by the staff of the Harvard Press ·
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Updated 3/19/20, 8:15 a.m.
The town continued on Tuesday to implement emergency actions mandated by Gov. Baker and the state to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the most vulnerable members of our community. Among these is the requirement that all public and private elementary and secondary schools in the state close for three weeks beginning today and continuing at least until Monday, April 6. In addition, gatherings of more than 25 people and on-premises consumption in any establishment that offers food or drink is banned from March 17 until April 6. Today, town organizations responded by issuing fresh directives of their own.
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Massachusetts citizens and the Harvard community continues to evolve, the Harvard Press will track developments here at State of the Town to provide readers with a single source of verified information on what’s open, what’s not, and what may lie ahead. We will review this information and update the page daily; please send additions, updates, and corrections to editor@harvardpress.net.
Town Hall
The building will be closed to the public starting Wednesday, March 17, until further notice. Town personnel will continue to report to work and will be available by phone or email during regular business hours, Monday through Thursday, at 978-456-4100 or harvard.ma.us.
Public Safety Building
No change. The Public Safety Building will remain open Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sundays.
Town committee and board meetings
Effective Monday, March 16, board and committee meetings are no longer open to members of the public. A member of the press will be permitted to attend, but must follow physical distancing guidelines. Any meetings held in the upper Town Hall meeting room will be broadcast by cable, but the executive order issued last week by Gov. Baker will allow every meeting to eventually be conducted virtually. Town Administrator Tim Bragan says the town hopes to have a virtual platform in place by March 23 that will allow residents to view and participate in meetings remotely. Meantime, he has asked committees and boards to postpone upcoming meetings until that platform is ready and says he will issue guidelines to committee chairs on how to comply with this directive.
With the exception of the Select Board and Finance Committee, which will meet at their regular times this week, all other meetings have been canceled. For the agendas and times of upcoming meetings, go to www.harvard.ma.us/calendar-by-event-type/16. For details of these changes see our story, “Town bans public attendance at committee and board meetings,” on this site.
Special 37th Middlesex State Election
The town clerk's office is awaiting further guidance from the Massachusetts secretary of state on any changes or postponements to elections, but at this time the March 31 special state election to fill the seat vacated by Jen Benson in the 37th Middlesex District is scheduled to be held at the Bromfield School cafeteria. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If COVID-19 health concerns prevent you from attending the polls to vote, Town Clerk Marlene Kenny urges you to apply for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you. To apply, visit the town clerk's webpage at www.harvard.ma.us/town-clerk. Contact the town clerk's office at (978) 456-4100 or by email at mkenney@harvard.ma.us for more information or with any questions.
Transfer Station
Open at regularly scheduled hours, but with restrictions. Starting Wednesday, March 18, and until further notice, punch card items will not be accepted; town officials are working on a policy for extending card expirations. People are asked to keep 6 feet apart from others, drop their trash and recyclables, and leave. Fundraising, campaigning, and other gatherings are prohibited. The “take it or leave it” section is closed.
Schools
Subsequent to the latest executive order of Gov. Baker, all elementary and secondary schools in Massachusetts—public and private—must close for three weeks, beginning Tuesday, March 17, continuing at least until Monday, April 6. In a letter to parents, Superintendent Linda Dwight wrote that plans for “distance learning” for Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School will be implemented, with details available on Wednesday, March 18. (See our story “Local schools close for three days” on this site.)
Village Nursery School
The school closed on March 13 and, following the public schools’ schedule, will remain closed at least until Monday, April 6.
School athletics
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association (MIAA) has postponed the start of spring season until March 30. As that date approaches, the MIAA board will revisit its decision.
Town fields
All playing fields in Harvard are closed until further notice as of March 16. An announcement will be made a week ahead of the fields being reopened for activity.
Churches
- St. Theresa’s Catholic Church: Masses are canceled on Sundays, weekdays, and Holy Days of Obligation until further notice.
- Harvard Unitarian Church: Worship services and programs are canceled until further notice. Virtual services are scheduled to begin March 22.
- Congregational Church of Harvard: March 22 and 29 services are canceled.
Council on Aging
Hildreth House will close Wednesday, March 18, but staff will be available by phone and email. All events, programs, classes (including offsite fitness classes), and group meals are canceled until April 17. The COA will provide delivery of prepackaged lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays to any senior in town who signs up for lunch delivery while the Hildreth House is closed. Call the COA at 978-456-4120 to put your name on the list. Deliveries will be placed outside the door; there will be no contact between the delivery person and the recipient. COA vans will continue to offer rides for medical appointments and grocery shopping, and Meals on Wheels will continue to be delivered.
Library
The Harvard Public Library is closed until further notice. Please do not return items while the library is closed. All items that were recently checked out will be renewed automatically, and all fines for overdue items will be waived. Library staff will be present to answer reference questions and other queries by email or telephone. Check harvardpubliclibrary.org for further updates.
Fivesparks
Closed until the end of March.
Fruitlands Museum
All programs are canceled through the end of March. The museum is closed, but the grounds remain open.
General Store
The General Store has reduced its hours to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Kitchen hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On-site seating areas are closed, and all food and drink orders must be placed to go. The store will monitor traffic to limit the maximum number of customers to 25 people at any given time as mandated by Gov. Baker. Customers may call ahead to place orders for coffee drinks, baked goods, menu items, pantry goods, beer and wine, fresh food to go, or cold beverages. The store prefers phoned-in orders to be picked up curbside. The parking spaces directly in front of the store are reserved for curbside pickup only. Call 978-430-0062 to place an order and arrange a pickup time. For details see www.harvardgeneralstore.com/service-announcements.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Drive-through and take-out services only; no mug refills. Reduced hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Siam Pepper Thai Cuisine
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 8:45 p.m. Take-out services only, DoorDash delivery available.
Sorrento's Pizzeria
Hours unchanged; take-out service only, online ordering available.
Loaves & Fishes
The pantry is open as a drive-through service only; recorded message at 978-772-4627. Volunteers now must sign up in advance by email, volunteer@loavesfishespantry.org
Firefighter training/classes
Fire academy training has been suspended. Only the career recruit classes have been deemed essential; all call/volunteer classes have been suspended.
Middlesex Savings Bank
As of Wednesday, March 18, all service will be conducted at drive-through windows only; branches without drive-through services will be closed until further notice. Call to access safety deposit boxes.
Rollstone Bank
The drive-up teller window is open with hours unchanged. The bank lobby is closed effective Wednesday, March 18. Call for an appointment to access safety deposit boxes or conduct in-bank transactions.
Nashoba Nursing Service & Hospice
All Well-Adult Clinics are canceled until the end of April. Updated schedules are available at www.nashoba.org.
Summer Beach Programs
No change; registration is open. See beach webpage at www.harvard.ma.us/node/34/news for more information.
Retail Shops
- The Fiber Loft: Closed until further notice.
- Kitchen Outfitters in Acton: Closed until further notice.
- Harvard Cleaners: Closing at 4 p.m. this week.
- Z Drycleaners: Closing at 6 p.m. this week.
- The Grape Vine: Hours unchanged.
Other regularly scheduled meetings
- Garden Club: March meetings of the Garden Club and Garden Club Board are canceled.
- Alcoholic Anonymous at the Congregational Church on Wednesday nights is canceled until further notice.
For updates on scheduled happenings around town, go to our online Current Events page at https://www.harvardpress.com/Happenings/Current-Events
Up-to-date information on COVID-19 is available at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov and at mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19. The nonprofit mass211.org provides free, confidential information in several languages, both on its website and for callers who dial 211; callers may experience delays because of the high volume of calls.
Please register for MyConnect on the town website to receive townwide announcements as either a phone call, email, or text message. To sign up, click the “One-Step Notification Sign Up Now” button on the town website home page. All announcements will also be posted on the town website. Questions regarding town operations during the COVID-19 emergency may be emailed to asktheTA@Harvard.ma.us. The town website also has a COVID-19 page with various updates from the Town Administrator at https://www.harvard.ma.us/home/news/coronavirus-covid-19.