The town continues to dispute a claim made by a Main Street property owner that unfair compensation was awarded for a portion of its land that was taken by eminent domain for the Main Street Corridor Project. Crosspoint Associates owns 61 Main Street, the...
Mary Ellen Gambon
Boisterous Brennan hearing crowd demands accountability from Select Board, police
Tempers flared at Friday night's Loudermill hearing, with many audience members shouting their displeasure toward the Select Board and the Hopkinton police chief. The Loudermill hearing was convened to discuss the potential termination of Sgt. Tim Brennan. He was...
Trails Committee makes strides on proposed Chamberlain-Whalen trail, website
The Trails Committee at its hybrid meeting Thursday night announced significant strides on several of its initiatives, including trail development at the Chamberlain-Whalen subdivision and the creation of its website. Member Chuck Dauchy shared the “pending but very...
Union support letter for Sgt. Brennan highlights ‘superlative career and personality’
As Hopkinton Police Sgt. Tim Brennan prepares to appear before the Select Board for a Loudermill hearing on his potential termination, Local 254, the Police/Fire Dispatchers Union, submitted a letter to the Select Board urging members to take Brennan's "superlative...
Deadline for Senior/Disabled Tax Relief Fund applications Feb. 23
The Hopkinton Tax Relief Committee is encouraging eligible Hopkinton homeowners to apply for assistance from the Senior and Disabled Tax Relief Fund. Applicants must be at least 60 years old or have a state-recognized disability, and they must own and occupy a...
Commission on Disability delivers presentation on accessibility laws, regulations
The Commission on Disability at its virtual meeting Monday night heard a detailed presentation on building accessibility requirements from one of its members. Member Mike DiMascio, a registered fire protection engineer, explained the scope of several accessibility...
UPDATE: Fate of Sgt. Brennan, implicated in Porter case, to be determined at rescheduled meeting Friday
The fate of Hopkinton Police Sgt. Tim Brennan, who has been linked to a criminal court case involving retired Deputy Chief John "Jay" Porter, will not be decided until Friday because Tuesday's Select Board hearing was rescheduled due to the overnight snowstorm. The...
Hopkinton lends hand to region during state migrant crisis
The Hopkinton Health Department and Project Just Because have combined their efforts to help those in need locally as well as to assist migrants who have come to the region in recent months. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe has worked to help refugees...
Select Board Roundup: Greenhouse gas report presented; proposed change to town voting policy questioned
The Select Board at its meeting Tuesday night heard the Sustainable Green Committee’s annual year-end report, which showed that greenhouse gas emissions decreased slightly between 2017 and 2021 despite the town’s growing population and concerning temperature shifts....
Conservation Commission approves proposed addition to Whitehall Brook Trail
The Conservation Commission at its meeting Tuesday night approved a request for an extension to the Whitehall Brook Trail at 66 Fruit Street that would allow for observation of beaver activity. Chuck Dauchy appeared before the Conservation Commission as both the trail...
Planning Board discusses draft plan for MBTA Communities Act compliance
The Planning Board at its meeting Monday night reviewed a draft plan that would comply with the regulations of the MBTA Communities Act and amend the town’s zoning bylaws. Under the MBTA Communities statute, also referred to as 3A, 177 cities and towns that are in the...
Town experiences growing pains during leadership transition period
During the past year, Hopkinton has experienced the departure of several town leaders and the announcement of Town Manager Norman Khumalo’s retirement from municipal government to pursue a private sector position. Examples include the Department of Public Works and...
Hopkinton emergency personnel offer safety tips ahead of expected snowstorm
Fire Chief Gary Daugherty and Police Chief Joseph Bennett on Friday evening provided winter weather safety precautions to community members as some of the first snow accumulation of the season is expected this weekend. While snow totals may continue to change, much of...
Open space land acceptance process hiccups continue to frustrate OSPC
The Open Space Preservation Commission at its meeting Thursday night continued to express frustration over the flawed conveyance process of open space land in development projects, focusing half of the meeting on discussion on the eight-unit subdivision known as...
Car crashes into Grove Street homes; driver arrested on OUI charge
A van driven by an allegedly drunk Hopkinton resident crashed into houses at 75 and 77 Grove Street Thursday afternoon, according to Hopkinton Fire Department personnel and a press spokesperson. The crash occurred at approximately 2:51 p.m., according to Robert Mills,...
DPW responds to water main break on Maple Street
UPDATE: The water main that broke Thursday morning on Maple Street was repaired by early afternoon, restoring water and traffic access, according to an email from the Department of Public Works. Traffic was closed on Maple Street on Thursday morning in response to a...
Recovered from last month’s stroke, Kramer yet to decide about reelection candidacy
In an interview after Tuesday's Select Board meeting, Select Board chair Muriel Kramer said she has fully recovered from a stroke she experienced last month and said she has not decided whether or not to run for reelection this May. On Dec. 10, Kramer announced that...
Select Board unanimously selects Daugherty as town’s fire chief
The Select Board at its meeting Tuesday night unanimously chose interim Fire Chief Gary Daugherty Jr. as the town’s permanent chief. Board members interviewed Daugherty and fellow finalist John W. Ignatowicz, the current acting fire chief in Pelham, New Hampshire, for...
Select Board set to interview finalists for fire chief position
The Select Board is expected to choose the town’s new fire chief after interviewing the two finalists at its meeting Tuesday night. Both candidates, interim Chief Gary T. Daugherty Jr. and John W. Ignatowicz, possess more than 25 years of firefighting experience and...
Conservation Commission roundup: Town receives climate resiliency grant; Whisper Way concerns addressed
The Conservation Commission at a brief meeting Tuesday night announced that Hopkinton received a grant to develop the town’s first climate resiliency plan. Conservation administrator Kim Ciaramicoli told the commission that the town was awarded a $35,000 grant from...