
Ruth Maxant Schultz owns goats and has teamed up with the town to employ them to clear unwanted greenery across from the transfer station for the summer.
Last fall, Schultz proposed the idea to Mark Wetzel, director of the Department of Public Works. She had been reading articles about how the government was using goats to clean up federal land and thought her goats could provide similar services.
“I kept sending him (Wetzel) links and articles about the goats,” Schultz said. “He was very appreciative and receptive when I mentioned the goats and having them clean up the transfer station.”
The goats started working for the town this past fall and it was decided they were needed again for the summer.
“It’s relatively easy and inexpensive to have the goats out there,” Wetzel said. “It’s better than mobilizing heavy equipment, which is hard to get into that area anyway.”
The goats are out at the transfer station chowing down on greenery almost every day. Schultz brings them in the morning and picks them back up at night.
“It’s so easy for me to get them here,” Schultz said. “I don’t have to bring water or food or anything. It’s a perfect situation.”
Each goat earns $1 an hour. Wetzel said there are 7-25 goats at the transfer station.
“When they work they eat the greenery, twigs, poison ivy, so you don’t need to come in with a shredder or anything else,” Schultz said.
“If they eat it often enough, it just won’t exist anymore and you’ll have a nice manicured lawn.”The goats are protected in the area due to a chain link fence keeping them inside. But they have escaped a few times.
“Last year, they did find a place where the fence was a little too high and they crawled underneath it,” Schultz said. “I’ll have to do a little patching but they’re really good at getting out of places. ”
Schultz’s goats not only work for Ayer but have begun clearing greenery in Littleton. She also has had people from town reach out to her about having the goats clear in their yards.
“Last year, I took the goats over to people’s houses to eat the poison ivy,” Schultz said. “I’d be happy to have the goats going out to eat ivy or whatever people want them to.”
Although the goats are able to eat a lot of different things, they can get sick from overeating, said Schultz. She said if people see them, it’s okay to pull greens from the side of the road for them, but she does not encourage giving them human food.
“Even though they eat a lot of stuff they still can get sick and die from it,” she said.
The goats are expected to work all summer, except for rainy days.
“The goats like to eat and we have a lot of brush for them,” Wetzel said. “They’re happy to be there.”
And the DPW is happy to have them.
By Stephanie Michaud, Correspondent
Read more: http://www.nashobapublishing.com/community_news/ci_28600897/goats-payroll#ixzz3ibU6TMrA

Reserving Museum Passes
The library offers passes for free or reduced admission to many New England museums.
* Museum passes from Ayer Library are available to anyone with a library card in good standing, and no outstanding fines.
* Reusable passes must be returned to the library the day after use. There will be a fee of $1 per day for overdue passes. Lost passes have a $5 replacement fee.
* Some passes are date specific so please reserve passes in advance by visiting the library or by calling us at 978-772-8250.
Passes to the following museums are available to Ayer residents or other locals who have library cards in good standing. They must be reserved in person or by phone. Select passes must be returned to the main desk at the library or in the book drop the day after use.
* Ecotarium: 222 Harrington Way, Worcester, www.ecotarium.org; 508-929-2700. Admits 2 adults at $7 and 2 kids at $4.
* ~Fitchburg Art Museum: 25 Merriam Parkway, Fitchburg, www.fitchburgartmuseum.org; 978-543-4207. Admits 2 people for free.
* Museum of Fine Arts: 465 Huntington Ave. Boston, www.mfa.org; 617-267-9300. Admits 2 people for $10 each.
* *Museum of Science: 1 Science Park, Boston, www.mos.org; 617-589-0100. Admits 4 people for $10 each.
**New England Aquarium: 90 East India Row, Boston,
www.neaq.org; 617-973-5281. Admits 4 people for $10 each. Aquarium pass not available during July and August.
* USS Constitution Museum: Building 22 Charleston Navy Yard Boston, www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org 617-426-1812. Admits 9 people for free.
* ~Worcester Art Museum: 55 Salisbury St,. Worcester, www.worcesterart.org; 508-799-4406. Admits 2 people for free.
* Zoo New England: 1 Franklin Park Rd. Boston, www.zoonewengland.org; 617-989-2076. Admits 6 people, $6.
~ Signifies a pass that must be returned to the library.
* Signifies a pass that is date specific.
Ayer Library ~ 26 E. Main St. Ayer, MA 01432 ~ 978-772-8250 ~ www.ayerlibrary.org
Read more: http://www.nashobapublishing.com/community_news/ci_28532485/museum-passes-available-at-library#ixzz3hHXS0mgJ

Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas
Plan a romantic at-home dinner date for Valentine’s Day with our tips for setting the mood, plus our best recipes and thoughtful gift ideas.
Valentine’s Day Dinner Playlist
We’ve started the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner playlist with 20 of our favorite romantic songs; put this playlist on repeat or use it as inspiration for making your own Valentine’s Day dinner extra romantic.
“The Very Thought of You” — Woody Herman Orchestra, Flip Phillips
“All the Way” — Frank Sinatra
“The Nearness of You” — Norah Jones
“It Had to Be You” — Billie Holiday
“L-O-V-E” — Nat King Cole
“I Just Called to Say I Love You” — Stevie Wonder
“More” (Theme from Mondo Cane) — Frank Sinatra
“Anema E Core” — Perry Como
“Life Is Beautiful” — Tony Bennett
“Call Me Irresponsible” — Michael Buble
“Unforgettable” — Nat King Cole
“You Belong to Me” — Dean Martin
“My Cherie Amour” — Rod Stewart
“Love Is Here to Stay” — Frank Sinatra
“That’s What Love Is” — Bobby Darin
“How Are Ya’ Fixed for Love?” — Keely Smith, Frank Sinatra
“My Romance” — Sammy Davis, Jr.
“I’m in the Mood for Love” — Nat King Cole
“You Make Me Feel So Young” — Frank Sinatra
“The Way You Look Tonight” — Rod Stewart
Lighting
Create a romantic Valentine’s Day atmosphere with candlelight. A centerpiece with a cluster of different sizes of pillar candles will give your romantic dinner table the perfect glow, or for a different look, scatter votives across the table and windowsills.
Cook the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner for your sweetheart with our suggestions for starters, the main course, and dessert — or mix and match the recipes for your special menu. Not sure which wine goes best with your main dish? Take a look at our romantic food and wine pairings to get started.
See 17 romantic food and wine pairings.
Handmade cards and gifts are often the best way to tell your Valentine “I love you.” Here are some of our favorite gift and card ideas:
- Make a handmade card with an inside joke to make him or her smile on this day for lovers.
- Give a blank journal with a sentence written on each page telling why you love him or her or recounting a funny story in your relationship.
- Buy a bottle of wine from a significant year, such as your wedding anniversary or the year your first child was born.

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We have been absolutely off-the-wall busy this past week with 4 homes sold! It’s going to be a very busy 2013 so let’s hope this trend keeps up!
Are you in the market for a new home? Have you driven through our beautiful neighborhood of newly constructed homes? Each home features stainless steel appliances, central air conditioning, tile and hardwood flooring, granite counters and much, much more. We have over 20 different house plans to fit your budget and with each home built on one acre, wooded lots, Pingry Hill is Ayer’s most coveted address. Couple that with town water and sewer and a low tax rate and it’s worth putting on your list of places to check out during your home search.