February 1,
2011 — This bus is firmly rooted in the pavement today on South Street
as a heavy duty wrecker backs up to winch it free. There were several
accidents around Hopkinton today involving school buses and other
vehicles causing roads to be closed, including Hidden Brick and Route
85.
Elizabeth C. Clancy, 89
HOPKINTON/FRAMINGHAM
-
Elizabeth C. Clancy, 89, died
Monday, January 31, 2011 in Framingham. She was the widow of the late
Dr. George F.
Clancy, who died on July 9, 1996. Born in Pawtucket, RI, she was the
daughter of the late Arthur and Lillian (Houston) Pelkey.
She was a graduate of Pawtucket High
School and St. Joseph's Nursing School in Providence. She served in the
Army Nurse Corp. during World War II. She and her husband settled in
Worcester, MA where he was a physician for 37 years and raised their
five children. After Dr. Clancy’s retirement, they moved to Hopkinton
to be closer to some of their family and watch their grandchildren grow
up. She was an avid reader and New England sports fan. Her final years
were spent at Carmel Terrace Assisted Living Home where she enjoyed her
family, friends and activities. She not only knew everyone’s name, but
always had a kind word to say to them as well.
She is survived by her sons George F.
Clancy Jr. of Littleton, CO and Attorney Michael P. Clancy and his wife
Tracy of Turners Falls, and her daughters Patricia Monahan and her
husband Martin of Troy, NY, Dr. Jane Clancy of South Natick and Anne
Nealon and her husband Thomas of Hopkinton. She also leaves
her brothers Arthur Pelkey of Hartford, CT and John Pelkey of Pineville,
NC. Lastly, she leaves her twelve grandchildren Matthew C. Nealon,
Patrick S. Nealon, Callie H. Nealon, Andrew H. Nealon, Jack C. Nealon,
and Mary Catherine W. Nealon; Stephen F. Monahan and Conor T. Monahan;
Andrew G. Clancy and Jeffrey Clancy; and Porter E. Clancy, and Emma L.
Clancy.
A memorial funeral Mass will be
celebrated Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in the Holy Family
Chapel at St. Patrick's Manor, 863 Central St., Framingham. Funeral
arrangements are under the direction of the Callanan Cronin Funeral
Home, 34 Church St., Hopkinton (http://www.callanancronin.com)
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Respite
Center, 112 Main St., Hopkinton, MA 01748.
January 31, 2011
5:12 pm A woman called to
complain that an unattended 10 year-old jumped into the front seat...
3:01 am Nearly two hours
after reports of a woman screaming on Church Street, and search by State
Police Canine unit...
10:00 am Environmental
Police requested backup...
1:53 am Chestnut Street
resident reports two men banging on door,
Real Estate
Transactions for Hopkinton, Massachusetts
New Transactions from
January 25, 2011 to January 31, 2011
Address
Buyer
Price
Date
Seller
19 Old Farm Road
Scott F Millard, Denise E Millard
$822,500.00
January 26, 2010
Neil J McNamara, Joanne G McNamara
2 Parker Point Road
Mary L Anderson, Matthew F Lopresti
$422,000
January 25, 2011
Makepar Corp.
Last Week
Scarlata Road
Thomas Perna Custom Homes LLC
$120,000
January 25, 2011
David A Emerson, Est of Alberta E Emerson
14 Nazneen Circle Lot 12
Danny Chew, Catalina Chew
$515,000
January 25, 2011
Ahmed Mirajuddin, Trustee of Peppercorn
Village Realty Trust
1 Washington Lane
Sergey Krymgold, Patricia Krymgold
655,900
January 14, 2011
Shari A Matheson, Benjamin D Matheson
4 Whitehall Lane
Lawrence E McManus, Mary C McManus
$354,000
January 14, 2011
Marion M Christi, Peter D Christi
Week Before
85 West Main Street
Monica Morgan, William Morgan
775,000.00
January 10, 2011
Michelle Fillingim, Thomas
Fillingim
Yes,
Newsreaders, There IS Good News
by
Elizabeth Eidlitz
January 30, 2011 - The media saturates
us with depressingly bad news: not just the daily
casualties of a distant war, but horrors on the domestic
landscape as well: a teenager set on fire over a bicycle
incident, a child kept in a closet, hit and run drunk
drivers, mothers murdering their kids, the horrific
tragedy in Tucson, celebrity scandals, and bullied students
committing suicide.
The press knows how shocking
front-page stories and scare headlines get our attention
and that the sensational sells. But why are mitigating
positive stories-- ones that reassure, amuse, inspire,
and empower us as they open our hearts --usually
relegated to back pages?
When, typically, 9/10ths of TV channel
news and daily newspaper headlines imply that the world
is going to hell, it’s easy to miss
the AP story of an Alaskan dentist who gave an injured
bald eagle a prosthetic beak. He used temporary crown
material meant for people, poster putty, and a yellow
highlighter to tint the patches. The bird center says
the eagle, whom they’ve dubbed Cyrano, is doing just
fine but won't be able to return to the wild. He needs
to have his fish chopped up for him.
What about the endearing kindness of two grandchildren who deserved 15
minutes of fame for offering their free needle-threading service to the
Hopkinton Senior Center?
How come the press
repeatedly calculated and recalculated the 2,976 deaths from terrorist
attacks on 9/11, though 7 times more people survived? Where were the
stories of how 21,000 humans lived by holding onto, helping, and leading
each other out of darkness?
If you want your spirits uplifted by renewed
trust in genuine unadulterated love, witness a YouTube video that shows
the reunion of a lion named Christian and the two men who raised him and
then released him into the wild nearly 40 years ago; the video is above.
January 29,
2011 — These cast figures at the Hopkinton Senior Center never expected
to be chest-high in snow when they decided to stand sentinel by the
flagpole.
Hopkinton
72, Holliston 71
January 28,
2011 — The Hiller boys are celebrating a close victory over Holliston
after Will Relle tapped in a missed foul shot to move one point ahead
for the final score. Photo by Vicki Francis.
Calendar Now Up-To-Date
The
calendar has been made up-to-date. If your upcoming event is not on our
calendar, please email
Editor@HopNews.com with your information. Be concise and keep it
simple.
Holliston
46, Hopkinton 41
January 28,
2011 — Katie Sousa goes up for two Friday night at home against
Holliston.
Two for One
Here is a
photo of us coming in first place (out of seven teams) in the 2- Dog
race, sponsored by the Connecticut Valley Siberian Husky Club, last
Sunday at the PachaugStateForest in Voluntown, Connecticut. ~ Andrew Crawley, Hopkinton
Hopkinton High School Drama Ensemble to perform a
Musical Revue of Broadway Show Tunes
Saturday, January 29, 4:00pm HHSAuditorium
The HHS Drama Ensemble, continuing its
efforts to raise funds for its upcoming trip to the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival, is kicking off the New Year with a musical revue of popular
show tunes on Saturday, January 29th at 4pm at the HHS
Auditorium.
A group of 10 high school students, along
with a children’s chorus, will perform a variety of songs from the
popular Broadway musical Wicked as well as selections from Hairspray,
Bye Bye Birdie, Rent and My Fair Lady. This event is sponsored by Enter
Stage Left Theater.
This Musical Revue is a great opportunity
for families to sample the excitement of Broadway musicals here in
Hopkinton. Admission is $8 for students/seniors and $10 general. For
more information please visit:
www.hhsdramaensemble.com
SCHOOL COMMITTEE FEBRUARY OFFICE HOURS
The School
Committee will begin conducting office hours for the purpose of meeting
with community members to listen to their opinions and suggestions and
to answer their questions regarding the FY12 budget, Superintendent
Search process, Elementary School Building Project, or other topics of
interest.
February 3, 2011 6:30 pm Hopkinton Middle School Library
February 4, 2011 7:30 am Hopkinton High School Coffee Hour
February 8, 2011 9:30 am Colella's Red Barn Cafe
February 17, 2011 6:30 pm Hopkinton Middle School Library
Lean, Too
January 27, 2011 — The roof on the far end of the DPW "pole barn"
building was pulled down this afternoon following its imminent collapse
due to the weight of the snow and the apparent makeshift construction.
The lean-to type of structure has been used to provide protection from
the direct elements for DPW equipment and accessories, such as plow
blades.
Town Engineer, Dave Daltorio said in a prepared statement, "...the roof
to one of the DPW garage buildings on Wood Street collapsed this
afternoon.
"There were no injuries and because of
the due diligence and combined efforts of DPW, Building Inspector,
Police and Fire minimal collateral damage to town or staff property
occurred other than to the building itself.
"The town’s insurance company has been
informed and is scheduled to inspect the damages on Monday 1/31."
NewsNotes:
•
Trash and recycling pick up is on the regular schedule
today, Thursday January 27, 2011, regardless of the snow.
• Two More Candidates Take Out papers.
Choose the
to find out who.
• School Committee’s public
hearing on the proposed FY12 budget will be held this evening in the
Middle School Library.
SOMERVILLE CABBIE CHARGED WITH
DRUNK DRIVING IN MIDST OF STORM
In Belligerent Rant,
Predicts Local Comedians Will Help Him
January
27, 2011 — Massachusetts State Police this morning arrested a drunken Somerville cab driver – who
was extremely belligerent and claimed two prominent local comedians
would get him out of trouble – after finding him stuck in a snow bank,
the taxi’s engine running, on
Soldiers Field Road in the height of the
storm.
Trooper Paul Conneely responded to the 5:20
a.m. report of a stuck car on Soldiers Field Road near Leo Birmingham
Parkway, in the midst of the Nor’easter, to find the driver behind the
wheel of the Green Cab taxi, his head bobbing up and down, his eyes
drooping shut and then opening up suddenly when he snapped his head up.
The trooper observed that the driver had bloodshot, glassy eyes. The cab
driver refused to speak or answer questions, let alone identify himself.
Troopers would later identify the driver as TYLER A. BRYAN, 25, of
East Somerville after checking with the cab company.
Trooper Conneely smelled alcohol on the
driver, and along with a Boston
police officer who also responded, had to hold BRYAN up once they got him out of the cab. The
trooper told him he was under arrest, and then had to slide the
defendant along the side of his cruiser to get him into the car’s open
back door.
Once inside the State Police cruiser BRYAN began to curse and make belligerent and
nonsensical statements. He swore at the trooper, and said, initially,
that he had been walking, not driving, and then claimed falsely that he
had been in the passenger seat of the cab, not the driver’s seat.
BRYAN
cursed during the entire ride to the Brighton State Police Barracks, and
once inside became more belligerent. Told again that he was under
arrest, he said he was not and was going home. He then said several
times that he had been driving a snowmobile or that he had crashed into
a snowmobile.
BRYAN
refused to cooperate with the booking process. He insisted that he was
not under arrest, and then said repeatedly that Lenny Clark and Denis
Leary were going to get him out of trouble and take care of him. BRYAN also slurred the word
“LLLLEEEEENNNNNYYYYY” – taking about 15 seconds to drag the name out
each time – over and over.
Troopers had to hold
BRYAN up at
points during the booking process, as he insisted, all the while, that
he was not under arrest. At one point, BRYAN put his fingers in his ears and stated,
in a sing-song voice, that he could not hear the trooper who was booking
him.
During the entire process,
BRYAN refused to
give his name. A trooper called the Green Cab company in Somerville to ask who was
supposed to be driving the taxi. The company gave them BRYAN’s name. Troopers then
confirmed their defendant’s identity through a Registry of Motor
Vehicles database.
BRYAN
is charged with operating under the influence of liquor and refusing to
identify himself. He is expected to be arraigned today in the Brighton
Division of the Boston Municipal District Court.
Thursday, January 27, 2011 School cancelled due to weather
conditions.
All after school and evening events are
also cancelled.
RJ Dourney Not Running
for Re-election
RJ
Dourney announced today he would not be running for re-election to the
Hopkinton Board of Selectmen here in Hopkinton. His current term will
end May 16th, 2011.
CEO of Hearthstone Associates, the New England franchisee for Cosi,
Dourney sighted the demands of his growing business and his commitment
to family and the Catholic Church for his decision. Dourney said that,
“our Cosi restaurant business continues to grow and I remain extremely
focused on the success of Hearthstone Associates. Add to this the
blessing of an active family, including three teen age daughters and my
commitment to the Catholic Church and my available time has become
limited.”
In addition to serving as the Chairman of
the Board of Selectmen Dourney serves on the Finance Committee for the
Inner City Scholarship Foundation, the Board of Directors of Frisch’s
Restaurants and is an active member of
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in
Hopkinton.
“I have enjoyed serving Hopkinton since we
moved to town in 2000 and look forward to staying close to the process”,
Dourney added.
Dourney had previously served Hopkinton on
the Planning Board, the Zoning Advisory Committee as well as in a number
of liaison capacities.
Editor's Note: The above press release
was issued from the office of RJ Dourney and further distributed by the
Office of the Town Manager. HopNews file photo.
On Track With the Hillers
by Adam Gately
January 26,
2011 — As the season nears a close with just one more meet to go,
both boys and girls Hiller track teams remain undefeated with wins
against the Norton and Westwood track teams this week. Following a
scoring incident at the Reggie Lewis Center that took a State title
away from the girl's track team, the Hillers were able to rebound
and come away with strong victories on Wednesday against Norton and
Saturday against Westwood.
Norton and Westwood
are two of the most difficult hurdles the Hillers must overcome in
their hunt for the TVL title, along with Holliston and Medfield who
consistently produce strong teams across the board. With this in
mind, it is all the more impressive that both Hiller track teams
have remained undefeated this season.
Contributing to the
girls' 52-34 win against Westwood last Saturday were Emily Jarvis in
the Hurdles, Jessica Scott in the 50-yard dash, Jenn Lynds in the
high-jump, Jackie Chirco in the shot-put, Kellie Lodge in the two
mile, and Tam Mills in the mile. But perhaps the most impressive
performance of the day came from senior captain Kim Bolick, who set
the new facility record in the thousand meter with a time of
3:08.70.
The boys turned in
fantastic performances throughout the meet last Saturday in their
decisive 67 to 19 victory over Westwood's boys track team, which
boasts one of the strongest distance groups in eastern
Massachusetts. Notable performances on the boys' side included Jack
Ryan, who took first place in his first-ever hurdles race, Jake
Whittles in the dash, captain Zach Hutchinson in the 600 meter,
captain Peter Bransfield in the 300 meter, captain Mike Ronan in the
1000 meter, Tim Bolick in the mile, captain Clint Atkinson in the
shot-put, and Jeff Corkum in the high jump.
Both boys and girls
teams are 7-0 on the season, and are preparing for their last meet
of the season which is to be held this Wednesday, January 26th, at
3:30 in the Hopkinton Athletic Center. Both teams will be facing
what will most likely turn out to be their toughest competition of
the season in the form of an undefeated Medfield team. Good luck
Hiller track athletes.
Richard McSheehan, 35
Richard McSheehan, 35, of Hopkinton, Monday,
January 24, 2011 after his long battle with Brain Cancer. He leaves
behind his beloved Fiancée, Beth Woods, and her daughter Caylee, whom he
considered his own.
He was born in Rochester, NH to Henry & Anita (Begin) McSheehan, where
he lived until he graduated from NH College with a degree in Culinary
Arts. Later he moved to MA, where he spent the rest of his all too short
life working as an Assistant Bakery Manager for Shaw's Supermarkets.
Richard enjoyed cooking, sports, animals, and spending time with his
friends and family.
He is also survived by his twin brother Robert and his wife Judith
(McBride), his grandparents Roland & Mary (Foster) Begin, as well as
three nephews and several aunts and uncles.
Richard was very proud to be chosen by Anthony Shepard to be his
Godfather. He also leaves behind Beth's family, which he considered his
own, William and Rosemarie Woods, Jennifer Shepard and Dina Raneri,
Michele and Joe Smalley, Kelley Woods, and all of their children.
Visitation will be held Saturday, January 29,2011 from 11am-12pm at the
Chesmore
Funeral Home of Hopkinton, 57 Hayden Rowe St. A 12:30pm funeral home
service will take place following visitation.
A memorial service will be held in Rochester, NH at the cemetery in the
spring. Richard's last wishes were in
lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to
Dana Farber Brain Cancer Research
. He also requested that the color Grey be worn to the service to
symbolize the fight for brain cancer.
Selectmen's Meeting
New DPW Director Appointed
by Muriel Kramer
January 26, 2011 — At its January 25th
meeting, the Board of Selectman unanimously voted to appoint John
Westerling (HopNews photo) as the new Director of Public Works; he
will start on February 14, 2011. From the Town Manager’s press release,
“John has over 24 years of experience in the field of public works, most
recently working as the DPW Director at the Town of West Boylston. John
is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Worcester County
Highway Association. John is also serving on the Board of Directors for
the American Public Works Association’s New England chapter and is a
co-chair on the Annual Snow and Ice Removal Conference. John holds a
bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from UMASS Amherst, and is
currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration at Clark
University.” Westerling replaces outgoing Director Brendan O’Regan.
Students from the BeFree coalition, a
group dedicated to keeping Hopkinton’s young people from using illegal
substances, presented an article for consideration at Annual Town
Meeting. The article is intended to supplement current law which
prohibits minors from buying tobacco products; this by-law would allow
police officers to confiscate tobacco products from minors found using
or possessing them. HHS student Stephanie Hadley emphasized during the
presentation that the new by-law is intended to educate and inform more
than punish minors in possession of tobacco products. While there are
fines, classes and community service options written into the by-law for
infractions, the intent is to educate young people and keep them from
experimenting with harmful tobacco products at very young ages.
HHS student Mitch Saeger made the point that
the bi-annual risk assessment survey done at the High School and Middle
School supports the need to address this issue for minors. “This is a
preventable issue.”
Todd Cestari fully committed his support to
this initiative. “I don’t see how an adult knowing the dangers of
smoking cannot support this.” The Board and Town Manager encouraged the
group to continue working with the Board of Health and the Town Manager
to fine tune the proposed by-law for consideration by Town Meeting.
Concerns revolved around enforcement, the penalty structure including
the fines and any cost impact to the town.
Tim Kilduff, Director of Hopkinton’s Chamber
of Commerce, and Bob McGuire, President of the Chamber, presented a four
phased approach to encourage economic development. The first phase is to
recruit skilled volunteers with experience in marketing, advertising and
public relations; the second phase is to identify and interview outside
resources like state legislators while also conducting a needs analysis
with existing companies. The third phase will be dedicated to recruiting
a sales team and present a communications strategy. The fourth phase is
to create Hopkinton’s economic profile and description, then deliver
marketing materials. McGuire and Kilduff are targeting a May delivery
date for the marketing materials.
Elaine Lazarus, Director of Land Use
Planning, gave an overview and update from the re-organization effort
initiated about a year ago. “Customer service is our top priority.” The
one stop shopping approach is an improved situation according to
Lazarus. Customers come to one location, and the reorganization has
ensured that employees now have a wider skill set and improved
supervision. The ongoing challenge is storage of years’ worth of
records, but the initiative now is to keep electronic records and also
allow for electronic filing for permits.
The Elementary School building project
continues on schedule with the School Department expecting to hear from
the Massachusetts School Building authority (MSBA) after its meeting on
February 9th. The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for March
14, 2011 and the Special Town election for March 28, 201; the selectmen
will vote to open the warrant and set the finalized schedule for STM at
their next meeting February 1st. The most recent rate for
re-imbursement the State is prepared to commit to is 43.70%. Voters are
also reminded to check out the School Department’s web page to find out
more; additionally, there is an informational forum scheduled for
January 31st at Center School beginning at 7PM.
The selectmen also voted to accept the gift
of the library and formally execute the deed finalizing that gift, and
they voted to execute a Purchase & Sale agreement for the property at 9
Church Street currently owned by the Library Trustees.
The Deed for the library contains a
provision that there will be an elected Board of Trustees consisting of
five (5) members; until the annual town election in May, the current
trustees will continue to serve as trustees by appointment. The property
at 9 Church Street was to have been acquired similarly by gift, but
there is an outstanding loan, so it will have to be a purchase of not
more than $50,000. The P&S has to be contingent on a successful vote at
ATM to support the purchase rather than gift as originally voted. The
P&S also contains a provision whereby it is in effect until 12/01/2015
allowing for the possibility that the grant does not materialize this
year but may in the future. The vote to support the library expansion
product is expected to be taken at ATM in May 2011.
Also on the agenda was a discussion
addressing the proposed Registered Sex Offender By-law. Police Chief
Rick Flannery introduced the measure modeling the proposed by-law on
what has been done in nearby cities and towns—Southborough, Marlborough
and Ashland. The proposed by-law as currently written restricts where
registered sex offenders can live, not where they work. For his part,
Chairman Dourney encouraged the proponents of the by-law to be
aggressive. “Everything we can do to make Hopkinton a difficult place to
live for registered sex offenders should be done.”
Selectman Ben Palleiko encouraged the
proponents to ensure that the proposed by-law met Hopkinton’s needs,
recognizing that the draft by-law was largely taken from those written
for other towns; do “whatever it takes to ensure we are not doing it in
a half-baked fashion.”
Chief Flannery noted that the similar
by-laws in the other towns have not been legally challenged.
In old business, Dourney re-addressed the
dismantling of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Committee; at a
previous meeting former member Dale Danahy had expressed her dismay that
the committee had been eliminated without members on the committee
knowing about it and worried that the disabled community might not be
well represented without a similar committee in place. Dourney met with
former members and acknowledged last night that communication and
process had both been faulty in the decision to eliminate the committee.
The selectmen will address restructuring and reinstating an ADA
Committee at their next meeting.
Hopkinton 77,
Norton 71
January 25, 2011 — Above, senior captain, Wesley Ericksen, takes it to
the basket.
Snow Where
to Go
January 25,
2011 — With about 80% of the snow dump on Cedar Street covered, Highway
Director Mike Mansir hired a machine large enough to reach the top of
the mounds, above, and make room for more.
Bomb
Threat at Brockton Court
UPDATE: All Clear
A Massachusetts State
Police bomb squad unit, including a bomb-sniffing K-9, is responding to
the Brockton District Court on Main Street in response to a bomb threat
phoned in at approximately 3:40 p.m. A preliminary search by court
personnel revealed no suspicious packages or devices, but the State
Police bomb squad K-9 unit will do a more comprehensive search.
Nay
to Tobacco Bylaw
Editor:
This bylaw is totally ridiculous, what’s
next, will the Board of Health be monitoring what my kids eat? Will
they be confiscating Doritos and Coke from children walking down Main
Street? Where are we headed with such thinking? Children are raised by
their parents, good or bad, not through town bylaws. It’s time for
government to let citizens make their own decisions and be responsible
for their own actions. I’ll raise my children, not the town of
Hopkinton.
Steve Furlong
218 Pond Street
January 25, 2011
John K. Westerling to be Appointed Hopkinton DPW Director This Evening
West Boylston
Department Public Works Director, John K. Westerling, will be
appointed to the open DPW Director position in Hopkinton this evening,
according to
a story in the Worcester Telegram today.
Richard McSheehan, 35
Richard McSheehan, 35, of Hopkinton,
passed away Monday, January 24, 2011 at the Rose Monahan Hospice Home in
Worcester. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and are under the
care of the
Chesmore Funeral Home
of Hopkinton.
Real Estate
Transactions for Hopkinton, Massachusetts
New Transactions from
January 10, 2011 to January 25, 2011
Address
Buyer
Price
Date
Seller
Scarlata Road
Thomas Perna Custom Homes LLC
$120,000
January 25, 2011
David A Emerson, Est of Alberta E Emerson
14 Nazneen Circle Lot 12
Danny Chew, Catalina Chew
$515,000
January 25, 2011
Ahmed Mirajuddin, Trustee of Peppercorn
Village Realty Trust
1 Washington Lane
Sergey Krymgold, Patricia Krymgold
655,900
January 14, 2011
Shari A Matheson, Benjamin D Matheson
4 Whitehall Lane
Lawrence E McManus, Mary C McManus
$354,000
January 14, 2011
Marion M Christi, Peter D Christi
Last Week
85 West Main Street
Monica Morgan, William Morgan
775,000.00
January 10, 2011
Michelle Fillingim, Thomas
Fillingim
January 25, 2011
Click above for full report
4:35
pm Sgt. Michael Sutton agreed with a caller
that the southern side of Lumber Street is
nearly impassable...
8:08
pm Sgt Scott vanRaalten and Officer William
Burchard dealt with an operator on East Main
Street whose license plate was covered with
snow...
10:04
am Several officers investigated a report of a man who said a truck
he purchased was just taken by the seller, who was using it to plow on
South Street...
3:45
pm Person reports being clipped by a school bus...
Selectmen to
Hear Bylaw Change Proposal
If passed,
Board of Health would confiscate tobacco from kids
by Robert
Falcione
January 25,
2011 — This evening the Board of Selectmen will see a PowerPoint
presentation by members of the beFREE! coalition, who propose to
impose a bylaw upon the youth of the town that would "...prohibit the
possession and use of tobacco products (in any form) in a public place
by a person under the age of eighteen."
Following the lead of two other Bay State towns, Ipswich and West
Bridgewater, the group took up the frustrating task of seeking to keep
tobacco from the hands — and lungs — of their peers, when there is no
existing law that does that. Minors under 18 may not purchase or sell
tobacco products, but their possession and use is not prohibited. This
law would change that and place the power of enforcement into the hands
of, according to the proposal, the Board of Health or their agents. The
proposal brings up many unanswered questions.
What happens if a child refuses to comply and calls a parent? What if
the parent doesn't recognize the authority of the lay person? Does the
BOH agent then call in the police? Does court get involved?
What about a child from out of town? Does he need to show a health agent
his ID to prove his age? What if he has parental permission? Fine the
parents? How does an agent know if a child is 17 or 18?
Would it go on a child's record?
The group will make a presentation this evening. The ensuing Q&A or
discussion could be spirited.
One of the slides that will be presented is below.
In addition, the Selectmen will appoint a new Director of Public Works,
which follows the resignation of Brendan O'Regan. The Town has not made
his identity public, but several people have suggested that Hopkinton
native, Water/Sewer Director Eric Carty would be ideal for the position.
Former MBTA Bus Driver Arraigned On OUI Charges
SOMERVILLE-A former MBTA bus driver has been arraigned on charges in
connection with allegedly operating a MBTA bus while under the influence
of alcohol, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public
today.
John McCarthy, 61, of Somerville, was arraigned
today in Somerville District Court on charges of operating a motor
vehicle under the influence of liquor, and illegal possession of an open
container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Somerville District Court Judge
Maurice Flynn ordered the defendant to be released on personal
recognizance with the condition that he does not drive without a valid
driver’s license.
His next court is February 28
for a pretrial conference.
According to authorities, on
January 21, at approximately 5:36 pm, Somerville police responded to the intersection
of McGrath Highway,
Somerville Avenue, and Medford Street for
reports of a MBTA bus that had struck a car. The defendant is alleged to
have struck a vehicle that had been stopped at a red light at the
intersection of
Medford Street
and McGrath Highway. Upon arrival, police
located the defendant who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the bus.
Authorities alleged that upon entering the bus, the officers observed
the defendant’s eyes to be glassy and glazed over, with an odor of
alcohol emanating from his breath and clothing. It is alleged that the
defendant had difficultly putting the bus into park and shutting off the
engine. Authorities also alleged that when the defendant got out of his
seat to exit the bus, he stumbled and had difficulty maintaining his
balance.
A responding officer conducted
a field sobriety test on the defendant. Following the test, coupled with
the observations by the officers, the defendant was placed under arrest.
An open bottle of liquor was allegedly found in the defendant’s coat
pocket.
These charges are allegations
and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The prosecutor assigned to this
case is Assistant District Attorney Ceara Mahoney.
Marion M. Bobeck, 79
HOPKINTON -
Marion M. Bobeck, 79, died Saturday,
January 22, 2011 in Holliston. She was the wife of Dr. Charles F. Bobeck,
to whom she was married for 59 years. Born in Clinton, MA, she was the
daughter of the late Alexander and Isabella (Davidson) Lockhart. She was
a 1948 graduate of Clinton High School and worked as a dental assistant
in her husband's dental practice in Hopkinton.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughters, Heidi
Bobeck of Worcester and Heather Munroe and husband Adam of Milford. She
also leaves four grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by her brothers
Gordon and William.
The funeral will be held Friday, January 28 in the First Parish Church
of Bolton, 673 Main St., Bolton. Burial will follow at Woodlawn
Cemetery, Woodlawn St., Clinton. Calling hours at the Callanan Cronin
Funeral Home, 34 Church St,.
Donations may be made to the National Kidney Fund Serving New England,
85 Astor Ave., Suite 2, Norwood, MA 02062, or Milford Regional
Healthcare, 14 Prospect St., Milford, MA 01757.
Senior Citizen Newsletter, The Hilltopper,
is Back Online
Gardens, exercise, diet, books, tea with preschoolers, Valentine's Day,
Water Aerobics, Home Modification; the list goes on for the active
senior citizen who wants to connect with others and stay healthy and
active at the same time. Check out the Seniors link, always above and
refreshed monthly, and learn about those activities — and much more!
No ID required!
Lightly Used Items Wanted
Big
Brother Big Sister Foundation needs your help! Please donate your
lightly used clothing, small household items, jeans, books, and shoes.
The Foundation will be picking up donations door to door in Hopkinton on
Wednesday February 2nd.
They
also offer electronics recycling for a minimal fee and car donations. To
schedule a free at home pick up please call 1.800.483.5503 or schedule
online at www.bbbsfoundation.org.
Your
donations help support the children involved in your local Big Brother
Big Sister mentoring organization. Donations are tax-deductible. Thank
you for your support!
Remember to Click on any ad to
see more.
School Committee Lists Their Reasons for Districting
Schools
Fewer
educational transitions, which are difficult for all students and
particularly for students with special needs;
Improved staff ability to provide interventions for students needing
support services given its familiarity with students over a longer
period of time;
Increased student familiarity with their classmates
given
the smaller number of students in each grade and more opportunities
for cross-grade mentoring;
Stronger relationships between parents and the school since students
will remain in a school for a longer period of time;
Elementary-aged siblings follow the same school schedule and ride
the same bus, which reduces parents’ time before and after school;
Increased accountability for Principals and staff since students
will remain in one school for six years;
Easier
to schedule time for teacher training, planning, and vertical
curriculum and assessment discussions across all schools; and
Opportunity to revisit school start times at the Middle and High
School.
NOTE:
The above has been selected from a press release from the School
Committee, which is pitching the closing of Center School and the
building of a new elementary school at Fruit Street, as well as
establishing three districts.
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
Where Did it
Go?
January 23,
2011 — Around 12:01 this morning, DPW crews pounced on the Downtown of
Hopkinton with several vehicles that made large piles from small ones
and then hauled them away while the townspeople slept.
Jeff Klepper: Great Jewish Stories of Rock & Roll
Saturday, February 12, 2011 7:30 pm
Congregation B’nai Shalom
117 East Main St., Westborough, MA
WESTBOROUGH — The Music and
Adult Education Committees of Congregation B’nai Shalom will sponsor a
concert featuring Cantor, Composer and Comedian, Jeff Klepper on
Saturday, February 12, 2011. A Havdallah service begins the evening at
7:30 pm and the concert follows immediately. Jeff Klepper has a unique
perspective on the role of Jews in rock. Using rare video footage, Jeff
scratches beneath the surface in search of the great Jewish stories of
rock & roll. For baby boomers, it’s a nostalgia fest. For college kids
and teens, it’s an education, a veritable “Shul of Rock.”
Karen Rothman, Chair of the
Music Committee says, “Cantor Klepper
has been hailed as a pioneer, one of a
handful of people responsible for literally changing the sound of
American synagogue music. His influence is reflected not only in the
hundreds of musicians who regularly teach and perform his songs, but in
the thousands of people who sing them!”
Jeff has a local connection having attended
Clark University from 1971-73. However after deciding to make Jewish
music his full time career, he transferred to the School of Sacred Music
in New York, and graduated from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of
Religion in 1980.
The temple is located at 117
East Main Street, Westborough and is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets are available online at
http://jewishrock.eventbrite.com/
or at the temple office.
For more information please
call the temple at 508-366-7191.
By
Kellie Lodge
As the first semester at Hopkinton High School
winds down, students, freshmen in particular,
are becoming anxious about their mid-term exams.
Mid-term exams usually consist of topics
covered throughout the semester and count for
ten percent of students’ final grades.
Being inexperienced
with the mid-term exam format, many freshmen are
nervous and stressed over studying for their
exams. Elle Girardi, a freshman at Hopkinton
High School, stated, “I’m really nervous; I do
not know what to expect and I am unsure about
the teachers’ standards.”
During the week of
January 18th to the 21st, student will take two
exams each day. Since exams are all within the
same week, it can be hard to balance the amount
of studying required for each test. ”I’m
planning on reviewing one subject every night
this week and then study for a few hours every
day on the weekend. Although, it depends on how
much teachers review in my classes,” said
Katherine Taggart, a freshman at Hopkinton High
School.
The level of
difficulty of exams varies with each student.
Katherine said, “I think history is going to be
my hardest final because my teacher said it is
only one question and I do not know how it is
possible to take one whole semester of learning
and sum it up into one question.”
Mrs. Fairbanks, a
geometry teacher at Hopkinton High School,
stated, “I have freshman and sophomores in the
same class. The sophomores do seem less
stressed because they know what it is all about
and they do not think it counts for much. The
freshman do not know what to expect.” This past
Thursday, Unite mentors discussed the topic of
mid-term exams with their assigned freshmen
groups during advisory period.
Second semester
beings on Monday, January 24th, and serves as a
fresh start for all HHS students.
Reprinted with
permission from Hopkinton High School Press.
Kellie Lodge is a student reporter.
State Police
Investigating Fatal Crash in Waltham;
Seek Public's Help in
Locating Driver, Neil Connolly, 44, of Allston
UPDATE: Neil Connolly, 44, of Boston, the driver involved in
yesterday's fatal crash in Waltham who was being sought for questioning,
came to the State Police Barracks in Concord a short time ago. Connolly
is being interviewed and the investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Please note that Connolly is not charged with any offenses at this
point, but charges are possible depending on the evidence gathered in
the investigation. We will update media outlets if and when charges are
sought.
January
22, 2011 —Today at 3:00 p.m., troopers assigned to the State Police
Barracks in Concord responded to a three-vehicle crash on Route 128
southbound in Waltham that killed one driver and caused serious injuries
to another. The remaining driver, whose roll-over began the chain of
events that led to the fatality, left the emergency room where he was
brought and is being sought by State Police for questioning.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Chester Adams indicates a 2006
Lexus IS 250 operated by Neil Connolly, 44, of Allston was heading
southbound on Route 128 when he swerved for an unknown reason, causing
his vehicle to roll over. When the Lexus rolled, it struck a 2008 Subaru
Legacy being operated by Faye Goldberg-Scheff, 53, of Lincoln. The
impact pushed her vehicle toward the center median, where it was struck
by a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee operated by Raymond Birch, 49, of
Kingston, N.H.
Scheff was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital where she was
pronounced deceased. Birch was taken by medical helicopter to Brigham
and Woman’s Hospital with serious injuries. Connolly was transported by
ambulance to Beth Israel Hospital, where he fled the emergency room
prior to being treated. He is wanted for questioning and is actively
being pursued at this time.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Neil Connolly, 44, of
Allston is urged to contact the State Police Barracks in Concord at
978-369-4100.
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see more.
See
a little of last year's performance by Hot Acoustics, below.
New Year, New Menus, More Dinner
Options!
Ciao
Time has a new restaurant menu available for in house or take out meals.
We offer daily blackboard specials
starting this week with:
Wednesday Night all u can eat Roast Beef
Dinner $10.99 with a house salad
Coming soon...Tuesday Italian Pasta Night
– meatballs, lasagna, eggplant parm, and stuffed shells served with
house salad, combo 3 pieces of your choice $9.99
Friday Night Kids eat for $3.99 with a
cookie (kids menu)
We have daily fresh baked goods. Whoopie
pies, cookies, cakes, and much more. Call ahead to order one of our
famous birthday cakes
Also working with Hopkinton Drug Store for
the healthy life style meal plan. All prepared for you to come in and
pick up and less than 350 calories!
We cook all the things you love but don’t
have time to cook.
Everything is cooked fresh daily and
cooked to order.
Teen
Coffeehouse
Saturday, Jan. 22nd
7:00 - 10:30 pm
First Congregational
Church of Hopkinton
$3 Admission
The beFREE!
Project and First Congregational Church of Hopkinton are co-sponsoring
this alternative social event for High School Students. This chaperoned
event will feature 15 musical performances by local teens!
The beFREE! Project is a drug
and alcohol prevention coalition that provides alternative social
activities for teens. We also sponsor parent coffees that provide
information and strategies for preventing youth substance abuse. If you
would like to become involved in the coalition or host or attend a
parent coffee, contact Jane Roche or Sue Hadley at befreeproject@gmail.com.
LET’S TALK ABOUT BULLYING
February 7th
‐ What is
Bullying and How Does It Affect
Children?
March 14th
‐ Protecting
Children from Cyber-bullying
7:00 - 9:00 at Hopkinton High School
Snow Dates: February 28 and March 28
One of 400 State Police Cruisers on Highways is Rear-ended
January
21, 2011 — At 9:10 a.m. a State Police cruiser that was stationary at a
crash scene on the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike, about ½
mile west of Interchange 19 in
Brighton, was rear-ended by another vehicle. The trooper
suffered non-life threatening injuries and has been transported by
ambulance to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. We are not identifying the
trooper at this time. A second ambulance is en route to evaluate the
driver who struck the cruiser, who is reporting pain. The investigation
is ongoing as to whether charges are warranted. The prior crash to which
the trooper had responded at the time he was hit was a minor crash at
the same location between a 1994 Peterbilt tractor trailer out of Bainbridge, New York and a
1995 Acura Integra driven by a Framingham man. There were no injuries in that
prior crash.
RESIDENT SAND PILE PICK UP NOTICE
I
would like to remind the town residents who are coming into the DPW yard
on Wood Street to pick up resident sand to use caution when entering and
exiting the property. Over the last few years we have noticed an
increase in the number of residents taking advantage of this service.
People are driving too fast while entering & exiting our facility and
there have been several close calls between our equipment and residents
vehicles.
During winter operations we have many trucks delivering sand, salt and
supplies to us as well as our own equipment going in and out of our
facility to load sand, salt & liquid deicer on our trucks.
It
would be extremely helpful if residents could enter and exit the
property by using our second entrance located at the west side of the
building (the side closest to Westborough). Please drive slowly, be
aware of what is going on around you, and try to stay clear of the DPW
trucks & equipment that are moving around in the parking lot.
The building that we store our sand and salt in is for employees only.
Residents should not park in front of or be inside this building. Again
we have had many near accidents with our equipment and vehicles because
people pull right up behind the loader while it is working inside the
building and we have nearly backed over vehicles and residents walking
around.
Please remember that this service is meant for residents to come down
with a couple of their own 5 gallon bucks to fill with sand to be able
to sand their walkways, not to fill up the back of a pick up truck.
We
are happy to provide this service, however safety and operational
efficiency are our first priorities. Thank you for your understanding &
cooperation in this matter.
Mike Mansir, Highway Manager
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see more.
Elementary
School Principals Present Budget Concerns
by
Heather Kelley
January 21, 2011 - Last night, the School Committee met and heard
preliminary budget presentations for Center, Hopkins, and Elmwood
Schools. First to present was Ilene Silver, principal of Elmwood School.
Mrs. Silver had two main areas of concern, which were the number of
students per third grade classroom next year (23+), and the continued
limited office personnel (not having a second, part-time secretary, and
not having a full-time assistant principal). Superintendent Dr. Jack
Phelan commented that these positions were eliminated in the recent past
during a budget crisis. Member Troy Mick asked Silver which position
would best help student learning, if it could be reinstated – an
additional third grade teacher, or one of the office personnel. Silver
responded that the teacher would have the most hands-on time with
students, but she explained that lack of office staff can lead to safety
issues: the lone secretary in the office must deal with phones, people
buzzing to gain entrance to the school, students in need of help, and
teachers in need of support, she said. In addition, sharing the
assistant principal with Hopkins School means that Silver must shoulder
more administrative work, and also respond to classroom disciplinary
issues.
Next to present was Greg Martineau, the principal of Hopkins School.
Saying that he was choosing his words carefully, he said that the
preliminary budget maintained a strong foundation for students. When
queried, he admitted that there were many programs that he would have
liked to see added, to enrich and enhance student learning; he also
stated his concern about class sizes in grade four, slated to be 25
students per classroom. The Superintendent chimed in his agreement with
this concern, saying, “Twenty-five is too high.”
Jennifer Parson, principal of Center School, had a different
predicament, namely deciding how many classrooms of full day
Kindergarten should be offered next year. At the end of her presentation
time slot, and with the approval of the School Committee, Parson decided
to proceed with a plan for three sections of full day Kindergarten, with
up to 22 students in each classroom. The six half-day sections of
Kindergarten would then, based on the current enrollment of 161 incoming
Kindergartners, have 17 students each, allowing for the absorption of 24
new enrollments between now and the start of the 2011-2012 school year.
To cover the possibility of higher-than-expected enrollments, a back-up
plan would be in place to hire an additional half-day Kindergarten
teacher, and utilize the teacher lunch room as a classroom, a move that
had to be made this year.
The lottery to determine which families will have a full-day slot for
their incoming Kindergartners is scheduled to take place just prior to
the School Committee meeting on February 3, 2011, said Parson.
All three principals had positive reviews for the math tutors in
residence in their buildings this year thanks to the School Committee’s
initiative last budget cycle. Member Troy Mick mused whether this year,
the Committee ought to offer reading tutors to the schools. The response
from the principals was positive, with consensus being that more help
was needed to remediate students in all three schools in reading.
In other business, the Committee gratefully accepted the gift of a
virtual server and three years of technical support from EMC
Corporation. The Committee approved an overnight trip to Boston by the
Model UN students at the high school, and an 11-day trip to China by
High School principal Alyson Geary. NESDEC continues the work on the
Superintendent search, and the Committee appointed a Superintendent
Search Screening Subcommittee. Finally, the Committee continued its
outreach efforts in their communication campaign for the proposed new
elementary school on Fruit Street. The community forum, twice postponed
due to snow, has been rescheduled for January 31, 2011 at 7 pm at Center
School. Member Troy Mick suggested, and others concurred, that questions
frequently asked at the office hours and information forums should be
added to the Hopkinton Elementary School Building Project web page FAQ
located on the School Committee web page. In addition, Mick suggested
going over answers to the most salient questions at a future televised
School Committee meeting, in order to gain the widest audience possible.
"The News Starts Here!"
HOPKINTON/FRAMINGHAM
- 
January
27, 2011 — Massachusetts State Police this morning arrested a drunken 
RJ
Dourney announced today he would not be running for re-election to the
Hopkinton Board of Selectmen here in Hopkinton. His current term will
end May 16th, 2011.
Richard McSheehan, 35, of Hopkinton, Monday,
January 24, 2011 after his long battle with Brain Cancer. He leaves
behind his beloved Fiancée, Beth Woods, and her daughter Caylee, whom he
considered his own.
Nay
to Tobacco Bylaw
Jeff Klepper: Great Jewish Stories of Rock & Roll 
By
Kellie Lodge
January
22, 2011 —Today at 3:00 p.m., troopers assigned to the State Police
Barracks in Concord responded to a three-vehicle crash on Route 128
southbound in Waltham that killed one driver and caused serious injuries
to another. The remaining driver, whose roll-over began the chain of
events that led to the fatality, left the emergency room where he was
brought and is being sought by State Police for questioning.
See
a little of last year's performance by Hot Acoustics, below.
Teen
Coffeehouse
I
would like to remind the town residents who are coming into the DPW yard
on Wood Street to pick up resident sand to use caution when entering and
exiting the property. Over the last few years we have noticed an
increase in the number of residents taking advantage of this service.
People are driving too fast while entering & exiting our facility and
there have been several close calls between our equipment and residents
vehicles.
