001[Music] Hi clockers. I'm Hi Silver and I'm excited to be back with another edition of the WACA news blog. Today I'll be sharing a brief update on what's new in Ashland as highlighted in the town manager's latest newsletter. For some news you need to know. Town leadership updates. Ashlin town manager has appointed Katherine Bird and Beth Reynolds as new assistant town managers. Bird will lead administration and operations while Reynolds takes on community development and affairs. These internal promotions follow Jen Ball's departure and take effect May 12th. The annual town meeting recap held May 7th with 234 voters attending. Key approvals include the FY26 budget, several CPC projects, and infrastructure borrowing. A proposed local historic district bylaw failed while ADUs and floodplane updates passed. Town election. Ashland's annual town election is Tuesday, May 20th at Ashlin
002High School from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Early voting is Wednesday, May 14th, and vote by mail application deadline has passed. Mental health events, coffee, core, and connection. Ashlin will be holding free Pilates and bagels on May 18th from 9 to 10:30 a.m. And Art Saves Ashland will be a creative community event on May 15th from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Ashlin High School. Reminders, excise tax payments are due by May 19th to avoid late fees. This week's community shout out, Huntfield is back in the game. We're thrilled to share that Huntfield is officially open and ready for baseball after being out of commission for several years. This is a major win for Ashland's athletic community and a proud moment for everyone who helped restore the field to playable condition. The reopening marks the culmination
003of months of planning, teamwork, and dedication by a passionate crew determined to bring back the field. While there's still more work to be done, the milestone is still worth celebrating. A big shout out goes to Joey Manani and his team for providing consistent support throughout the project. Kevin Langmire for leading the construction of the new dugouts, Jim Bomba for managing the safe demolition of the old baseball dugouts, Chris Messier and crew for executing the final touches on the infield and fencing. And Dan Moore for daily project coordination, ensuring the right tools, materials, and manpower were in place every step of the way. Local meetings, programs, and events. Stay connected and informed about what's happening in Ashland. From town meetings to community programs, there's something for everyone. for upcoming public meetings. Want to know more about
004local decisions and initiatives? Tune in to upcoming meetings either in person at town hall in the select boardroom or virtually. All meetings are broadcast through WACA TV. Go online to view full agendas and meeting details. And don't forget to hit view all calendars to see everything that's coming up for this week's meeting. On Tuesday, May 13th, we have the zoning board of appeals at 700 p.m. Town Manager coffee hours will be held every third Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at the Ashlin Community Center. Have a question about something in town? Want to learn more about local projects? Join town manager Michael Herbert for casual community focused conversation over coffee. The upcoming dates are May 21st, June 18th, and July 16th. The Ashlin Community Weed Poll. This will be held on Saturday, May 17th from 10:00 a.m.
005to 1:00 p.m. at the Ashland Arboritum at 409 Elliot Street. Join the weed warriors and help beautify Ashland. Volunteers will work together to remove invasive plants from the future Ashland Arboritum, making it a healthier, more vibrant space to enjoy. And that's it for today's update. Be sure to stay connected for more community news. And don't forget to get involved in local events. A big thank you to our town manager, Michael Herbert, and the dedicated town staff for putting together this newsletter. Thank you all for tuning in today on WACA. I'm Hi Silver. Good night and go clockers.