Ashburnham Library Wins $20,000 Federal Food Literacy Grant

With the Fourth of July holiday just days away, Ashburnham residents should mark two closures on their calendars before the long weekend arrives.

TOWN HALL

The town is reminding residents of back-to-back service interruptions tied to the Independence Day holiday. Town Hall will be closed on Thursday, July 2, and the Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday, July 4. Regular Town Hall hours — Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. — resume the following week.

Also still active: the town's seasonal water conservation order, in effect from May 1 through September 30, which places restrictions on outdoor water use. Residents who have not yet reviewed the 2025 Annual Water Quality Report — the Consumer Confidence Report published earlier this month — can find it on the town website at ashburnham-ma.gov.

The town has also posted an open notice of vacancies on several town boards and committees. Positions remain unfilled and will stay posted until filled; residents interested in serving can check the full list on the town's News Flash page.

COMMUNITY & ARTS

Stevens Memorial Library has good financial news to share heading into the summer. The library has been provisionally awarded a $20,000 federal Library Services and Technology Act grant through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The program, titled "At the Table: Food Literacy from the Ground Up," will fund library programming and resources designed to build food literacy skills among Ashburnham community members. Library Director Jess Mynes leads the Stevens Memorial Library at 20 Memorial Drive.

The library has also released its FY2026–FY29 Strategic Plan, a multi-year roadmap developed through conversations with community stakeholders that outlines updated objectives and priorities for the coming years.

ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS

No new coverage from Patch or The Boston Globe in this cycle.

COMING UP

- **Transfer Station closed** — Saturday, July 4 - **Town Hall closed** — Thursday, July 2 - **Water conservation order** remains in effect through September 30 - **Library Board of Trustees** meets the third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at Stevens Memorial Library, 20 Memorial Drive (next meeting: July 15) - **Library hours**: Monday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Tuesday–Wednesday 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; closed Friday and Sunday