I received my copy of the March 9 edition of the Hopkinton Independent and was disappointed to see the caption “Great Ball of Fire” under the picture of the fire on the front page. Given that someone’s (or several people’s) homes were destroyed, this caption is in incredibly poor taste. To lose valued personal possessions and then be mocked, and your loss turned into a cheap joke/song reference would be dehumanizing to say the least.

I suggest a retraction and apology.

— Katherine Hudson, Hopkinton

Editor’s response: The front-page caption headline about the Mayhew Street fire was an attempt to use a familiar term to describe what was in the photo. The Independent certainly did not intend to make light of the situation or the effect it had on people’s lives.

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