Children scramble for candy as the antique cars head down Mass. Ave. in this year’s Fourth of July parade (held July 5). (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz) MORE PHOTOS
With a rainy cold front approaching from the west and the remains of a hurricane swirling just beyond the coast of Massachusetts, the weather last week threatened to undo Harvard’s 2014 Fourth of July celebrations and the months of preparation and promotion that had preceded it.
But as conditions changed hour by hour, the all-volunteer, 14-member Fourth of July Committee somehow kept up, deftly tweaking its playbook and delivering residents a memorable three-day moveable feast that culminated on Saturday, July 5, under sparkling blue skies.
Fireworks burst over Fruitlands on Wednesday evening as planned; nearly 300 runners turned out for the Great Harvard Fourth of July Road Races on Friday morning, where a new course record was set; the annual parade— after a 24-hour delay—wound its colorful, noisy way down Ayer Road at 11 a.m. on Saturday; and in spite of the previous day’s soaking by remnants of now-tropical storm Arthur, even the July Fourth pie-eating contest, three-legged race, and other popular games were held at Bromfield to the delight of kids and parents.
It was all touch-and-go, according to Fourth of July Co-Chairwoman Anne Hentz. Though rain seemed imminent to anyone who cast an eye towards the darkening clouds Wednesday evening, forecasters were saying the chance of precipitation was only 20 percent. As for the parade and games, said Hentz, “There has never been a rain date for those events,” so when the committee decided on Thursday to cancel them, it looked as though 2014 could be “The Year There Was No Fourth.”
The drama began Wednesday afternoon, July 2. With the threat of rain low, Hentz and other committee members decided the concert and fireworks display at Fruitlands should proceed. Unfortunately, an on-again, off-again drizzle began as the festivities were getting underway. Still, about 500 cars came anyway, nearly all with two or more occupants, Hentz told the Press. Hardier souls arrived by foot or on bicycles. “While some people left because of the rain,” she said, “others continued to arrive,” bringing the total for the evening to 2,200 to 2,500 attendees, fewer than 2013, but still impressive.
Impervious to the raindrops
All five of the scheduled bands played their gigs, often under tent cover. Audience members who became too damp simply retreated to their cars. Some sat under raised tailgates, continuing their picnics. Others watched from inside their cars, periodically clearing their fogged-up windows.
Children seemed impervious to the raindrops, waving their glow sticks with undimmed enthusiasm. Others danced, turned cartwheels, or just ran around, enjoying the thrill of being out in the gathering dusk.
One father, guiding several children toward the main tent, called out to his troop, “OK, next challenge! That hill is slippery, wet grass. Who can get to the top of it?” Like small Rough Riders, the whole group charged up the slope, arriving exactly where their general wanted them.
A spectacular sunset provided the warm-up act for Atlas Fireworks’ display, which began shortly after 9 p.m. Visibility was good in spite of the clouds. The pyrotechs had been watching weather radar and assured Hentz that the rain would leave the area in time, and so it did. The full range of skyrockets was on display, from huge comet-like devices that left long trails of white or orange sparks to loud ones that exploded in short, sharp bursts of red, blue, and green.
Gladius Rop sets a new course record for the Great Harvard Fourth of July Road Race. MORE RACE RESULTS
A new course record
On Friday, the Great Harvard Fourth of July Road and Fun races were held without incident. Gladius Rop, a Kenyan runner from American International College in Springfield, won the men’s race with a time of 24 minutes 48 seconds, shaving approximately 30 seconds off the previous course record. “I thought it was going to be easy, but it was hillier than I expected,” he said. The women’s race was won by Sylvia Jackson, a member of the Littleton High School cross-country team. The fun race was won by Garin Prough of Lexington and Emily Herrold of Maryland, grandchildren of Glen and Pam Frederick of Willow Road.
‘The Spirit of Harvard’
The theme of this year’s parade was “The Spirit of Harvard,” and by the time participants began to gather at Town Hall and along Depot Road, their enthusiasm was running high. Dubbed the “Fifth of July Committee,” the parade organizers, headed by committee member Piali De, had succeeded in reassembling a procession for which no rain date had been set.
Floats built by Carlson Orchards, Westward Orchards, and the Harvard Boy Scouts celebrated the spirit of farming and the joys of outdoor life. To fourth-graders Monique Morin and Robin Calabresi, who built their own float, the spirit of Harvard was sports and apples. Members of Bromfield’s Central District girls’ lacrosse championship team rode in a truck decorated with blue bunting, representing the “spirit of Bromfield.” Later they entertained the crowd in front of the General Store by dancing to the beat of “Hello” by Martin Solveig.
Parade Grand Marshals: The Finnegans
This year, as Harvard celebrated July Fourth and this year’s theme, “The Spirit of Harvard,” the town also commemorated its 2014 grand marshals, Larry and Marie Finnegan, two people who truly embody that spirit.
Larry and Marie have been residents of Harvard for 50 years and in that time have earned many accolades. Larry was a founder and consultant for the Harvard Conservation Trust. He served as a Harvard selectman in the early 2000s. Marie worked as a teacher at Harvard’s elementary school and more recently has spent time volunteering for Harvard Help, acting as a warden at town elections, and being active in the Garden Club of Harvard.
When asked about their view of the town, Larry and Marie acknowledge Harvard’s various changes, but they maintain the sentiment that Harvard is a warm place that offers beauty and friendship. Fruitlands, extensive conservation land, and the pond in all seasons are among the places Larry pointed to where residents can enjoy the environment in the company of others. After being here for 50 years, Larry and Marie are well qualified to say that “Harvard is really a special place.”
So, yes, through their involvement in Harvard’s education, environment, and town politics, Larry and Marie have clearly been positive forces at the forefront of Harvard’s ongoing evolution. But while proud of their legacies, at their age and after all they have accomplished, they’re more thankful to have raised a terrific Harvard family (two sons still remain in Harvard; two daughters are in neighboring towns), and made close friends in the process of making a positive contribution. To this day, through Marie’s beautiful garden and Larry’s lush tomato plants (pending the involvement of greedy Harvard deer) the Finnegans still enjoy Harvard—its environment, its people, and the spirit of the town.
Sam Shepherd is a grandson of Larry and Marie Finnegan and a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
From honor guard to bicycles
The parade was led by a five-man honor guard, whom their leader, former veterans’ agent Dennis Lyddy, described as “Harvard’s irregular veterans’ honor guard.” They were followed by Grand Marshals Larry and Marie Finnegan and Citizen of Note Debbie Ricci. Music was provided by 20 members of the Nashoba Valley Concert Band seated on a Moore Lumber & Hardware flatbed truck, and by a lively rock-’n’-roll band from the Congregational Church, whose float proclaimed “God is still speaking.” Other participants included more than 20 antique cars, the town’s EMT squad and police and fire departments, and various town organizations, from the selectmen to the Village Nursery School. As the tail end of the procession passed the General Store, more than 20 decorated bicycles poured onto the road.
Later, on the steps of the library, Bromfield sophomore Marguerite Romatelli sang the national anthem, and then it was time for the games to begin.
Committee member Liz Ruark was games coordinator, but because of a shortage of volunteers, one event, the Tin Can Knockdown, was unstaffed. That didn’t stop five nine-year old boys who “unbeknownst to all adults involved,” decided to get things started, Ruark later wrote the Press.
“I had left the instructions taped to the table next to the box of tin cans and beanbags,” she said. “The boys read the instructions, set everything up, and ran the event for a good 10 minutes before anyone on the committee realized what they were doing. One boy was in charge of keeping the line of kids waiting to play in order; one gave out the prizes; one restacked the cans after they were knocked down; one collected the beanbags; and one was supervising. It was amazing.”
Ruark added, “I didn’t get their last names, but their first names were Gabe, Liam, Zach, William, and Alex.”
Updating residents a challenge
Getting the word to residents in “real time” of changes to the schedule over the three days of events was a challenge. Committee Chairwoman Anne Hentz posted updates on Nextdoor Harvard (a private social online network for neighbors in Harvard), which proved the most accurate and timely source of information. The Press posted breaking news announcements on its own website and Facebook pages, and to its Twitter stream. The town posted on its website that the entire July Fourth celebration had been cancelled, then, hours later, that the parade—but not the games—had been moved to July 5. With offices closed for the holiday weekend, no further announcements were forthcoming. The decision to proceed with the games could not be made before Saturday morning, after the committee had determined the fields at Bromfield were dry. That information could be found only at Nextdoor Harvard or the Press—or by word of mouth.
Editor’s note: Marty Green contributed to this article.
