Grafton Wins Beach Wheelchair Grant, Recruits for New Traffic Panel
GRAFTON — Grafton has been selected as one of six New England communities to receive a 2026 SMILE Mass Floating Beach Wheelchair Grant, a step toward improving accessibility at Silver Lake Beach, while town officials also press ahead on a pay-as-you-throw fee increase and a new committee to study traffic patterns around the Town Common.
TOWN HALL The Town of Grafton has been named one of six New England communities awarded a 2026 SMILE Mass Floating Beach Wheelchair Grant, which will provide a floating beach wheelchair to increase accessibility at Silver Lake Beach, according to the town's News Flash announcements.
Adjustments to Pay-As-You-Throw trash bag pricing took effect July 1, with the town saying the change was made to fully fund solid-waste operations through user fees rather than relying on taxpayer support.
Separately, the Select Board is recruiting for a newly formed Grafton Common Traffic Study Committee, which will be responsible for developing a strategic plan for traffic changes and improvements around the Common; residents interested in serving can apply through the town. The Select Board is also looking to fill vacancies on several other boards and committees.
SCHOOLS Grafton Public Schools has opened Kindergarten registration for the 2026-2027 school year, with parents and guardians directed to the district website to begin the process. The district is also running its 2026 Summer Enrichment Program, described as combining hands-on learning, artistic expression and STEAM exploration, and has scheduled summer technology handoffs, including sixth-grade Chromebook pickup and iPad deployment sessions for new students and incoming ninth-graders at Grafton High School. District facilities updates continue to circulate as well, with capital-plan and roofing assessments posted for both Grafton Middle School and the district generally.
COMMUNITY & ARTS Grafton Public Library's summer reading program, themed "Plant a Seed — Read!," is underway for all ages, alongside the Massachusetts Center for the Book's July reading challenge. The library also continues its weekly drop-in cribbage program, held Fridays through the summer.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS "30+ MA Beaches Closed As Smoky Haze Makes Comeback: See Latest Forecast" — Patch reports that smoke from wildfires in Ontario returned to Massachusetts skies this week, prompting beach closures across the state after air briefly cleared Thursday morning. (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/grafton)
COMING UP The Trails Committee meets Tuesday, July 21, followed by the Board of Sewer Commissioners and the School Committee, both Wednesday, July 22, the same day as the weekly Grafton Farmers Market on the Common. The Charter Review Committee's Article 6 subcommittee meets Monday, July 20, with its Article 4 subcommittee and the Community Preservation Committee's monthly meeting both set for Thursday, July 23. In the community, the Pay It Forward Card Show is Sunday, July 19, and Summer Preview Days follows Tuesday, July 21; the library's drop-in cribbage session continues this Friday, July 17.