Hopkinton Today: Friday, April 9

by Jerry Spar | Apr 9, 2021 | Hopkinton Today

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 video or two to brighten your morning.

School Committee members on Thursday unanimously supported a memorandum of agreement with the Hopkinton Teachers Association that agrees on conditions to reopen the schools on a full-time basis. The vote was taken at a special meeting with only two items on the agenda. Kindergarten through grade 5 reopened fully this past Monday. Middle and high schools are scheduled to reopen April 26. “We’re very excited about that,” superintendent Carol Cavanaugh said.

Hopkinton High School junior Connor Grady’s driving passion for automotive images earned him recognition as a Dunning Fellow from the College for Creative Studies, a school in Detroit that offers a program in transportation design. Grady is one of 15 students across the country to earn this scholarship, which is awarded based on images of vehicles drawn by competition participants.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life for students of all ages, but the lack of routine and structure has been particularly hard on those students dealing with intellectual disabilities. But one significant piece of normalcy has returned this spring with the first unified basketball season since the fall of 2019.

Following a discussion and unanimous vote during Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, the town will host a Special Town Meeting within the May 8 Annual Town Meeting. The reason is to address a possible extension of the means tested senior citizen tax exemption program, which currently is set to expire in August, according to town manager Norman Khumalo. On Thursday, the town posted an official announcement of the Special Town Meeting in order to comply with the law.

Town meetings today include the Upper Charles Trail Committee (4 p.m.) and the Open Space Preservation Commission (7 p.m.). The Hopkinton Democratic Town Caucus is at 6:30 p.m.

Photo of the Day: Fifth grader Sydney Turner lines up an arrow during the Parks & Rec archery class on Wednesday behind Center School.