Local News

ASHBY, MA — More than 230 years after his death, John Fitch — the colonial settler whose courage and civic vision gave the city of Fitchburg its name — will finally receive a proper grave marker. The Ashby Historical Society will hold a headstone dedication ceremony on Saturday,
May 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Old Burial Ground at the First Parish Church in Ashby, the small town that was also shaped by Fitch’s life and where he spent his final years.

Whether you run, bike, hike, roll, scoot, or stroll this is your dedicated, safe space for Earth Day play in a beautiful natural area! Ayer, Devens, and the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge will again host the Open Street and Greenway Earth Day Event on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 2pm-6pm on MacPherson Road. This will be the 5th annual open streets event, celebrating Earth Day by opening the streets to people for recreational activities and the opportunity to experience the beautiful Wild and Scenic Nashua River and Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge in a safe and peaceful manner.

On April 7th, the Select Board voted 3-0 to approve the April 27th Annual Town Meeting warrant which includes 28 articles and a citizens petition. The Finance Committee voted to recommend all the articles with a financial impact. For additional information related to the articles and Budget Book, visit www.ayer.ma.us/townmeeting. The town will share its…

(April 7, 2026) – Three residents appeared at the Select Board meeting on Tuesday night, asking the board to consider establishing an elected town ombudsman position. The residents submitted a written proposal before the meeting. This was signed by 22 residents directly impacted by the Lincoln Hill development. Last October, the Planning Board approved a…

Over the next five years, the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts plans a new $500,000 investment to help local students and families navigate the complex financial aid process for higher education and access more affordable pathways. This investment will make our region the first in Massachusetts where every high school has coordinated access to…

Ayer News will start publishing occasional summaries on Ayer Police and Fire logs, in response to resident requests. Our process: we will review the police logs posted on the town website and request incident information from the police and fire department at times. Then our Ayer News reporter will independently compile a partial, abbreviated summary…

The Ayer-Shirley Regional School Committee recently learned a few more details about the high school football team’s transition. If you’re not familiar with the schools, it’s the Ayer-Shirley Panthers. On Jan. 21st, the school committee met and voted to approve entering into a high school football co-op with Littleton, with Ayer-Shirley as the host community….

Check out this week’s edition of Ayer News here.

Residents will learn more about the future of 71 Sandy Pond Road at the Select Board meeting on May 19th. The board was advised of this during the administrative update at the March 17th meeting. In 2024, Ayer Town Meeting voted to approve the use of Community Preservation Funds to help finance and acquire 71…

On occasion, we want to share information about local government and the Town Meeting process in neighboring communities. Here we have gathered a few upcoming Town Meeting dates. According to community websites, Lunenburg, Harvard and Groton are holding Saturday meetings; Ayer, Littleton and Shirley meet during the week. Ayer: Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for…