The Harvard Press

05/04/2025

Senior Evelyn Wool won gold in the girls 1-mile event of the third annual Bay State Running Mid-Distance Classic last Friday, April 25, breaking the meet record and shaving 6 seconds from her previous personal record.

Evelyn Wool ( #4) races to a first-place finish and a new meet record at the Bay State Running Mid-Distance Classic, April 25. (Photo by Kate...

05/04/2025

Election 2025: Candidates ... in their own words

In just a few days, the May 6 Town Election will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Hildreth Elementary School’s gym. Three candidates will compete for two seats on the Select Board; four for two places on the board of trustees for the Harvard Public Library; and one candidate each for the Warner Free Lecture Trust and School Committee.

https://harvardpress.com/Features/Feature-Articles/election-2025160candidates-in-their-own-words

05/01/2025

This year’s Town Election follows the Annual Town Meeting by three days on Tuesday, May 6. Polls in the Hildreth Elementary School gymnasium will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. The ballot asks voters to choose among candidates for open seats on four elected boards and to act on two financial questions.

This year’s Town Election follows the Annual Town Meeting by three days on Tuesday, May 6. Polls in the Hildreth Elementary School gymnasium will...

04/29/2025

On April 18, Department of Public Works Director David Smith abruptly announced he was terminating his employment with the town effective that day, one month earlier than he was scheduled to leave. Smith had resigned in March, alleging that three of his employees were making the department dysfunctional. His last day was to be May 19.

On April 18, Department of Public Works Director David Smith abruptly announced he was terminating his employment with the town effective that...

04/28/2025

What is 27 pages long and brimming with diagrams and design specs for village-like, clustered development? It’s the new commercial zoning bylaw proposed for Harvard’s commercial district, a 1.2 mile stretch of Ayer Road between the Route 2 interchange and the Ayer town line. Voters will have the chance to accept or reject it at the May 3 Town Meeting.

https://harvardpress.com/News/News-Articles/article-43-a-new-vision-for-ayer-road-should-harvard-adopt-new-zoning-for-its-commercial-district

04/26/2025

Readers looking for a one-page overview of the fiscal 2026 budget—and assurance that it balances—should turn to Harvard’s five-year budgeted revenue and expense projection, often referred to as the “recap.”

Readers looking for a one-page overview of the fiscal 2026 budget—and assurance that it balances—should turn to Harvard’s five-year budgeted...

04/25/2025

Article 12 in this year’s warrant booklet asks Town Meeting to approve a $35.1 million omnibus budget to pay for the operation of town departments and the schools next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Article 12 in this year’s warrant booklet asks Town Meeting to approve a $35.1 million omnibus budget to pay for the operation of town departments...

04/25/2025

Warrant in Plain English: 2025 Annual Town Meeting

At Annual Town Meeting Saturday, May 3, voters will be asked to approve 44 articles. About half require spending taxpayer dollars or a transfer of town funds to pay for town services and improvements, while the rest propose changes to town bylaws meant to encourage commercial development, protect the environment, or conserve the town’s character.

At Annual Town Meeting Saturday, May 3, voters will be asked to approve 44 articles. About half require spending taxpayer dollars or a transfer of...

04/19/2025

Like Massachusetts as a whole, Harvard has an aging population. And Council on Aging Director Debbie Thompson is hearing from Harvard elders who are worried about the impact of federal budget cuts and reorganization. “I’ve had people coming in crying or losing sleep, worried about their Social Security,” Thompson said. And the long waits on Social Security phone lines make it hard for people to get answers about their concerns.

Like Massachusetts as a whole, Harvard has an aging population. And Council on Aging Director Debbie Thompson is hearing from Harvard elders who...

04/18/2025

Approximately 25 Depot Road residents turned out at the Water Commission’s April 9 meeting to voice their outrage over a possible $25,000 betterment fee, a fee that is typically charged when a public project increases the value of specific properties. The betterment in question would be provided by access to public water from the pipes that were installed along the length of Depot Road as part of the $7.1 million project to connect Harvard’s municipal water supply to the Devens water system.

https://www.harvardpress.com/News/News-Articles/depot-road-residents-outraged-by-proposed-25k-betterment-fee-for-devens-water-connection

04/18/2025

The Select Board found Tuesday night, April 15, that an Open Meeting Law complaint filed by a former member against SusanMary Redinger, the current chair, was without merit.

The Select Board found Tuesday night, April 15, that an Open Meeting Law complaint filed by a former member against SusanMary Redinger, the...

04/16/2025

For about three weeks each spring, visitors to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston are treated to the Hanging Nasturtiums display in the museum’s courtyard garden, known as The Courtyard. It is an annual tradition celebrating the beginning of spring and Isabella Stewart Gardner’s birthday. This year, the flowering display was installed on March 26 and is anticipated to remain on view until April 14.

Photos: The famous nasturtiums cascade from the third-floor galleries to the courtyard garden below, up to 20 feet in length. (Photos by Heidi Gómez)

https://harvardpress.com/Features/Feature-Articles/hanging-out-with-the-nasturtiums-at-the-isabella-stewart-gardner-museum