Residents of Ashland are encouraged to make their voices heard at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting on Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. at the Ashland High School Auditorium.

The Annual Town Meeting gives registered voters the opportunity to decide on the town’s budget, local bylaws, and community priorities for the year ahead. This meeting allows residents to speak on the warrant articles, ask questions, and vote on specific proposals that have an immediate impact on daily life in Ashland.

This year’s agenda will include votes on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, updates to zoning bylaws, and a community preservation proposal.

Proposed Operational Override

A key item on this year’s warrant is a proposed operational override. If approved, the override would allow the town to raise additional revenue beyond the standard levy limit.

If passed at Town Meeting, the override will also require approval by voters at the Annual Town Election on Tuesday, May 19. 

Why Your Vote Matters

Town Meeting is where local democracy truly happens. Every vote cast at Town Meeting directly shapes the services and investments that affect our schools, public safety, infrastructure, and overall quality of life.

Participation is open to all registered voters in Ashland. Residents who are unsure of their registration status are encouraged to contact the Town Clerk’s office before the meeting, or you can check your status and register online at www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR.

Childcare services will be available on-site. To register, please use the link below:

https://forms.gle/HWmnrNudV2QRrnTw9

ADA accommodations can be arranged for residents who require accessibility assistance.  Anyone in need of special arrangements, please contact the Office of the Select Board at 508-881-0100 by May 1, 2026, in order that reasonable accommodations may be made.

We hope to see a full house on May 6, reminding residents that the Annual Town Meeting is not just a civic obligation, but an opportunity to actively shape the future of Ashland. For a copy of the meeting warrant and additional information, please visit the town’s website (www.ashlandmass.com) or stop by Town Hall during regular business hours.

CultureFest

The Corner Spot is back for Season 9, and the #bestspotintown just keeps getting better! We’re gearing up for our next event at the end of this month, CultureFest. CultureFest is a celebration of the diverse cultures that make up our community! We have a great lineup of musicians, food, and vendors, including an instrument “petting zoo” where you can try your hand at a variety of different instruments. Some of our stage entertainment includes: Divergence Dance Collective, Drum Nomads, The McCrites, Mass Capoeira, and Chris Barber. There will also be delicious things to eat thanks to Dulce D Leche, IronHog BBQ, and Tako Loko!

We hope that you’ll join us for a day of fun and celebrate the amazing cultures that make up our great community! 

CultureFest will take place on Saturday, May 30, from 3 - 6 p.m. at The Corner Spot, located at 6 Cherry St. 

Don’t miss a beat—check out our full calendar, sign up for event reminders, and connect with us on social media through our website: thecornerspotashland.com.

Come for the events, stay for the vibe. It’s going to be a great season at The Corner Spot.

Spring Yard Waste Collection

The Spring Yard Waste Collection will run on Mondays through June 8, except on Memorial Day (May 25). 

Yard waste, brown paper leaf bags, or barrels should be left at curbside by 7 a.m. on the designated pick-up days. Yard waste in plastic bags will not be accepted. No brush, branches, or stumps.

If you have followed the correct procedures and still have not had your yard waste picked up, please contact DPW at 508-532-7943.

Special Note: Please refrain from illegally dumping. The Town provides a bulky item pick-up service through Waste Management. The number to call to schedule a bulk item pick up is 1-800-972-4545. One free pickup per month is allowed. 

Electronics Collection

The electronics recycling drop-off at the DPW will run on the following schedule for 2026:  

•  Saturday, 4/4, 9 a.m. – noon 

•  Saturday, 6/13, 9 a.m. – noon 

•  Saturday, 8/1, 9 a.m. – noon  

•  Saturday, 10/3, 9 a.m. – noon 

The following fees will be assessed at electronics drop-off:

•  TVs & computer monitors (up to 20” screen, measured diagonally): $10 each.

•  DVD/CD players; printers; CPUs; receivers; misc. household electronics: $10 each.

•  TVs & computer monitors (over 20” screen, measured diagonally): $20 each.

•  Window A/C units, dehumidifiers & microwaves: $20 each.

•  Refrigerators (small dorm size): $25 each.

•  Refrigerators (full size): $45 each. 

 Dell Technologies Employees Help Keep Ashland Beautiful

So many people in town help make Ashland beautiful in so many ways! This shout-out goes to Dell Technologies out of Hopkinton! Dell started a cleanup day in Hopkinton along Route 135 in 2015 and partnered with Keep Massachusetts Beautiful. The program quickly grew, and four years ago, the cleanup efforts extended into Ashland.

Two weeks prior to the Boston Marathon, Dell employees clean up along the marathon route to ensure a clean space for one of our community's biggest events. 80 Dell employees spent a day cleaning trash, and items dumped 10-15 ft. off both sides of the road from Hopkinton to the Framingham line. This year, they collected 110 trash bags - a mix of 30-gallon and 60-gallon bags was used. 

In 2025, they collected 104 bags, but only had the 30-gallon black bags. This year, they also had 55-60-gallon yellow bags. The yellow bags being double the size means they collected more trash if those were filled beyond halfway. Which is good news for how much was cleaned, bad news for how much litter keeps returning to this road. 

Here are the breakdowns of the roadway where they tracked how much was recovered and some of the things that they found: 

Hopkinton

Section 1 - Starbucks in Hopkinton to Hopkinton Lumber

•  26 bags - Some of the litter included signage, stair joist, car bumper, metal poles, and smoke detector

Section 2 - Marathon Starting Line to Legacy Farms Road

•  18 bags - Some of the trash collected in this area was, a space heater, glass liquor bottles (from pint size to handle), Legos…yes a lot of Legos from a box of trash, car part, a broken cast iron pan, construction debris and lots of plastic bottles

Section 3 - Legacy Farms Drive to TJ's Food & Spirits

•  20 bags

Ashland

Section 4 - TJ's Food & Spirits to Ashland Middle School

•  16 bags

Section 5 - Ashland Middle School to Fitzy's Car Wash

•  18 bags - the litter collected in this area includes, a blow torch fuel canister, metal pieces, a large number of #2 pencils along the way, liquor bottles, beer bottles, plastic, dunkin/starbucks cups, and sports drink bottles

Section 6 - Fitzy's Car Wash to Sri Lakshmi Temple

•  12 bags

•  5 on south side of 135 at Sri Lakshmi

•  3 on north side – across from Extra Space Storage

•  1 on south side, across from ASD Landscaping

•  3 on south side in front of the Ashland public safety

They collected debris across both sides of 6.5 miles of roadway with 80 people volunteering their day to make Ashland look good! We are very grateful to the team at Dell Technologies for the work that they do to keep our community clean and pretty! 

Dell Technologies of Hopkinton poses for a photo. Courtesy photo