Board of Health Honors Quern, Turncliff
The Ashland Board of Health presented its ninth annual Mary Mortensen Public Health Award to Kirsten Quern and Amy Turncliff, honoring two residents who once argued opposite sides of a 2018 town meeting debate.
Board of Health · Meeting of July 7, 2026
ASHLAND — The Ashland Board of Health presented its ninth annual Mary Mortensen Public Health Award to Kirsten Quern and Amy Turncliff, honoring two residents who once argued opposite sides of a 2018 town meeting debate. Michael Herbert recalled how the two reconciled afterward at a community ice cream social. Health Director Rajit Gupta updated the board on five open housing cases, including a years-long rodent complaint at 9 Cirrus Drive and mold at 37 Presidents Row, and reported a new MassDEP grant funding five air-quality sensors for municipal buildings.
The board approved its FY2026 year-to-date budget report and June 16 minutes on a 4-0-0 vote. Gupta also reported 107 participants at the June 30 Community Baby Shower, calling it "the maximum" turnout of three regional events.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
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- The complete report — 2,426 words
Source: the Board of Health meeting of July 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.
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