hopkinton-independent-logo2x
Hopkinton, MA
loader-image
Hopkinton, US
11:53 pm, Tuesday, February 24, 2026
16°F
95 %
Wind Gust: 4 mph
Clouds: 46%
Sunrise: 6:29 am
Sunset: 5:29 pm

SIGN UP TODAY!
BREAKING NEWS & DAILY NEWSLETTER





Select Board votes to keep Tedstone as chair; Coutinho receives praise

by | Jul 2, 2020 | News, Z-Lead Image Front Page

The Select Board held a brief Zoom meeting Thursday night primarily for the purpose of reorganizing the board following the Town Election on Monday, when Amy Ritterbusch was elected to the board in place of John Coutinho, who had been the vice chair.

Brendan Tedstone was tabbed to continue as chair for another year. Irfan Nasrullah was selected vice chair. Both were approved 4-0, with the nominees abstaining from their own vote.

Mary Jo LaFreniere had nominated Brian Herr to be chair, but Herr, who has said he will not run again when his term expires next year, declined the opportunity before a vote was taken.

“I appreciate the nomination, but for lots of reasons it’s just not feasible for me to do it this year,” Herr said.

After the vote, Tedstone paid tribute to Coutinho, who was known for being especially visible around town, attending a wide variety of events.

“As chair of the Select Board I would like to note and appreciate the six years of hard work that Mr. Coutinho has put in to the Select Board,” Tedstone said.

Planning Board chair Muriel Kramer, a former Select Board chair, checked in during the public forum portion of the meeting to add her praise.

Kramer recalled when she was first elected to the Select Board she received some advice from the person she was replacing, Paul Nelson, who had stepped down for health reasons.

Said Kramer: “The piece that [Nelson] shared with me that I remember is the way it is important for the residents of Hopkinton for their leaders to be involved and to show up at events that are important to them. And I just wanted to take a moment to specifically thank John for being the best there has ever been at that very task. He showed up for people at events large and small, tirelessly, with great humor, great investment and great support. And I think that I am not alone in thanking him for his dedicated service, but in particular for the ways that he represented Hopkinton in such an enthusiastic and warm and dedicated way.”

0 Comments

Related Articles

Schools, town offices closed again Tuesday

Hopkinton Public Schools administration has canceled all classes Tuesday, and town offices will be closed as well as the town continues cleanup efforts following Monday's winter storm. "In consultation with DPW and town officials, side roads, bus stops, and...

Snow

Schools, town offices closed Monday due to blizzard

Hopkinton Public Schools announced on Sunday that it will be "extending February break by one more day" on Monday as a blizzard moves in Sunday night through Monday afternoon. The school district posted on its Facebook page Sunday afternoon that school is canceled...

Hopkinton Middle School snow

Former Hillers Pizza employee says she went to police about Sismanis

A woman who worked at the former Hillers Pizza restaurant in Hopkinton has come forward to share an experience she had with Petros "Peter" Sismanis that her to filing a police report against the business owner years before his 2025 conviction for sexual assault,...

Hillers Pizza
Key Storage 4.14.22