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he ladies of
the United Workers for Public Improvement, who cared for the
Guilford Green until 1931, were best known for their annual
cleanup. Few people in town failed to turn out for the spectacle of
the women, dressed in Colonial garb, working with rakes decorated
in red, white, and blue while cannons boomed and bands played. Even
though much of the village's commerce has long since moved to a
shopping corridor on nearby Route 1, the Guilford Green remains the
symbolic heart of the community.
In recent decades, the public plaza has been
the site of demonstrations: for peace, against nuclear arms, in
support of Americans held hostage in Iran. And while the annual
fair has outgrown the space, the opening parade still circles the
site where the fair was first staged.
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