Featured: News
Board of Health discusses plastic bag usage, vaccine vendor partnership
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday night heard a resident’s concerns about plastic bag usage at local stores as well as details about a partnership with a multistate vaccine vendor that is expected to save the department money. Sustainable Green Committee...
HFD urges caution during storm after receiving high volume of calls
Monday's heavy rain and wind gusts of 50 mph prompted the Hopkinton Fire Department to ask residents to use caution if they have to travel. "This morning has been one of our highest call volumes in recent memory," HFD stated in a tweet on the X social media platform...
Fruit Street bridge officially reopens
The Fruit Street bridge that carries traffic over the MBTA/CSX Railroad and the Sudbury River in Westborough and Hopkinton was reopened to travel Friday afternoon, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced. The bridge closure has been in place since...
HPD arrests ‘fugitive from justice’ who appeared to be homeless on default warrant
The Hopkinton Police Department on Tuesday arrested a man who appeared to be homeless on a default Rhode Island warrant at the Price Chopper shopping plaza on South Street. The man was determined to be a "fugitive from justice," acording to an HPD incident report....
CPC votes against $1M funding request for Marathon School accessible playground but approves $100K for study
The Community Preservation Committee at its meeting Thursday night voted against a $1 million request from the School Department to design and build an accessible playground at the Marathon School. Instead, the CPC unanimously approved $100,000 for further study into...
Trails Committee prioritizes bridge repair work at Berry Acres Trail
The Trails Committee at its meeting Wednesday night prioritized maintenance of the Berry Acres Trail due to the recent rains that caused flooding and debris to accumulate. Chair Peter LaGoy noted that the two projects proposed by Scouts in September are “progressing...
Cycling advocates voice concerns about new Main Street bike lane
Cycling advocates raised concerns about the safety of the separated bike lane implemented as part of the Main Street Corridor Project, hoping that modifications will be handled when construction resumes in the spring. Construction halted for the winter on the Main...
Parks & Recreation Commission defines need for written policies, approves gaga pit
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its meeting Tuesday evening discussed the need to have written policies in place regarding program registration for out-of-town residents as well as scholarship parameters for lower-income Hopkinton residents. Department...
Real Estate Transactions, Dec. 12 edition
Select Board chair Kramer ‘resting and doing well’ after experiencing stroke
Select Board chair Muriel Kramer announced that she experienced a stroke Wednesday evening, which prevented her from engaging in community activities late last week. In an email to the Independent early Sunday afternoon, Kramer issued a public statement about what...
Travel blog recognizes Hopkinton as ‘most peaceful town’ to visit in country
A travel blog recently named Hopkinton the "most peaceful town to visit" in the country. Hopkinton topped the list in the "12 Most Peaceful Towns To Visit In The United States" article published in The Travel, noting its extremely low violent crime rate and abundance...
Judge compels town to release police internal investigation records in Porter case by Jan. 9
The judge in the ongoing court case against former Hopkinton Police Deputy Chief John “Jay” Porter on Wednesday said he would file an order compelling the town to provide internal investigation records to him if he did not receive them by Jan. 9. If this request is...
Sandy Beach Subcommittee outlines safety, other concerns
During its meeting Wednesday, the Parks & Recreation Sandy Beach Subcommittee discussed needs at Lake Maspenock and filled in new Parks & Rec Director Jon Lewitus about ongoing issues such as lack of oversight at the gate, equipment needing repairs, signage...
Conservation Commission questions Lumber Street condo development’s stormwater plan
The Conservation Commission asked for additional information on stormwater infiltration requirements before deciding whether to issue a certificate of compliance for Deerfield Estates, a condo development off Lumber Street. Capital Group Properties was listed as the...
Select Board roundup: Marathon invitational entries awarded, federal trademark requested for Marathon Committee slogan
The Select Board Tuesday night awarded invitational entries to the Boston Marathon from the Boston Athletic Association to town departments and nonprofits as a main focus of its two-hour meeting. It also discussed the need to register the Marathon Committee's...
Town addresses ‘fraudulent invoice’ from HopNews, media advertising policy
Select Board chair Muriel Kramer at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting addressed a fraudulent invoice sent by the owner of a local news blog. In an email to the Independent Tuesday evening, Town Manager Norman Khumalo stated that Peter Thomas, the owner and publisher of...
Domino’s Pizza gets approval for Main Street location; owner aims to open by early January
The Select Board at its meeting Tuesday approved a common victualer’s license for Domino’s Pizza to operate out of 70 Main Street. The building is the site of the former Old Town Liquors, and there are apartments above the first-floor business. “It’s always a great...
Party leaders agree that key to moving forward after caucus elimination is return to civility in politics
The narrow passage of Article 2 by a 245-214 vote at the Nov. 13 Special Town Meeting to eliminate party caucuses and party affiliation on town election ballots signaled a shift away from what has become a divisive political culture over the past decade both locally...
Legacy Farms wastewater treatment plant addresses high nitrogen levels
The state’s Department of Environmental Protection in early November cited the private wastewater treatment plant at Legacy Farms for having a higher than permitted level of nitrogen discharge in the groundwater. The problem has been corrected and nitrogen levels are...
