Stay Connected

Ashland is a busy community, especially this time of the year! With many events happening in town and the surrounding areas. To stay connected, be sure to sign up for the Town Manager’s newsletter, which goes out weekly and features important town information as well as events that are going on. You can sign up by visiting AshlandMass.com, and there is a link right on the homepage. If you need any help signing up, please contact Clara Mott, the Town of Ashland’s Communications Coordinator, at [email protected]. 

Be sure to follow us on Facebook at Ashland, Massachusetts, and Instagram at TownOfAshlandMA. 

Driving Decisions Article - Board of Health

When to retire from driving is a thorny question for many older Americans. The loss of spontaneity and independence is difficult to accept, and other options tend to require pre-planning and waiting for rides.  

Factors that play into the decision involve changes to vision and hearing, any physical limitations, medication side effects, and slower reflexes.

Most Americans retire from driving between the ages of 75 and 85, with women retiring at younger ages on average than men. Many older folks self-limit as they get older, perhaps giving up driving at night or highway driving, and avoiding dangerous intersections. The most dangerous maneuvers for older drivers are left turns across oncoming traffic due to difficulty judging speed and distance, high-speed highway merges, and heavy highway traffic. Bad weather, like snow or heavy rain, increases risk.

The lifestyle changes that come with retiring from driving can have serious health implications for older drivers. The risk for depression and anxiety increases, as do social isolation and loneliness, and feelings of being a burden to family or friends.

Careful planning beforehand can help seniors avoid these negative consequences. Selling a vehicle and losing monthly insurance, gas, and maintenance costs can create space in a monthly budget for the use of a rideshare service. Many municipalities offer reduced rates for public transportation options for seniors. Ashland senior transportation options include MWRTA’s Dial-A-Ride service, offering curb-to-curb service for seniors (65+) and disabled residents to medical appointments, errands, and the Senior Center. Rides cost $2-$5 each way within the area, requiring 48-hour advance booking, and are available Monday-Friday. Call 508-820-4650 for more information.  

The Ashland Senior Center offers free, door-to-door van transportation for Ashland residents for medical appointments and senior center programs within Ashland and to bordering towns. Rides are available Monday-Wednesday (varying hours) and must be booked 48 hours in advance by calling 508-881-0140 ext.7600.

Other strategies include using delivery services for groceries or pharmacy purchases, and increasing activities that foster social connection and physical activity, like gardening and taking daily walks.

There are programs that help to improve driving skills for older drivers, and some that assess the driver’s abilities if they are unsure about continuing to drive. AAA offers the following programs for drivers over age 55:

-  AAA Roadwise Driver (Online & In-Person): This interactive course helps seniors understand how to adjust their driving to account for age-related changes, with potential insurance discounts upon completion.

-  Keeping the Keys Workshop: A free, one-hour session focused on keeping seniors safe and on the road as long as possible.

-  Adult Skills Audit: A 90-minute in-car assessment with a licensed AAA instructor to evaluate driving performance in a low-stress, non-punitive manner. (Limited areas)

Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers Drive Safe: The Drive Safe Program serves adult drivers who hold or previously have held a driver’s license and are experiencing changes due to medical conditions, trauma, surgery, neurological incidents or aging. The first part of the evaluation is conducted in the clinic. During the clinical assessment, an occupational therapist tests the physical, cognitive and visual skills that are needed for driving. Rules of the road and driving safety knowledge are also reviewed. This is a fee-for-service offering and costs $300. The On-road evaluation is scheduled if the clinical assessment is positive for continued driving. Contact the Occupational Therapy Department for more information at 617-243-6172.  

Being aware of the changes in your health that could impact your ability to drive safely can help you to prepare for the day you decide to retire from driving.

Please feel free to reach out to the Ashland Board of Health at 508-532-7922 if you have any questions or concerns.

Active Ashland Police

Department

The Ashland Police Department has had an active spring both for the department as a whole and for individual service members. Kicking off the spring season with the Boston Marathon, the department facilitated amazing work with the Ashland Fire Department and surrounding communities to work to keep runners, spectators, and our community safe. Three officers also ran the Boston Marathon! Congratulations to Sergeant Rodkey, Officer Masiello, and Officer Vosikas, who all ran for charities. 

On April 25, the department hosted a Prescription Drug Take Back Day with the Ashland Lions Club. This is a nationwide initiative that helps prevent medication misuse and accidental poisoning, and protects our environment by keeping drugs out of our water supply. This event helped safely collect and dispose of 232 pounds of unused medication. Thank you to Officer Kasey Oestreicher, who, under the supervision of Detective Sergeant. Ryan Puzzo partnered with the Ashland Lions Club to help make this event happen. 

The Ashland Police Department is also proud to have a presence at the 5-Town Special Olympics held in Medway. There are student athletes from Ashland, Holliston, Medway, Medfield, and Millis. The athletes were escorted by all the police departments from the Medway Parks and Rec building to Hanlon Field, where the games were being played. SROs Muri and Sousa, and Motorcycle Officer Snyder, had a great time representing Ashland with the amazing Special Olympians. 

SuAsCo Climate Collaborative Regional Meeting:

SuAsCo Climate Collaborative Regional Meeting to be held at the Ashland Public Library on June 25, 6:30 p.m.

Join Becca Solomon, Ashland’s Conservation Agent, and the SuAsCo Climate Collaborative team for our second Community Meeting as we continue building a shared vision for climate resilience across the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord River watershed.

This meeting builds on the momentum from our kickoff and will focus on:

-  Key climate challenges facing our watershed

-  Early insights from regional data and community input

-  Opportunities for collaboration across towns and organizations

-  How you can stay involved and help shape next steps

Snacks and refreshments will be served. For more information on the Collaborative, please visit: https://oars3rivers.org/our-work/ecological-restoration/suasco-climate-collaborative/

SuAsCo is a non-profit watershed organization located in Concord, MA, founded by concerned river users in 1986. Their mission is to protect, improve, and preserve the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord rivers and watershed for all people and wildlife.

Tent Safety

It is that time of year, tent time. Kids are graduating, the weather's perfect for parties, families are gathering, and people want to have a tent. Tents can shade you, protect you from the elements, and provide a gathering place. But they can also be a hazard.

When renting a tent, permits are required. As per the permitting process, the rental company must provide you with a "flame spread rating" certificate. If you buy a tent, those tents are not typically treated to be non-flammable. You must be very careful. Never use a grill under a tent. Never put any flammable materials under a tent. Never put torches under or near a tent.