The recent spike in COVID cases has shown no letup. In fact, it continues to get worse. The good news is the illnesses have not been as severe. The bad news is the absences caused by COVID have put a major strain on town services — especially the schools. “All of our...
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Parks & Rec roundup: Turf field removal to begin end of June
At its meeting on Thursday, the Parks & Recreation Commission discussed updates on the Fruit Street fields replacement project, the Hopkinton Cricket Club, EMC Park murals and summer programming. The commissioners also reelected Dan Terry as chair and voted Liisa...
Residents share shock, dismay at vigil following school shooting
The Texas town of Uvalde is some 2,000 miles from Hopkinton, but the issue of school safety hit home for many residents this week. In the wake of Tuesday’s mass shooting at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School, a small group of Hopkinton residents gathered on the Town...
Former Hopkinton resident among casualties in Worcester apartment fire
A former Hopkinton resident was among the casualties of a fire that tore through a multi-family home in Worcester on May 14. Christopher Lozeau died on his 53rd birthday. According to his obituary, a celebration of life Mass will be held June 25 at Hopkinton's St....
Select Board roundup: Ritterbusch new chair; fire stations’ future discussed
Amy Ritterbusch was unanimously elected chair of the Select Board at Tuesday’s meeting, with Mary Jo LaFreniere unanimously chosen as vice chair. Ritterbusch was elected to the board in 2020. LaFreniere was reelected to serve a third term in Monday’s Town Election....
Town Election: Mannan, LaFreniere elected to Select Board; Cavanaugh, Morand, Devlin win School Committee seats
Shahidul Mannan was the top vote-getter for the two open Select Board seats in Monday’s Town Election, while incumbent Mary Jo LaFreniere finished second and will retain her position. In unofficial results released Monday night by Town Clerk Connor Degan, Mannan...
Town recommends face coverings during COVID spike
The Town of Hopkinton is "strongly recommending" residents wear face coverings indoors in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The town is in the midst of a "recent uptick," with the local schools especially being affected. The advisory is for when individuals...
Khumalo appears unlikely to be offered position in Watertown
At its meeting Thursday night, the Watertown City Council again interviewed the three finalists for the city manager position, including Hopkinton Town Manager Norman Khumalo. At the conclusion of the meeting, during a general discussion, six of the nine council...
Ballot questions explained for Monday’s Town Election
Following are the 2022 Annual Town Election ballot questions with explanations, as distributed by Town Hall. For information on the candidates in Monday's election, click here. Polls are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday at Hopkinton Middle School's Brown Gym. Question...
Hopkinton hit with surge of COVID cases
The town is going through a surge of COVID cases, Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe told the Board of Health on Monday. “All of our metrics are going upward,” McAuliffe said. “The state’s reporting that our positivity rate is above 8.4 [percent positive of...
Parks & Rec roundup: Fruit Street turf replacement moves forward
At its meeting Thursday night, the Parks & Recreation Commission discussed updates regarding Town Meeting, the Fruit Street fields, the dog park, summer programming and property requests. At Town Meeting on Tuesday, the Fruit Street turf field replacement project...
Town Meeting Day 3 roundup: Lykan TIF approved after delayed start due to low attendance
Annual Town Meeting finally concluded Wednesday following yet another a delay due to the lack of a quorum. The highlight was the approval of a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement with Lykan Bioscience, which is planning to expand its footprint in town by...
Town Meeting Day 2 roundup: MWRA water connection passes, Frankland Road land-taking rejected before meeting halted again
At Tuesday’s continuation of Town Meeting, voters supported a plan to connect to the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority water supply, approved new turf for the Fruit Street fields and rejected a proposal to take the forest behind 71 Frankland Road by eminent...
Town Meeting roundup: Budget passes before meeting halted due to low turnout
The town’s $104 million budget and other financial articles passed easily at Monday’s Annual Town Meeting at the Hopkinton High School Athletic Center, but the meeting was suspended due to lack of a quorum shortly after 10 p.m., just after debate on Articles 22 and...
Select Board candidates discuss job retention, budget at spirited HCAM debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR0vRLDGe0I The three candidates for the two Select Board seats met Saturday for the HCAM Select Board debate, with town staff job retention — specifically the town manager and police — and the budget being the primary topics for...
Town Meeting set to begin Monday night
The town is set to return to a "normal" Annual Town Meeting on Monday, when voters and town officials gather at the High School Athletic Center at 7 p.m. “For members of local government, the Annual Town Meeting really is like our Super Bowl,” Town Manager Khumalo...
Town Manager Khumalo finalist for position in Watertown
Norman Khumalo, who has served as Hopkinton's town manager since 2009, was announced as one of three finalists for the city manager position in Watertown. The other finalists are John Curran, who is Billerica's town manager, and George Proakis, who is the executive...
School Committee, Select Board hopefuls take spotlight at Meet the Candidates Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anY4Duazqos The School Committee candidates took center stage at the Hopkinton Women’s Club Meet the Candidates Night on Wednesday and shared their thoughts on how the return to in-person learning and masking during the COVID-19...
Concerns raised about screening at Wilson Street solar array
The Planning Board and neighbors of the recently installed commercial solar array at 17 Wilson Street expressed frustration with the developer’s screening implementation during Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting. “What was installed [is] very different than what was...
Concerns raised about how state’s MBTA community mandate will affect Hopkinton
Much like 170-plus other Massachusetts communities, town planners in Hopkinton have a number of concerns and questions surrounding the state’s mandate requiring zoning for new housing. The law affects so-called “MBTA communities,” cities or towns that host MBTA...