At their April 8 meeting, the School Committee voted unanimously to accept interim Superintendent Joe Connelly's recommendation of Dr. Marie T. Harrington as the new Director of Pupil Services.

The Zoning Board of Appeals Thursday morning denied the town’s request for the variances and the special permit it needs to begin its renovation of Town Hall.

The Zoning Board of Appeals this morning denied the Town’s request for the variances and the special permit it needs to begin its renovation of Town Hall.

With barely a quorum present, the five-member Planning Board voted Tuesday night to support a citizens’ petition that would exempt municipal buildings from the town’s protective bylaw.

Late Sunday afternoon, Hildreth Elementary School Principal Linda Dwight informed families in the school system that longtime kindergarten teacher Barbara Ann Gould had died suddenly the evening before.

The town board responsible for enforcing Harvard's protective bylaw once again postponed a vote on whether to grant the special permit and two zoning variances the town needs to begin renovating and expanding Town Hall.

In doubt since Town Caucus, contests for Board of Selectmen and Planning Board seats were finally set Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m. when the time for nominations expired.

Two open seats on the Board of Selectmen are the only offices that will be contested in the upcoming town elections, although a misstatement by the presiding officer may have inadvertently created competition for a third.

Town Clerk Janet Vellante has announced that Town Caucus, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 9, has been postponsed to Saturday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room.

In addition, the Transfer Station will be closed Saturday, Feb. 9. It will be open again on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Governor Deval Patrick has imposed a statewide ban on nonessential travel starting at 4 p.m. today.

Harvard’s search for a permanent school superintendent is starting over from scratch.

In a special afternoon meeting on Friday, January 18, the School Committee decided to reopen the search for a new superintendent, but to consider only the original pool of applications received by the search committee.

One of the two remaining candidates for Harvard's superintendent of schools has dropped out of contention, School Committee chair SusanMary Redinger announced at the committee's Monday meeting.

In the wake of the elementary school killings in Newtown, Conn., last Friday, people in towns nationwide are asking themselves what safety measures their own schools might have. Even while the situation in Newtown was unfolding, word reached other schools across the country, including Hildreth Elementary School in Harvard.

The principals of Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School released statements this weekend to the school communities in response to the school shootings in Connecticut on Friday.

A group of Harvard residents have planned to hold a candlelight vigil in honor of and in support of the Sandy Hook, Conn., community. The vigil will take place at the town common at 4:30 to 5 p.m. this evening, Sunday, Dec. 16.

Town Hall and the Hildreth Elementary School are experiencing “technical difficulties” today and are asking residents to not try to contact them via internet.

At 5 p.m. this evening Chief Ed Denmark issued a statement saying that trick-or-treating on the Common was rescheduled to Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. However, Demark said that this may change if remaining safety concerns have not been resolved by then.

Harvard Fire Chief Rick Sicard announced this afternoon the town has decided to postpone Halloween trick-or-treating on the common due to "the total number of household that are still without power, the number of power lines that are on the ground, and the number of power and tree crews working around town."

Update: According to a document issued by National Grid last night, 510 out of 2,281 customers in Harvard are without power. Power will be fully restored by midnight Friday, the document says.

While the full force of Hurricane Sandy has yet to reach Harvard, power outages have been reported in the area this morning, according to National Grid. Town officials have not issued any statements on the storm, but Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a statewide State of Emergency and told state workers to stay home today.

Today, Wednesday, Oct. 17, is the last day to register to vote (if not already registered) in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. A registration session is being held at the Town Hall today from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

In the course of a 45-minute discussion, the motion to approve the passage of Article 4 was amended three times. When it finally passed by the required two-thirds vote, the Board of Selectmen, who had carefully crafted its language in a contentious three-hour session two weeks ago, were left with more options than they had requested.

In a well-attended Special Town Meeting for late August, all five warrant articles passed Wednesday night, although one with some modifications.

In an email this afternoon to the Harvard General Store’s mailing lists, Adam Horowitz announced that he and his wife, Lyn, are seeking a new owner for the business they opened in 2008 in the building on Harvard’s common.

Traditionally, Harvard’s senior veterans who are unable to navigate the sometimes treacherous slopes of the Town Center Cemetery for the Memorial Day tributes have been transported in golf carts. In the past, a local golf club, which is no longer operating, would donate those carts for the parade. This year, however, Harvard’s veterans’ services agent Dennis Lyddy has so far been unable to locate a replacement donor.

At their first meeting following town elections, the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night elected Lucy Wallace as their chairman for the coming year.

The Inn at the corner of Fairbank Street and Old Littleton Road—which provided four affordable rental units for over 20 years—was sold Thursday for $226,000 at a foreclosure auction. Rick Curtin, of Stow Road, was the high bidder at the sale.

By a margin of 43 of the 1,554 votes cast for Board of Selectmen in Tuesday’s town election, Lucy Wallace, of Orchard Hill Road, defeated Rhonda Sprague, of Prospect Hill Road. Wallace will be returning to the board she left in 2010 after serving 12 years.

Harvard’s Annual Town Meeting today approved the $3.97 million plan of the Municipal Building Committee to renovate Town Hall.

Annual Town Meeting today voted in favor of an article to borrow $3.97 million to fund the renovation of Town Hall. Article 36, to increase the Community Preservation Act property tax surcharge from 1.1 percent to 3 percent did not pass, with 81 voters against it and 75 for it.

A key committee has reversed its position on a proposal to raise the property tax surcharge that funds many of Harvard’s community preservation projects. Annual Town Meeting is tomorrow, Saturday, April 28,

The Community Preservation Committee has no plans to change its recommended expenditures for the coming fiscal year or to withdraw its support at Annual Town Meeting for an increase in the tax surcharge that funds it, said vice-chair Debbie Ricci.

Harvard will save more than $40,000 per year over the next 20 years thanks to a timely refunding of $6.6 4 million of its outstanding debt at 1.65 percent interest, one of the lowest in town history.

Sharon Cronin, who was running for one of two open seats on the School Committee, announced today she is withdrawing from the race.

The School Committee has decided against any form of administrative union with Boxborough. On Monday night, the committee voted unanimously not to pursue the union agreement, citing an absence of community support for the idea.

Town Meeting voters in Harvard Wednesday night voted against changes to the Devens Reuse Plan, zoning bylaws, and zoning map which would have allowed Boston’s Trinity Financial to redevelop the former military housing at Vicksburg Square into rental apartments.

The School Committee finalized a statement Friday that gives voters data on school demographics and details of the Devens contract. The committee earlier decided not to take a position on Trinity Financial's proposed redevelopment of Vicksburg Square.

Following a persuasive presentation by one of its members, the Finance Committee voted Wednesday evening to recommend that the town fund the next phase of a plan by the Municipal Building Committee to renovate Town Hall at an estimated cost of $3.9 million.

A husband and wife that police say were involved in a double shooting that left one of them dead and the other injured at a home on Martha’s Vineyard have Harvard connections.

The Harvard Board of Selectmen Tuesday night voted 3-1 against supporting a Town Meeting warrant article for changes to the Devens Reuse Plan, zoning bylaws, and zoning map that would allow Boston's Trinity Financial to redevelop the former military housing at Vicksburg Square into affordable rental apartments.

Read Devens residents' statements for and against the upcoming super town meeting vote on the Vicksburg Square proposal. Devens residents this week received ballots in their mail for an informational vote meant to gauge the level of support in that community for the project. The votes will be counted and the results will be shared at a meeting of the Devens Committee on Monday, March 19.

As of the 5 p.m. deadline Tuesday, four caucus-nominated candidates chose not to sign their nomination, one nominee withdrew, and one new candidate submitted nomination papers, with the result that their will be three contested races in the May 1 Town Election.

The Ayer Road bridge over Route 2 will not be completely closed to traffic in either direction, according to a phone and email message sent by the town this afternoon.

The town caucus, where those who are interested in running for local office are nominated, is tomorrow, Saturday, March 10, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall Meeting Room. The Harvard Press ran a list of available positions a few weeks ago.

Harvard Republicans chose former Governor Mitt Romney overwhelmingly Tuesday in the presidential primary. Of the 593 votes cast to choose a Republican candidate for president, Romney earned 420.

On Thursday evening the Municipal Building Committee delivered its final plan for the renovation and expansion of Town Hall and Hildreth House to the Board of Selectmen. But after a 90-minute question and answer session, Selectmen adjourned without a formal vote to accept the plan.

On the agenda for the Harvard Board of Selectmen for Tuesday, Feb. 21, are two items of note: a public hearing on Trinity Financial's Vicksburg Square proposal and a discussion about lending support to state legislation that would increase the net metering cap for residential renewable energy facilities.

The Municipal Building Committee has asked for more time to draft final schematic designs and a budget for the renovation of Town Hall and Hildreth House, and has rescheduled its presentation to a joint session of the Selectmen and the capital and finance committees for Thursday, March 1.

At its final public forum Thursday evening, the committee planning the renovation of Town Hall recommended that its historic “great hall” on the second floor be restored to its original use as a large community assembly space, but outfitted with moveable dividers to create smaller meeting areas, when needed.

The forum convenes Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in Volunteers Hall at the town library, where attendees will get to hear both sides of the argument and will be able to express their opinions to the committee and each other.

Former Selectman Lucy Wallace will again be running for a seat on the board. Wallace announced her intention to run in a press release this morning.

Members of the Municipal Building Committee got back to work last week on reducing the size of plans for Town Hall.

The Municipal Building Committee voted yesterday to recommend to the Board of Selectmen that the town replace the current octagonal addition on the north end of town hall with a new one, but with dimensions more modest than the most ambitious addition it has considered.

Foreclosure auctions scheduled for Dec. 8 and 15 at The Inn and Great Elms have been postponed until January, according to William Marshall, president of the foreclosing lender, North Middlesex Savings Bank.

The Bromfield varsity boys soccer team lost the district semifinal game 0-1 to Sutton in double overtime at Lunenburg High School on Friday, Nov. 11 to close out their season.

Power has been restored to the center of town, including both schools. School will be in session tomorrow, Nov. 3. The General Store will reopen tomorrow, beginning at 7 a.m.

Most streets of Harvard were dark at dawn this morning as the town entered its third day without power, but the lights were on at Town Hall, the elementary school, and the library, thanks to the arrival of rental generators from Baltimore.

Homes everywhere in Harvard remained without power Monday morning for the second straight day, and among town businesses, only the Post Office was open. No General Store. No Dunkin’ Donuts. No school, banks, or pizza.

Franklyn Carlson, co-owner of Carlson Orchards, confirmed today that Carlson’s cider-making operation is being moved to Leominster.

At a rare summer Town Meeting Thursday evening, attendees approved a request to borrow an additional $540,385 so the town can begin work this fall on a sewer system that will serve the businesses, homes, churches, and municipal buildings in the center of town.

With a turnout estimated at close to 200, after a detailed presentation by Town Administrator Tim Bragan and supporting statements from Selectmen and the Finance Committee, and only a few comments, none of which were negative, voters unanimously approved borrowing an additional $540,385 to fund construction of a sewer system to serve public and private properties in the center of Harvard.

Details to follow.

The Finance Committee voted tonight to support the request before tomorrow's Special Town Meeting to borrow an additional $540,385 to pay for the town center sewer system authorized by voters in 2009.

If Town Meeting voters approve the additional borrowing that Harvard needs to upgrade its water treatment plant and extend its sewer to 74 private and municipal properties in the center of town, the annual cost of financing the project for the average taxpayer will be an additional $6 to $8 per year.

The town is predicting a 9 percent increase to the betterment fees town center property owners will be charged to cover their share of the cost to upgrade the town's failed Massachusetts Avenue wastewater plant and extend its sewer lines if a Town Meeting vote Thursday night passes.

Selectmen voted unanimously this week to convene a rare summer Town Meeting later this month to seek voter approval to borrow an additional half-million dollars from a state revolving fund in order to begin construction of the long-awaited town center sewer system.

by John Osborn

The engineering manager who has coordinated preparations for Harvard's town center sewer project for the past two years, said yesterday that the town will finally release bid documents for the $2 million project at the end of this month.

With 1,274 voting, incumbents Marie Sobalvarro (910 votes) and Ron Ricci (659) were reelected to the Board of Selectmen. Challenger Stu Sklar garnered 595 votes. Question 1 passed (820 to 381), authorizing the borrowing of $185,000, excluded from the provisions of Proposition 2½, completing the approval of Article 17 voted at Saturday's Annual Town Meeting.

Council on Aging Director Ginger Quarles announced this week that she will be leaving her Harvard post to take a position as COA director in Concord.

By a nearly unanimous vote, Annual Town Meeting voters today approved article 17, based on a compromise brokered over the last several days by Town Administrator Tim Bragan and agreed to by both the Municipal Buildings Committee and the proponents of article 18.

After several days of intense negotiation, a brokered compromise has apparently been agreed among proponents of municipal buildings articles 17 and 18.

Kara Minar, Chairman of Harvard's Planning Board, at this week's Finance Committee meeting, requested  $50,000 to begin work on the town's Master Plan.

Barring any snags in the paperwork, Dr. Joseph Connelly will be the interim superintendent of schools for Harvard for the 2011-12 school year.

The School Committee announced yesterday that three candidates have accepted nominations as finalists for the position of Interim Superintendent of Schools.

At its final meeting before its report goes to the printer, the Finance Committee voted last week not to recommend an article submitted by the BOS-appointed Municipal Buildings Committee (MBC) and gave their support instead to a citizens petition drafted by two selectmen and signed by 22 residents.

The three candidates (incumbents Ron Ricci and Marie Sobalvarro, and challenger Stu Sklar) for Board of Selectmen will participate in a debate on Monday evening, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Volunteers Hall.

If candidates nominated by Town Caucus on Saturday, Feb. 12, sign the caucus nomination by 5 p.m. Tuesday, there will be four contested races in this year's town election.

According to a report posted on the Lynnfield Patch, an online community news source, the Lynnfield School Committee approved Dr. Thomas Jefferson as Lynnfield's next superintendent by a 4-1 vote at their Jan. 13 meeting. Jefferson was one of two finalists selected by the town's 11-member search committee.

Superintendent Thomas Jefferson has announced a schedule of interviews for the three finalists for the position of  principal of Hildreth Elementary School.  All members of the community are invited to attend.

School Superintendent Thomas Jefferson confirmed this week that he has been named one of two finalists for the superintendent position in Lynnfield, Mass.