March Madness Bingo” game. Used as a marketing tool, local businesses donated prizes, and customers played the game by filling their Bingo cards by patronizing Milford shops and eateries for a chance to win prizes! “Make It Milford March Madness Bingo”

4. Many of Milford’s small businesses do not have the means to develop websites to promote their businesses to potential customers--a vital tool for marketing in today’s internet savvy world. MIT saw this need in the Milford business community, and responded by coordinating a 5 week WordPress website development course that gave local businesses the tools to build a presence for themselves on the internet.

5. On March 28, the Milford Improvement Team partnered with the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce to showcase available commercial spaces in our area. This tour was geared towards anyone thinking about starting up a business, expanding or relocating their existing business to the Milford area. Attendees were able to meet with local experts: town reps from Community Development, Building and Fire Departments, commercial realtors and commercial lenders. Attendees then took a self-guided tour of the commercial properties available for lease or for purchase, with realtors on hand to answer questions and show the properties.

6. Once the snowbanks melt in Milford each Spring, a great deal of trash gets left behind. For the 2 nd year, MIT brought together the community to make Milford beautiful once again. Starting at the Keyes Pavilion with coffee and donuts, many groups including the Milford Garden Club, Church groups, scout troops, teams from Milford businesses and other citizens fanned out to their assigned areas! After they picked up several hundred bags of trash, participants met back at the Keyes Pavilion for a fantastic BBQ thank you lunch courtesy of the Masons !!!

7. Each Spring, MIT coordinates A Taste of Milford. The purpose of this event is to showcase Milford eateries, as well as the Milford Oval area businesses that host them. The “Taste” event puts Milford on the map as a shopping and dining destination, and is a vital traffic building tool for our area businesses. In 2015, 700+ attendees thoroughly enjoyed their evening as they strolled around the historic Milford Oval shops and Town Hall and "tasted" some of the best entrees, desserts, appetizers, and much more from the over 30 participating culinary enthusiasts-- Milford area restaurants, shops, caterers, Milford High's Culinary Program, and Home Food businesses! 21 businesses hosted the event, along with 50+ community volunteers. Live music entertained guests at 3 locations throughout the evening as well.

8. In 2015, the Milford Improvement Team brought back the once popular Milford Arts Festival. Following the 6 th Annual Taste of Milford on Friday night, May 29 th, the Milford Oval was transformed into a colony of artists the weekend of May 30 th and 31 st. This event, “Art on the Oval,” highlighted Milford’s artistic beauty, by showcasing Fine Art from area artists, Contemporary Crafts, Live Music and Performances,Kids Activities, Face Painting, a Student Art Show, and of course, the Unique Dining and Shopping Experience that attendees of the Milford Arts Festival enjoyed In and Around the historic Milford Oval.

9. For 50 years, the Keyes Pool has been a summer gem for the Milford community. Part of the joy for families in going to the town pool always included a visit to the snack bar. To the disappointment of many, however, for the past several years, the much-loved snack bar was only open sporadically. Seeing a need in the community, MIT stepped forward to run the concession stand at the town pool daily, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

10. Fox 25 Boston’s Zip Trip to Milford FOX 25 Boston"zipped" to the Milford Oval on Friday, August 21st, broadcasting their morning show from 6 am—10 am. MIT assisted the Town in the coordination of this event, decorated the Oval, talked to the area businesses, and during the broadcast, showcased not only the Milford Pumpkin Festival, but also the Milford community as a dining, shopping and travel destination, and a great place to live and work!

11. In 2015, MIT wrote grant proposals to Milford business owners about partnering with MIT in replacing the Oval area’s worn-out seasonal banners that were over a decade old. Stepping forward to make this Oval area beautification project a reality were: Edward Jones Investments, Chappell Tractor, and Hometown Insurance.

12. MIT coordinates seasonal flowers on the Oval bandstand and Stone Bridge planters, the town’s Fall decorations, winter holiday decorations, and one of the large town hall wreaths. These beautification projects are made possible through our much- valued partnerships with the Milford Garden Club, the Milford DPW, Milford Lions Club, and area business owners. In 2015, MIT also joined with the town’s recycling committee and purchased specialty lids to enable them to expand their recycling program.

13. The 26 th Annual Milford Pumpkin Festival was held October 9 through 11 th. MIT continues to organize this event on behalf of the Town of Milford, so that we may continue to promote the historic, natural, social, and economic vitality of the town. Special events like the Pumpkin Festival provide great visibility for the Town of Milford and help foster civic pride and a positive image of the community as a whole. There were 35,000+ attendees over the 3 day event. Thousands of volunteer hours go into putting on this event, with people working months in advance. Over 40 Milford area non profits, school clubs and teams, community based groups and others, participated with fundraising or awareness activities that raised substantial monies – funds that were reinvested directly back into the Milford Community in the form of team and band uniforms, scholarships, service trips, educational programs, community programs and much more. The 26 th Annual Milford Pumpkin Festival Marriage proposal! MHS art students paint storefront windows Top Bands performed! Scarecrow pals Saturday crowds enjoy the pumpkin festival Dancing dragons at the Talent Show

14. The Milford Pumpkin Festival was voted “Best Community Event” by Hippo Readers in 2010-2014! Best Local Event at the Souhegan Valley “Best of” Awards in 2014 and 2015!

15. In the Fall of 2015, MIT and the town jointly prepared a comprehensive parking survey of the downtown Oval area on behalf of downtown business owners to determine what improvements could be made to attract visitors and make a trip to the Oval a more positive experience. Results included better signage to direct visitors to town-owned parking lots, removing bans on overnight winter parking, and producing a user-friendly parking map to be made available on the town’s website, MIT’s website, and to be shared with the Oval area businesses for them to likewise add to their websites.

16. Each December, MIT partners with Milford non-profits, churches, and community groups, to host Milford’s Annual Holiday Craft Fairs and Events. MIT handles all the publicity, fliers, maps and brochures for holiday craft fair event participant. MIT also promotes the Town of Milford itself as a unique dining and shopping destination. Thirteen Milford groups held craft fairs at 11 different Milford locations on Saturday, December 5 th raising funds for their various causes. As part of this popular annual holiday event, the Milford Indoor Farmers’ Market also held their holiday market in Town Hall Auditorium. The Milford Lion’s Club also had Santa on the Oval Sunday, December 6 th, with hot cider and cookies!

17. *Continuing to maintain downtown Milford as the attractive, pedestrian- oriented center of our community; *Fostering cooperation among residents, business owners and property owners. *Serving as a resource/support/partner to many Milford area non profits, community groups, schools, scout troops, churches, teams etc with their own fundraising endeavors and projects that serve to better the community as a whole; *MIT’s Executive Director is a member of: the town’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, a board member of the Chamber of Commerce, member of NRPC’s Transportation Technical Advisory Committee, member of the UNH Business Expansion and Retention Study Committee, a member of the NH Vibrant Communities Network, and named the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Business Leader of the Year. *Promoting Milford as a vibrant cultural, retail and entertainment destination in the region; *MIT’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)- originating from its 2010 HUD grant, MIT continues loan funds to to Milford businesses to invest and make improvements to their properties that will improve both the business and the overall aesthetic quality of Milford, as well as promote economic development in our town;

18. *Make It Milford March Madness Bingo Game-local eateries, service oriented businesses, and retail stores *Wordpress Website Course- Milford Rec Department, residents and business owners *Vacant Building Tour-SV Chamber of Commerce, Milford area realtors, bankers, town officials *Town wide Clean up day-Milford Masonic Lodge, Milford Scout Troops, Milford churches, businesses, residents *Taste of Milford-MHS Culinary Arts Program, Milford area Restaurants and Businesses *Milford Arts Festival-Local artists, craftspeople, musicians, Milford Heritage Commission, Milford Historical Society, Milford Conservation Commission *Pumpkin Festival- Milford Lions Club, Milford Conservation Commission, Cub Scout Troop 4, MHS Spanish Club, Child’s Nature School, Amherst Area Newcomers Group, Pine Hill Waldorf School, MHS Best Buddies, Milford Mustangs Football and Cheer, Diamond Gems Softball, Milford United Methodist Church Youth Group, Boy Scout Troop 4, MHS Soccer Team, MHS Music Boosters, Unitarian Universalist Church, Milford Historical Society, Souhegan Valley Dollars for Scholars, MHS Music Boosters, Wadleigh Library, Boy Scout Troop 407,Greater Nashua Medical Reserve Corps, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Donate Life, Milford VFW, Milford Rotary and Interact Club, Milford Community Athletic Association, Milford Ambulance Reserve, Wilton Ambulance Blood Marrow Drive, Nashua Regional Planning Commission, Diamondbacks Softball Team, Milford Fire department Waffle Breakfast, Odd Fellows of Milford, Girl Scout Troop 10050, Alisha’s Love Child Foundation, Burns Hill Church, The Masonic Lodge and DeMolay Youth Group, Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club, Crossway Christian Church, Next-Gen NH, Milford Track and Field, MHS Boys Soccer, MHS Football Boosters and many businesses and private citizen volunteer groups. *Holiday Fairs- Dollars for Scholars, 1 st Congregational Church, Unitarian Universalist Church, SHARE Outreach, Milford Farmers’ Market, Church of our Saviour, St Patrick’s Church, Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club, Milford United Methodist Church, Wadleigh Library, Milford PTO, Destination Imagination.

19. MIT Coordinated Volunteer Hours in 2015: Overall volunteer hours for MIT coordinated events and projects = 3000+*! Pumpkin Festival: Total volunteer hours: 1500+*! ( not including bands that played all weekend)! Value to the Milford Community $ 68,940* *According to the Independent Sector, a leadership network for nonprofits, foundations, and corporations committed to advancing the common good, the State Value for Volunteer Time in New Hampshire is $22.98

20. State of NH Division of Travel and Tourism Development’s latest Travel Barometer Study from Plymouth State College The Monadnock Region (which is the travel region that the state places Milford within) saw a positive period for the State's travel sector : More travelers visited the state compared to 2014, and they spent more. Due to its nearness to large cities, NH tourism has a much larger proportion of day trips and travelers to NH spend a larger share of their money at retail stores, and restaurant spending. NOTE: Weather Tourism is one sector whose fortune is left at the mercy of Mother Nature. MIT events brought in well over 35,000 visitors to Milford in 2015. Valued by the NH Travel and Tourism department at $102 per person/ per day, thus meaning that MIT events brought over $3 million dollars into the local economy.. IndicatorValue % from prior year Visitor Trips7.578.8% Visitor Days10.748.5% Visitor Spending$1,09513.6% Visitor Spending per Day$1024.7% Retail Spending$3097.4%

22. Coming in 2016!! The long anticipated South Street Improvements Project, initiated by the Downtown Ongoing Improvement Team (DO-IT, now known as the Milford Improvement Team (MIT) will finally become a reality in Spring 2016. The project will include the undergrounding of the overhead utilities from Union Square southerly to the First Church of Christ Scientist, ad then from the church to the railroad, the overhead utility poles will be relocated to the west side of the sidewalk and off the hazardous curb line. South Street itself will be widened from Union Square south to the Church creating a much safer and less congested street. New sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the street and lighting will be replaced with streetlamps similar to those on the Oval. Look for Other Milford Oval Area improvement projects in 2016 in the works, including the renovation of brick areas, sidewalks, and Oval traffic islands, as well as improvements to Nashua Street and Grove Street areas.