Westford Library Opens as Cooling Center Ahead of Extreme July Fourth Heat
With a dangerous heat wave bearing down on the region through the Fourth of July weekend, the J.V. Fletcher Library is opening its doors as an official cooling center — and town hall is reminding residents that bow hunting permit applications open Wednesday.
TOWN HALL
Residents who hunt should mark their calendars: bow hunting season begins September 1, 2026, and the town is accepting permit applications from July 1 through August 7. Permits will be issued by August 14. The application and release form is available on the town's website at https://www.westfordma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1035/Hunting-Lottery-Application-and-Release-Form-PDF.
Separately, the town's homepage flags an excessive heat advisory running Wednesday, July 1 through Friday, July 3 — a timely notice ahead of the holiday weekend.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
J.V. Fletcher Library is stepping up as a cooling center on Wednesday, July 1, and Thursday, July 2, open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days. The library — currently operating out of its temporary location at 515 Groton Road while its historic Main Street building undergoes renovation — will be closed Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, in observance of the 250th Anniversary of Independence Day.
Also ahead at the library: a "ZMakesBeads with Zangar" children and tween/teen program runs Tuesday, June 30, at the Roudenbush Community Center third floor; a Craft Lounge session for tweens and teens meets Wednesday, July 1; and the library's 2026 Summer Reading Program — themed "Plant a Seed, Read!" — is underway for all ages. On Wednesday, July 8, the library hosts a "Farm on the Go" outing at Good Pickin' Farm, 5 Gould Road, for families and children.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"🌱 Patch AM: How a lifelong Westford resident earned the inaugural Commonwealth Pride Award" — Westford Patch reports that a local resident received a newly established statewide honor, with details on the recognition in the full story. Per Westford Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford).
"'Extreme' Heat Will Feel Like 110+ Degrees, Bring Severe Storm Risk To MA: See Latest Forecast" — A dangerous stretch of heat and humidity is forecast to peak Wednesday through Friday across Massachusetts, with conditions approaching or exceeding 110 degrees when humidity is factored in — a development that makes the library's cooling center hours especially relevant for Westford residents this week. Per Westford Patch, citing Patch state coverage (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford).
COMING UP
- **Tuesday, June 30** — ZMakesBeads with Zangar, children/tween program, Roudenbush Community Center, 3rd floor - **Wednesday, July 1** — J.V. Fletcher Library open as cooling center, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., 515 Groton Road; Craft Lounge (tween/teen), Roudenbush Community Center, 3rd floor - **Thursday, July 2** — J.V. Fletcher Library open as cooling center, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., 515 Groton Road - **Friday, July 3–Saturday, July 4** — J.V. Fletcher Library closed (Independence Day observance / 250th Anniversary) - **Wednesday, July 8** — Farm on the Go with Good Pickin' Farm, 5 Gould Road; Middle Grade Book Club, 515 Groton Road (tween/teen) - **Thursday, July 9** — Adult Book Club, 515 Groton Road - **Monday, July 13** — Virtual Library Board of Trustees and PTBC Meeting, Westford Zoom account - **Bow hunting applications**: July 1–August 7; permits issued by August 14