The School Committee’s vote Monday night, Nov. 27, requesting $16.2 million to operate Harvard’s schools in fiscal 2025, did nothing to improve the town’s financial outlook, in spite of last-minute cuts to personnel and expenses. 

Police Chief James Babu and Fire Chief Rick Sicard met with the Finance Committee Tuesday, Nov. 28. Both expressed hope for increases in their departmental budgets for fiscal 2025. 

School Committee members voted unanimously Monday night to approve a fourth version of their proposed school budget for fiscal 2025. 

A new option is available for residents who would like to invite 90 of their closest friends to their next birthday party—the Harvard Senior Center at 16 Lancaster County Road. 

A second attempt to attract a cell tower company to lease land near Hildreth House, construct a cell tower, and share rental revenue with the town has failed.

Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley voters could, in the coming year, be asked to approve the redevelopment of Vicksburg Square in Devens for housing.

In preparing the school budget for fiscal 2025, the School Committee is looking at three possible budgets—not just the two requested by the Finance Committee.

In a Nov. 8 letter to Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, the three state legislators who represent Devens asked for her help in gaining release of the $400,000 included in a 2022 bond bill for the study of the future of Devens.

A $9.8 million September cost estimate for a project that includes renovating one Department of Public Works building and rebuilding the other three got a closer look by engineers at Weston & Sampson, the project’s designer, last month.

Assessor Mike Saltsman came before the Select Board at its Nov. 7 meeting and presented the latest total assessed value of all the properties in town, as well as the proposed fiscal 2024 tax rate needed to cover the amount of money the town needs to raise through taxation.

The new shuttle service from Harvard to the Littleton/495 commuter rail station had no takers in its first week of operation.

The Parks and Recreation Commission has three large items on its wish list for fiscal 2025, and it went before the Capital Planning and Investment Committee Nov. 9 to make its case for them.

At the Tuesday, Nov. 14, meeting of the Finance Committee, Finance Director Jared Mullane released a new revenue and expense forecast that, given the spending requests of town departments and committees, foresees a $1.5 million deficit. 

The Select Board voted unanimously at its Nov. 7 meeting to grant Fivesparks a rent abatement to cover some of the financial losses suffered when the lower level of the old library building flooded last May.

The Bare Hill Pond drawdown performed yearly to reduce nuisance aquatic plants, ecologically harmful levels of phosphorus, and the chance of algae blooms, has been stopped at the 3-foot mark and will not resume this year.

Select Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to declare a brown mastiff belonging to Joshua Malam of Abbot Lane a dangerous dog. 

As Harvard’s fire chief continues to grapple with how to make progress toward replacing the town’s 47-year-old fire station, a visit to the Nov. 7 Select Board meeting offered little direction. 

Representatives from the Devens Enterprise Commission, the town of Ayer, Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, Mass Development, Friends of Woodlands and Waters, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and volunteers attended the grand opening of a new trail and pollinator meadow along the Nashua River.

The Department of Public Works was first up to bat in this year’s budget season. Director Tim Kilhart came before the Finance Committee at its Oct. 24 meeting to discuss his requests, which were mostly for level services. But one request went above and beyond.

Hundreds of costumed trick-or-treaters of all ages swarmed the Common and adjacent streets Tuesday night to celebrate Halloween in Harvard.