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All Clear
September 8, 2009 — Firefighters Clark and Piorkowski responded to the odor of gas on Grove Street today, but discovered paint fumes coming from a dryer vent. Photo by Jason Kenney. |
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Recognize the John Hancock?
September 8, 2009 — Police would be interested to know the identity of these vandals who have defaced the water department building on Fruit Street. If you recognize their handwriting, or tag, please call Hopkinton Police at 508-497-3401. Photo by Jason Kenney |
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Charles F.C. Henderson, 94
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in l914, he graduated from Kimball Union Academy in 1932, from Bowdoin College in l937, from Weimar-Jena College in Weimar, Germany in 1939, and earned an Ed.M. from Harvard in l946. He was also a graduate of the Army Strategic Intelligence School in l951 and of the Army Command and General Staff College in 1965. He taught French and German at Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA, and at Oakwood School, Poughkeepsie, NY, before teaching in the Newton Public School System from 1946 to 1979. He taught English and Social Studies at Weeks Junior High School as well as a wide variety of subjects including Problems of American Democracy, Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology at Newton South High School.
Drafted in
1942, and commissioned that year, he served as a Military Intelligence
Officer in Europe, with V Corps, landing at Normandy with the Corps on
D-Day, and with XVIII Airborne Corps, during the Battle of the
Continuing to teach after his retirements, Mr. Henderson was an active participant in Elderhostel, serving on the Board of Directors of Elderhostel, Inc. for six years and as a teacher of numerous Elderhostel courses, specializing in poets of the twentieth century. He taught poetry courses for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in Wellesley. He was a leader of the Poetry Pundits, a poetry discussion group at the Needham Public Library, from 1984 to l994. Mr. Henderson was a Trustee of the Needham Free Public Library from 1980 to 1995. In November 1983 he and his late wife, Marnie Wilde Henderson, created and established the Henderson Trust Fund to benefit the Needham Free Public Library. The Trust is unique in that it contemplates continuing far into the future. He was President of the Friends of the Needham Elderly from 1991 to 1995, and a member of the Needham Retired Men's Club. He served as a Tax Counselor for the Elderly for several years and was a member of the Building Committee for the Hillside School. Additionally, he wrote content for KnowledgeQuest computer games with the titles of Literature, World Geography, and The States of the United States. He leaves two daughters, Anne Henderson, of Hopkinton, and Patricia Henderson Sauer of Everett; three grandchildren, Christopher Sauer of Norwood, Catharine Sauer of Quincy, and Jeremy Sauer of St. Louis; MO, his brother-in-law, E. Andrew Wilde of Needham, and his three feline companions, Guinevere, Roscoe, and Chloe. A gathering to celebrate his life will be held at the Needham Public Library at 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 20, 2009. He will be buried in the Needham Cemetery in a private ceremony the following morning. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made payable to the Henderson Fund in care of the Needham Free Public Library, 1139 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492. |
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Read Around the World!
1st grade open house, Wednesday 9/23 http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hopkintoncenter
Elmwood: 2nd grade curriculum night, Wednesday 9/16 3rd grade curriculum night, Wednesday 9/9 Open during school hours 9/14 – 9/18 http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/elmwood
5th grade curriculum night, Monday 9/21 (Date Changed Back!) Open during school hours 9/14 – 9/21 http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hopkinsschool
Middle: Back to School night, Thursday 9/10 Open during school hours 9/9 – 9/11 http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hopkintonmiddle
Parents, we need your help! If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Jennifer Joyce at jenniferajoyce@verizon.net or 508-435-9951. Hope to see you there! |
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Buying? Selling? Call one of our experts. Things are starting to Move!!! H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S |
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Long Arm of the Law
September 7, 2009 — Hopkinton Police Officer Timothy Brennan conducts traffic enforcement using a radar gun today by the Common. The slow shutter speed of the camera causes the passing vehicle to become blurred. |
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Charlotte Lavoie, 86
HOPKINTON - Charlotte Lavoie, 86, died Monday, September 7, 2009 in Framingham. Born in Hopkinton, she was the daughter of the late Andrew J. and Mary A. (Rogers) Lavoie. She was a 1941 graduate of Hopkinton High School and a graduate of Burbank Hospital School of Nursing. She was a former member of the Hopkinton Historical Society. She enjoyed reading, knitting and puzzles.
She is survived by her sisters Maureen Lavoie and Frances McBride and her brother Robert and his wife Jacqueline, all of Hopkinton, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
The funeral will be held Thursday, September 10 at 9:00 a.m. from the Callanan-Cronin Funeral Home, 34 Church Street with a funeral Mass to follow at 10:00 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Church. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Franklin. Calling hours at the funeral home are Wednesday, September 9 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Donations may be made to St. John's Church, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748. |
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Click above for full report in prose.
9:46 pm A resident of Hayden Rowe Street reported that someone entered her front porch and then quickly fled once they realized that her main door was locked...
11:54 am A South Mill Street resident reported hearing what sounded like gun shots...
7:45 pm Detective Scott Van Raalten transported a 26 year old male prisoner from Seekonk...
3:52 pm A Frankland Road resident reported that she could hear glass breaking at a neighbors' house... |
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Now is a Good Time to Have the Chimney Cleaned Miss your Stove Shoppe? Call Emener Stove Shoppe
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HOPKINTON CULTURAL COUNCIL SEEKS FUNDING PROPOSALS Proposals for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science projects are due October 15, 2009.
According to Council spokesperson Jean Bertschmann, these grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Hopkinton -- including exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies or performances in schools, workshops and lectures.
The Hopkinton Cultural Council will also entertain funding proposals from schools and youth groups through the PASS Program, which provides subsidies for school-age children to attend cultural field trips.
The Hopkinton Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community. This year, the Hopkinton Cultural Council will distribute about $4,000 in grants. Previously funded projects include: Treasure the Earth at the CAA, Wake Up and Smell the Poetry on HCAM, the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, Hopkinton Garden Club Flower Arranging, a potter’s wheel for the Hopkinton Senior Center, and the Allard Family performance at the Hopkinton Public Library.
For specific guidelines and complete information on the Hopkinton Cultural Council, contact Jean Bertschmann at 508.435.5195 or jeanber65@hotmail.com . Application forms and more information about the Hopkinton Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org/lcc_public.asp. Application forms are also available at the Hopkinton Public Library. |
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Milford Police Arrest Milford Man for Attempted Murder
The victim was life-flighted from Milford Hospital on Thursday night to UMASS Hospital in Worcester where he is recovering from his injuries. |
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Taps Ceremony
September 6, 2009 — At this evening's Taps Vigil at the Clinton Street Cemetery, above, Marine veteran and former Selectman Michael Shepard reads a story about a Civil War soldier who gathered the body of a fatally wounded soldier from the other side, who it turned out tragically was his son. His superior officer allowed one instrument, a bugle, be played in the enemy's honor. The Veterans' Celebration Committee conducts a taps vigil on the first Sunday of every month at 7:00 p.m. and rotates the location. |
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Buying? Selling? Call one of our experts. Things are starting to Move!!! H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S |
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Fatal Crash on Route 495 North in Hopkinton UPDATE 2*
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Edward Powers indicates that a group of motorcycles where traveling together in a September 11 memorial ride, when two of the motorcycles collided as they were entering 495 northbound from West Main Street.
Investigation reveals that a 2001 Yamaha
motorcycle operated by a *39-year-old
Colin Cronin from
A passenger who was riding on the 2001 Yamaha , *46-year-old Nancy Costa from Hyannis, was also seriously injured and transported by ambulance to UMass Medical Center, where she was pronounced deceased.
The facts and circumstances of the crash remain under investigation by Troop C of the Massachusetts State Police with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the medical examiner's office. Hopkinton police and firefighters assisted troopers at the scene. |
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The Color of Life
September 6, 2009 — Blood's Pond is brighter than life with a little help from Adobe Photoshop saturation control in this recent snapshot. |
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You be the Ref
September 6, 2009 — Judging from the positions of the players, it appears that the Hiller carrying the ball is about to cross the plane of the goal line for a conversion. Mouse-over the image to see the next frame and see if it is over the goal line. It was not ruled in favor of the Hillers. But it was only a scrimmage. |
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The Depths of Purgatory
September 6,
2009 — Yes, those are people way over the other side of Purgatory Chasm
in Sutton just off of Route 146. The Department of Conservation and
recreation has sites throughout the state that are accessible to the
public. We have brought some of our buttons from our under-utilized
Community page to the top of this one. Enjoy.
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The Beat Goes On
September 6, 2009 — The Hopkinton Community Drum Circle met for the first time this morning with eight enthusiastic drummers including children, teenagers and adults. This drum circle is facilitated by Barbara Paquette of Whitinsville, MA. Barbara has a degree in music and has been playing percussion for over 40 years. This drum circle will meet monthly, the first Saturday from 8:30 - 9:30 AM at Grace United Methodist Church, 61 Wood Street, in Hopkinton. Next meeting is October 3. Contributed content. |
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Fred W. Chapman, 84
Born in Framingham he was the son of the late Florence and Fred W.
Chapman. He was married for 41 years to his first wife Irene (Warren)
Chapman
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Positively Hopkinton Lift That Bale...
Chris is in his first year at Norfolk Agricultural High School, and intends to make a living dealing with animals, which have been his natural passion. See him talk about hay and sheep, and see the sheep, below, some of whose births he assisted with.
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Buying? Selling? Call one of our experts. Things are starting to Move!!! H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S |
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Up and Away
September 4, 2009 — Jeff Spiegel disappoints this Wellesley receiver by intercepting his pass and running it toward his own goal instead at a scrimmage at the High School today. |
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NOTICE ROAD WORK
Fruit St between #184 and the Westborough town line will be closed to all traffic from 7am – 3:30 pm on Saturday September 5 to repair a collapsed drainage pipe. Please seek alternate routes.
Mike Mansir Hopkinton Highway Manager |
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Afternoon concert at Senior Center September Senior Newsletter now online
Sara Curry and her band will
perform free of charge on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 1:00 in recognition of
National
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A Message From: Hopkinton Girl Scouts Fall Registration
To learn more or to register go to www.hopkintongirlscouts.org Girls from kindergarten to 12th grade are encouraged to join!! As a daisy (kindergarten) your daughter would be put with other girls who are going to school in either the AM or PM this fall (or some troops meet on weekends).
For girls in
grades 1 -12 you will usually meet after school or on weekends about
twice a month plus town wide events. In order to start a troop we always need new leaders. We would love to have you be a leader - there are all kinds of info on how to do it and we have mentors too. I encourage you to look around the Hopkinton GS website to see all the details on scouting. If you are willing to be a leader, co-leader, parent helper, etc. please contact us so we can talk in more detail. If you have a group of girls that would like to join together just let us know and we will try our hardest to accommodate. Any questions – call Dorothy Maruska 508-435-1276 dmaruska@comcast.net |
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Dick Egan Given Grand, Fond Farewell in "The Home that Dick built."
Contributed photo of Michael Ruettgers, former EMC Chairman and CEO
by Robert Falcione September 3, 2009 — Larger than life, Richard Egan, co-founder of EMC, husband, father of five adult children and grandfather of fifteen, looked down smiling from a projection of a photo of him upon an estimated 1,500 family members, friends, political figures and local luminaries today in a cavernous EMC building nicknamed "The Hangar" by EMC employees. Mr. Egan died last Friday after long illnesses. Following an opening tribute to Mr. Egan by his friend Mike Cronin, the gathering was treated to God Bless America, sung by the Electric Youth from the Franklin School of Performing Arts, of which Mr. Egan's grandson, Michael, who sang solo later in the program, is a student. Those who knew him best gave testimony not only to Mr. Egan's wife Maureen — "...his greatest asset," co-founder Roger Marino called her — but also to his tireless work ethic, vision, humor, tenacity, inspirational example, love of family and, at the right moments, tenderness. "Everyone should have a Dick Egan in their lives," Mr. Marino said. Then Mr. Egan's daughter spoke. "Do you know any other dad who went on their honeymoon with them?" asked daughter Catherine Egan Walkey, joking about how much her dad loved her husband. She ended her time at the microphone saying, "I love you, Dad." Current CEO Joe Tucci called him, "A real life Horatio Alger story. "I stand in awe of his achievements," he said, and called him one of the most inspirational people in his life. Former CEO and Chairman Michael Ruettgers reminded the faithful that, "EMC has outlasted virtually all of the tech companies founded in the '70s, the 80's and the 90's," giving credit to Dick Egan for its success.
"I'm glad to see so much of his DNA at EMC 30 years after he founded
it," he said, looking at the family seated in front, His son, Christopher, calling his father "just and kind," said, "He wanted to give people a hand up, not a hand out." He said of his father, "His life ended as he lived it —on his own terms," alluding to the tragic nature of his death. Chris told of a Marine in Iraq who had a GPS donated by Mr. Egan who said he would not be alive today without his help. "Thank you for coming to the home that Dick built," said son Michael, who is listed as a partner in the Boston Red Sox directory. Michael spoke fondly of the first time watching the Red Sox at Fenway Park with his father, who caught a ball hit by Rico Petrocelli. But he said he had the arm his dad had, which kept him as a second baseman. He said having his father's DNA kept him from becoming a professional baseball player, but, "EMC stock options helped me as an owner. "He was my John Wayne," Michael said. Eldest son, Jack, added to the testimony of other speakers who said his father was always the most prepared at all meetings he attended, an example, he said, that pervades the culture today. Many speakers told of the dislike, even hatred, Mr. Egan had for IBM. Jack told the story about visiting IBM with his father while there was a dispute between the companies, a rivalry he called David and Goliath. The two of them walked into a room with a very long table full of seated people, except for two empty seats. "We've got them right where we want them," said Jack, quoting his father. "They wouldn't have sent so many if they weren't afraid of us," he said, again quoting his father. Jack told a story of fishing in the ocean with his dad and another brother. He and the other brother were getting seasick, but kept it from their father, because they thought that was what he would have wanted. Then they noticed their father also getting seasick, when he turned to them. "'Good guys play hurt,' my Dad said." "I plan on doing that. My family plans on doing that. "I hope you do too," he concluded. |
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Fire Causes High School Evacuation Fire in new solar electrical system put down quickly
Click on a thumbnail to enlarge. |
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Center School Feasibility Study Approved by MSBA
September 2, 2009 — The School Department's Center Elementary School Project has just received the green light from the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) to hire a designer to study and evaluate three major possibilities regarding the feasibility of: A.) Renovating and adding to Center School. B.) Building a new school on the Fruit Street property, or C.) Adding to the Elmwood Elementary school site known as Pine Grove, according to Facilities Director, Brian Main. "We just got approved to go select a designer for the feasibility study," Mr. Main said in a telephone interview today. "The designer will analyze those and other town-owned properties, and in concert with the MSBA, will bring forward the best option," he said. The School Committee had wanted to move forward with decommissioning Center School and building a new school before this came about, but declining enrollments and a new methodology by the MSBA required a feasibility study be done first before scrapping Center School. Mr. Main said that $385,000 was appropriated at Town Meeting in 2008 for the study. "The process is moving more slowly than we anticipated," he said, but added that the 2012 opening timetable has yet to be adjusted. "The actual study should take nine months to a year," he said. |
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Buying? Selling? Call one of our experts. Things are starting to Move!!! H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S |
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Targeting Repeat Offenders: A Public Safety Priority
September 2, 2009 — Let me offer two scenarios in our criminal justice system.
First, there is an 18-year-old man with no criminal record. One night, he is sitting in his car across the street from a school. In his car, officers seize individually wrapped bags of illegal drugs and cash.
Second, there is a 41-year-old man with a criminal record spanning more than a decade. His prior convictions represent a spree of violent incidents including arson, armed assaults, child sexual assaults, and the attempted murder of a woman in her own home. That same man is then arrested for breaking into another woman’s home while wielding a knife.
Which defendant do you believe should be assured a lengthier sentence upon conviction?
If you said the man with the violent prior record, I agree with you. But if you asked which person is assured a greater punishment by our current system in Massachusetts, then the answer is the man who possessed the drugs.
In those cases, the person with the drugs would be subjected to a minimum mandatory sentence of at least two years in jail. In the second case, which was in fact a real criminal case, no minimum sentence exists and the defendant ultimately received probation. Tragically, that second defendant would later break into another girlfriend’s house, attack her with a machete, and cut off her finger in front of her two children.
These examples highlight the inequities of our current mandatory minimum and habitual offender statutes. These statutes must be reformed together to better protect the public, reduce recidivism, and ensure greater fairness in our justice system.
Here’s how.
More effectively target dangerous repeat offenders by reforming the habitual offender statute.
There is little question that dangerous repeat offenders are our greatest threat to public safety. Of the more than 2000 Massachusetts inmates incarcerated on charges of murder or manslaughter, two-thirds of them had at least two prior violent offenses on their record.
The current law that targets these repeat offenders, the “habitual offender statute,” is both inequitable and insufficient. That is why my office, along with Representative Brad Hill and the family of Melissa Gosule, have filed “Melissa’s Bill” to reform that statute.
Melissa Gosule was a 27-year-old teacher killed by a repeat offender who had spent less than two years in jail for a combined 27 crimes. “Melissa’s Bill” would target repeat offenders like her killer by assuring truth in sentencing and closing significant loopholes for the most dangerous among us.
Significant components of Melissa’s Bill include:
Reduce recidivism by reforming mandatory minimum sentences.
I agree with pending efforts to reform mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenders. These proposals would make those defendants parole eligible after serving two-thirds of their sentence while also providing for mandatory post-release supervision and rehabilitation programs during the remaining period.
We should not eliminate mandatory minimums nor diminish the dangers of drug offenses. However, drug offenders who do not receive supervision upon release are nearly twice as likely to re-offend. Our current statutes have no provision for this kind of supervision. That is why this sentencing reform is a thoughtful effort to rehabilitate those who suffer from addiction, reduce recidivism and crime, and provide long-term cost savings to the Commonwealth.
In the criminal justice system, it is our job to better rehabilitate offenders who can be helped and more effectively punish those who are likely to re-offend. If we are going to address one end of the sentencing spectrum by reforming mandatory minimums, then we must also more forcefully deal with the greatest threat to our communities – the scourge that is the dangerous repeat offender. I urge the legislature to act on the revised, bi-partisan version of Melissa’s Bill in conjunction with the proposed reforms to mandatory minimums.
We should act on both, and we should act now.
Gerry Leone is the District Attorney of Middlesex County |
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All Uphill From Here
September 2, 2009 — Cross Country team runner Mike Ludoff is ahead of the pack today practicing on Hayden Rowe Street, which is all uphill back to the school. |
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Whirling Whorls
September 2, 2009 — This is neither a satellite photo of a gigantic wave, nor an excerpt from a van Gogh, but underwater whorls created by a backwash at the Hopkinton Reservoir Dam, and accentuated by the yellow-green color of the suspended particles within, which are either algae or pollen. The rock under water on the left is about four inches at its longest. |
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State Police
Investigate Fatal Crash on Route 20 in
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Andrew
Cornell indicates that 51-year-old Joann Burlingame of Charlton was
exiting a parking lot on the eastbound side of Route 20 in Oxford in a
1999 Chevrolet Astro Van, when her vehicle struck a 2005 Harley Davidson
Motorcycle that was travelling East on Route 20. The operator of the
motorcycle, 52-year-old Ronald
Tarascio of Enfield, Connecticut, sustained serious injuries
and was transported by ambulance to Harrington Memorial Hospital in
Southbridge, where he was later pronounced deceased. The passenger of
the motorcycle, 52-year-old Debra
DeRosa of |
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Celebrate Back to School with “Kid’s Restaurant Week” Sept 1 - Sept 5 To kick off our new Kid’s Menu KIDS 10 and under EAT FREE from 5pm – 6:30pm visit http://www.trufflesgrille.com/ for more information 198 East Main Street - Milford |
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Water Dept. Requests Compliance
Beginning the week of September 7th, 2009 we will be taking the West Main Street water tank off-line for scheduled painting and cleaning. This job is expected to last approximately two months. While the tank is out of service, customers in the area may notice some fluctuation in pressure. During this period, we ask all water users to please minimize any non-essential water use to help ensure firefighting capabilities. We have coordinated this work with the Fire Department and have made arrangements for any emergencies in the area.
For additional updates please check Hopkinton.org/water, and Hopnews.com. For instant updates please follow us at twitter.com/hopkintonwater .
Eric Carty, Water/Sewer Manager |
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SUNDAY TAPS VIGIL, SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 Hopkinton to join thousands of communities across America Please join the Hopkinton Veteran’s Celebration Committee on Sunday, September 6, 2009 as we join thousands of communities across America for a remembrance ceremony at the Clinton Street Cemetery in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The Committee is hosting a “Sunday Taps Vigil” starting at 7:00 p.m. The ceremony will consist of a short tribute to American soldiers, veterans and their families and is expected to last 15 minutes. The ceremony will include the sounding of the 24 hauntingly beautiful notes of “Taps”.
“Taps” traditionally serves two important purposes. At military outposts around the world it is played in the evening to signal the time for quiet, rest and reflection after a day of duty. It is also mandated by the Department of Defense to be sounded live by a bugler, if possible, at the funeral of each and every American veteran as a final tribute to that individual veteran’s honorable time of service to his or her country. An average of over 1,600 American veterans are laid to rest each day.
Hopkinton has held this ceremony, on the first Sunday of each month, since it was initiated in March 2004 by the national non-profit organization Bugles Across America. Since the ceremony was first proposed, over 1,500 communities across America, as well as in Canada and several other countries, now participate. File photo |
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Buying? Selling? Call one of our experts. Things are starting to Move!!! H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S H O M E S |
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Senior Moments When You're Down and Troubled...
Jacqueline, showing her prizes to her grandfather, Jack Palitsch.
Nancy L. Drawe (Punky)
September 2, 2009 — “You’ve Got A Friend 3,” was the theme of last Thursday’s annual “Bring a Friend Day” at the Hopkinton Senior Center. Since the first two years of this event were such a huge success, the seniors were once again invited to bring their “little friends” to the center for another fun afternoon. The friends could be grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors, etc. It was amazing to see the vast array of age groups that arrived—from toddlers to teens. It was cute watching everyone give their grandchildren tours of the place; they all got to see where Grandma and Grandpa come for their own fun time! One of the nice things was to actually meet some of the grandchildren that we hear about so often and to see the “returns” who came back for their third year in a row.
All kinds of activities were planned for the day including games, prizes, singing, stories and a wonderful barbecue lunch that was free for the kids. There were games set up in different sections of the “Big Room,” each event being just as popular as the next. The kids had fun playing Bean Bag Toss, Plinko and Toss the Ball into the cups. One of the favorite areas was the Face-Painting table. Phyllis Proia, who previously worked at the center through Project Able, was the artist for the day. Last year, her most requested designs were the Patriots logo and a spider; this year it seemed to be butterflies, flowers, footballs and even a fairy.
Chair Volleyball was once again a huge hit; the kids who have played before were very excited to see the volleyball net set up in the corner. The newer kids had no idea what to expect, but it didn’t take them long to catch on. The beach ball was flying all over the place, but the kids knew exactly what to do—the most important thing to remember was to “stay on your chair!” I was wishing I had a video camera because they were so funny!
It was so nice to see kids enjoy the “simple things.” How often do your kids have a chance to play an old-fashioned game of “Musical Chairs,” or “Hopscotch?” There were prizes also, and they couldn’t have been more perfect. A display table was set up with little stuffed animals, fun hats, whistles, bouncy balls, airplanes, etc. For each game, the kids would get tickets and they were able to trade their tickets for prizes. That was so exciting for them, looking over everything and deciding which one to pick.
Everyone left the center that afternoon with their bags of “goodies,” and a happy smile, already looking forward to next year for “Bring a Friend Day 4!” A sign of a pretty successful day, don’t you think?
Cheers to everyone who made “Bring a Friend Day 3,” such a wonderful time for everyone!
Now that September is here and vacations are over, the center is getting back to the swing of things with lots more activities and events coming up. It’s going to be a pretty busy fall season, for sure! All the regular exercise and art classes are starting again as well as some new ones, such as Line Dancing. Coming up on October 2 will be the 50/50 Auction. You’ll be seeing lots of advertising in papers and around town in the coming days for this event. It’s going to be HUGE! Mark your calendars for the Annual Jewelry Sale to be held on October 29 and 30. On September 15, Sara Curry will be performing along with her band in honor of National Grandparent’s Week. There’ll be an ever so popular “Ice Cream Social” on that day also. There will be more info on these and other activities in my future columns, so stay tuned.
Don’t forget about
Taps Vigil this Sunday, September 6 at 7 pm at the
That’s it for now, so if you have any comments or suggestions, you can email me: Punkala@aol.com. Until next time, have a great week! |
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Hiking Through History in Upton
September 1, 2009 — As part of Upton’s 275th celebration Friends of Upton State Forest and Upton Open Space Committee are working together to plan a series of monthly themed hikes that will be held on trails at Upton State Forest and other public lands in Upton. The general theme of the hikes will be “Hiking Through History” and will look at the evolution of the lands through the years and the history of settlement, farming and logging on them.
The first hike will be Sunday, September 20 at Upton State Forest and will be about Cellar holes at Upton State Forest. This will be an interpretive hike to cellar holes located on Rabbit Run, Hopkinton Spring and Swamp Road trails. We will discuss the history of the cellar holes and the families that settled North Upton. Portions of these trails are actually part of old roads and in places there are town boundary markers so we will talk about the tradition of perambulating the boundaries.
This is a moderate hike that usually lasts more than two hours depending on the time spent at each site and the number in the group. The terrain is uneven in places and steep in a couple of places but most of the hike is on fairly flat ground. It will involve road crossings and a short walk along Southborough Road. Parking and registration will be at the Headquarters area in front of the Administration Building near the intersection of Westborough and Southborough Roads, Upton. Registration is from 12:30 to 1PM and hike will start promptly at 1PM. On all hikes we encourage you to dress for the weather, wear appropriate boots and remember sunscreen, insect repellant and water. A liability waiver is required. Children are welcome with supervision. Heavy rain cancels.
Future hikes will be held on October 18 at Upton State Forest and November 15 at the former Stefans Farm Parcel on Mechanic St. No hike is planned in December but watch for hikes beginning again in 2010. Check the website for more information. |
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Children's Safety Course, radKIDS Offered Again!
Hopkinton residents and parents of 3 young children, Kim and Tim Brennan are certified radKIDS Instructors and are now offering this course to children and families in Hopkinton and surrounding towns. The next radKIDS class will be held over the course of four Saturdays, 9/19, 10/3, 10/17 & 10/24 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at 6 Main Street, Hopkinton (the John Warren Masonic Lodge). The cost for the class is $90 per child ($60 for a sibling) and includes a Family Safety Manual, Safety Activity Book & Certificate. The Freemasons of the John Warren Masonic Lodge have graciously donated their space for the radKIDS classes to be held.
A free return and practice policy is honored at radKIDS classes across the country. Once a child has taken the radKIDS class, they can enroll in any radKIDS class, free of charge up to the age of 12, for as many times as they would like.
To sign up for the fall radKIDS class, for more information, or if you are interested in sponsoring a radKIDS class contact Kim Brennan at kim.brennan@comcast.net . Space is limited and will be filled on a first come first serve basis. To learn more about radKIDS, visit www.radKIDS.org. |
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Riderless Horse
September 1, 2009 — Kathy Wooden and her horse Baz move to the side of the street as Officer Thomas Griffin reunites Bez with his owner, Mary McManus, on Winter Street today. Ms. McManus got off of her horse crossing a brook when Bez decided to bolt. Drivers on Winter Street reported a horse at full gallop in the middle of the road, and with full riding gear, but no rider, which caused more than a little concern. Ms. McManus finally reached a phone to call the police and let them know she was alright. Then, Officer Griffin found the animal in the care of Ms. Wooden and brought him down the street to its owner. |
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Time of the Season
September 1, 2009 — This increasingly rare scene was shot over the weekend at Amato's Farm, which spans Hopkinton and Upton . |
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| All content on this site and linked pages within this domain and affiliate domains are ©2009 Hopkinton News and may not reproduced in any form without written permission. Learn more. | |||||
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"The
News Starts Here!"
Charles
F. C. Henderson, 94,
died peacefully in the company of his two beloved daughters on August 9,
2009 at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, three days after a serious fall
at home. He was a resident of Needham since 1947.
Scholastic
Book Fairs begin this week. Pick up a few good books for the entire
family. Parents are welcome to come 30 minutes early to curriculum
nights to shop. You can even pre-order the fourth book in the "Diary of
a Wimpy Kid" series! Students in grade 2 and up can bring money to
school to shop during their library period. Dates for the book fairs are
listed for each school. Click on the link to preview the fairs or
sign-up to volunteer. 
The
Hopkinton Cultural Council has set an October 15, 2009 postmark deadline
for organizations, schools and individuals to apply for grants that
support cultural activities in the community. 
(Milford,
MA.) September 7, 2009 — Milford Police Detectives Ball, Sousa and David
Falvey arrested Derick Freeman age 19 of 128 Highland Street Milford, MA
at his home on this morning for Attempted Murder, Conspiracy to Violate
Drug Law and Obstruction of Justice after a an investigation into a
stabbing that occurred on Thursday night September 3, 2009 at
approximately 7:00 pm on Highland Street. The investigation has
confirmed that the stabbing was drug related. The investigation is
continuing.
Today,
Sunday September 6, 2009 at approximately 7:05 a.m., Troopers assigned
to the State Police Barracks in Millbury responded to a two-motorcycle
crash on Route 495 northbound, at the 
Fred
W. Chapman, 84, of Hopkinton died
Saturday September 5, 2009 at the MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham
surrounded by his loving family.
September 4,
2009 — Like in the song Ol' Man River,
teen Chris Casella toils in a field, helping a neighbor on Pond Street
by feeding his machine with freshly cut hay. His neighbor, in turn,
delivered the hay
We
would love to have your daughter join Hopkinton Girl Scouts! We
currently have approximately 400 girls and do something as a town most
months during the school year. Troops meet after school or on weekends
(leaders discretion) about one – two times per month.
and into the
seating gallery beyond.
by
Gerry Leone
radKIDS
is the national leader in children's safety education and provides the
only life skills safety program available for children and parents
today. The radKIDS program is a 12 hour family centered safety
education program designed for children from 5-12 years of age.
A few of the program components include: stranger tricks, internet
safety, bullying prevention, personal safety, out and about safety,
school safety, and realistic physical defense skills against
abduction. 
