Town Meeting
next Saturday
Annual Town Meeting will be held Saturday, March 28, starting at 9 a.m. in the gym at the Bromfield School. The Town Election will be held Tuesday, April 7, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., in the cafeteria at the Bromfield School. Seniors needing a ride to either event can call the Council on Aging at 978-456-4120 to reserve a spot on the council’s van. The National Honor Society and the Girls Scouts will provide babysitting free of charge from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bromfield library.
Town Hall to move in April
Town Hall employees are scheduled for a move to the old library on Fairbank Street between Monday, April 13, and Monday, April 20. Town Hall will be closed through the move and will re-open in its Fairbank Street location on Tuesday, April 21.
Volunteers needed for Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Volunteers are needed to help seniors who live alone and are discharged after a medical procedure or hospital stay. If a senior agrees, the volunteer will provide a “second ear” for discharge instructions, pick up necessary prescriptions or groceries, and ensure the senior gets home safely. Volunteers will attend a meeting to review the process, go over expectations, listen to suggestions, and ask questions. Prospective volunteers should call Vicki Maxant at 978-772-6188.
Deadline for student video contest is March 31
The Massachusetts League of Women Voters is sponsoring a video contest for high school students. This year’s theme is “There Oughta Be a Law!” The league invites students to send two-minute videos to suggest a law that the state Legislature should pass in this session to “keep the commonwealth great.” First-place prize is $1,000, second place is $500, and third place is $250. The winning videos will be publicized and placed on the Massachusetts League of Women Voters website. Entries should be submitted by Tuesday, March 31, to www.lwvma.org.
Volunteers wanted for new waterway program
This summer, the Nashua River Watershed Association will expand its water monitoring efforts in Harvard and at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge. It is seeking volunteers in Harvard to assist with the project. The public is invited to learn more about “Protecting Harvard’s Waterways” Thursday, March 26, from 7 to 8 p.m., in Volunteers Hall at the Harvard Public Library. In addition to increased water monitoring, NRWA will also survey for aquatic invasive plants and will remove any water chestnuts that are found.
Volunteers are needed to assist with stream monitoring once a week in July and August and to help with the surveying and removal of invasive plants. Details about volunteer activities will be discussed at the March 26 meeting. Prospective volunteers and those who are simply interested in the program are encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact NRWA’s water programs director, Martha Morgan, at 978-448-0299 or at MarthaM@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
Attention students: Scholarship
applications due
May 1: Performing Arts Scholarship. The Harvard Performing Arts Scholarship Fund invites applications from college-bound high school seniors who plan to pursue studies in the performing arts. One or more scholarships will be awarded, based on a review of all applications submitted. For details and an application form, go to www.harvardgeneralstore.com/arts-fund-hpa-scholarship. Applications are due by Friday, May 1.
May 4: Ginny Thurston Scholarship. The Board of Selectmen will offer financial assistance to Bromfield seniors through the Ginny Thurston Scholarship Fund. Interested students should write to the selectmen’s office at 13 Ayer Road, Harvard, MA 01451, listing their community and extracurricular activities and where they are headed after graduation. Interested students should contact the selectmen’s office or the guidance office at Bromfield for more information. Letters of interest are due no later than Monday, May 4.
July 1: Watson Scholarship. Second- and third-year college students are invited to apply for financial assistance from trust funds left to the town by Sarah Watson. Applications are available at the selectmen’s office and must be returned to the trustee no later than Wednesday, July 1. Attorney David Taylor is the sole trustee of the Sarah Watson Trust and will be making final decisions by early this summer.
Absentee ballots
now available
Absentee ballots for the Annual Town Election on April 7, 2015, are now available at the town clerk’s 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 because of 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.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is noon the day before the election. If your ballot needs to be mailed out, please allow additional 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.
