SNOW is coming!
With a forecast of 8-12 inches for Ashland please plan accordingly.
Below are a few things you need to know for tomorrow.
Please be safe out there and stay warm!
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TOWN-WIDE PARKING BAN
To assist the DPW with snow removal operations, a town-wide parking ban has been implemented beginning Friday 2/25 at midnight through Sunday 2/27 at 7 am.
On-street parking is prohibited during this time.
Vehicles found parked in violation of this ban will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner's expense if they interfere with snow removal operations.
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TRASH AND RECYCLE
Trash & Recycling Collection Postponed - FRIDAY, 2/25/2022
Due to the impending snow and ice storm that's expected for Friday, 2/25/2022, Waste Management has decided to postpone the trash & recycling collection for Friday, 2/25/2022 to Saturday, 2/26/2022.
If your regular trash day falls on Friday, it will be collected on Saturday for this week. Thank you!
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COVID-19 DRIVE-THRU TESTING SITE
CLOSED FRIDAY
The state run COVID-19 testing site will be closed Friday, February 25th 2022 due to inclement weather.
Regular hours will resume after the storm subsides.
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February 16th Select Board Meeting
The last Select Board Meeting discussed several important topics including, the Town Manager's presentation for the Preliminary Fiscal Year 2023 Budget, Update on the Racial Equity Study and Next Steps, and more. View the full agenda here.
Did you miss it? Watch the meeting here.
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Apply now! Select Board Scholarship is now available
This scholarship is open to any graduating senior that is a resident of Ashland. The board is interested in finding students who have demonstrated community engagement that has enhanced the community in some way. Two scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,500.00 each. Submissions are due back no later than Wednesday, May 15, 2022.
Questions, please contact Susan Robie by email or phone at 508-881-2021
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Congratulations Ashland Fire Department!
Chief Robie is pleased to announce that the Ashland Fire Department has been awarded $5,175.00 for Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and $3,055.00 for Senior SAFE grants.
The Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) program provides grants to local fire departments to teach fire and life safety to children in schools.
S.A.F.E. is one of two fire and life safety education grant programs available to Massachusetts fire departments. The second program is Senior SAFE, which aims to reduce older adult fire deaths through fire and life safety education.
Chief Robie would like to thank Captain Lyn Moraghan for her time and efforts authoring these grant applications.
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Virtual - Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin, Discusses Cultivating Justice toward Racial Equality
TONIGHT- Thursday, February 24th at 7 pm
We hope you can join us for this very important discussion! Sybrina Fulton is dedicating her life to transforming family tragedy into social change. Since the death of her 17-year-old son, Trayvon Martin, during the violent confrontation in 2012, Fulton has become an inspiring spokesperson for parents and concerned citizens across the country. Her book co-authored with Tracy Martin, "Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin", shares the intimate story of a tragically foreshortened life and the rise of a movement that awoke a nation’s conscience.
REGISTER for the virtual meeting link, here
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Virtual - Authors Joseph L. Graves Jr. and Alan Goodman Discuss "Racism, Not Race"
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Learn about more programs at APL
CLICK HERE for an online brochure of library events for the month of March.
Sign up for the library's newsletter, here!
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The date is set… Saturday, May 14th from 10 am - 4 pm. Mark your calendars!
Authors have been signed and booked, Booksellers and food vendors booked… Planning is in full swing, for the Clocktown BookFest for the young at heart.
Mark Calendars for a day full of readings, workshops, books, and fun!
Check the event's Facebook Page for updates here.
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Ribbon Cutting
We recently welcomed Zeta Fencing with an official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! Zeta Fencing is another amazing business that chose Ashland Massachusetts! They optimized our Economic Development Office's Business Incentive program and are here to continue training Olympic-leveled athletes. We look forward to Zeta's athletes bringing that Gold Medal home to Ashland someday!
Check out their class schedule to take a stab at one of the oldest sports on the books! Visit their website
Thank you to the Ashland Business Association, Ashland Select Board, Senate President Karen Spilka, and to all of you who support our business community daily!
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New State Grants Available to Businesses
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made $75,000,000 available to support small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds will be administered through two different grant programs, the New Applicant Grant Program and the Inclusive Grant Program.
This program was created to provide $25,000,000 in support of businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 that have not previously received financial relief from MGCC’s COVID-19 Relief Grant Programs.
This program has $50,000,000 available to businesses that focus on reaching markets predominantly made up of socially and economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups, underserved markets, and those owned by minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, or those that identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Both programs will award grants ranging from $10,000 - $75,000. The programs are now accepting applications until April 4, 2022. (Click the grant program above to be linked to the application page)
For questions regarding these grants please contact Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation.
New Applicant Grant Program Questions - newapplicantgrant@massgcc.com
Inclusive Grant Program Questions - inclusivegrant@massgcc.com
General Assistance - mgcc@massgcc.com
Customer Service Hours:
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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The Corner Spot Plans for its 5th Season!
The Corner Spot Committee's begun planning for this season at the Corner Spot! We are so excited because this year we will celebrate 5 years at the #bestspotintown! We are so thankful our idea that began with fundraising and volunteerism would transform into such a beloved community spot.
WE SEEK ARTISANS | ENTREPRENEURS | MUSICIANS | CHEFS
Are you interested in popping- up this year? Send us an email!
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Announcement: The state-run drive-thru COVID-19 testing site will be closed this Friday, February 25th due to the impending snowstorm |
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Local Cases in Ashland as of February 24, 2022
Ashland has 3449 Confirmed Cases of which 3432 have cleared.
Ashland has a total of 382 Probable Cases of which 382 have cleared.
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Please note many people are now doing home tests that are not reportable to the Board of Health. Many of the people that are doing home tests that have children in the schools are reporting these results to the school nurses and this data is not part of the numbers. The numbers reflect people that have NOT done a home test and have gone to a lab and the data was reported to the state. |
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Please note on the Vaccine Status Chart the state has our population at 19,700 if you look at the chart they are only reporting people vaccinated who are 5 years old and above. Starting this week the chart also reflects the 5-11-year-olds that are starting to be vaccinated. Also, you may notice that in some categories there are more people vaccinated than the population shows for that category. This is due to the state using data from 2020 and does not reflect when more people may move into town. For more information on how the state captures our population data please refer to this website. |
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Quarantine vs. Isolation
When using an at-home COVID-19 test please consider the proper protocols for Isolation and Quarantine. Do not forget to contact our local board of health if your at-home test is positive.
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