Grafton Awarded Beach Wheelchair Grant, New Traffic Panel Seeks Volunteers
DATELINE — GRAFTON Grafton has been named one of six New England communities selected for a 2026 SMILE Mass Floating Beach Wheelchair Grant, which will supply the town with a floating beach wheelchair to improve accessibility at Silver Lake Beach, the town announced this week. The award headlines a run of town-hall news that also includes a trash-fee increase and a new call for volunteers on traffic planning around the Common.
TOWN HALL The floating wheelchair funded by the SMILE Mass grant is intended to increase accessibility at Silver Lake Beach, giving residents and visitors with mobility limitations a way to get into the water. Grafton was one of just six communities across New England chosen for the award.
Separately, the town has confirmed that Pay-As-You-Throw trash bag prices rose effective July 1. Officials said the adjustment is meant to fully fund trash operations through user fees rather than relying on general tax support.
The town is also recruiting for a newly formed Grafton Common Traffic Study Committee. The panel will be responsible for developing a strategic plan for traffic changes and improvements at the Common, and the town is accepting applications from residents interested in serving.
SCHOOLS Grafton Public Schools, under Superintendent Dr. James Cummings, has opened kindergarten registration for the 2026-2027 school year, with parents and guardians of incoming kindergartners encouraged to register now.
The district has also posted its 2026 Summer Enrichment programming, offering hands-on STEAM and arts-based activities for students over the break, alongside recently released roof-condition reports for Grafton Middle School and a broader district capital planning update on facility roofing needs.
COMMUNITY & ARTS Grafton Public Library's summer reading program, themed "Plant a Seed — Read!," is underway for patrons of all ages, tied into the Massachusetts Center for the Book's 2026 statewide summer reading challenge for July.
The library's weekly drop-in cribbage games also continue every Friday afternoon for residents looking for a casual game night out.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS "🌱 Patch AM: Pay It Forward Card Show and 12 more events" — Grafton Patch's morning roundup flags the Pay It Forward Card Show among a dozen other local happenings on the community calendar this week, per Grafton Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/grafton).
COMING UP The Select Board meets Tuesday, July 21, the same day the Trails Committee holds its regular meeting. The Board of Sewer Commissioners and the School Committee both meet Wednesday, July 22, which is also the next date for the Grafton Farmers Market on the Common. The Charter Review Committee's Article 6 subcommittee meets Monday, July 20, followed by its Article 4 subcommittee on Thursday, July 23. The library's drop-in cribbage session runs again Friday, July 24. Grafton Patch also lists Summer Preview Days on Tuesday, July 21, and a Grafton Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, July 25, per Grafton Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/grafton).