Town Meeting is May 2; child care available
Town Meeting will be held Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m., at the Bromfield School’s Cronin Auditorium. The warrant will contain 30 articles for residents to vote on. Printed copies of the Town Meeting booklet, which includes the warrant, are available in Town Hall. To view and print a copy, visit harvard-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2533/Town-Meeting-Booklet-with-warrant---May-2026.
Child care will be provided in the Bromfield cafeteria by Girl Scout Troop 65075 starting at 9:45 a.m., for toilet-trained children through age 10. Pack a nut-free lunch and water bottle. Free, though donations are welcome. Walk-ins are accepted, but registration is preferred. Register by Thursday, April 30.
For further information and to register for child care, go to harvard-ma.gov>>News & Announcements / Town Meeting & Town Election.
Deadline to register to vote
The last day to register to vote in the May 2 Annual Town Meeting and the May 5 Town Election is Wednesday, April 22. The last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Tuesday, April 28. For more information, call the town clerk’s office at 978-456-4100, ext. 319.
DPU seeks comment on utility bills
The state Department of Public Utilities is conducting an inquiry into gas and electric delivery charges and the redesign of utility bills. Residents may submit written comments on their experience with utility delivery rates; comments must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday, April 30. For more information visit harvard-ma.gov>>News & Announcements /Department of Public Utilities Notice of Inquiry and Request for Comments.
HCT tree-for-all
The Harvard Conservation Trust will distribute persimmon tree saplings to Harvard Conservation Trust members on the Common Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. Nonmembers may join online at harvardconservationtrust.org/join-hct.
Donations for library book sale
The Friends of the Harvard Public Library is accepting donations of used books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, LPs, and jigsaw puzzles for the annual book sale May 8-10. Email HPLBooksale@gmail.com with questions, or visit tinyurl.com/2026Booksale to volunteer.
Donations will be accepted at the library entrance on the following dates:
- Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to noon
- Sunday, April 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Thursday, April 30, 4 to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m. to noon
- Sunday, May 3, 9 a.m. to noon
April is Autism Awareness Month
The Harvard Police Department is proud to offer a limited number of its exclusive Autism Awareness Patches for sale at $10 each. To buy a patch, come to the police station Tuesday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.; patches are also available at Town Hall. For questions or additional information, contact Trish Rouvel at prouvel@harvard-ma.gov. Proceeds will be donated to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
Ticks and mosquitoes are out
The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health reminds residents that ticks and mosquitoes are out across the state. Learn ways you can protect yourself and your family from mosquito and tick bites and the illnesses they can cause by visiting mass.gov/mosquitoes-and-ticks.
April break youth soccer clinic
Harvard Park and Recreation will sponsor an indoor soccer clinic during April school break for kids of all skill levels in grades K-6. The clinic will run April 21 to April 23 in the Hildreth Elementary School gym. Led by Bromfield varsity boys soccer coach Alex Horne, the program will work on skill-building drills, teamwork, fun mini games, and more. Register at harvardma.myrec.com.
Registration open for youth track clinic
Registration is now open for grades 3-6 for the annual youth track clinic at McCurdy Track. Join this fun introduction to track and field with six weekly sessions in May and June. Find the full schedule and register at harvardma.myrec.com.
Safe disposal of mercury
The Board of Health reminds residents that mercury is toxic to humans and the environment. Mercury-containing products such as old mercury thermometers must be disposed of safely at the Devens Household Hazardous Waste Center. Hours and more information can be found at devenshhw.com.
Preregister for curbside compost pickup
Black Earth curbside composting turns meat, seafood, and dairy scraps, kitchen grease, veggies, and compostable tableware into healthy compost, preserving landfills, reducing methane emissions, and improving soil. Cost is $94.99 for alternate week pickup for six months, plus an initial charge of $39.50 for bin and starter bags. Visit www.blackearthcompost.com to pre-register; service will start when enough registrations are received.
Loaves & Fishes
The Loaves & Fishes food pantry, 234 Barnum Road, Devens, provides 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; last Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon. Visit loavesfishespantry.org for more information.
Devens noise report
- Throughout April, small arms fire
- April 17-19, machine guns
- April 19, helicopters
- April 20-21, machine guns, grenades
- April 23-26, machine guns, mortars.