At its meeting Tuesday, the Parks & Recreation Commission authorized chair Dan Terry to appear before the Select Board and ask that eight spots in the EMC Park parking lot be designated for one-hour parking only on weekdays in the daytime. Further, the board would...
Hopkinton Parks and Recreation
Parks & Rec Commission discusses issue with Reed Park tennis courts
Parks & Recreation Director Jon Lewitus said the youth spring tennis program cannot run safely at Reed Park courts because of conditions there. He noted the program is scheduled to run April 23 to May 22 for ages 5-8 and 8-12 and is sold out with a waiting list....
Parks & Rec Commission approves policy for non-resident registrations
The Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday unanimously adopted a policy regarding registration for residents and non-residents. The Commission will review the policy in one year and then thereafter, likely every three years. Director Jon Lewitus said that he had...
Community Preservation Committee kicks off FY 25 grant application review process
The Community Preservation Committee at its meeting Thursday night opened the process for reviewing the 15 grant applications received for the fiscal year 2025 cycle. A brief overview of the projects was given to committee members during the public hearing. The CPC...
New Parks & Rec director takes helm; temporary skate park concept introduced
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its Wednesday meeting welcomed new department director Jon Lewitus to the department. Lewitus, the former assistant recreation director for the town of Brookline, has been in his new role for five days and has been building...
Parks & Rec Commission votes to support Lewitus as new director
The Parks & Recreation Commission voted unanimously for Jonathan Lewitus as the new department director at its nearly three-hour meeting Monday night. While members felt both Lewitus and fellow finalist Mark Kelly would be successful in the role, chair Dan Terry...
Parks & Rec roundup: Band requests Sandy Beach for music video
A Boston-based alternative rock band requested permission to film a music video at Sandy Beach in September, the Parks & Recreation Department interim director announced at Wednesday's Parks & Recreation Commission meeting. King City Productions, a dedicated...
Parks & Rec weekly movies on Town Common start Thursday
Parks & Rec Thursday Night Movies on the Common series starts this Thursday at at dusk (approximately 8:30 p.m.). The first movie is "Minions: The Ride of Gru." The rest of the lineup includes “DC League of Super-Pets” (July 20), “Puss in Boots” (July 27), “The...
Allegations of teen shoplifting prompt discussions on outlets for students in town
Concerns recently arose about teen activity in the downtown business district and what options are available for young adults to socialize after school and during the summer break. As first reported in HopNews on June 12, Bill Besozzi, the manager at CVS at 61 Main...
Parks & Rec works with cricket enthusiasts to resurface pitch
At its 90-minute meeting Wednesday evening, the Parks & Recreation Commission was presented with a request to resurface a public cricket pitch, with commission members apparently unaware that enthusiasts had already purchased resurfacing materials and were going...
Summer Fun Business Profile: Parks & Recreation offers ‘uniquely Hopkinton’ summer
Families who seek affordable and “very uniquely Hopkinton” activities this summer will find what they’re looking for in Parks & Recreation programs, says Director Jay Guelfi. “We want our programs to be accessible to anyone who wants to participate,” he says....
Parks & Rec roundup: Safety concerns raised about Pyne Field redesign
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its hybrid meeting Thursday evening discussed concerns about traffic safety once Pyne Field is reconfigured, pending a $1 million funding request that will be voted upon at Annual Town Meeting on May 1. Amy and Josh Brassard,...
Parks & Rec approves return of Farmers Market
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its meeting Thursday evening voted 3-0 to approve a permit allowing the return of the Hopkinton Farmers Market to the Town Common this summer, with attendees noting the positive impact it has had historically on several aspects...
Guelfi to retire as Parks & Rec director
Parks & Recreation Director Jay Guelfi will retire later this year, the town announced Friday. "We are grateful to Jay for his dedication to Hopkinton Parks and Recreation,” Parks & Rec Commissioner Dan Terry stated via a town press release. “He has had a...
Parks & Rec endorses capital request for manual security gates at Sandy Beach
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its 80-minute meeting Thursday evening voted 4-0 to endorse a capital grant proposal to fund manual gates at Sandy Beach in order to increase security there. Commissioner Cynthia Esthimer has been serving as a member of an ad...
Parks & Rec reviews plans for pickleball courts off Fruit Street
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its two-hour hybrid meeting Thursday evening received an overview of the revised design plans for the public pickleball courts slated to be built off of Fruit Street, across from the dog park. Consultant Andrew Leonard...
Parks & Rec discusses CPC requests, progress on initiatives
At its hour-long meeting Thursday night, the Parks & Recreation Commission discussed its applications for funding before the Community Preservation Committee that met later that evening, noting the positive momentum for a cricket pitch at a reconfigured Pyne...
Town jigsaw puzzle competition proves popular
Within an hour of registration opening, spots for Hopkinton’s inaugural “It’s a Puzzler” competition sold out. Five more sports were added, and the event quickly sold out again. It’s a Puzzler is a team jigsaw puzzle competition. Teams of between two and five...
Business Profile: Parks & Recreation fall programs run gamut from sports to science
“At Parks & Rec, the focus is on fun, healthy activities and participation,” says Jay Guelfi, the department’s director. “The idea of our programs is to introduce kids to new things, to get them interested and to make sure they all have the opportunity to...
Parks & Rec roundup: Fruit Street turf project complete
At its meeting on Wednesday, the Parks & Recreation Commission discussed the Fruit Street fields, Community Preservation Committee projects, Sandy Beach and fall programming. The Fruit Street fields turf replacement project is officially completed. “This is the...