(Editor's note: The following is an open letter to the Planning Board regarding a proposed tree-cutting bylaw that is to be discussed at the board's March 15 meeting.) On behalf of the Hopkinton Chamber’s Economic Development Council, please let this letter serve as...
(Editor's note: The following is an open letter to the town manager, Select Board and Parks & Recreation.) Reasons for using Center School as a staging area for the downtown project: 1. The open field at Center School will only be used by 5-7-year-old campers for...
Time for the annual Center Trail refresher course for dog walkers. FAQs: 1. Do I have to pick up my dog’s poop? Yes, please. 2. What if I don’t have a poop bag? Bag dispensers and waste cans are at both the Main Street and Loop Road ends of the trail. Take two if...
Regarding the Hill Street resident’s plea to extend the buffer zone for [firearm use], to alleviate the war zone in his neighborhood, and the Select Board’s timorous response, hesitant to step on the toes of hunters, it appears that they’d rather pander to a cohort of...
Your article in January 2020 about Hopkinton High School [hockey] coach Chris MacPherson facing a lawsuit from the parents of a former Hopkinton freshman brought back my unpleasant memories. The suit was about the coach failing to stop players from harassing and...
The [Feb. 10] edition of the Hopkinton Independent featured some interesting letters, which stimulated me to do a bit of internet research. I searched “countries with highest standard of living,” “happiest countries,” “standard of living by country,” etc. I looked...
Massachusetts has a long history of being the nation’s leader. Ever since we incited the American Revolution, a tradition of excellence has pervaded the commonwealth. We were the first state to legalize gay marriage. We consistently rank as the top state in the nation...
I applaud our Select Board adopting the modified MAPC Pledge. As a community we need to work to remove the inequities that exist among us so that everyone is treated with the same respect and equality of opportunity as everyone else. I am pleased that the references...
Working to dismantle the structures that have perpetuated systemic racism in our communities and replacing them with systems that encourage and sustain diversity and equity is hard and emotional work. Anti-racism work is about being human and doing what’s right for...
This is in support of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) pledge to address systemic racism. This has been on the table for months (I believe since end of June or early July) and a public statement/pledge matters because it shows that town leadership...
On behalf of the button cell battery/mercury recovery rebate program at the Hopkinton Senior Center, I want to thank you for participating in the collecting of button batteries over the past several years. Our goal was twofold: 1, to remove mercury from the municipal...
I believe in solar power, and I also believe in conservation. My wife and I have driven across the country from Florida to Oakland, California, and back, and taken the train from Boston to Oakland and back. There are hundreds of miles of nothing. There could be any...
The I-495/90 Interchange Improvement Project is expected to last six years, potentially exposing more than 100 property owners in the Roosevelt Farms, Huckleberry Road and Hopkinton Meadows neighborhoods and along Fruit Street to myriad temporary and long-term...
The Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee (HDTC) is deeply concerned about reports of recent yard sign thefts. We believe that whether they support LGBTQ+ Pride, Defend or Defund the Police, or any political candidate, yard signs represent the kind of civic engagement...
This is in response to the reactionary hue and outcry over the motto “Black Lives Matter” — “but ALL lives matter!!!” That’s exactly the point. Of course they do, but black ones warrant special mention after having been systematically left out, kicked out and snuffed...
Most civilized countries feature, in their legal code, a means enabling an accused to legally step outside of a jail cell by posting bail, of cash or other value. That is then held by the court with the expectation that the accused will return to stand trial. And...
Good people in small towns across America are not being informed as to the true nature, origins and intentions of Black Lives Matter. Before another innocent child or gullible adult raises another BLM sign in sympathy or solicitation, the truth needs to be shared with...
Editor's note: After this letter was submitted, at its meeting on Aug. 27 the Planning Board voted to recommend Town Meeting take no action on the article regarding the Commercial Photovoltaic Solar Overlay District map. The move was made in an effort to limit turnout...
Two articles on the upcoming Town Meeting warrant fit together perfectly to preserve about 100 acres of mature forest (formerly the Liberty Mutual forest), with long picturesque trails, a lake, varied wildlife and birds, trees and native plants, including ferns. The...
Muriel Kirkland Kramer is an outstanding, dedicated, committed leader in the community. I wholeheartedly support her continued service on the town planning board. — Sheila A. Zarba-Campbell, Hopkinton Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to...
