Special Town Election is Nov. 5 in Bromfield gym
Voting for the Special Town Election will take place in the Bromfield gym, instead of in its usual location in the cafeteria. Voters should enter through the lobby outside Cronin Auditorium; there is a handicapped-accessible ramp at that entrance. Voting hours are from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact Town Clerk Janet Vellante at 978-456-4100, ext. 316.
911 calls now handled by Devens dispatch
Harvard dispatch services are now being handled by the new, state-of-the art Nashoba Valley Regional Emergency Communications Center (NVRECC) at Devens. As reported in the Press last week (See “Harvard 911 calls move to regional dispatch center” in the Oct. 11 issue), all 911 and nonemergency calls (978-456-1212) will go first to dispatchers at the regional center, who will decide which local services—police, fire, or ambulance—are needed to respond. Callers who have business with the police can call the Harvard Police station directly using its regular business line: 978-456-8276. The station on Ayer Road will be open and staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturday, business hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The station will be closed on Sundays. However, the station lobby will be open for emergencies 24 hours, seven days a week. When the station is closed, residents can make emergency calls directly to NVRECC dispatchers using a blue phone located in the lobby.
Harvard Scouts seek food donations
The Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts of Harvard are holding a townwide food drive for the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry. Donate through your local scout or contact Janice at kennedyshome@charter.net for pickup. The scouts will celebrate a friendly competition to see which group of scouts can collect the most donations, with a grand tally and an ice cream social on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 3:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish.
‘Calling all angels’ for Ecumenical Pageant
Rehearsals for Harvard’s Ecumenical Christmas Pageant will begin on Nov. 10, and children’s choir members are needed. The pageant, which has been a Harvard tradition for more than 40 years, brings together residents and members from the Congregational, Unitarian, and Catholic churches. All children in grades two through 12 who are residents of Harvard, school choice students at HES or Bromfield, or are members of one of the three churches are invited to join the Pageant’s choir. No singing experience is necessary. There will be five Sunday rehearsals from noon to 1 p.m. and two Saturday morning rehearsals from 8 to 10 a.m. For more information and to sign up, visit www.harvardchristmaspageant.com, or contact Lisa at 978-456-3954 or blairlisamarie@hotmail.com. The Pageant is scheduled for Sunday, Dec.15, with performances at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Absentee ballots available
Absentee ballots for the Special Town Election on Nov. 5, 2013, are now available at the Town Clerk’s office. The deadline to request the ballot is Monday, Nov. 4, at noon. However, if your ballot needs to be mailed to you, allow more time for mail delivery. The ballot must be received by the Town Clerk before the close of polls on election day. Ballots may not be hand carried out of the office.
Any voter who will be out of town during polling hours on the day of the election, or who will be unable to vote in person due to physical disability or religious belief, may request an absentee ballot. Massachusetts does not allow absentee voting at will. Please see the following link to the town’s website for more detail or for an application: www.harvard.ma.us/Pages/HarvardMA_Clerk/ab
For more information, contact Town Clerk Janet Vellante at 978-456-4100, ext. 316.
Sing along with the band
Do you sing in the shower? Do you hum around the house? Join the Congregational Church House Band on Friday, Nov. 1, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the church Fellowship Hall, 5 Still River Road. Lyrics will be provided and participants are encouraged, but not required, to sing along. For more information—or a set list—call 978-456-8788.
Historical Society Annual Meeting
The Harvard Historical Society Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Still River Meetinghouse, 215 Still River Road. A social hour will follow the meeting.
