A resident filed an open meeting law complaint with the state Attorney General’s Office regarding the handling of public comment during the Aug. 18 Select Board meeting, when the board allowed two speakers and two letter-writers to deliver anonymous criticism of...
Select Board
Nasrullah: Attacks on Kramer for Bail Fund ‘entirely inappropriate’
During the public comment portion of the Select Board meeting last week, vice chair Irfan Nasrullah read aloud two letters from individuals who criticized Planning Board member Muriel Kramer for her involvement with the Massachusetts Bail Fund. Two other individuals...
Letter to the Editor: Select Board should not have allowed anonymous attacks on Kramer
The ghost of Willie Horton made an appearance during the public comment section of Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting. In what was clearly an orchestrated attack on one of the town's most dedicated volunteers — Muriel Kramer — a group of citizens were granted the...
Ritterbusch: ‘False rumor mill’ in town contributing to discord
Select Board member Amy Ritterbusch said she is concerned about “the false rumor mill going around town,” especially how it relates to Saturday’s India Day controversy. Ritterbusch was on hand for Saturday morning's event at the Town Common, which was disrupted by a...
Town Meeting rescheduled to morning of Sept. 12
Town Meeting has been rescheduled to be held outside Hopkinton High School under a tent at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, with a rain date/continuation date of Sunday, Sept. 13. Originally scheduled for May 4, Town Meeting previously was twice rescheduled. It had...
Select Board roundup: Town Meeting likely to be condensed; COVID-19 cases trend younger
During Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Norman Khumalo and board members indicated their preference that the Sept. 21 Town Meeting be a very short one. Khumalo said he will recommend that...
Select Board discusses social justice/diversity issues
The Hopkinton Select Board delved into a lively discussion about social justice and diversity during its Tuesday night meeting, addressing what the board has the power to do and how it can use its power to examine and improve the town. At the July 2 meeting, resident...
Select Board roundup: Health Department director pushes residents to stay vigilant
Health Department director Shaun McAuliffe, in his update to the Select Board at its Tuesday night meeting, reported that there have been 132 cases of COVID-19 in town. One case is active and there have...
Select Board approves Sweeney’s promotion to senior accounting manager/town accountant
At a brief Select Board meeting Tuesday night, the board unanimously approved the hiring of Ben Sweeney as senior accounting manager/town accountant. A certified public accountant who grew up in Hopkinton,...
Residents push Select Board to address racism
During the public forum portion of Thursday’s Select Board meeting, three residents called attention to current high-profile societal issues and how Hopkinton is dealing with them. Ilana Cassady said she is seeking “improved communication, transparency and action from...
Select Board votes to keep Tedstone as chair; Coutinho receives praise
The Select Board held a brief Zoom meeting Thursday night primarily for the purpose of reorganizing the board following the Town Election on...
Khumalo, Slaman receive high praise in Select Board performance evaluations
The Select Board, in a Thursday afternoon meeting, offered high praise for Fire Chief Steve Slaman and Town Manager Norman Khumalo during their performance evaluations. Both were given an overall maximum score of 5 — defined as “exceeds expectations regularly” — from...
Ritterbusch on Select Board race: Coutinho’s accusations distract from ‘real personal attacks’ on residents
During HCAM's Hopkinton Hangout Hour candidate interviews on Wednesday, Select Board vice chair John Coutinho revived his criticism of Amy Ritterbusch and her supporters for what he said were offensive social media posts. On Thursday Ritterbusch issued a statement...
Coutinho on Select Board race: ‘Hopkinton’s had enough’ of social media vitriol
The Select Board candidates took their cases to HCAM viewers on Wednesday via the Hopkinton Hangout Hour taped half-hour segments, and incumbent John Coutinho elaborated on his frustration with comments on social media he felt were unfair. The candidates were to...
Select Board meeting roundup: Legacy Farms HCA amendment passes
During its Zoom meeting Tuesday night, the Hopkinton Select Board approved a renegotiated host community agreement with Legacy Farms developer Roy MacDowell, which will provide an immediate boost to the...
Controversy surrounds Select Board race following accusation of online ‘attacks’
The fallout from Monday night’s Select Board candidates debate continued Tuesday, as John Coutinho questioned why Amy Ritterbusch hasn’t done more to stop what he called “vicious attacks” online, and Ritterbusch denied being aware of any such attacks while questioning...
Coutinho, citing ‘hostile environment’ online, pulls out of Select Board debate
Monday's HCAM Select Board debate was a short one, as incumbent John Coutinho announced in his opening remarks that he would not participate due to individuals in the community creating "a hostile...
Select Board approves expanded outdoor seating for 5 local restaurants
At a special Select Board meeting on Thursday afternoon, the members unanimously approved plans by five local restaurants to expand outdoor seating in order to serve more customers while maintaining social distancing. Applications for “temporary outdoor dining for...
Candidate questionnaire: John Coutinho
Position being sought: Select Board (candidate for re-election) Party affiliation: Republican Occupation: Realtor, builder Education: College of Engineering, University of Bridgeport Years lived in Hopkinton: 21 Governmental experience: Six years on Select Board (one...
Candidate questionnaire: Amy Ritterbusch
Position being sought: Select Board Party affiliation: Democrat Occupation: Software and web analyst, Wellesley Public Schools Education: B.A. from UMass-Amherst Years lived in Hopkinton: 16 Governmental experience: Growth Study Committee (2019-present, chair),...