Hopkinton Today: Thursday, March 18

by Jerry Spar | Mar 18, 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.

Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh and town health director Shaun McAuliffe issued a joint statement Wednesday to address the surge in COVID cases at Hopkinton High School. “We are finding that students are testing positive for the virus at rates that have not occurred before,” the statement reads. “While it might feel to some that students are unsafe at the high school, please note that we have not identified any student-to-student transmission in that building. Not a single HHS case since September. The current transmissions of the virus we are seeing have all been traced to events outside of school.”

Town clerk Connor Degan and Town Meeting moderator Tom Garabedian joined the Select Board on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of moving Town Meeting from May 3 (a Monday night) in order to obtain a more suitable location. The meeting normally is held at the Hopkinton Middle School auditorium, but due to the pandemic, an outside location and a bigger indoor facility are being considered, and either would necessitate a change in the date, Degan said.

The town received high marks in a recent community satisfaction survey, according to Damema Mann of the National Research Center (NRC), which conducted the survey. “Hopkinton excelled in many areas,” Mann said. “A lot of them had to do with quality of life, education, the town as a place to live, neighborhoods as a place to live, the town as a place to raise children, parks and recreation, and many, many of the ratings that were higher than the national averages had to do with safety, overall feelings of safety, police services, crime prevention, emergency preparedness — those were some standouts there.”

The Hopkinton Cultural Council is seeking artists to extend and grow the Celebration of Diversity mural, located on the wooden fence leading to EMC Park. “We hope to add 3-5 new segments this year,” HCC chair Ilana Casady said. “We are looking to create a footprint of this moment in our town’s history as we embrace its growing diversity and character.”

A Hopkinton High School team is being formed for the Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics athletes that will take place Friday, March 26, and participants are being sought. Individuals have until the day of the event to register.

Town meetings tonight include the Lake Maspenock Weed Management & Control Advisory Group (5:30), Appropriation Committee (6), Community Preservation Commission (7), School Committee (7) and Board of Library Trustees (7).

Photo of the Day: Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray gives an interview while standing next to the Team Hoyt statue at Center School following the announcement that Dick Hoyt had died Wednesday.