0013 2 1 Welcome to Ash 2024 good morning and welcome to around the clock's coverage of Ashland day 2024 I'm your host Yanda Greaves we're going to take you through this day it's a little rainy but we're expecting people to turn up and show up because it's been a few years since we've been able to gather here with the Ashen community and celebrate all the great things that is the community of Ashland so hope you enjoy our coverage of Ashland day we might get a little wet but we're hoping for some sun a little bit later on if not Sun maybe no rain so we'll share the things the events that happen at the Gazebo as well as take you through and speak with some of the vendors and groups that are here in support
002and celebration of Ashlin day hello we are continuing our Ashland day fun I guess uh we're going to be talking with different people right now we have Makita Keegan and her son Alex Makita your first Ashlin day as a select board member does it feel any different um it doesn't feel different but it always feels good Yolanda and we're happy to be here so Alex do you remember ever coming to Ashlin day um I only remember one time but I don't exactly remember the date so what are you most looking forward to here at Ashland day other than the ice pop that you're enjoying so much hang out with my friends and if the rain clears up uh going out onto the going out onto the bouny houses on the rides what which one are
003you most looking forward to the bouncy castle uh Makita it's a little bit rainy but what what advice do you have for people who are attending today listen you know Yolanda you know and everybody else knows that a little rain ain't going to get get Ashlin down we are here to have a good time to celebrate Community rain or shine so I'd say come on down have fun we've got a lot of vendors here got a lot of community groups here um it's a great way to start a rainy Saturday so don't hesitate just come on down say hi there you go come on down to ashin day and enjoy the fun hello we're now talking with Jen arah Jen nice to see you nice to see you Ashlin day what brings you back um
004memories as a kid coming here so I brought my kids that are over at the bouncy houses right now but just the enjoy the community and being together do you still live here in town I do what kept you here uh the location and the people the community nice nice what were you looking forward to most here at Ashland day uh nicer weather um but just seeing um and seeing old friends and old communities small businesses and supporting [Music] everybody started to take it down wind trowing away mon [Music] [Laughter] it's the best cheeseburger at Ashland day there you go so again welcome again yet we're back we had a 4-year Hiatus unfortunately 3 years with Co and a tropical storm that hit us last year as we were doing an interview here and uh
005here you gok you here you [Music] go we the Twilight stries and star through the bar for the we soing and The Rock thir Pro through the night that our was still there oh say do [Music] our of the and the [Music] of we are now speaking with members of the Ashlin National Honor Society ladies if you could give me your Nam I'm Bren I'm Alan and what year are you ladies we're the class of 2025 okay and tell us a little bit about why you're here at Ashland day and what some of the events are that you have coming up so we have some Flags here at Ashland day so you can honor a veteran and the flags are personalized with the veterans name whether they're alive or deceased and their branch in the
006military and then we're also selling lollipops and bracelet kits and what do you have coming up in the spring um in the spring we have the talent show coming up and then in October we're also going to be at the farmers market selling all these great things great so farmers market on October 19th and Flags uh for veterans coming up as well ladies thanks for chatting with us and have a great day here at Ashen day thank you great pleasure to acknowledge thank and uh award Rob St gerain a senate citation uh in honor of receiving the 20 24 ashin citizen of the Year award for your outstanding service impact and leadership in the community and I I'll spare you the rest it's this will be in the Senate notes um I do just want
007to mention that that uh Rob we have been blessed with Rob's presence and living in ashin since 2001 uh he moved here he was a Management Consultant before all of his volunteering work and Ashland provided A Feast for him for volunteering um you said at one point in time and I did look into this that after you retired working for the town was cheaper than therapy and many of us can relate to that many of us can relate to that it keeps you busy he has done so much to strengthen the fabric of Ashland's life uh we are the big beneficiaries of it uh he's worked with the scouts he's volunteered with the open space committee he's helped with the beautiful River Walk The Town Forest uh as the chair for many years um he
008lives nearby and uh it's I understand it that he walks all of the trail Trails pretty much every week uh to make sure they're clear for the residents of Ashland and others and uh that everything is in top shape so you know for somebody who has volunteered and done so much to strengthen the town of Ashland we thank you we acknowledge you and uh we just say please keep all of your volunteering or pick some new things now that you might be moving on thank you so much and here's the Senate citation actually you want to face that way congratulations that I was actually doing a project for the for the select board and I was selecting different groups different committees and oh yeah he just realized he get he got zapped there he goes
009was more than just a person that loved the Town Forest he loves life he loves the community he loves the things that he does emphatically without reservation with he told me was in a recap as a uh an asand participant and a volunteer you don't often reflect on the things that you do in your life until someone asks you about it and in the last 24 years they've been they've been together they've lived in Ashland and he's done a wonderful thing he's enjoying life for the first time in quite some time he enjoys the forest he takes care of everything and he's when I asked him about his children he said he has five total children three his own and two two of Brits and four natural grandchildren uh he started working on the proposed
010Riverwalk project many years ago and he even helped with Community preservation committee his leadership has led to him being appointed to open space space in Recreation over the years and he chose to work with the Sudbury Valley trustees land trust and town of Ashland uh leading Rob to become a property Steward and work to remove invasive plants as has already been said but Rob was recognized for his substantial efforts by being awarded the Sudbury Valley trustees Steward of the land award and we all know how much he loves the Town Forest that is a very appropriate designation where so now therefore we the select board do hereby Proclaim Saturday September 1st so today as Rob St Germaine day and we urge all residents to make known their appreciation for his Devotion to the town of
011Ashland and we wish you good health and good fortune congratulations and now you get to talk we know you canland citizen of the year uh and so I have a house citation uh signed by myself uh and the speaker of the house uh from all of my colleagues uh to congratulate you thank you we'll get a picture as [Applause] well I think it's been a long long uh negative hall for miss Karen spilka now Senator president Karen spilka we are very honored to have you here and to have you live in town and have you help us throughout the years and getting funding for the many different projects that we that we uh have in town now uh you fighting for us and advocating for small towns against big cities and larger towns than Ashland
012for an equal funding formula for education uh which I know was something that you were champion of for for many many years and we greatly appreciate you doing that so a real quick history about Karen and Joel and Scott and Jake Karen Karen's career began in public service the fight which he realized was the inequity of the Educational Funding which I just said and uh while her two sons attended Ashland Public Schools in the early '90s she realized that the Commonwealth formula was not accurate was not right and it needed to be overhauled and there were many others who felt the same way and as I look out and I see the crowd in front of me I see that uh Claudia Bennett was another uh proponent for that and thank you as well and
013uh there others so thank you on your behalf for us um Karen's fright for equity and education and Fring resulted in the first major accom accomplishment as Senate President the passage of the student opportunity act the culmination of her 20 years the S SOA combined the largest increase in Educational Funding in Massachusetts history would change the public K to2 students to the student opportunity plan encompassing Early Education care and public higher education most recently state budget being signed into law this plan now is a reality including a $ 1.5 billion investment in Early Education and Universal free Community College a lifelong mental health Advocate Karen led the senate in the passage of an National leading mental health reform ensuring that people got the mental health care that they so desperately needed and they needed in
0142022 the bill is now law and thank you for that Karen and the list of accomplishments go on and on and on but we all know what she has done we all appre appreciate what you have done for us and for many others in and around the Metro West area uh one last uh one that she was a sponsor and passed two major bills which the gender X and the Jenny's law as a direct result of conversations with con constituents and she spearheaded the creation of the Metro West tourism and visitors bureau one of the many efforts to direct more resources and recognizing her District and we greatly appreciate that she is Fier in her actions she's also Fier with her family and with her friends Karen draws the strength and inspiration and wisdom from
015those experiences growing up in a family touched by mental health and disability and from her husband and two sons Scott and Jake and rescue dogs Lincoln and Massa I did I did say it right and I practiced all night long be be thankful uh Karen's previous roles as a social worker small business owner and attorney also informed her work today she's now proudly represents Metro West and communities of Metro West and North Fork district and comprised of Ashan Framingham Holliston hopkington Medway and nii as well as the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the state senate State president she's a graduate of Northeastern University and holds a BS in social work and corner University and my first time that I met Karen was across the table in a labor law dispute and you were a mediator
016from the town of Ashland and the Ashland police Union and it was quickly resolved thanks to your efforts we greatly appreciate that so on behalf thank you on behalf of the ashon Day committee it is my honor and privilege to award you our grand Marshall for September 21st 2024 Senator president Karen [Applause] spila I'm not gonna well I was going to say I'm not going to speak for too long but that's what politicians usually start and then they go on and on and on so um I am going to try not to cry this really took me by surprise I can't believe my my team pulled this off and didn't say anything and I usually can figure things like this out but uh I I really am surprised um I just want to say uh
017thank you to Joe and the Ashland Day committee and Bill and all of the folks here for keeping this going I remember coming to the first ashin day um and coming to many others of beautiful sky of pouring rain um but this really helps to uh develop and build and showcase ashin pride and all that we do I am so happy that over 40 years ago we made Ashland our home um it's an amazing Community I'm proud to be a resident here at that point in time I never ever thought that I would be a legislator let alone a senator or a Senate President but you know Ashan afforded me opportunities to Advocate and fight for things in ways that I never thought of and yes I look out at Claudia I think of Harry
018henchy um also a partner in advocating for changing the education funding formula that was so unfair to Ashland and all of our metros communities um and so much more so I feel that I am really blessed to to be where I am uh and andan I just want to say uh this is an amazing honor and uh I I really thank you it really is a surprise thank you so much have a great day enjoy Ashland day I just have one question does every politician have to have a BS degree no I think so we have another young lady who would like to come up here for a minute her name is Sue thank you for calling me young okay I know this is kind of ridiculous you know what I'm going to do we
019always present a senate citation to the Grand Marshall of Ashlin day so we create a Sena citation recognizing you as the Grand Marshall and it's also signed by you as the Senate President I don't know if I need to read it right no no it's what's funny is when they announced we're going to have a Grand Marshall I turned to Susan and I said do we have a citation for the Grand Marshall you know who is it she said just wait wait you know wait minut a lot more rude than that I think I said give me two minutes congratulations your first cation thank you [Applause] everybody okay and and my story starts back in 1963 that it ashin was a little smaller town than it is now and 1963 was a big deal for
020the town of ashin it was also a big deal for the hempton family my daughter Lisa was born and she's over here to celebrate there an old story that it takes a village to make something happen and it took a village to make this happen in 1963 ashin as I said was a much smaller Community okay we did not have a prefix for our telephone we under to Framingham 617 I believe and so the uh Telephone Company decided they were going to build a brick building at Main and Union Street and that were going to give us our own prefix which was it is 881 and so it was and they also added a time capsule when they built the building to be opened in 50 years it is now 61 years and it hasn't
021been open so two years ago I met with cliff and I said Cliff what's going on with this are we ever going to open that capsule he said I know nothing about it so anyway fast forward without all of the BS and all of that stuff this Village made it happen thanks to this guy that uh does a lot of work for uh now it's Verizon but it was the telephone back then and and you needed I believe 2 million 4 million in Insurance to get into the building and because he is covered with the insurance he is the one who got us into the building once we get in he said now we need a Master Mason Master Mason was Paul kuchi who was not here today uh Paul said I told him what
022we wanted we we did a meeting down there Paul said wait a minute how much is this going to cost me I said nothing you're doing it for free so without further Ado if if anybody if you two guys want to get your two cents worth in feel free I'm going to take my shears and open the copper box and have these guys pull pull whatever is in there out and see if we can explain what it is what more Dad hi one more all right a handb I think sorry sorry hi there don't cut your fingers honey watch out watch out is that I know it is paperwork y i you getting it'll donate it to the town right absolutely absolutely we can do that all right Yolanda yes you are the chairman yes
023the last person that touched this was the chairman of the board of selectman okay that put the first thing in so come over here and take something out and identify it to the people and we'll see what it is I have no idea okay this is perfect so the first thing I pulled out was the action by the annual town meeting for March 4th 1964 ashin Massachusetts these are the notes I won't read all of it a quorum being present the meeting was called to order at the high school auditorium at 7:35 p.m. by moderator John W Thompson who called on do on Reverend Robert E O'Brien to offer prayer and the what let's see the first article was the following Town officers were elected surveyors of lumber and the measure of wood and bark
024following committees reported the Fruit Street school committee School building committee the civil defense shelter study committee and let's see a report on progress of the Ashland Junior High School building Committee in 1964 they actually list and note this the salaries let's see wow okay I should have been a select board member in 1964 the selectman chair the chairman had a salary of $600 for those of you who don't realize all select board members all school committee members all elected officials in our town are now volunteers so thank you 100th birthday oh okay the next thing is the ashlin's 100th birthday so 1846 to 1946 and it's a program of events uh so some leaders and there are a number of um ads Baldwin White and Company investment Securities let's see what else anything we know
025Wyman's Framingham at nurseries hebden Robert D hebden from 43 Granite Street in Ashland you're in the book Rob made made the pages I was around I made it oh this is good emergency calls in case of fire dial 873 8875 if busy dial operator say emergency Ashlin fire department give name Street and number okay so it used to be that they would do a blast regarding schools so the no school signal five blasts at 6:45 a.m. for grade 1 through five 1 through six 10 blasts at 645 for high and grade schools I was on the school committee for three years back in 2000 and whatever early 2000s and I did not know that they were still doing this and my I had my daughters outside waiting for a bus one day and there was
026no school and they're like Mom how did you not know that and it's a history of the Town up until then let's see what can we find anything interesting oh oh this will be fun there's a comment about the liquor problem towns incorporation up to 1885 there was from time to time considerable agitation regarding the question of liquor licenses and liquor sales but the sentiment of the town was always strongly in favor of no license [Music] well that wraps up another Ashlin day 2024 it's a bit of a rainy day but there were still people out and about we were still able to celebrate our Grand Marshal who is Senate President Karen spilka and our resident of the Year citizen of the Year Rob St Germaine so it was fun it was wet but a
027lot of groups were still here hopefully you had the opportunity to share and participate in Ashen day as well so I'm Yolanda Greaves and for around the clock that wraps up Ashland day 2024 happy Ash day have you gone up in this leag before no I am no ready to Heights what are you I'm ready to go anytime so won't say that I'm up there with you okay y