By Brian McCready, Milford Bureau Chief

MILFORD — Milford Chamber of Commerce President Kathy Alagno said she believes the philosophy around the small business owners “Local Proud” initiative can be viewed as “exclusionary” and “insulting” to other larger businesses that support the city’s tax base.

Alagno also said she questions the city’s Economic and Community Development Commission’s support last year of the “Local Proud” initiative.

Economic Development Commissioner Susan Ashelford, who owns the store Given to Gauche, and Planning and Zoning Chairwoman Susan Shaw, who owns Collected Stories, last fall created the awareness campaign called “Local Proud.”

The program was aimed at raising public awareness about benefits of buying locally and it included banner, brochures and use of a stylized “M” for Milford.

“It’s exclusionary in some ways, and insulting to some,” Alagno said.

She said the city needs to attract “national chains” to serve as big anchors and help the tax base. Alagno suggested “Local Proud” be amended to a “Shop Milford” program.

“Wouldn’t it be great to see the big ‘M’ on the mall or Route 1?” Alagno said. “It would be more successful if it included more businesses.”

“By saying shop local you are saying don’t buy at a different retailer and I feel that is negative,” Alagno added.

But Ashelford said the city’s downtown specialty shops are very important to tourism in the city.

“What makes us attractive to people is our little downtown,” Ashelford said. “People say Westport used to be that nice.” Continued...

• 1
• 2
• See Full Story

EDC member Genevieve Salvatore said for every $1 spent in a local shop, 70 cents remains in the city. She said most of the small business owners live in Milford.

“I haven’t seen Sam Walton (Wal-Mart’s late owner),” Salvatore said. “Maybe he lives here and I missed him.”

EDC Chairman Cyrus Settineri said to get the Chamber of Commerce involved in expanding the “Local Proud” initiative, it must involve all city businesses. Settineri said he is a big fan of promoting small local businesses, but noted the program only has 16 stores signed on.

“You need 250 businesses,” Settineri said. “Sixteen members will not make this.”

“This was an initiative that was not gaining any traction. We’re trying to get it going,” Settineri added.

Salvatore, who last year was the commission’s chairwoman and a Democratic mayoral candidate, said she feels it is “embarrassing that there is a movement in the EDC to back away from ‘Local Proud’ after it was unanimously endorsed by the EDC last year.”

“We need to support the initiative and each other as a community. I’m getting a little tired of the factionalism and the ‘cliques,’” she said. “We should all want the same thing for all of our businesses in Milford — for them to prosper, whether they’re members of the (Downtown Milford Business Association) DMBA, the Chamber or anything else. We are supposed to be a team and I just don’t see that happening.”

Contact Brian McCready at 203-789-5719 or bmccready@newhavenregister.com.

• 1
• 2
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• See Full Story

• Return to Paging Mode