Learn about the school building project
Now is the time to learn about the proposed Hildreth Elementary School building project in advance of the vote at Town Meeting on May 5. To help inform residents, the School Building Committee will host a series of public forums.
- Saturday, April 7, 4 p.m. – school tour and community forum at HES
- Tuesday, April 10, 7 p.m. – community forum in Volunteers Hall, analysis of the project’s financial impact
- Thursday, April 19, 7 p.m. – community forum in Volunteers Hall, questions and answers
- Thursday, April 26, 7 p.m. – community forum in upper Town Hall, analysis of construction process and sustainability
- Tuesday, May 1, 7 p.m. – community forum in Bromfield School library, questions and answers
Proper disposal of needles, syringes, liquids
The Harvard Police Department reminds residents not to put needles, syringes, or liquids into the drug collection box at the police station because those items pose a health risk to police personnel who empty the box. The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health has a sharps collection program for the disposal of needles and syringes; see www.harvard.ma.us/board-health/pages/environment-trash-recycling. The Food and Drug Administration recommends disposing of liquid medicines by pouring them into a sealable plastic bag, mixing coffee grounds, kitty litter, or some other substance that will make the liquid unappealing to pets or children, and throwing the bag into the trash.
Cultural Collaborative seeks volunteers
The Harvard Cultural Collaborative (HCC) is looking for friendly adults to welcome guests and to staff its reception desk in the old library at 7 Fairbank Street. Volunteers are needed on a weekly or every-other-week basis. Please email HarvardCCVolunteers@gmail.com. Open time slots are:
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1 to 4 p.m.
- Thursdays, 7 to 9 p.m.
- Saturdays, 1 to 3 p.m.
Blood donors needed
In Massachusetts, 47 blood drives were canceled due to winter weather in March, causing 1,389 donations to go uncollected. No matter the weather, the need for blood to help those undergoing surgeries, trauma patients, and others remains. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free donor app at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Harvard:
- Tuesday, April 10, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bromfield School
- Friday, April 13, 1 to 6 p.m. at the UU Fellowship Building
Ninth annual Have a Jessie Day 5K
Save the date for the ninth annual Have a Jessie Day 5K. It will take place Saturday, June 2, starting at 9 a.m. at the Bromfield School. Information about registration will be available at www.haveajessieday.com in the next few weeks. This event was founded by Bromfield’s Class of 2012 in memory of their classmate Jessie Peterson. Proceeds benefit the Jessica Peterson Scholarship Fund. For more information email erinmolinaro@gmail.com.
‘Big Night’ is coming
Once a year, on “Big Night,” when nighttime temperatures move into the upper 40s, spotted salamanders emerge from their subterranean shelters to find mates. Roads can make their trek hazardous. If they are seen at all, the tiny salamanders appear to drivers as small twigs on the road. The Land Stewardship Subcommittee of the Conservation Commission asks drivers to be cautious when evening temperatures begin to rise. The subcommittee will post signs near known crossings—Littleton County Road near Cleaves Hill Road, Still River Road near the Bolton line, Finn Road just before Withington Lane, East Bare Hill just before Brown Road, Glenview Drive off Shaker Road—and asks drivers to watch out for the telltale conditions. Neighbors who see salamanders on the move can alert the community by emailing editor@harvardpress.com and posting on Nextdoor Harvard. Witnessing the mass migration on “Big Night” can be wondrous. To avoid disrupting the participants, observers should use red-filtered light and avoid regular, white light flashlights, cell phones, and headlamps.
Harvard Woman’s Club scholarships
The Harvard Woman’s Club is accepting applications for its annual scholarship awards. This year’s scholarships will be awarded in June to graduates of the Bromfield School and/or to Harvard residents graduating from other public schools.
Applications and additional information are available at www.harvardwomansclub.wordpress.com/scholarship. Applications must be received no later than April 30.
New drivers license requirements
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) has announced that documentation of U. S. citizenship or lawful presence is now required to obtain or renew any driver’s license or learner’s permit. See the RMV website www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-registry-of-motor-vehicles for more details.
