Friday, March 13, 2026

Salty Nextdoor debaters question treatment of winter ice and snow

A recent discussion among Harvard residents on the social media site Nextdoor showed road salt is an issue for many people in town.

Friday, March 13, 2026

Safety first: New course mandatory for inboard motor boats on Bare Hill Pond

The Hanson-Milone Safe Boating Act, signed into law by Gov. Healey January 2025, requires any Massachusetts resident who plans to operate an inboard, motorized vessel on a state body of water this year to earn a boating safety certificate by taking a mandatory 12-hour course and passing a subsequent test.

Friday, March 13, 2026

Repairs to cable studio are complete; insurance covered costs

After a years-long battle with floods and mold, the Harvard Media Cooperative’s cable studio in the Bromfield School is poised to reopen, fully cleaned and renewed.

Friday, March 13, 2026

MassDevelopment names new executive vice president to lead Devens operations

MassDevelopment has appointed Michael R. Sweeney as executive vice president of Devens operations, the agency announced March 6, tapping an economic development veteran to oversee the sprawling 4,400-acre mixed-use community in north central Massachusetts.

Friday, March 6, 2026

Budget, zoning, and solar headline Harvard’s May Town Meeting warrant

The Select Board reviewed the draft warrant for Harvard’s May 2 Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, working through 30 articles that range from a potential property tax override to sweeping changes in town center zoning and a proposal to lease town land for solar energy development.

Friday, March 6, 2026

Select Board approves cost-of-living raises for nonunion employees

The Select Board voted unanimously on March 3 to provide cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) of 3.34% to nonunion town employees. Such employees include administrative employees in Town Hall, library staff, cable staff, a firefighter, and an ambulance employee.

Friday, February 27, 2026

Town Administrator Nason resigns

Dan Nason has resigned as Harvard’s town administrator. The Select Board learned of his decision in a letter dated Feb. 24 to board members and copied to town department heads Tuesday morning.

Friday, February 27, 2026

Nor’easter brings whiteout conditions, school closures, and ongoing cleanup

For more than 36 hours beginning Sunday evening, Harvard residents hunkered down as a powerful nor’easter swept through town, delivering whipping winds, whiteout conditions, and nearly a foot of snow.

Friday, February 27, 2026

Smaller than expected health insurance cost reshapes discussion of fiscal 2027 budget

At an unusual in-person, three-hour Feb. 18 meeting at Town Hall, dubbed a “budget retreat,” the Select Board reviewed the cuts recommended for fiscal 2027 earlier this month by the Finance Committee. They agreed with some, pushed back on others, and called for stakeholder “mini-summits” on three items before any final decisions are made. No votes were taken.

Friday, February 27, 2026

New handbook makes town policies, procedures easily accessible to volunteers

In early February, the Select Board released the newly created Harvard Volunteer Handbook, distributed via email to the 211 current members of the various town boards, committees, and commissions.

Friday, February 27, 2026
In Brief

Lanza retires; Select Board approves KP Law as town counsel

After 33 years as Harvard’s town counsel, Mark Lanza retired at the end of last year. At the Select Board’s Dec. 16, 2025, meeting, Chair Kara Minar thanked Lanza for his years of dedicated service to the town.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Community Preservation Committee recommends spending $1.3M on 8 projects

Harvard’s Community Preservation Committee completed its funding recommendations for fiscal 2027 on Jan. 28, resolving two deferred requests and bringing the total package to approximately $1.3 million for voters to consider at the May 2 Annual Town Meeting.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Ten-year review of Harvard Charter begins with sparsely attended hearing

A public hearing held Feb. 10 to collect suggestions for revising the Harvard Charter attracted only four members of the public, including two from the Press. The charter defines the roles and processes of town government and, by its own rules, must be evaluated every 10 years by a nine-member Charter Review Committee.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Reader survey shows strong support for Harvard Press, suggests areas for improvement

In its fall 2025 reader survey, the Harvard Press received a vote of confidence with 89% strongly agreeing the newspaper is “integral to the Harvard community” and 96% agreeing they’re satisfied with the quality of reporting.

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