Local News
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…
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…
Community Foundation Commits $500,000 to Expand Free Financial Aid Advising For All North Central Massachusetts Students
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…
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…
Ayer-Shirley Regional High School Moves Forward With Football Team Transition
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….
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…
2026 Town Meeting Dates in Ayer, Littleton, Shirley, Groton, Harvard and Lunenburg
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…
Ayer Select Board Receives Update on FY2027 Capital Plan
(March 3, 2026) – The Select Board received an update on the town’s FY2027 Capital Plan at Tuesday’s meeting. The Capital Planning Committee has met over the past few months to review requests and approve the final plan. We do not have a list of recommendations to share. Rather, the town management presented the Select…