Shortly into the warrant articles for Town Meeting, April 6, 2024, came a much anticipated moment, a moment awaited by residents at town meetings going back to 1967—the time to pay tribute to the year’s Citizen of Note. This year that is Bob O’Shea. O’Shea joins a long line of outstanding citizens recognized by the town for their service. The first to receive the tribute were the three members of the Highway Department.
O’Shea was honored for his service as harbormaster, as participant on town boards, most notably the Parks and Recreation Commission, and as a member of the Lions Club. To a standing ovation, O’Shea said, “I couldn’t have done this alone.” He gave a general thanks to all the volunteers who have worked alongside him and a special thanks to his wife, Christine, for being such a great “harbormistress.”
Marisa Steele, member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, read the tribute, the full text of which is in the Town Report that she had written with input from Christine O’Shea. Steele described O’Shea as “a stalwart champion of our town, dedicating countless hours to initiatives that have enriched the lives of our residents and strengthened the bonds of our community.” As she talked about O’Shea’s accomplishments, it was impossible not to be impressed and grateful for O’Shea’s problem-solving skills, his efforts to expand recreational and employment opportunities for Harvard’s youth, his ability to advocate and secure funding for physical improvements, his efforts to bring fairness and equal access to the town’s resources, and, perhaps most of all, his willingness to pitch in and work hard to do whatever is needed.
Marisa Steele presents Bob O’Shea with the Citizen of Note award. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Mucking in the pond
Volunteering as harbormaster since the early 2000s, O’Shea has worked with the Bare Hill Pond Watershed Management Committee to preserve this resource by controlling invasive species. Years ago he helped to install a large pipe that still serves as part of the Bare Hill Pond drawdown. He helped to identify an alternative means for controlling invasives in the swimming area that will be implemented this summer.
During the winter drawdown at the pond, O’Shea could be seen “sledgehammering exposed rock” to make for safer boat navigation in the summer. Annually, he spends numerous days “scuba diving in the muck at the floor of the pond” to secure moorings. Looking for something more efficient, and a way out of the muck, he recently secured Community Preservation Committee funds to install new moorings and docking.
O’Shea has attended Parks and Rec meetings over his years as harbormaster, where he has brought continuity and historical perspective to the commission’s discussions. In 2020 he became chair of the commission. During his tenure, he initiated many improvements. When storage for boats became a problem, he enlisted the Boy Scouts’ help to plan and build canoe and kayak racks at the beach. He introduced rental kiosks for sailboats and paddleboards.
Using a different set of skills, O’Shea initiated and negotiated a change in the commission’s financial accounting, which pulled it out of the red. He rebuilt the website, using new recreational scheduling software. In his management of the annual boat lottery, O’Shea went out of his way to ensure fairness in allocating slots. Money went to pay the salaries of summer lifeguards.
Stepping in to help
A crisis arose in 2022 when there was no beach director available. O’Shea worked with the director for Mirror Lake in Devens to coordinate swimming lessons and find employee opportunities for kids who were out of a job at the town beach. In 2023 he himself served as beach director so that lessons and jobs could be back in Harvard. Because of the responsibilities and time commitment of volunteers on the commission, O’Shea successfully advocated for a full-time town recreation director.
In addition to all he does for the town, O’Shea has been on the Lions Club board of directors for many years, and served a term as vice president. Service projects he has been part of include renovations at Bromfield House for the Afghan families and a wellness room at ClearPath for Veterans.
Steele ended by saying, “Any summary of Bob’s multiple contributions to the town would be incomplete without appreciating his creative and fun-loving side.” He has been a mastermind behind unique events at the Lions fall festival, Halloween on the Common, and Celebration, the after-prom party at Bromfield.
A follow-up email from O’Shea attests to his continuing support of town recreational projects, though he is no longer a member of the Parks and Rec Commission. Town Meeting just passed two projects he had started as interim recreation director and will continue to work on. One is improvements for access to areas around the beach: swing sets, waterfront, and dock by the boat ramp. The other is the capital improvements to the beach house. And in true O’Shea fashion, he is working on a special project to give more residents, including those with physical limitations, ways to get out on the pond.
“I enjoy improving the town’s access to the pond,” said O’Shea. “Forty years and 100 lbs. ago, I was captain of football and track teams, but I’m happy I’m no longer involved with the fields.” He is confident they are in the capable hands of Recreation Director Anne McWaters and Parks and Recreation Commission member Marisa Steele, who can get the pending improvements “over the goal line.”
