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"The News Starts Here!"

24 Main Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748  508.435.5534

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Legacy Farms Impact on Hopkinton School System Examined

School Committee members at odds over impact

By Demian David Tebaldi

 

At last night’s meeting of the Hopkinton School Committee, Mr. David Stoldt, committee member and liaison between the committee and Boulder Capital, LLC, delivered a report concerning the likely impact of Boulder’s Legacy Farm project on the school system.

 

“With respect to the schools, our three biggest issues with respect to Legacy Farms are the operating budget issues, the capacity and costs constraints, and the potential for fixing our agricultural land agreement as a result of our high school project.”

 

“The operational cost issue is this in a nutshell – as we began to see a decline in our student population, that creates a chance for us to redeploy our resources.  As you begin to reduce your teaching force and your staff, now you’ve got additional monies under the current budgets.  When you look at things like full day kindergarten, or district schools, things that we are enabled to do as a result of reducing the student population comes into question when you backfill that, and so we may not be able to easily do certain things, like a pilot program for full day kindergarten because we don’t have the two or three classrooms available.”

 

“As to the capacity and cost restraints, once we move to a new grade configuration with the development of the early childhood center, research shows a constraint in the elementary schools of three to four classrooms.”

 

“We’re short,” noted committee member Rebecca Robak.

 

“We’re short three to four classrooms in the elementary school starting in 2013 or 2014,” responded Mr. Stoldt.

 

“There was a study done in 2004, at which time it was discovered that the cost of two new classrooms at the Hopkins School was $591,000.  That was in late 2004 numbers; updated to 2008 numbers, at an increase of 7.5% per year, that is now $790,000 for the two.  We could formalize a request for mitigation, or we could just take our chances, but that section of our district is really going to get stressed because most of the impact of that type of housing is elementary school kids,” said Mr. Stoldt.

 

“So what we want to do here is decide what we want to ask for in terms of mitigation.  It seems to me that last year when this whole discussion came up, we set the expectation with [Boulder Capital] that we had no problem with the number of students they were forecasting.  It seems to me that if we are going to talk about mitigation it should be if they exceed by some threshold the number of students they have forecasted,” committee member Phil Totino mentioned.

READ MORE...

Citizen Petition Filed to Change Some Residential Zoning

on Hayward Street to Business

Previously denied by Planning Board ~ Neighborhood group vows fight

 

 

March 7, 2008 — William Tetlow, owner of the land at the plaza where Maria's Caffe Italiano is located at 25 Hayward Street, has submitted a citizens' petition to rezone several adjacent acres from residential to Rural Business.

     The proposal, originally presented to ZAC (Zoning Advisory Committee in December by Ken Weber, who represented himself as the owner, was given a nod by that body, even after Chairman Ken Weismantel called the change "zoning creep."

     "This is incremental zoning, which indicates poor planning," said ZAC member Alex Brown at the time.

      In February (Previous story), the Planning Board shot down a request by the proponent for support for an Article to be placed on the Town Meeting Warrant.

     The latest petition will pretty much guarantee a spot on the Warrant, because the Selectmen usually move citizen's petitions forward.

     However, the Article will need to pass by a 2/3 super majority vote.

      The Lake Maspenock Preservation Association, a neighborhood group that opposed the proposal in front of both ZAC and the Planning Board, vowed in a letter to HopNews to defeat the measure at Town Meeting.

      The group is not pleased with the intrusion of nearby employees who drive through or use the neighborhood for walking and jogging and leave rubbish behind.

Signers of the petition:

Gary French            2 Parker Point Road    

Pamela French        2 Parker Point Road

William Carey         18 Davis Road

Craig Nation          279 Wood Street

Chris Nation            17 College Street

Henry E. Thomas    96 Wood Street

Michael Hayward    19 Twin Island Road

Robert Lavoie          74 Pleasant Street

Tami Mastrogiannis 62 East Street

John Mastrogiannis  62 East Street

Jonathan French       2 Parker Point Road


LMPA Vows To Oppose Rezoning

Editor:

“The Lake Maspenock Preservation Association, LMPA, is very disappointed that the owner of the property on Hayward Street would blatantly disregard the wishes of the very neighborhood that will be adversely affected by his proposed development.

It was obvious from the hearings earlier this winter that the Lake Maspenock neighborhood is strongly against this development as evidenced by the petition that was signed by numerous area residents voicing their opposition to this project. At the public hearing held on February 4th, the Planning Board unanimously voted against this proposed zoning change to be included in the town meeting warrant. Members of that board labeled this proposal as nothing more than “ZONING CREEP” and could set a poor precedent for other residential areas of town. READ FULL LETTER      

Tenth Anniversary of Daniel E. Colella Scholarship Fund

Over $35,000 awarded thus far — Colellas say "Thanks!"

 

March 6, 2008 — Colella's Supermarket was established in 1945 by Daniel E. Colella.  After his death in 1998 a scholarship fund was created in his name.  For the past ten years, the Colella Family has used donations made in his name as well as fund-raising monies to support Hopkinton High School graduates in the form of college scholarships. To date over 25 scholarships totaling over $35,000 have been granted.

     Last year local runner Kathy Curry committed to running the Boston Marathon on behalf of the DEC Scholarship Fund. This year, a young Winchester woman Jennifer Higgins and a young Boston woman Kate Maslowski have committed to the same effort. If you would like to contribute to her fundraising efforts on behalf of the fund, donations can be made at the courtesy booth of Colella's Supermarket, payable to the DEC Scholarship Fund, or donations may be mailed to Colella's Supermarket, Inc. at 61 Main Street Hopkinton, MA 01748.
     The Colella family would like to extend their thanks.

Appropriations Committee Looks at Budget Numbers

Mulls definitions of "level service"

 

March 6, 2008 — The Appropriations Committee and the Town Manager looked over available figures on Wednesday night, and pondered solutions to a town-wide de facto deficit of over $1 million in a draft spreadsheet that is dynamic.

      First, member Stuart Cowart presented an update on his meetings with the Financial plan Working Group.

      "The next step is to present at the Board of Selectmen's meeting on April 1 to say what the group's been doing, and to highlight some items we've been working on," he said.

     "Any success with those initiatives?" asked member Ron Eldridge.

     "Tony reduced his legal budget," answered Mr. Cowart. The group agreed that heath care costs could be reduced.

     "One of the initiatives is to combine resources of departments," said Mr. Cowart.  Mr. Cowart added that one change on the revenue side of the budget is lower excise taxes.

      "The excise tax number keeps going down with the economy. We've had a continued erosion in the last six months. People have stopped buying, and so that decreases revenue from excise tax," he said. Excise tax on vehicles is based on the value of a vehicle, which depreciates each year, and with fewer new vehicles being purchased, then the revenue is even lower.

      On the expense side of the budget, nine teachers are retiring, and health care costs could go down by $267,000, Mr. Cowart said.

      "You have to look beyond level service and look at available funds," said Town Manager Anthony Troiano.

      "The Selectmen will need to step up," said one member.

      "The Selectmen asked for a level-service budget," said Appropriations member Marylou Haroian.

      "They [departments] were asked for a level-service and a level-funded budget," said Mr. Troiano.

      "The School is $1.1 million higher than last year," said Mr. Troiano. "My [Town] level-service is 8%," he said.

      Member Ron Eldridge said, "We shouldn't be asking 'level-service,' because it is different to each department.

      "Fire and Police have service levels, and that's how you quantify them," he said.

      "The School's [level-service] is class size," said Mrs. Haroian.

      "Everyone is going to advocate for their department, and the managers have to sit down and see what is available and true," said Mr. Troiano.

      "The plane is in the air and it won't be landing until May 5th," said Chairman Joe Karner, referring to the first day of Town Meeting and the changing nature of the budget until then.

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Citizens Submit Petition* Article for Legacy Farms Moratorium

 

Article would freeze building for one year

"We would not be affected" ~ Boulder Capital

 

*As of this writing, the signatures on the petition have not been validated by the Town Clerk. Each person signing must be a registered voter.+

 

by Robert Falcione

March 6, 2008 —  Jane Moran (File photo), unnamed but referenced as "one resident" in a story below, has filed a petition at Town Hall to place an Article on the Town Meeting Warrant to impose a building moratorium on the Legacy Farms project, the formidable proposal for 940 dwelling units and 450,000 square feet of office/commercial/retail in East Hopkinton.

     The language of the proposed Article was lifted directly from the Article submitted by Town Counsel to fend off a submittal by Boulder Capital for a Preliminary Subdivision Plan. That Article was withdrawn by the Town after the Selectmen and Planning Board came to terms with the Legacy Farms proponents at Tuesday's Selectmen's meeting and signed an Interim Agreement. That agreement, which expires in November, 2008, specifically states that Legacy Farms could back out if a building moratorium Article passed at Town Meeting, among other things that could stand in the way of passing the OSMUD, a series of master planning zoning Articles that Boulder Capital and the Town's Negotiating Team of Town Counsel Ray Miyares, Town Manager Anthony Troiano and Town Planner Elaine Lazarus are hammering out.

       The Article would actually establish an OSMUD District, but delay any entitled development until May 15, 2009, to give, the Article states, more time for study. Mrs. Moran said she is concerned about the short amount of time before Town Meeting.

       "If the Selectmen can't come to a conclusion, how can a small grass-roots organization like the HCA come to any?" she asked. Mrs. Moran has been active with a group calling themselves the Hopkinton Citizens Association.

       "We don't have the results from the important studies; Earth Tech Sasaki, Judi Barrett, FS&T. None of the studies has been released and this [Today's submission] is the final opportunity to file a petition. We took the language off of the Article prepared by our Town Counsel," she said.

         When asked what the group was looking for, Mrs. Moran said, "Mitigation similar to the Westwood model, because there is specific language in the Westwood agreement to help keep the townspeople from absorbing extra costs and undue burden."

         In a handout, Mrs. Moran states that if the results of the peer reviews are made available, as well as estimates of future costs, then the Article can be withdrawn at Town Meeting.

Following Appended 4:48 p.m.

       "When asked to comment, Selectmen Chair Muriel Kramer said, "We are disappointed, but people have their rights.

       "We have an agreement in place at will stand after Town Meeting, if we need it.

       "Hopefully, we are charging down the path to address the Article [OSMUD] at Town Meeting and it will be in the shape we need it to be, and we can vote on it and be on our way.

       "The professional review is comprehensive, time consuming and necessary," Mrs. Kramer said.

       "The hope is we are all working hard to put a quality product on the Town Meeting floor and hopefully, the voters will receive it favorably," she said.

Following Appended 6:40 p.m.

        President of Boulder Capital, Roy MacDowell, Jr., returning a phone call said, "Unfortunately, this is going to force us to file a subdivision plan, something the Town definitely doesn't want us to do. We withdrew it to show good faith.

        "Even at this late hour, we are hoping the petitioners will reconsider and withdraw their petition, because we feel it is in the best interests of the community.

        "We would be happy to sit down with the party of ten and allay their fears.

        "The reality is if we file the subdivision plan, the moratorium won't mean anything because we'll be exempt from it, "Mr. MacDowell said.

         Mr. MacDowell said that the way the proceedings have been moving are "in the best interests of the community and the Town." 

+Signers of the petition:

Edward A. Bernald 31 Cross Street

John E. Knowles    23 Curtis Road

Jane Moran           70 East Main Street

Julie Linnell             5 Reservoir Road

Frank Kaminsky     38 East Main Street

Shawn MacDonald  27 Downey Street

Jennifer Miller         11 Elm Street

Carol Kaminsky     38 East Main Street

Theresa Prince     252 West Main Street

Michael Kennedy  111 Winter Street

Hopkinton Women’s Club Bruins Tickets Raffle  Value: $600
$10 – 1 ticket • $25 – 3 tickets

 

4 Premium Club Seat Tickets • Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers • Saturday, March 15, 2008, 1PM • Near Center Ice Premium Club Seating • Includes Free Parking in North Station Garage

All Proceeds donated to Hopkinton Food Pantry. Winner to be announced March 11th at Spring Fashion Show (winner does not need to be present). Please contact Jackie at 508-435-3004

HDTC Reorganization and Election of Officers


    The Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee will hold its March meeting on Thursday, 3/13 at 7:30 at the Fire Station on E. Main St. in Hopkinton.  This will also be the a reorganization meeting at which the new committee, elected in February in the presidential primary, will elect officers. All Hopkinton registered Democrats are welcome to attend.
    
The Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee is the local unit of the Democratic Party.  The committee meets monthly from September through June and the meetings are open to all registered Democrats.  The committee works to promote the Democratic Party and its candidates.  For more information on the Committee, or to be added to their mailing list, visit the web site at www.hopkintondemocrats.org or contact Dick Duggan at 508-435-4007 or dduggan47@gmail.com.


Hopkinton Democrats are Called to Caucus


     Hopkinton Democrats will caucus on Friday 4/4 at 7:00 at the Fire Station on E. Main St. for the purpose of selecting candidates for the spring local elections.  All registered Democrats residing in Hopkinton are urged to attend and make their voices heard!
     The Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee is the local unit of the Democratic Party.  The committee meets monthly from September through June and the meetings are open to all registered Democrats.  The committee works to promote the Democratic Party and its candidates.  For more information on the Committee, or to be added to their mailing list, visit the web site at www.hopkintondemocrats.org or contact Dick Duggan at 508-435-4007 or dduggan47@gmail.com.

Hopkinton Pride Earns Bronze

 

The Hopkinton Pride was one of four Hopkinton teams to compete in the Special Olympics State Tournament held in Worcester last weekend. This group of athletes and unified partners, coached by Mark Sanborn and Luke Fraser, earned a bronze medal. Team members are: Melissa Clough, Daniel Kinchla, Kelly Matter, Gavin McDonald, Ryan Prepitit, Zak Telepman (missing from photo), Greg Tolf, Sam Chirco, Oliver Clough, Tim Dlugolecki, Jason Dlugolecki, Ryan Hamilton, Barrett Hanlon and Jack Yaggy.

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Thinking of a move to Hopkinton? Want to see more of what the town looks like? Check out our Community Page for links to town organizations, public and private. See our Flash presentation of 136 photos of Hopkinton roll by as you also watch our 9 minute movie of the town. — and much more. If you like what you see, and who wouldn't, call one of our advertisers above for purchase, design, construction, or Title V needs. Live here but have a friend thinking of a home in the area? Please forward this information. Thank you.

New Common Tree Plan Unveiled

Above is the overhead schematic of the existing tree locations. Mouse-over the image to view the new plan.

 

March 6, 2008 — Ruth Gorman, Chair of the Friends of the Common, met with Parks and Recreation Commission Wednesday evening for an unveiling of a new plan for the removal, transfer and planting of trees on the Hopkinton Town Common.

     Committee member Al Rogers presented the plan, developed by The MacDowell Company, Inc., Landscape Architects, who also own Boulder Capital.

     In the plan above showing the current view, the green trees stay, the yellow are removed, and the blue are moved on site. In all , a total of 40 trees, more than half of the 76 on the Common, will be removed.

     Many of the trees are dying, Mr. Rogers said. In addition, Norway maples, deemed an invasive specie, will be removed.

     The new plan will open up more unobstructed views of entertainment or speakers on the gazebo, something that became difficult last season, as trees became overgrown and large. In addition, the Commission would like to move their movies series to the Common for more participation and easier access.

     Perhaps some grass will grow, pondered one member, to the agreement of others.

Cell Tower Hearing Ends

Above, Attorney Jennifer Lewis presenting her case before the Board of Appeals.

March 6, 2008 — The Board of Appeals heard testimony in a continued Public Hearing Wednesday evening in the matter of OmniPoint/T-Mobile's submissions for Special Permits and Variances to locate a cell tower in a residential neighborhood on a residential property at 72 North Mill Street.

    The previous hearing (Please see previous story) brought out more than twice as many abutters and interested parties as Wednesday evening to protest the locating of the tower on that property. The Board of Appeals closed the hearing and plans to render a decision within 90 days.

Step Two Completed

March 5, 2008 — On Wednesday, Planning Board Vice-Chair and candidate for  Selectman RJ Dourney turned in the nomination papers he took out on January 16 to the Office of the Town Clerk.

      Mr. Dourney, a Republican, was told he had more than the required signatures, but the Town Clerk will need to validate them, a procedure required by law.

      Mr. Dourney will likely be elected by his fellow party members at the Republican Caucus, and go on the ballot as such.

      He faces incumbent Selectman Chair Muriel Kramer, a Democrat, at the Annual Town Election on May 19, 2008.

      To keep up with who is running, check the button on top anytime ELECTION 2008.

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TRY THE TOP ROW FOR SPECIALS TONIGHT

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Reminder

Destination Imagination Saturday at the Middle School

 

 

Massachusetts Destination Imagination will be holding a regional tournament this Saturday, March 8, 2008 at the Hopkinton Middle School. Eighty teams from surrounding towns (Dedham, Foxboro, Framingham, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Mendon-Upton, Natick, Needham, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston) will be presenting their creative solutions to open-ended challenges from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. All performances are the ideas and production of team members only with no input from Team Managers or others. The public is welcome to attend.
 

Challenges this year are: Obstacles, of Course! • Hit or Myth • DI’ve Got a Secret! • Chorific! • Switch! •TwisDId History

Town and Boulder Execute Interim Agreement

 

Town Counsel, Selectmen warn citizens not to submit moratorium Article

 

by Robert Falcione

March 4, 2008 — Boulder Capital, developers of Legacy Farms, the proposed combined 940 residential unit/ 450,000 square foot commercial development, filed a preliminary subdivision plan on January 30 to freeze the zoning on the land for seven months. The apparent reason was to protect their interests in the event that the town fails to adopt their OSMUD (Open Space Mixed Use Development), an expansive set of zoning changes that the developer would like passed at Town Meeting.

     The negotiating team for the Town of Hopkinton —  Town Planner Elaine Lazarus, Town Counsel Ray Miyares (Photo), and Town Manager Anthony Troiano — responded with a building moratorium Article for the Town Meeting Warrant in May, in order to preserve the Town's rights, and buy time for more negotiations between the two entities.

     The current agricultural zoning would allow the developer to build 350 single family homes — according to Mrs. Lazarus — which have been described as a revenue-negative tax burden. The OSMUD proposal, which plans only 50 single family homes and the balance of units in multiple families, has been pitched as a $2.7 to $3.5 million in positive tax revenue for the town by Boulder Capital's economist, John Connery. Judi Barrett of Community Opportunities Group is reviewing those calculations on behalf of the town.

       "It is a blunt instrument," said Mr. Miyares at tonight's Selectmen's meeting, referring to the moratorium that the town agreed to drop in support of the Interim Agreement that both the Selectmen and the Planning Board agreed upon with Boulder this evening.

       Attorney Miyares intimated that it was the "blunt instrument" that brought the two sides to the negotiating table.

       The Town and Boulder Capital have agreed to work cooperatively for six months toward the consideration of modifications to the OSMUD as proposed. At the same time, they are negotiating a broader Host Community Agreement to mitigate effects on infrastructure, such as traffic, water and schools.

      For instance, the OSMUD strives to provide over 500 acres of open space, but the town is seeking assurances in their negotiations as to a manner of enforcement. The town would like a conservation restriction, which would govern the use of the land in perpetuity, but Boulder would like to plot the land first. A conservation restriction is bound by exact physical boundaries, but Legacy Farms will not be carved out until more definitive plans have been filed for the different pods of development planned. This is just one issue that both sides need to resolve.

      The Interim Agreement  allows Legacy Farms to apply for an OSLPD (Open Space Landscape Preservation Development) permit during the OSMUD cooperative study period, but agreed not to exercise its rights, as long as an acceptable OSMUD agreement appears either on the upcoming Town Meeting Warrant, but no later than a Special Town Meeting to be held before November 5, 2008. An OSLPD requires that 50% of the development is open space, in return for a  more dense project that is not allowed under conventional subdivision rules.

      The parties have agreed to bring the OSMUD proposal to a Special Town Meeting before November 5, 2008, but have agreed to try to bring the proposal before the townspeople in advance of that date if possible. The parties have targeted the May 5, 2008 Town Meeting as the most desirable date.

      "It sets our rights and obligations that are enforceable," said Attorney Miyares of the agreement.

     "Anyone can ruin this agreement. But we think that with the Board of the Selectmen and the Planning Board endorsing this, the citizens need to understand this," he said.

      Board of Selectmen Chair Muriel Kramer (Photo) said, "I wouldn't want to see this vaporize."

      Mrs. Kramer and Attorney Miyares were referring to the right of any citizen to gather signatures and put a moratorium Article on the Warrant for consideration of the voters at Town Meeting. One resident has been investigating her right to do so, but was waiting for the outcome of tonight's meeting to make a final decision. That decision is unknown at this writing.

      The group made it plain that the Interim Agreement allows Boulder to file a preliminary subdivision plan to freeze the zoning if a moratorium Article is successful.    

NOTE: The OSMUD is a series of zoning proposals and changes that is undergoing scrutiny and proposed modifications by Town Counsel at this time. Boulder Capital is answering those modifications with points of its own, making the document very dynamic at this stage of the process. ZAC (Zoning Advisor Committee) met with Boulder for months and worked out their ideas with Boulder on modifications to the OSMUD. However, the Town was not represented by Town Counsel during those meetings, until now. Although it is a work in progress, it appears this is the most recent version of the OSMUD before subsequent notations from the attorneys. (Revised 3/5/08 9:11 am)

YOUR: Green BMX Haro Bicycle Found at Bill's Pizza

Bicycle Retrieved at Police headquarters

Snack Attack

March 4, 2008 —This raccoon sighted behind a Main Street home looks like he is taking advantage of some bowls likely put out for an occupant's pet. Raccoons are nocturnal animals, and oftentimes, those that are seen out and about in the daytime are sick.

       Several calls were made to police this last week regarding seeing the animals, however, whenever an officer saw one, they reported it as being okay. The animal above scurried in the opposite direction after seeing the photographer, exhibiting normal behavior. A sick raccoon might bare its teeth and and make a stand for no good reason, as well as have seizures (Photo enlarged from a larger view).

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Hopkinton Police Association

 vs.

Hopkinton Special Olympics

Basketball Game

March 15th

Noon

Hopkinton Middle School

All Are Welcome

 

The Hopkinton Police Association Police Association will be holding the Second Annual Police vs. Special Olympics Basketball Game Saturday March 15th at NOON at the Middle School. All are welcome to support both the HPD and the HSO.  (File Photo).

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Familiar Face Hired for Health Department

New Public Health Administrator

 

March 3, 2008 — Ed Wirtanen (Soft a), who worked as a part time Health Inspector in Hopkinton in the 1980's, started his first day today as Hopkinton's newest Public Health Administrator, after edging out three other applicants in interviews with the Board of Health.

     "Back then, there was a part time agent working out of a little closet.

     "It was Dr. Bobeck, John Palmer and Jane Hinckley on the Board of Health," he reminisced.

     "It was basic public health then; things like septic systems. My how things have changed.

     "Now you're into emergency response and more elaborate septic regulations," he said.

     Board of Health member Nancy Peters said that Mr. Wirtanen was hired from a field of  that had been narrowed to four people.

      When asked what special qualities that Mr. Wirtanen has, Mrs. Peters said, "He comes with a lot of good experience and has a nice manner.

      "He has lots of ties to Hopkinton," she said in conclusion.

Doing the Heavy Lifting

March 3, 2008 — Workers from Art's Towing of Milford were called to assist in the investigation of a truck from an unrelated company that went off of the road on East Main Street near Wilson Street this morning. Witnesses said that the driver claimed his brakes were not working.

      The truck ran over some large boulders that appeared to be anchored to protect a mailbox on the side of the road from vandals who might play "mailbox baseball," and as a result tore holes in its oil pan. The driver had 15 bags of speedi-dri on his vehicle that he used to keep the fluids form entering a nearby catch basin, and to absorb the fluids that had gathered on the shoulder.

      A Trooper from the State Police Truck Team arrived in an unmarked SUV to investigate and asked not to be featured in a photo due to his undercover work.

      Art's Towing is one of two companies that are called by the Hopkinton Police to respond to vehicular crashes and disabled vehicles.

"Ordinary" Hopkinton Makes Architects' Trade Magazine

March 3, 2008 — Architecture Boston, a trade publication of the Boston Society of Architects, honed in on "ordinary" Hopkinton in its latest issue, interviewing some professionals and government leaders, who painted their portraits of the community.

     HopNews.com, although not mentioned in the article or the Editor's foreword, supplied many photos supplementing the story. To pick up a copy of this issue in particular, stop by the HopNews office. We still have a case left.

Police News UP-TO-DATE  Today, March 3, 2008

 

7:06 pm A caller from Pond Street reported that their house and vehicle were egged on Friday evening...

 

6:46 pm A female house sitter from Main Street reported that a person was looking into one of the windows...

 

3:25 pm A caller reported that an older model Volvo was heading into town, on Cedar Street, leaking fuel...

 

11:15 am A walk-in from Woody Island Road reported that someone tried to remove the stereo from his vehicle...

 Click above link for full update.

Real Estate Transactions for Hopkinton, Massachusetts

Compiled by Eric Montville for HopNews.com, March 3, 2008

Address

Buyer

Price

Date

Seller

337 Wood Street Michael F. McGuirk & Melissa M. Turner $515,000 Mar. 03, 2008 Wing Kuen  Wu, Wing Kit Kwan & May Lam Kwan
22 Granite Street Christopher Miller & Alexis Miller $416,000 Feb. 29, 2008 Countrywide Bank
4 Birchwood Lane Ronnie Beth Silver $285,000 Feb. 29, 2008 Kevin J. O'Connor & Kelley O. O'Connor
4 Lincoln Street Maxine F. Kingsbury $150,000 Feb. 29, 2008 Barry M. Kingsbury & Maxine F. Kingsbury
13 North Street Prabhakaran Makkathai & Vitya Rajasekaran $476,500 Feb. 26, 2008 U.S. Bank National Association
58 Pleasant Street Paul Elder $268,125 Feb. 26, 2008 Michelle L. Rothauser
64 Hayward Street Beneficial Massachusetts Inc. $274,180.29 Feb. 25, 2008 Phillis G. Supernor
Previous update:        
12 Edge Hill Road Frank J. Prisco & Carrie P. Prisco $685,000 Feb. 15, 2008 Gerald S. Abernathy & Andrea F. Abernathy
4 Victory Lane Timothy J. Hanlon $260,500 Feb. 15, 2008 Bank of New York TR

See Full List back to February 1,  2007

Link above is renewed each week

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Legacy Farms, School Choice Topics of Discussion at School Committee Meeting

By Demian David Tebaldi

 

March 3, 2008 — Representatives of Boulder Capital, LLC attended the Hopkinton School Committee meeting on Thursday, February 28, 2008, to provide an update on the Legacy Farms project and to field questions from the committee and members of the audience. 

 

“If you don’t lose sight of creating a qualitative product, which is really job number one for us, there’s no such thing as the ‘best mousetrap,” responded Project Manager, Steven Zieff, to one query, “but we’re building a better mousetrap and it’s more thoughtfully executed, with better landscaping and better architecture.  If that’s your objective, because our objective is to create a product that is in keeping with the quality that people expect in Hopkinton, you will typically do better in a down market, do better in an up market, you’re building as an investment not just as a merchant building.”

 

Committee member David Stoldt ended the discussion with Boulder Capital by suggesting that, at the March 6 meeting of the committee, one of the more important reviews that needed to take place was that of the student capacities of the various schools in Hopkinton, results to be compared with the types and sizes of families expected to be attracted by the Legacy Farms project.

 

“Everything is driven by ratios and assumptions, of where those kids fall in line, the typical ratios for both market rate owned units and rental units are highly proportioned to elementary, and our capacity constraints are primarily at the elementary.  So now what we have to do is take the student numbers and the phasing and really take a look at where those students will fall in our school system, and then take another look and see if we really have classroom capacity.  We really need to have a second check, high school capacity, middle school capacity, elementary capacity, and make sure that we’re not constrained, sixty, seventy percent of your new students are in the elementary ages.”

 

However, among the topics discussed at the Hopkinton School Committee meeting on Thursday, the subject of school choice took center stage. READ MORE...

Happy Birthday, George

 

The family of George Gross wants to wish a Happy Birthday, his 75th, much to our surprise.

 

Mr. Gross was an accountant as well as a call firefighter for 30 years, and a lieutenant for many of those years.

Ed. Note: Got an anniversary, birth, engagement, wedding, birthday announcement to make? Send it along to:  Editor@HopNews.com

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Fish Stories

March 2, 2008 — This young fisherman, who said he had caught a few pickerel, had pretty much the entire south side of Lake Whitehall to himself this afternoon as he ice fished on perhaps the last weekend possible this year. The view, compressed by a zoom lens, is at least a half mile or more to the far shore.

Snow Patrol

March 2, 2008 — "Some of those machines do 100 mph on that lake," said a Lake Maspenock resident referring to the group of over one dozen snowmobiles and off-road recreational vehicles this afternoon. Many need to somehow to bridge a melted shoreline to get to the ice.

Sample Post From Town Talk:

Re: TM

From: Cut off our nose to spite our face
Date: 01 Mar 2008
Time: 19:25:10 -0700
Remote Name: 24.62.47.179

 

Comments:Please visit our discussion page

Please visit our discussion pageGreat, right when we need a strong Town Manager, in the midst of his leading very complicated negotiations in which we stand to save much much more than $10k(!), if the Town Manager and his team can negotiate from a position of credibility and strength, lets undermine his authority, pull the legs out from under his stool, throw marbles under his and the boards' feet, just because it's fun to do or we have a pet peeve that we simply must express right now. Friends, this is not the town you moved to in 1980, put away the old rivalries and anger, we have a charter, we have higher bond ratings, we have a town manager who came with a contract and performance based incentives, and we have lots of opportunity ahead; let's not undermine our own ability to move forward. Think, is now the right time for this? Can it wait? Is there something more productive to do?

Ed. Note: The writer above is replying to many negative posts about the Town manager. Is your style positive? Try Town Talk.

Second-graders Learn Important Values

The children in Donna Hosmer’s second grade class at Elmwood School this week worked with fleece to cut the edges and tie them together to make beautiful fleece blankets to donate to local homeless shelters. The project helped the children learn about teamwork, creating a masterpiece without sewing and the value of sharing with others less fortunate than themselves.
~ Kathy Laflash

Which Way to the Desert?

March 1, 2008 — These turkey vultures did not come from Death Valley, but were two of a group of three that appear to live in Downtown Hopkinton. They circled in the downtown sky, riding thermals and stretching their wings this afternoon. Background is a photo of two of the vultures; the inset is an enlargement of the one on the right.

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Three's Company

March 1, 2008 — Siblings Sydney Olson, 7, and fourteen year-old Tyler, made good use of the snow today in front of their home, and pose with their human-like creation.

Fire Prevention Prevention

March 1, 2008 — This luxury SUV went off of Smith Road this afternoon for no apparent reason, and came to a stop 100' later after knocking a hydrant off of its mooring and dragging it along. The airbag did not deploy and the driver was uninjured. Fire hydrants which are the purview of the Water/Sewer Department, are designed to hopefully break off when struck, rather than open up and shoot a powerful stream of water like in the movies.

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Keep an Eye Out For Me

March 1, 2008 — One member of this new snow family on Exchange Street today appears to have lost an Oreo/eye. Today's snow was the perfect type for snow figures, if the amount of snow people around town is any measure.

11 X 3

March 1, 2008 — Three girls celebrated their eleventh birthdays together today at Ciao Time on Main Street.

From left Colleen Mitchell with sisters Olivia and Anna Charteris.

Fall Season

March 1, 2008— It isn't autumn, but it certainly looked like fall when snowflakes the size of leaves started droppng from the sky this morning, as in this photo taken from the front step of the HopNews office today.

 

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