Select Board members on Tuesday continued to show hesitation regarding a proposed regional emergency communications center (RECC), but there also was concern about missing an opportunity to have a say in where Hopkinton ends up and what the RECC looks like. A proposed...
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Select Board roundup: Officials continue work on budget with eye on future major expenses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PggKMRJ-ro&list=PL8WekT6kxX1A-zwtdiEbn1a1vKwreF-D1&index=1 At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, members received an update on the town’s budget process for fiscal year 2024. The relatively good news, according to Town Manager...
Planning Board makes affordable housing planning a goal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZu4j4un4b8&list=PL8WekT6kxX1CwNNgtVPivQYbM7NakFJ_T&index=1 The Planning Board at its 90-minute meeting Monday night decided to make planning for affordable housing a key priority for this year, noting that the proportion of...
Community embraces diversity at MLK Interfaith Day
More than 60 people gathered at the Islamic Masumeen Center of New England on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the legacy of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at an interfaith celebration that explored how King’s work is reflected in this increasingly diverse...
UCTC discusses communication strategy, ‘holistic view’ of trail system
The Upper Charles Trail Committee (UCTC) at its 90-minute meeting Wednesday night discussed the inclusion of previous data from emails and a survey on the town website to help the public better understand the committee’s initiatives as well as to increase...
Town: Public parking off Main Street to be available ‘within the coming weeks’
The town on Tuesday provided an update on the parking project off Main Street, indicating that 57 spaces soon will be available for public use. (Editor's note: There actually are 55 spots, not 57.) The lots are being constructed behind 25 and 35 Main Street and in...
Photos: U.S. Rep. McGovern, state Rep. Arena-DeRosa visit Hopkinton for update
Congressman James McGovern, whose district includes Hopkinton, stopped at Town Hall on Friday along with state Rep. James Arena-DeRosa to receive an update on the goings-on in town from Hopkinton officials. Among the items discussed were Hopkinton's plan to connect to...
Parks & Rec reviews plans for pickleball courts off Fruit Street
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its two-hour hybrid meeting Thursday evening received an overview of the revised design plans for the public pickleball courts slated to be built off of Fruit Street, across from the dog park. Consultant Andrew Leonard...
Conservation Commission continues major hearings at request of applicants
Because only four of the seven commissioners on the Conservation Commission were able to attend Tuesday night’s virtual meeting, the applicants for the Massachusetts Laborers Training property on 37 East Street and The Trails development requested continuances of...
Select Board roundup: MWRA/PFAS costs rise; Maspenock herbicide plan discussed; Eagle Scouts recognized
In order for Hopkinton to gain access to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water supply, it will have to go through Southborough. And that will come at a cost. Representatives from the towns met Dec. 15, and while Town Manager Norman Khumalo said the...
RECC discussion continues, with Select Board members expressing hesitation
At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, board members continued discussions about a proposed regional emergency communication center. While no vote was taken, some board members made it clear they were not ready to support moving forward. Some residents have expressed...
Planning Board approves warrant articles, talks goals
The Planning Board held its first in-person meeting of the post-pandemic era on Monday evening, and it unanimously approved several Town Meeting warrant articles and discussed board goals. Several proposed articles previously discussed in board meetings were...
Nomination papers for elected town officers available Jan. 17
Town Clerk Connor Degan announced that nomination papers for elected town officers will be available in the Town Clerk's Office starting Jan. 17. Anyone interested in seeking to volunteer for elected office in the May 15 Annual Town Election should inquire with the...
As COVID surges, Health Department offers free test kits
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday evening discussed the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus and announced that the Health Department has an abundance of test kits to issue to residents who need them. Public Health Nurse Simone Carter said that “there has been...
Public pushback to proposed regional dispatch center grows louder
At a hybrid informational meeting Wednesday night held at the Hopkinton Senior Center, residents urged the town to take a step back from joining Grafton, Southborough and Westborough in a proposed regional emergency communications center (RECC), citing concerns about...
After escape, Harriet the heifer finds new home in Hopkinton
It turns out that the farm animal that had been wandering free on Ash Street and previously referred to as a bull and a steer actually is a heifer — a young female cow. We now know this because, after a few months of sauntering into residents’ backyards and living in...
Regional dispatch discussion highlights positives, negatives
More than 20 people met with town officials Tuesday afternoon in a one-hour hybrid meeting to hear the pros and cons of Hopkinton potentially joining a regional emergency communications center (RECC). For those on Zoom, the meeting was marred by poor sound quality,...
Former Select Board chair Harrington dies at 86
Mary E. Harrington, whose 35 years of volunteer service in Hopkinton included a stint as chair of the Select Board, died Friday at the age of 86. Her death was announced by Callanan Cronin Funeral Home, which indicated she died at Milford Regional Medical Center....
Conservation Commission releases units for development at The Trails
The Conservation Commission at its two-hour meeting Tuesday night voted 4-1 to release two units on the open space mixed-use development (OSMUD) site plan for The Trails after some prolonged debate. The hearing was continued because the commissioners continued to...
Town accepts applications from small businesses for economic recovery grants
The town officially announced a new grant opportunity for local small businesses that were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a total of $100,000 in funding is available through the Town of Hopkinton Economic Recovery Support Grant. Individual grants of...