A brief, welcome respite from tragedy

Friday, October 16, 2009

As many wondered whether life would ever be the same in the Souhegan Valley, the Milford Pumpkin Festival came along to offer a brief respite from the evil of recent days.

Less than a week after the most heinous crime to hit the region living memory occurred in Mont Vernon, the woods along the Souhegan River by Milford’s Emerson Park rang with screams.

The juxtaposition may have seemed jarring – possibly even tasteless – to some onlookers, but in its own way it was the sound of a community healing.

The screams, of the harmless nature, emanated from the festival’s “haunted trail” attraction, which drew a lengthy line Friday and Saturday nights.

The trail was one of dozens of events in and around the Oval throughout the long weekend, ranging from live bands and children’s theater to a road race and, of course, plenty of pumpkins.

This, the 20th annual Milford Pumpkin Festival, was a great success. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The festival wasn’t simply escapism for world-weary residents; it was more than that. It was a testament to the sense of community that drew many to the area, or kept them from ever wanting to move away from their hometowns. It spoke volumes more about the intertwined communities that make up this region than you’d ever learn from following the Manchester or Boston media.

This isn’t to say that anyone can pretend we live in some sheltered slice of Americana immune to unspeakable tragedy; that dream, sadly, was punctured forever in an early morning 911 call on Oct. 4.

In the big picture, the Milford Pumpkin Festival didn’t heal anyone. But last weekend, when many felt that life would never be the same, the festival served as a reminder – if only for a moment – about what living here is really all about.

With more arrests rumored and more details of the crime still to be released, the aftershocks from this tragedy are far from over.

Our hope is that the reminder the festival provided will serve as a small light as we all struggle through the dark days ahead.

The staff at the Cabinet Press wishes to offer its condolences to the Cates family and our thoughts to all who have been touched by this senseless tragedy.