Remember 9/11
The Harvard Police Department and the Harvard Fire-EMS Department will hold a remembrance ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, honoring the lives lost, the sacrifices made, and the courage and service shown on that day and in the years since. The ceremony will be held Friday, Sept. 11, at the Public Safety Building, 40 Ayer Road, and will begin promptly at 8:55 a.m. Residents, families, town employees, public safety members, and members of the community are all welcome.
Select Board community hour
Come share your thoughts, ideas, and feedback with members of the Select Board Thursday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m., at the Devens Community Center, 100 Sherman Ave., Devens. This is an opportunity to ask questions, learn more about ongoing community initiatives, and engage directly with local leadership.
Diaper collection drive
The Harvard-based nonprofit Hope in Bundles is collecting diapers for donation to Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry in recognition of National Diaper Need Awareness Week. Collection bins will be at the library and post office Monday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 20, and also at the Harvard General Store Thursday, Sept. 17, during the “Thursdays on the Common” event. Donations in any size are welcome; sizes 5 and 6 are most needed. Visit HopeInBundles.org for more information.
Town Meeting Oct. 20
The Select Board has scheduled a Special Town Meeting for Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m., at the Bromfield School’s Cronin Auditorium.
Hunting season open
The fall 2026 hunting season is now open statewide. The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife recommends that all outdoor users who are in the woods during hunting season should wear a blaze orange hat or vest as a safety precaution. For more information on dates of hunting seasons and outdoor safety visit mass.gov/news/september-marks-the-start-of-fall-hunting.
Apply for opioid settlement funds grants
The Addiction Abatement Fund Working Group is accepting proposals for projects aimed at abating addiction in town. Individuals and organizations are eligible to apply. Funding requests are limited to $10,000, and proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Details and application materials are available at harvard-ma.gov/444/Opioid-Abatement-Funds-Mini-Grant-Propos. The working group will evaluate submissions and make recommendations to the Select Board for approval.
Wear your life jacket
Safety advocates recommend all boaters and passengers have a life jacket and wear it at all times while boating. State regulations require life jackets to be worn by canoeists and kayakers (Sept. 15 to May 15), youth under 12 years old, water skiers, and users of personal watercraft and stand-up paddleboards.
Town nurse hours
The local public health nurse will be available Thursday, Sept. 17, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Harvard Senior Center, 16 Lancaster County Road. Drop-in nurse hours are held regularly by the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, and offer one-on-one services including blood pressure checks, diet/nutrition information and teaching, medication review, and assistance with community resources and referrals.
Keep Harvard’s natural spaces beautiful
Sign-ups are open for Harvard Conservation Trust fall stewardship workdays. Help maintain trails and open spaces by building bridges, removing invasive plants, refreshing trail blazes, cleaning up paths, and watering newly planted native species for ongoing restoration. Find details at HarvardConservationTrust.org/volunteer-opportunities.
September is Emergency Preparedness Month
Gov. Healey has declared September 2026 as Emergency Preparedness Month to encourage planning for disasters and other types of emergencies. Visit mass.gov/ready to find emergency preparedness information available in several different languages, safety tips for specific threats and hazards, preparedness resources from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Office on Disability, and other information.
Loaves & Fishes
The Loaves & Fishes food pantry, 234 Barnum Road, Devens, serves food to people in need who reside in Ayer, Devens, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Littleton, and Shirley. Pantry hours are Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon; first Tuesday, 4 to 7 p.m.; third Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon; and last Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon. Visit LoavesFishesPantry.org for more information.
Devens noise report
- Sept. 11, grenades
- Sept. 12, helicopters
- Sept. 13-14, anti-armor systems.
