Holiday Stroll & Tree Lighting

Ashland’s Annual Holiday Stroll & Tree Lighting returns this year on Saturday, Dec. 5. The stroll will take place from 2-5 p.m. followed by the tree lighting from 5-6 p.m. at Green Square along Main Street. 

Spend the afternoon walking through Downtown Ashland, shopping from over 25 vendors & artisans inside Town Hall and at local businesses. Visit our brick-and-mortar shops, dine in our restaurants, and even stop by the Library for a book sale! 

Stop by The Corner Spot to roast marshmallows, sip hot chocolate, and enjoy festive activities hosted by local organizations.

Don't forget to stop by our local businesses, Sub Zero Ice Cream, Pizza Romolo, Crossroads Physical Therapy, The Bagel Table, Blush Bouquets, Ashland Reiki & Wellness Center, Stone's Pizza, Clover Road Brewing and more!

Enjoy the sights, sounds, and spirit of the season as you stroll through our festive downtown. Keep an eye out, because some very special visitors from the North Pole may stop by to join the celebration.

Special Town Meeting 

Special Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. It will take place at Ashland High School, located at 65 E Union Street. Special Town Meeting will also be live-streamed on WACA’s YouTube channel. There will be childcare available through Ashland Recreation. 

Please visit https://ashlandmass.com/449/Town-Meeting for more information.

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosis in women (outside of skin cancer), with 1 in 8 women being diagnosed over the course of their lifetime. In recent years, breast cancer incidence rates have increased by 1% per year. The rise has been a little faster in women younger than 50. This may be due to younger women being more likely to have certain factors that increase risk, such as having fewer children or having a first child after age 30.

Breast cancer death rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989, for an overall decline of 44% through 2023. This is most likely the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women with average risk start yearly mammograms at age 40, then yearly from 45 to 54, and every 1-2 years at age 55 and older as long as overall health is good.

There are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the US. This includes women still being treated and those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past.

Treatment of breast cancer has changed over the years to individualized protocols based on the characteristics of the specific tumor. In most cases there is a mix of surgery, radiation treatment, and possibly medication (hormonal, immunologic, or chemotherapy). Surgical options range from lumpectomy (removing the tumor and a small margin of tissue) or a mastectomy (removing the entire breast).  Reconstructive surgery (if desired) can often be done at the same time or later.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill any remaining cancer cells, and is often utilized after a lumpectomy.

Medical treatment can involve hormone therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy using specialized drugs or antibodies to home in on specific protein markers on cancer cells with less harm to healthy tissue.

Treatment has become more individualized to the specific tumor-type, with an overall 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer of 92%, climbing to over 99% when the cancer is caught at a localized stage, according to the American Cancer Society.

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

Ashland accomplishes 

As always, our DPW team has been hard at work! At the end of September into early October, crews could be found downtown sprucing up The Corner Spot, painting new lines in the Town Hall parking lots and along Main Street, and putting up new downtown banners! These banners have been placed on the new light poles and feature three different eye-catching designs, including a business-sponsored banner. The banner program is an ongoing effort to beautify Ashland!

 Throughout the summer, our DPW team has been working on updates and maintenance on the Riverwalk Trail. The Cemetery, Parks and Tree crew tended to the walking paths by mowing the edges, clearing brush and trimming branches. Making the path more enjoyable for residents and visitors.

Because of the generous donation of the Ashland Lions, two new benches were installed along the walking paths to provide visitors with a place to rest and enjoy the scenery.

Looking ahead, signs are queued for installation along the paths to guide visitors to the overlook areas and remind them to stay on the designated trail to respect abutting private properties. The remaining Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds used for this project will be expended to replace the existing bridges along the path.