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When I first joined the Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC) in 2017, I thought I knew exactly who John Coutinho was. I expected an establishment politician looking to manage my concerns and diminish my influence as a young, progressive Democrat new to both town and...
To the editor: Looking out my window [April 23], I just saw three lovely teenage young ladies walking down the street carrying white plastic bags. I was curious and watched as they picked up trash on the side of the road. They were busy as they walked along the road....
How can a virus create such economic havoc and decimate a large number of people in a matter of weeks? In January the virus felt very remote since it was in China. Then came Europe, and we were still watching, helpless and sorry for what Italy, Spain and others were...
To the editor: I’m a member of [Boy Scouts] Troop 1 Hopkinton, and I’m working on completing my Eagle Scout rank. As a newer driver, I would like to comment on the traffic situation in town. My family and I live off of Hayden Rowe, so leaving the house and trying to...
Editor’s note: The following two letters were written by students at Hopkins School as part of a class project. Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired in many ways by Indian protester Mahatma Gandhi during the civil rights movement. To start, Martin Luther King said that...
To the Editor: Here we go again. I will start by pointing out that our town voted against herbicides in Lake Maspenock by a two-thirds majority at full town meeting spring 2015. Also it is important to note that the Weed Committee did not vote unanimously for...
To the Editor: The Upper Charles Trail Committee (UCTC) has been charged by the Select Board to plan, design and build a Class 5 (fully developed) trail from Milford to Ashland, and it must include the Center Trail. The UCTC originally wanted to cross Main Street by...
To the Editor: Like many residents, I was concerned with the easement issues raised by the Main Street Alliance, and I don’t think a petition of 350 residents can be easily ignored. After conducting my own research on the project, I am as big a supporter of the...
To the Editor: I write in response to the Select Board’s press release of 6 November 2019. With respect to the fifth point of the press release, wherein it states, “In addition, taking bicycles out of the stream of car and truck traffic and putting them in a separated...
To the Editor: Little did we know back in 2010 that town officials already had a fait accompli in mind with their premature submission of the 25 percent plan in order to establish Hopkinton`s place in the state funding queue for the Downtown Improvement project. The...
Editor’s note: These comments refer to the article “Proposed Main Street bike lane raises safety concerns” from the Oct. 16 issue (Page 9), in which Ed Harrow was quoted extensively. To the Editor: I hope you will entertain my attempt to clarify several points. As...
To the Editor: Needing to go into the Town Hall, I saw the sign that I was unable to park in the parking lot where I usually park before entering the Town Hall. I was shocked. I know that a new parking lot is being planned behind the Town Hall eventually, however, for...
To the Editor: I’m sure that many of my fellow citizens have observed the many dead trees lining the sides of our town roads. Many branches hanging over the roads. A month ago we witnessed first-hand what happens when a large tree falls. There was no high wind at the...
To the Editor: I shook my head as I saw yet another letter in the Independent from the terminated director of Greyhound Friends, again stating that she was “unfairly portrayed as a wrongdoer.” I do not believe people “have it in for her” as she claims. But I can see...
To the Editor: I have talked to a number of people and businesses along Main Street, about this Downtown Corridor Project. Most people not around the Main Street area have no idea what's really going on, or the important details. One neighbor has filed a number of...
To the Editor: Recently Select Board member Brian Herr asked, “Where is the harm?” when confronted by Main Street property owners with questions yet to be answered about the Downtown Corridor Project (DCP). I was taken aback by the board’s seeming inability to grasp...
I’d like to second John Ritz’s letter about stone dust trails in last week’s Independent. My dog and I use Center Trail almost every day and it’s always a pleasure to leave the noise and heat of Main Street and enter its peaceful shade. In a hundred feet you’re in the...
To the Editor: What used to be a quiet country downtown has turned into an urban traffic nightmare. The Downtown Corridor Project started out years ago to be a plan to mitigate congestion in the downtown area That goal is no longer realistic. There are more cars, more...
To the editor: I knew I had to get a dumpster to clean up my house and garage after years of living here in Hopkinton. I had no idea how I was going to get this accomplished. I needed to find a few bodies with muscles to help me get this done. My neighbor suggested...
[Recently] I rode my road bike (skinny-tire 10-speed) the entire length of the completed portions of the Upper Charles Trail, from the Hopkinton-Milford town line through Milford, then through Holliston to the Sherborn border. I didn’t think my bike would do well on...
