The Harvard Press

06/11/2026

As the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation approaches, it seems important to reflect on the ideals to which the colonists wanted their new country to aspire and to explore the extent to which we still embrace those values. The Harvard Historical Society is presenting a program in partnership with Freedom’s Way called “The Declaration of Independence Then and Now,” which features a dramatic reading of much of the Declaration. The event will be held Sunday, June 14, 2 p.m., at Town Hall and is free for residents of all ages.

As the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation approaches, it seems important to reflect on the ideals to which the colonists wanted their...

06/10/2026

Patches of common milkweed for monarch butterflies appear here and there. Three different goldenrods, black-eyed Susans, and New York ironweed intermingle in another corner of the property. Fern fronds unfurl amid a patch of pachysandra. A red-tailed hawk screams overhead. A walk around Michele Girard’s yard reveals a landscape in transition.

Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles on native plants. Part 1 appeared in the May 29 issue.

Photo caption: A fully bloomed red flower. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

https://harvardpress.com/Features/Feature-Articles/shifting-perspectives-finding-beauty-and-benefit-in-a-rewilded-landscape

06/09/2026

The Harvard Select Board met Tuesday night with a KP Law attorney to sharpen a letter opposing a provision of Gov. Maura Healey’s Mass Wins bill that would give MassDevelopment sole authority to propose changes to Devens zoning bylaws and replace the three-town “super town meeting” approval process that has governed the community since 1993. The board’s position is unambiguous: It wants no change.

The Harvard Select Board met Tuesday night with a KP Law attorney to sharpen a letter opposing a provision of Gov. Maura Healey’s Mass Wins bill...

06/08/2026

The Harvard Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a $1 million investment by the town’s Municipal Affordable Housing Trust to subsidize 12 affordable apartments in a 46-unit rental complex being built at Emerson Green in Devens. A decade in the making, the deal will nearly halve Harvard’s affordable housing gap, earn two years of protection from unwanted development under state law, and add much-needed affordable housing to the region.

Photo caption: Drawing of the proposed apartment building at Emerson Green. (Courtesy drawing)

https://harvardpress.com/News/News-Articles/harvard-commits-1-million-to-ensure-affordable-apartments-at-emerson-green

06/05/2026

The free press was pivotal in events leading up to the American Revolution. Newspapers and pamphlets were instrumental in inciting discord on both sides of the conflict, but how did printers get their information, and what meaning did their words and symbols hold? How were newspapers and pamphlets printed? What meaning did words and symbols hold to persuade and encourage rebellion or loyalty? Join us for an interactive program.

The Role of the Free Press in the American Revolution

18th century newspapers and pamphlets were essential to the dissemination of information and were instrumental in fanning the flames of discord on both sides of the revolutionary conflict. However, how did printers get their information? How were newspapers and pamphlets printed? What meaning did words and symbols hold to persuade and encourage rebellion or loyalty? This interactive program, led by historian Michele Gabrielson, focuses on the narrative of the incredible role that printing and propaganda played in the pivotal events leading up to the American Revolution.

Registration is not required but registrants will receive a reminder.

https://harvardpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/16326929

06/05/2026

Home eBulletin Newsroom Spotlight: The Harvard Press eBulletinIndustry NewsNews Stories Newsroom Spotlight: The Harvard Press May 29, 2026 Tucked above the General Store in the center of Harvard, Massachusetts, The Harvard Press operates from the literal heart of the community it covers. Founded in....

06/05/2026

Breaking! The No. 5 seed Bromfield varsity girls won their away match against No. 4 Amesbury 3-2 Thursday afternoon and are now headed to the semifinals of this year’s Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Tennis Division 4 Tournament.

The No. 5 seed Bromfield varsity girls won their away match against No. 4 Amesbury 3-2 Thursday afternoon and are now headed to the semifinals of...

06/04/2026

The skies wept as this year’s Memorial Day ceremonies got underway. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Schoenberg, master of ceremonies, scrolled through radar images on his phone looking for a break in the rain that blanketed the area. Parade marchers waited for a decision under the dripping roof of the Town Hall porch. On the Common, members of the Nashoba Valley Concert Band erected canopies to shelter the ensemble from the downpour. Spectators with umbrellas and rain gear drifted toward the Civil War monument.

Photo caption 1: Retired Army Col. Sandy Chapman reads General Order 11 by Major General John A. Logan that designated May 30, 1868, as Decoration Day—a precursor to Memorial Day—as a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. Despite a light rain, the Memorial Day Parade kicked off at 10 a.m., May 25, and hearty residents followed along the route. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Photo caption 2: Jacob Neiss (left) and his mom Kerry Maxwell get ready to dig in at the pancake breakfast to kick off Memorial Day events.

Photo caption 3: Greg Stoddard (left) helps out as Barbara Kemp whips up more pancake batter.

https://harvardpress.com/News/News-Articles/in-rain-and-remembrance-harvard-honors-its-fallen

05/28/2026

The town will welcome a new director of economic and community development, a position vacant since Chris Ryan left that post in 2022.

Jenny Gingras, currently employed as the director of planning for Westborough, will start June 1 and be introduced to the Select Board at its June 2 meeting. Gingras previously served as a zoning administrator for Lexington and as the first town planner in Pepperell, where she lives.

The town will welcome a new director of economic and community development, a position vacant since Chris Ryan left that post in 2022.Jenny...