Surrounding Communities Organize Against Milford Casino

Since casino developer David Nunes teamed up with Foxwoods and submitted a proposal before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, opponents have been waiting for more information.

But that time has come to an end, according to Ken Rockett and others from the Casino Free Milford group, time is ticking away and a casino proposal is expected to be selected for development within the next 10 months.

“We don’t know what the developer wants to do and I think he’s going to keep that a secret for as long as possible,” Dave Bastille, one of the long-term opponents, said. “We do know enough to make a stink.”

At their meeting in Holliston last night Rockett, Bastille and others organized into three groups to break down the fight and make dissemination of information easier.

Rockett led a group discussing the research needed and most effective methods to break the casino down.

"We're going to figure out that demographics involved and tell them why this is bad for them specifically," Rockett said.

A second group, led by Bastille, will focus on field operations. They discussed strategies for standouts around the local towns and procuring signs to display around town.

The third group was a combination of people interested in recruiting residents from other surrounding communities and people who want to increase participation from residents of Holliston and Hopkinton.

One of the issues the recruiting group and others pointed out was the lack of opposition voiced by the Boards of Selectmen in surrounding towns.

Kevin Conley, a Holliston Selectmen, and Michelle Gates, a Hopkinton Selectmen, were both in attendance and said each board has decided to not go along with the proposal.

Conley specifically mentioned working with the other surrounding town selectmen to send a group letter to the Milford Board of Selectmen. "There is strength in numbers," he said.

The three groups will be meeting individually to discuss their objectives and the meet up as a whole again next month. Rockett said it's time to let the Milford residents focus in town and for outside residents to work to drum up opponents of the casino in other communities that will be impacted.

“This is about a grassroots effort in Milford to get the information out to the voters and this is a grassroots effort in the surrounding communities to show the commission how much this will hurt us,” he said.