News
Ceremony on May 16 Will Honor the Man for Whom Fitchburg Was Named — Buried Penniless and Unmarked for Over Two Centuries
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.
Dispatcher Receives Life Saving Award at Ayer Select Board Meeting
(April 21, 2026) – Police Chief Brian Gill shared a story of a young life saved at this week’s Select Board meeting. On Monday April 6th, a 911 call came into the Ayer-Shirley regional dispatch center around 1:30 p.m. The dispatch center is located at the Ayer Police Station on Park Street, but receives calls…
Earth Day Open Streets & Greenways Event
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.
April 27th Annual Town Meeting Warrant Now Available
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…
Pirone Park Cleanup
(April 11, 2026) – A group of residents gathered at Pirone Park on Saturday for the Ayer-Shirley Baseball & Softball Cleanup Day to get ready for Opening Day in a few weeks. This is an annual event. With a blue sky and a little breeze off Grove Pond, the volunteers raked the fields and hung…
Select Board Votes to Take Residents’ Ombudsman Proposal Under Advisement
(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…
Police Blotter: March 23-28th
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…
Recommendation is for Ayer Town Meeting to Replenish $500K in UDAG Borrowing Related to Senior Center
We are sharing a point about the Ayer Senior Center project from the Town Meeting process. Fall 2025The Town of Ayer presented voters with a $15.1 million proposal to build a new senior center on Bishop Road in Fall 2025. On October 27th 2025, at Special Town Meeting, voters approved debt exclusion borrowing up to…
71 Sandy Pond Road Presentation Expected May 19th
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…