Friday, March 28, 2025

UMass Memorial chooses Groton site for emergency facility, all but killing hopes for Nashoba hospital

UMass Memorial Health has chosen a site for the satellite emergency facility it hopes can replace many of the emergency services provided by the Nashoba Valley Medical Center before it closed last August.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Outgoing DPW director relates stories of dysfunction

Last week’s news that Department of Public Works Director David Smith is resigning after only six months on the job took the town by surprise. But the reason Smith cited for his resignation has uncovered a potentially bigger problem—an allegedly dysfunctional department. 

Friday, March 28, 2025

Water and sewer slated for Ayer Road multifamily district

The state has awarded Harvard a $1,145,000 grant to bring municipal water and sewer to the 8-acre multifamily district at the intersection of Ayer Road and the Route 2 interchange. 

Friday, March 28, 2025

Working group to review recommendations for Devens housing April 1

The Devens housing working group is scheduled to hold its third and penultimate meeting April 1, at 2 p.m., in the Vicksburg Conference Room in Devens. The eight-member panel is expected to review draft recommendations for more housing in the Innovation and Technology Center district.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Loaves & Fishes food pantry in Devens will not be affected by USDA cuts

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was cutting the Local Food Access Program, food pantries across the country worried about losing their supply of fresh, local produce, meats, and dairy products. But Loaves & Fishes, the food pantry in Devens is likely emerging unscathed.

Friday, March 28, 2025

EMT ‘storks’ are honored for delivering baby girl

A group of firefighters and emergency medical technicians gathered in front of the Harvard Fire Station last Saturday, March 22, for a rare presentation. Five EMTs from Harvard and Ayer were about to receive their stork pins—the award for delivering a baby during an emergency medical call.

Friday, March 28, 2025

General Store posts ‘No Firearms’ sign

Anyone stopping by the General Store for a scone or a cup of coffee recently may have noticed a new sign in the window by the door. The sign reads, “No Firearms Allowed. Violators will be considered trespassing!”

Friday, March 28, 2025

Maiore files Open Meeting Law complaint against Select Board chair

Select Board member Rich Maiore has filed an open meeting law complaint against Chair SusanMary Redinger alleging she failed to follow proper procedure in handling a code of conduct violation he reported in February. 

Friday, March 21, 2025

Smith resigns as DPW director citing a hostile, uncooperative workplace

Department of Public Works Director David Smith is resigning his position effective May 19. In a letter to Town Administrator Dan Nason, Smith cited hostility and harassment by a small group of DPW employees as the reason for his resignation.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Schools, food pantries, and farmers brace for losses as USDA cancels local food programs

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notified every state in the country that it was canceling the Local Foods for Schools Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. 

Friday, March 21, 2025

Contested races: Array of candidates vie for seats on Select Board, Library Trust

Candidates for elected town boards and committees have been in short supply for the last decade or so, but things are looking up.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Forty-four articles in a day: Select Board approves monster Town Meeting warrant

It took two sessions of 2024 Annual Town Meeting last year—one in the spring, and another in the fall—to debate and decide 39 articles. But at this year’s Annual Town Meeting, scheduled for Saturday, May 3, voters will be asked to act on 44 items in a single afternoon.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Select Board raises Tier 1 override amount to avoid severe cuts to schools

The Select Board voted Tuesday night to reconsider the fiscal 2026 budget it approved just one week ago. The new proposal makes no change to the additional $1.37 million that town departments and the schools say they need to provide the services residents expect. But it does increase the amount included in the first tier of the board’s two-tier tax override by approximately $157,000, with the additional money allocated to the schools.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Allowing for growth: Proposed bylaw would ease current zoning constraints in town center

At Town Meeting May 3, the Planning Board will ask residents to enact a bylaw creating a new zoning district for approximately 89 lots in the heart of Harvard. Adopting a bylaw to create a town center overlay district would make it easier for property owners to renovate, expand, and even change the use of their properties.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Supporting clean energy, Select Board adopts ‘zero-emission vehicle first’ policy

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Select Board approved the zero-emission vehicle first policy.

Friday, March 14, 2025

School Committee will seek state funds for Bromfield HVAC

The School Committee’s longtime goal has been to keep the Bromfield School’s 1960s building well maintained and usable as far into the future as possible. Since at least 2015, the building’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system has been a major concern. 

Friday, March 14, 2025

School administrators pledge support for all students

The Harvard School District newsletter for March began with a response to the recent federal executive orders aimed at the LGBTQ community.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Select Board’s fiscal 2026 budget offers voters hard choices

The Select Board voted Tuesday night to offer voters a fiscal layer cake at Town Meeting in May, one that allows voters to choose how much they are willing to increase property taxes to pay for the personnel and expenses that town departments and the schools say are necessary to adequately serve the town in the coming fiscal year.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Ludwig returns to Select Board, apologizes

It’s been a week since the Select Board voted unanimously to censure former chair Don Ludwig for his derogatory posts to the X social media platform and asked him to resign.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Town places lien on four Harvard properties for nonpayment of taxes

Last month Harvard took action against four delinquent property owners, placing liens on their properties for a total of $470,000.

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