Sprucing Up

November 21, 2011 — Workers from Muni-Tech reinstall a restored 81 year-old marker in front of Town Hall pronouncing the Tercentennial of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and noting The Bay Path as a former Indian Trail.

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...Everywhere a Sign

November 21, 2001 — Following a reversal of a Parks And Recreation vote to reinstate the dog ban on the Hopkinton Town Common and a vote to allow the above sign, a sign to that effect has been placed on the southern end.

State News

Governor Patrick Signs Congressional Redistricting bill 

BOSTON – Monday, November 21, 2011 – Governor Deval Patrick today joined members of the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting to sign House Bill 3798, “An Act Establishing Congressional Districts.” 

“My thanks go out to our legislative leaders and members of the Joint Special Committee on Redistricting for coming together and completing this extraordinary task,” said Governor Patrick. “The districts adhere to Constitutional guidelines and were created through an open and transparent process. Most importantly, these new districts are regionally balanced and reflect the Commonwealth’s diversity.”
Photo, Eric Haynes/Governor’s Office

New District maps

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Patricia A. Kimball, 55 

Oakfield, ME. & Woodville, MA.- Patricia A. Kimball, 55, of Oakfield, Maine and formerly of Woodville, MA passed away Friday, November 18, 2011 at Maine Medical Center in Portland from injuries due to a horse accident. Born in Jamaica Plain, she was the daughter of the late Gordon and Sadie (Devlin) Drapeau.

Patricia will be remembered as an avid horse rider, animal lover, loving mother, active community member, and caring behavioral health specialist.

She is survived by her husband Kevin Kimball and her sons, John Kimball and his wife Ferresa of Houlton, Maine and Jeramy Kimball and his wife Ingrid of Seattle, Washington. She also leaves behind her siblings, James Drapeau of Ayer and Janice McIntyre of Hopkinton, as well as two grandchildren, Tristan and Mikayla.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 25, 2011 from 2-5p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home, 57 Hayden Rowe St. Hopkinton, MA. A 5:00p.m. Funeral Home Service will follow visitation. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: 4R Animal Shelter, 202 Thomas Hill, Lee Maine 04455.

SERVICE GUIDE

Wal-Mart Presents Project Just Because with $25,000 Donation

Left, Cherylann Lambert Walsh, President of PJB, and Chris Buchanan, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

On behalf of Wal-Mart and the Wal-mart Foundation, Chris presented Cherylann with a $25,000 donation for the charity's school and career resource programs. A full list of the organization's programs can be found here: http://projectjustbecause.org/general-programs/.
 

<---- CLICK FOR FULL REPORT
 - November 21, 2011 

12:59 pm A School Street caller complained that a construction crew was working... 

12:58 am An attendant at one of the West Main Street gas stations reported a domestic... 

4:40 am The report of a crash on Pond Street led to the arrest of... 

1:21 am A caller reported an incident of "Ding-Dong Ditch" ... 

5:40 pm Units arrested an individual following a report of shoplifting in progress...

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A cast of 100 students and a crew of nearly 40 will present the show, making this the largest student production ever at the school.

Tickets will be $8 for students/seniors and $10 for adults,  with a $2 discount for bringing a donation to the Project Just Because New Toy/New Book program. Tickets may be purchased in the HMS Main Office in advance or at the door.  Please bring your donation at the time of purchase.

Photo by Michael Roswenzweig.

SERVICE GUIDE

HOPKINTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLANNING  
COMMUNITY WIDE SURVEY TO FIND COMMON GROUND 

From November 21 through December 6, the School Committee is conducting a community wide survey designed to collect residents’ opinions regarding key considerations for any potential capital project related to the Center School. The survey is designed to take 10-15 minutes and can be accessed via this link: www.brgrs.com/elementaryschoolsurvey, or by checking the home page of the school district website, www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us. Paper copies of the survey are available at the both the Hopkinton Public Library and Senior Center. Online access is also available in both locations for residents. Participants are asked to take the survey just once to ensure a reliable and valid administration, and safeguards have been built into the survey to prevent ‘ballot stuffing’.  

Using data compiled from the March 2011 Exit Poll survey, Spring 2011 Listening Session and from the recent community workshops, the School Committee, Superintendent of Schools and Boston Research Group have created a survey which includes questions about key project evaluation points, and includes several hypothetical scenarios designed to understand the location and configuration of potential building projects. By collecting opinion from the spectrum of voters (i.e., single residents, couples without children in the schools, families with children in the schools, families with pre-school children, families whose children are in college, empty nesters and senior citizens), the School Committee hopes to gain some clarity regarding what the town would support as a future project. The School Committee and School Department are encouraging Hopkinton voters to voice their opinions.  

The survey responses will be analyzed during the last weeks of December with plans to present results and conclusions to the community, School Committee, Board of Selectmen and Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in early January 2012.

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Hiller Cheerleaders Place at States

November 20, 2011 — Hopkinton cheerleaders placed third at States yesterday afternoon at Shrewsbury High School. This is their best showing in several years. The third place finish qualifies them for the National Cheerleading Championships to be held in Florida in March of next year.

On Your Mark...

November 20, 2011 — George V. Brown stands at the ready facing the starting line, just as he did in life for decades, as a teen stands behind him, a friend photographs from the other side and dripping evergreens across the street provide a backdrop.

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Coming Soon...

November 20, 2011 — The Hopkinton Public Library, with the help of Community Preservation funds, is in the process of making their handicap access in the rear conform to ADA specifications.

Waiting For the Snow

November 20, 2011 — This boat and its dock on the shore of Lake Whitehall appear done for the season as the stubborn oaks refuse to yield their leaves and the western sun paints an amber glow. The Department of Recreation and  Conservation (Formerly Metropolitan District Commission) owns the shoreline of the lake, but some properties on the opposite side of Winter Street own rights to the shore.

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Fromage!!

November 20, 2011 — Radiating a glow from a low afternoon sun and a Victorian-style gown, this subject has an entourage dedicated to a beautiful photo. Barely visible from this camera angle is a male subject against the tree, arms around her waist.

Number One!

November 19, 2011 — The senior girls exercise their bragging rights in this photo taken after the game last night by Robert Thornton.

SERVICE GUIDE

Primarily Pottery

November 19, 2011 — The Primarily Potters Show and Sale continues at the CAA, 98 Hayden Rowe from 10 am - 2pm on Sunday. Above, retired HHS art teacher Carol Mecagni shows off her wares.

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An Invitation from Friends

November 19, 2011 — The Friends of the Hopkinton Library Book Sale will continue tomorrow, Sunday, from 11:00 am -2:00 pm. Fill a Bag of books for $5.00. Above, Friend Susie Johnson returns a book to its proper place.

Positively Hopkinton

The "Y" Awarded $3,000 in Memory of Tyler Larry

November 19, 2011 — The Hopkinton Running Club presented a check for $3,000 from the Tyler J. Lary Memorial Fund to the MetroWest YMCA.  The funds will be used to award scholarships for children to attend summer camp at the Hopkinton Y facility who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend.  The funds were raised during the Hopkinton Running Club's Run Around Hopkinton Relay on October 2, 2011.  Additional donations from the relay proceeds will be announced at a later date. Above, John Barclay, Executive Director of the Hopkinton facility accepts a check from Vickie Lary.

Dr. Denis D. Brault, 87 

Dr. Denis D. Brault, 87, of East Falmouth, died Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at home after a brief illness. He was the beloved husband of the late Eleanor (Riley) Brault, who died in 2006.  

Dr. Brault was born in New Bedford, the son of the late Dr. Norbert R. and Florence (Chartrand) Brault. He was a graduate of New Bedford High School, Tufts University, and the University of Pittsburgh Dental School, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Delta.  

He was an officer in the Naval Dental Corp serving aboard the USS Tarawa during the Korean War. He retired from the Naval Reserves as a Commander. Dr. Brault practiced dentistry in Fairhaven for 45 years before retiring to Falmouth in 1997. He was an outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, golfer, avid bridge player, and proud member of the New Bedford High School State Championship Football Team.  

Dr. Brault is survived by his daughters, Denise B. and her husband Frank P. Almeida, and Alyson E. and her husband Thomas A. Benoit all of Falmouth; grandchildren, Nathan D. Almeida of Boston, Samuel A. Benoit and Julia L. Benoit both of Falmouth; and brothers, Dr. Jerome J. Brault of Carver and Richard R. Brault of Hopkinton. He was predeceased by his brothers, Dr. Clement E. Brault, V. Paul Brault, Gelose G. Brault, and Bernard B. Brault; and by his sister Rose A. Crossley.  

Visiting hours will be on Sunday, November 20th from 4 to 7 pm at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 475 Main St., Falmouth. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 am on Monday at St. Anthony’s Church, 167 East Falmouth Hwy., East Falmouth, followed by burial at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.  

Donations in Dr. Brault’s name may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod, 765 Attucks Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601 and/or Homes for Our Troops, 6 Main St., Taunton, MA 02780.

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Powder Puff Football
Seniors 45, Juniors 14

The Senior girls defeated the Junior's 45 to 14 in a spirited Annual Powder Puff Flag Football Game last night. The juniors pose above.

Click on a thumbnail below for a larger print.

Joy to the World -
Video now below

November 18, 2011 — Brownies from Troops 72974 and 72975, third graders, entertained shoppers at the Hopkinton Senior Center's holiday sale this afternoon, singing traditional Christmas and seasonal carols. You Tube HD Video is below.

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History (Society) in the Making

November 18, 2011 — Hopkinton Historical Society members treated themselves and their families and guests to some great home made Yankee-style cooking this evening as well as an update on the group's accomplishments and a silent auction fundraiser.

SERVICE GUIDE

Good Deeds by the Thousand

November 18, 2011 — Volunteers on Friday afternoon delivered 42 turkeys donated by Hopkinton residents to the Salvation Army in Framingham.  Left to right, shown loading up the donations at the Elmwood School, are Ashley Raybuck, Kacey Kramer, Jullianna Kramer, Ethan Kramer and Randy Kramer.  The annual turkey drive was begun 12 years ago by Hopkinton student Dan Merzel, and has donated more than 1,000 turkeys over the years to families in need. ~ Cathy Buday

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Santa Looks Forward to Weston Nurseries

November 18, 2011 — Santa will be arriving at Weston Nurseries on December 3 for a few days, but people interested in unique and exciting trim-a-tree specialties should stop by the Weston Nurseries chalet-style Garden Center soon in advance of the anticipated arrival of fine Christmas trees. The sno-globe above cost about 32 bucks.

Annual Pre-Game Thanksgiving Day Breakfast
ALL proceeds benefit Hopkinton Drama Club
Cornell's
7:00 am • $8.00
November 24, 2011
229 Hayden Rowe Street
Hopkinton

Superintendent "Likely" to Defy Town Manager's Budget Recommendations
 "I’ll likely present a budget that does not conform..."
"...I’m pretty clear a level funded budget is going to really damage services to children in town."- Dr. Jonathan Landman 

by Muriel Kramer
November 18, 2011 — Budget season is officially under way, and the School Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Landman is in the early stages of preparing his recommended budget to present to the School Committee on December 15^th. In response to the Budget message recently received from the Town Manager that requests all departments level fund their FY 13 budgets to FY 12 levels while also including impact statements and identifying mission critical goals and initiatives that may or may not be achievable with a level funded budget. Dr. Landman clarified his thought process, “I view my responsibility as Superintendent is to recommend a budget to the Committee which meets the needs of kids, and I’m pretty clear a level funded budget is going to really damage services to children in town. I’ll likely present a budget that does not conform; that’s not going to work this year. “ He continued, “Last year’s budget drew heavily on federal funds that are not available this year and on reserves in revolving accounts to maintain level services this year.” 

School Committee member Rebecca Robak expressed her disappointment with the process used to define the budget message noting that in past years the process had been much more collaborative. “Even the way the message was delivered feels like they’re [the Board of selectmen] not being collaborative and even wondered if it was for us at all; even the way it’s written feels like it was directed at town departments." 

For his part School Committee member Scott Aghababian commented while reflecting on the continued economic challenges facing everyone, “We need to be as fiscally prudent as possible.” 

Dr. Landman agreed and asserted that he would be mindful of looking for efficiencies whenever possible as well as ways to bring in additional revenues. However, he maintained a commitment to maintaining high standards. “We need to make sure we sustain excellence in the system.” 

School Committee member Nancy Alvarez Burdick also spoke up to clarify the process going forward noting past support for the school system. “If you’re going to ask for a dollar more, make sure you justify it. We need to make the case.” 

Ralph Dumas, Director of Finance for the School Department, commented that the budget message looked very much like recent past year’s messages. “They’ll certainly listen to what we have to say. Reasonable people will find reasonable solutions. There are a lot of reasonable solutions out there.” 

Also looming from a budget perspective are the results from the Permanent Building Committee (PBC) that is working to create a capital maintenance plan for the whole town which will also address specifically what measures need to be taken to bring Center School and the Town Hall into full compliance with ADA accessibility requirements. Aghababian is a representative from the School Committee on the PBC, and he highlighted that the first step is to get placeholders in place for the Annual Town Meeting warrant. The second step will be to finalize the capital maintenance plan which should set some priority to work that needs to be accomplished on town assets. Burdick also commented on the work that the ADA Compliance Committee is undertaking and referenced some available money for ADA compliance work. She will present a fuller briefing at the next School Committee meeting to help insure that all committees working on the issues are coordinated in their efforts. 

The results of the Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey are available and online on the District’s website. A full presentation for parents is planned for November 30^th from 7 to 9PM at the High School. Parents are encouraged to attend and time will be available for questions and answers. Some of the highlights from the survey include the fact that there has been a decline in multiple drinking behaviors—binge drinking, riding in a car with someone who has been drinking, etc. At the same time marijuana use among high school age men increased, and the misuse of prescription drugs has also risen. Physical activity rates across genders has risen from 37% in 2006 to 51% in 2010. Trends in violence, bullying and cyberbullying vary slightly year to year but no substantial improvement is evidenced by the survey results. Parents are encouraged to come to the November 30^th meeting and get the full presentation; notably, youth with involved parents and strong attachments in school are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. 

Al Rogers was on hand to get the approval from the School Committee for funds to cover the emergency replacement of the water heater at Hopkins School. The water heater began leaking last month to the point where it was extinguishing the flame; repair efforts proved that the heater was indeed beyond repair. The water heater was replaced with a new more efficient model with a separate tank, so future tank replacements will be possible and less costly than replacing the entire unit. The School Committee approved $23,500 from the School Building Use Revolving Account to cover the replacement costs. Rogers also gave an update on the work at Center School on the gym floor. The damaged wood floor was removed as was the older vinyl floor that had been underneath the wood; the vinyl floor had served to trap moisture, so in addition the concrete slab underneath was power washed to insure removal of any mold. Moisture measurements are being taken, but the concrete is still too damp to allow for the new floor to be laid. Rogers reported that there is a slim possibility that the concrete itself will have to be replaced, and efforts are being made to find out if this work would also be covered under the existing insurance policy. 

Elementary School Building Update: The feedback from recent workshops has been transcribed and is available online; there is a planned survey coming out next Monday November 20^th which will be open through December 6^th. The survey will be available online as well as in hard copy; copies for interested residents will be at the Senior Center and the Library. The School Committee is hoping that many residents will take this additional opportunity to help shape the project going forward and help develop a strategy to address the Center School needs in a way the community can support. The meeting with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, Senator Spilka and Representative Dykema yielded important data, notably that the failure of the last building project intended to replace Center School does not penalize the town in terms of maintaining priority in the grant process pipeline. Additionally, districts can submit multiple Statements of Interest (SOI) for different projects, so Center and Elmwood could conceivably be addressed at the same time. Dr. Landman will begin drafting an edited and updated version for the Center School needs as well as begin drafting a new SOI for an approach to the needs at Elmwood. ~ File photo.

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Parks and Recreation Commission Hosts Dozens for Hockey/Usage Discussions

November 18, 2011 — The Parks and Recreation Commission (file photo) hosted dozens of people interested in the use of 19 acres of East Main Street land available to the Town of Hopkinton through a Host Community Agreement with Legacy Farms, which is building 940 dwellings nearby.
         Conversations with the Demons hockey organization and the Commission have been ongoing as the type of recreational use of the land is discussed in the community. The Demons have offered to step forward with a $7 million investment in a facility. Their part of last night's presentation and ensuing conversation, according to Chairman Ken Driscoll, had a lot of support and generated a lot of good healthy questions, and not a lot of nay saying.
         Other people came forward with good ideas for the land's use, like a natural playground, community center and/or swimming pool. Mr. Driscoll said the playground idea could be implemented on existing Parks and Recreation property elsewhere.
         Mr. Driscoll said that he hopes for a master plan for the property, and will continue to accept input from the community, after which the Commission will present their recommendations to the Board of Selectmen.

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Missing Runaway Juveniles         UPDATE: Both youths have been located and are back in Reading.  

To All cities and towns on the eastern seaboard: Reading Police Department is looking for two juveniles that ran away on 11/16/2011. They were driven to the Providence Mall, Providence R.I. Both were last seen at 1930 hours. A check of the mall produced negative results. Both are white male subjects; Subject 1- Tristan Watson, 15 yrs old, approx. 5'10" tall, 250 lbs, brown short hair, last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with jeans. Subject 2- Eric L'Italien, 16 yrs old, approx. 5'5" tall, 130 lbs, brown short hair, last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans. Possible destinations are Miami, Florida or California. It is believed that they have approx. $900 in cash between them both. If located, please contact Reading Police Dept. 781-944-1212.

OpEd

Information Sharing Amongst Schools Vital to Public Safety

by Gerry Leone
November 17, 2011 — Recent events have highlighted the merits of the concept behind making basic information on campus crimes and arrests available to the public; information sharing is a common sense safety concept that should be readily adopted and more often exercised by all schools and is especially important for secondary and elementary schools.  One area of information sharing that is especially important for secondary and elementary schools regards the full and complete transferring of school records.  

Under current state and federal law, student information and records should contain all relevant information about a student’s personal and disciplinary history that is likely to bear upon the safety of that student and others.  However, we’ve seen student transfers and placements occur in our secondary and elementary schools when, in the aftermath of a tragedy or near-tragedy, it is learned that the student who either committed or attempted to commit violence on school grounds was known by his or her previous educational setting or placement to pose a threat to themselves, other students, or the public safety in general.  
 
We are left asking why this significant information was not provided to the receiving school where the student appeared or transferred.  It is unacceptable for persons who possess a behavioral or disciplinary history that exhibits a clear risk to others, to be placed or transferred in educational settings without full and complete information relevant to safety being shared with the receiving party, who can then take necessary or preferred precautionary steps.  
 
The fact of the matter is there are a few different factors for why this information sharing isn’t happening adequately.  Sometimes, this information sharing gap is because we are relying upon a parent or guardian being the messenger; or a complete copy of individualized special education records are not properly transferred; or someone has a financial stake in the transfer making decisions; or oftentimes there is not a reliable history to be transferred to begin with, such as with inter jurisdictional transfers. Additionally, a student facing the prospect of expulsion can instead engage in a preemptive withdraw from that school prior to expulsion.  Consequently, the school may not be compelled to send complete information to the new school about the student’s past behavioral and disciplinary problems, or even criminal behavior, preventing the history from becoming part of the school’s record and thereby avoiding the necessity to provide the information to the new receiving school.  Thus, the receiving school may be denied the information it needs to take precautions and prepare for the student’s educational program and prevent future problems that are likely or foreseeable.  
 
A receiving school should be entitled to the fullest possible record of academic, personal, behavioral, and disciplinary information from a sending country, state, town or city, or educational institution for the purpose of providing needed services to the student while anticipating and hopefully preventing violence at the new school.  The confusion around rules, regulations, and protocols concerning the transfer of students and student information and records places schools at a serious disadvantage in keeping their schools safe under the dictates of MGL c. 71; Section 37 H1/2 (discussing suspension and expulsion of students) and related laws, and provides a big disincentive to share relevant and valuable information due to fear of sharing what might be deemed privileged or confidential.  This disconnect in information sharing by and to schools is an obvious public safety problem, which has resulted in real tragedies in Middlesex County and across this country.
 
To be sure, privacy rights are important and must be protected, so long as the information that is legally and lawfully allowed to be shared is indeed being provided to those in charge of keeping our children safe.  We as parents want our kids returned safely to us when they leave our homes each day. We are entitled to that expectation, and there is a lot more we can do to maximize that happening with more certainty.
 
Gerry Leone is the District Attorney for Middlesex County. - HopNews file photo

SERVICE GUIDE

Hopkinton Songwriter/Singer/Guitarist Barbara Kessler performing
Saturday, November 19th, Wachusett Music Series, Lancaster MA 7:30pm
Barbara Kessler Facebook Store

  Enjoy a "Positively Hopkinton" video reprise of a performance by Barbara Kessler from 2006 at the former ESL location on Main Street. Today is the first upload to YouTube of this video. CAUTION: Viewers want to watch it more than once.

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