Selectman Stu Sklar told his fellow selectmen that the concrete base of the World War I monument on the Common is crumbling, despite several repairs during its lifetime. At the selectmen’s June 7 meeting, Sklar asked the board to approve a committee to look into the care and condition of the town’s war memorials and monuments in general.
Sklar noted that most of the existing monuments are on land under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Commission, but the monuments themselves belong to the town. “They are our responsibility,” he said to the selectmen.
Sklar proposed a seven-member committee that would include one member each from the selectmen, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Historical Commission, and the Historical Society, as well as three members of the public, at least two of whom are veterans. The committee’s charge would be to raise money to “restore, replace, refurbish, or create” monuments related to the wars in which Harvard residents have served.
Resident Tim Schmoyer reminded the board of the difference between a monument (which he said simply refers to a war) and a memorial (which includes the names of those who died in the war). Schmoyer, a veteran, has volunteered for the proposed committee when it is up and running.
After discussion, the selectmen voted unanimously to approve the creation of the committee.
