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...
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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...
Conservation Commission votes to allow DPW option to use herbicides in Lake Maspenock
At its meeting Tuesday night, the Conservation Commission voted to approve the Department of Public Works’ notice of intent to be able use a variety of tools — including herbicides — to address the weed problem in Lake Maspenock. The motion passed unanimously, with...
2020 Census: Hopkinton 14th-wealthiest town in state
According to recently released 2020 U.S. Census information (as presented by The Boston Globe), Hopkinton ranked as the 14th-wealthiest town in Massachusetts, with a median household income of $172,683. Dover sat at No. 1, at more than $250,000, followed by Sherborn...
Meet the candidates for 2022 Town Election
Annual Town Election is scheduled for May 16. The Hopkinton Independent invited all candidates to answer some basic questions about their background and provide a general statement, and we present all of them here (a few candidates elected not to submit a response)....
Select Board roundup: No support for former Liberty Mutual property acquisition; Tedstone bids farewell
The Select Board on Tuesday voted not to support a resident’s Town Meeting request to allocate $500,000 for the purchase of the wooded area behind the former Liberty Mutual property on Frankland Road that is targeted for a commercial solar array. Resident Ann...
Fire on Clinton Street could lead to water discoloration in town
Due to the Fire Department utilizing hydrants to fight a fire on Clinton Street early Saturday morning, the Water and Sewer Department is cautioning residents that there might be some water discoloration throughout the system. Residents are advised to check their...
UCTC votes to recommend no action on its trail funding requests at Town Meeting
The Upper Charles Trail Committee, at a special meeting Wednesday morning, voted unanimously to recommend that no action be taken on its Community Preservation Committee funding requests at the May 2 Annual Town Meeting. The committee had requested CPC funding...
Select Board roundup: Town Meeting to be held at high school; pair of police cadets conditionally approved
Annual Town Meeting will be held at the Hopkinton High School Athletic Center, the Select Board decided at Tuesday’s meeting. Town Meeting normally is held at the Hopkinton Middle School auditorium, but the Health Department recommended the field house, which is...
Upper Charles Trail Committee calls meeting to discuss controversial Town Meeting funding request
The Upper Charles Trail Committee has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday at 11 a.m. to “consider and vote whether to proceed with the committee’s request to the Community Preservation Committee for funding at the Annual Town Meeting for Campus Connector Segments 5 and...
Major accident snarls traffic on I-495 South in Hopkinton
The Hopkinton Fire Department was among the first responders to a multiple-vehicle accident on Interstate 495 South just past the MassPike exit Friday morning. The HFD first tweeted around 7:30 a.m. about the accident, which drew a response from emergency crews from...