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.

New CV licensing policy requires CORI/SORI, clears up HPD role

PHOTO/JERRY SPAR

The Select Board will discuss a new draft of the town’s common victualer license policy at its meeting tonight in the aim of bringing Hopkinton up to a standard at or above other communities.

“A lot of what we put in this framework catches us up to what Boston is doing,” said Select Board chair Joe Clark. He called Boston’s common victualer (CV) licensing process “the gold standard” in the state.

According to the draft provided in the Select Board agenda packet for tonight’s meeting, background checks would be conducted on both owners and managers affiliated with the business. This includes Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) checks. Under the policy, the Hopkinton Police Department’s comments include how licensure will impact traffic, parking, noise, pedestrian patterns, public safety and emergency access and “reports of any incidents or police responses at the premises.”

Clark confirmed that the CORI/SORI checks would move from the purview of the HPD to the Town Manager’s Office. The Select Board has been discussing this shift since last November. “The goal is for it to be a Town Hall-run thing,” he explained, adding that anything that arises from those checks will be handled by Town Hall and the Select Board.

If approved, Hopkinton’s CV licensing process will be unlike other surrounding towns. In a Nov. 5 Select Board meeting, Assistant Town Manager Lance DelPriore noted that of 12 communities he surveyed, Hopkinton was one of four that required CORIs. The town also would be the only one of the 12 to require SORIs.

Changes to the town’s CV licensing policy come after much public discussion and criticism over alleged flaws in existing processes. Residents and other concerned parties have protested and spoken out at Select Board meetings in recent months demanding answers and action on the town’s CV policy.

The push for change came after Petros “Peter” Sismanis, the former owner of Hillers Pizza, was convicted in 2025 for indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age and witness intimidation charges. Sismanis previously was registered as a level 1 sex offender for a 1998 assault and had other accusations of misbehavior. Concerned residents and individuals repeatedly have criticized the town for continuing to issues CV licenses to Sismanis, inquiring why the information related to his criminal history was never disclosed during his license renewals.

Clark anticipated some discussion over the details of the policy at the upcoming Select Board meeting — particularly when it comes to acting on information gathered during the licensing process. “A big piece [of our meeting] is: We’ve got this framework in place, but what does that mean when we find something?” he explained.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

The School Committee on Thursday conducted Superintendent Evan Bishop’s annual formal evaluation, giving him “proficient” ratings in several categories.

The latest Schools Notebook highlights the achievements of local collegians, a Hopkinton High School student winning a National Merit Scholarship and fundraising results for the second annual Polar Plunge.

Preliminary work on a drainage project on Claflin Place is scheduled for Thursday.

The latest Real Estate Transactions list shows two homes sold in the past week.

The Hopkinton Trails Committee and the Hopkinton Trails Club will hold their next monthly trail volunteer day Saturday at the Berry Acres Conservation Area.

Town meetings tonight include the Select Board (6), Veteran Celebration Committee (6:30) and Historical Commission (7).

Photo of the Day

Hopkinton firefighters past and present gathered Sunday for “a day of camaraderie, brotherhood and plenty of stories shared among family and friends,” according to longtime call firefighter (and HCAM producer) Mike Torosian. Added Torosian: “Represented in this photo are decades of service to the Town of Hopkinton, with retired firefighters spanning from the 1960s through the 2020s. Generations of dedication, experience and pride — standing side by side.”