Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

Enforcement, education key in HPD’s grant-funded distracted driving initiative

The Hopkinton Police Department is tackling distracted driving this month as part of a yearlong road safety program.

In a press release last week, the HPD announced it would begin a “high-visibility enforcement and education campaign” throughout April focused on distracted driving. As part of the effort, officers will conduct targeted patrols at specific roadways and intersections.

“The campaign will specifically monitor for violations like texting while driving and improper cellphone use,” the press release states. “These enforcement actions are paired with public education to remind drivers that even minor distractions can lead to severe, sometimes tragic consequences.”

To monitor the targeted areas in town requires additional personnel on overtime. That time is being paid for with a traffic safety grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the Office of Grants and Research.

HPD Sgt. Cody Normandin, the department’s traffic safety supervisor who helped secure the grant, explained in an email that the grant is part of a nationwide program funded and organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “During the life of the program, research has shown statistically significant reductions in dangerous driving behaviors,” Normandin explained.

He went on explain that a recent incident where a vehicle struck a home on Wood Street was the result of distracted driving. “[It] is an example of how damaging the decision to drive distracted can be,” he warned.

Added Normandin: “The bottom line, and the message we are trying to get across, is that no text message is worth the potential consequences of a crash.”

Data provided in the press release stated that 48% of the town’s electronic device-related crashes between 2022-24 took place along the Main Street corridor. As a result, that will be a priority enforcement area for the HPD.

Normandin noted that the HPD emphasizes education over enforcement. “That might look like an officer having a roadside conversation with an operator about the risks of distracted driving,” he stated.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

The Hopkinton Middle School Science Olympiad team finished in fourth place overall in the state competition in Worcester last month.

Marybeth Walker, 79, passed away March 26.

James Burke, 72, of Hopkinton died on March 18.

This week’s Business Profile highlights the MetroWest YMCA and its youth camp programs run through the Outdoor Center in Hopkinton.

The Hopkinton Center for the Arts will host the Marathon Quilters Guild Quilt Show on Saturday and Sunday for its 30th anniversary.

Town meetings tonight include the Appropriation Committee (5), Sustainable Green Committee (6) and Planning Board (7).

Photo of the Day

Volunteers prepare to clear debris from drainage ditches to keep them flowing smoothly during the Hopkinton Trails Club’s annual Center Trail cleanup Saturday.

PHOTO/JOHN RITZ