Letter: I am so proud to be a Milton resident

In 1994 we moved to Milton NH. My wife and I had to relocate due to the fact that we lived in Dover NH and were near the Weeks Traffic Circle.

The State of New Hampahire was upgrading the intersection and our home was taken by eminent domain.

We wanted to get away from the traffic but still be close enough to our workplace. I will never forget the first time we drove through Milton many, many years earlier when Rt 125 was the main thoroughfare. We were on our way home to Dover from a trip with the kids to Santa's Village in Jefferson NH. We decided to take the scenic route home and drove through Milton.

On our way we stopped at what is now the Susann Foster Brown Studio, but back then was a Christmas Shop on Rt 125. I am too old to remember the name.

We took out the cooler some sandwiches and spread a blanket on the ground near the rock wall and had our lunch. Little did we know that this quaint scenic village would be come our home in years to come.

And for my part I had no idea that my life would never be the same. I got involved in local civic activities as a way to meet people who lived in Milton. I wanted to blend in. be a part of a small rural community.

Having grown up in Sullivan, Illinois, a community of similar size, I knew that there was nothing better than small town families and friends. We worked out of town and commuted to work daily. There was not a lot of time to get involved, so I went at it slowly. My first endeavor was with the Budget Committee, from there things went to other Boards and Committees and I began to grow and love the place that I chose to live even more. I met people who truly cared about Milton, where we were, where we had been, and where we were going.

The more people I met, the more I learned about Milton and how much the people

who lived here loved their community. At first I was considered an outsider

because I was not born and raised in Milton, like so many families that live

here. But in time I feel that I became accepted by friends and neighbors.

After living here for over twenty years, I have built relationships with

young and old, new as well as established members of the community. We

all have one thing in common, making Milton A better place to live work

and play. By joining forces, working together for the betterment

of Milton, the people who live and love this town have shown how much they

care. It will not happen overnight, but I am sure with the right

people in the right places, Milton will move into the twenty first century and be an

impact that everyone in this area will know and love.

The recent March elections have shown that there is a force in Milton

than remains untapped.

A force that cares about Milton. A force that will stand up and fight for

what is good about Milton. We need to tap this source of pride and move forward.

We do not all agree on all of the issues. That is fine. That is what helps us look at the larger picture and get the input from all sides.

Not one of us has all of the answers. Not one of us can fix everything. Not

one of us can do it alone. But working together we can.

Milton has an abundance of untapped resources that can and will be used to make a mark on the future potential economic impact of the area.

The potential to make Milton what we all want is yours. Get involved,

share your thoughts, be proactive. If we all work together we can get

this done.

In closing, I just want to say how proud I am to be a Milton Resident.

I do not have all the answers. I do not have all the solutions to the problems. I do not have everything that is needed to get Milton back on track, but together we can do this. Together with your ideas, your

voice, your suggestions, and yes, your involvement. We can make Milton a

better place for everyone.

Are you willing to give a few hours of your time? Are you willing to

share your thoughts and ideas about the vision you have for Milton?

Say Yes to Milton.

Say yes to making this a better place for me, and you and our children. Get

involved, no matter how small an involvement it is. Together we can make a

- Les Elder

Milton NH