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Updated: March 18, 2013 02:51:17 PM

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Real Estate Transactions for Hopkinton, Massachusetts

Compiled  for HopNews.com by Robert Falcione © 2011 All Rights Reserved

New Transactions from December 30, 2011 to January 9, 2012

UPDATES:

Address

Buyer

Price

Date

Seller

36 Pleasant Street Michael C Nelson-Anderberg, Steven R Nelson-Anderberg $330,000 January 6, 2012 Silvestro Nominee Trust
7 Curtis Road Joshua Berglund, Meagan Gagnon $236,250 January 3, 2012 John A Bonaccorso, Celia V Bonaccorso Est
12 Wilson Street Jeffery Biggers, Areli Biggers $450,000 January 3, 2012 Lisa M Ogawa
Last Week        
16 Jamie lane Henru O Keller, Alysssa A Keller $645,000 December 30, 2011  Joseph E Doherty, Kimberly A Doherty
17 Connelly Hill Road Michael J Breton, Nancy P Breton $1,055,000 December 29, 2011 Connelly LLC
133 Lumber Street Phillip B Moresi, Maureen A Moresi $310,000 December 28, 2011 Edward B Dibbern, Marsha L Dibbern
22 Grove Street Stephen  Bianchi, Debra L Bianchi $234,800 December 28, 2011 Ronald J Foisy, Barbara K Foisy
266 Hayden Rowe Street Courtney M Bowker $350,000 December 28, 2011 Constance Bowker
14 Appalossa Circle Richard J Siegfried, Amy Sullivan Siegfried $595,000 December 27, 2011 Peter L Kelley, Judith S Kelley
 Week Before        
106 Saddle Hill Road Joseph W Szlosek, Mary K Szlosek $565,000 December 23, 2011 Patricia A Carroll
2 Rosewood Lane Jodi A Dolan, George M Dolan $232,400 December 23, 2011 Raheel H Retiwalla
9 Ridge Road Alex J Stanciu, Manya M Stanciu $560,000 December 23, 2011 Jodi A Dolan, George M Dolan
5 Cobblers Way Derek R Marcou, Brenda L Marcou $1,853,152 December 21, 2011 Summit Realty Tr, Brian K Gassett Tr, Brian W Cheever Tr
7 Weybridge Lane 24C Sarah Doyle, Kevin F Doyle $232,000 December 19, 2011 Denise Deschamps, Denise St Jean

Hopkinton Reservoir

January 9, 2012 — Eric DeCollibus shares a recent photo of Hopkinton Reservoir looking west.

   

Hopkinton Demons Skate

The Hopkinton Demons held their annual free children’s ice skating lesson during the recent school vacation. 

The event included a pizza party and an appearance by FINZ, the mascot of the Worcester Sharks hockey team.

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Donald A. Hitchings, 92

 

Hopkinton- Donald A. Hitchings, 92, of Hopkinton, passed away, Sunday, January 8, 2012 at the Milford Regional Medical Center. Born in Lynn, he was the son of the late, Bertha and Charles Hitchings.

A Tech Sergeant during WWII in the Marines, Donald had been stationed in Okinawa, Japan and was a member of the VMF323 (Death Rattlers). He was the owner/proprietor of Hitchings Hardware and former owner of Don's Taxi in Hopkinton. He was a member of the Hopkinton Auxiliary Police Department and a softball player for Kenney's and Hitching's softball teams.

He is survived by two daughters, Cheryl Hitchings of Mashpee, and Susan Schiavone and her husband John of Bellingham; his grandchildren, Lucas, Kyle, Michelle, and Lyndsey; and one great grandchild, Thomas.

Visitation will take place on Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 4-7p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton, 57 Hayden Rowe St.
www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com Burial services will be held at Bourne National Cemetery on Friday at 11:00a.m. Donations may be made to Milford VNA, 37 Birch St. Milford, MA 01757 or to the Friends of the Hopkinton Seniors, 28 Mayhew St. Hopkinton, MA. 01748.

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Police News UP-TO-DATE <---- CLICK FOR FULL REPORT

January 9, 2012

 

7:12 pm Officer Peter Booth pulled a vehicle over on Hayden Rowe Street, and discovered that the owner of the vehicle had a no-extradition warrant out of Florida...

 

9:18 pm Officer Aaron O'Neil was off at the wildlife sanctuary on Clinton Street checking two vehicles...

 

7:13 pm Officer Aaron O'Neil spoke with two females who were observed on closed circuit television...

 

1:49 pm A Cedar Street caller reports that a party just physically struck his car with a fist or hand...

 

1:29 pm  Cole Drive resident walk in brought some possible narcotic paraphernalia to the station...

     

Fitness Classes

ALL AGES WELCOME!

Only $3

Monday at 9:30- Strength & Flexibility

Tuesday & Thursday at 9:00 – Muscle Conditioning

Tuesday at 11:00 – Yoga for Seniors

Wednesday at 9:30 – Tai Chi

Wednesday at ll:00 – Dancersize

 

W.O.W. (Weight Off Wisely) diet support group

Tuesday at 10:00 (cost $1)

Hopkinton Senior Center

(508) 497- 9730

www.hopkintonseniorcenter.org/

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Hopkinton-based Band to Release New Album at Show

            January 9, 2012 — Hopkinton’s own Take Care will play Brighton Music Hall on January 12 at 9 pm to mark the release of their new album, Somewhere Safe. The album came to life as a result of a crowd-funding campaign that people in the town of Hopkinton made successful.  

            “The town has been so supportive of everything we’ve done,” notes band leader Kyle Joseph. “Without that support, this new album would not exist.“  The names of all who pledged to the band’s fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com last summer were used to form the cover of the album. (click on thumbnail to enlarge cover art) Because of this, the cover of the album includes a large number of Hopkinton names.

            Band members include Hopkinton High School graduates Kyle Joseph, Dan Joseph, and Dan Phelan.  Dan Cunningham, also a graduate from Hopkinton, plays trumpet on the album. Other HHS alums Drew Clark, Dan Clifford, and Owen O'Neil have worked extensively with the band on web design, graphics, album layout, and filming.

            “This really marks the beginning of a new chapter for our band,” says Joseph. “Our sound has significantly evolved since our last release.” The 12–song album was recorded in New York City last summer, and then underwent editing, mixing, and mastering in both MA and NYC.

            “We can’t wait to finally release Somewhere Safe. It means a lot to us to be able to play these songs for people from Hopkinton. With many of us college folk still between semesters, the show will be a great way for HHS alums to get together, and a great way for us to thank everyone who supported the album. We cannot wait to show people from Hopkinton what they have allowed us to make.”

            Doors open at 8pm on Thursday, January 12.  Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster or at the door. Two songs from the album are available for download on the band’s website or below. The album will be available for download on iTunes on January 10. ~ Contributed content.

Brighton Music Hall: http://brightonmusichall.com/

 

   

Sweet William Farm

January , 2012 — Sweet William Farm Country Store in Upton may be closed for the winter, but animals still abound, waiting for the next perfect sunset or vast rainbow, in this photo taken today by the Roving HopNews Camera. 

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David Wisnewski

David Wisnewski, 27, of Upton passed away Saturday, January 7, 2012. He is the son of Chet Wisnewski. Arrangements are incomplete and under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com

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Sunglasses Found

If you lost a nice pair of prescription sunglasses on the Legacy Farms property near Clinton Street, please call Robert and say what kind they are to retrieve them. 508-435-5534.

 

 

    

Nancy's Wall

January 7, 2012 — This wall at Water Fresh Farm Marketplace is dedicated to the memory of  Nancy Barton, a partner of the business and wife of co-owner Jeff Barton. She passed away in June of 2010 after bouts with cancer.

      The wall features Nancy's artwork as well as that of students, a photo of her teaching, and a poem dedicated to her by Hopkinton wordsmith Cheryl Perrault.     

     

Summer Breeze...

January 8, 2011 — Two patrons of Hopkinton State Park enjoy the nearly balmy, unseasonably warm day today, framed by a glistening birch tree.

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Demons Youth Hockey Comedy Night Fundraiser January 28th

 

The Hopkinton Demons Youth Hockey Association will hold a comedy night fundraiser on Saturday, January 28th at 7 p.m. at the American Legion in Ashland. In addition to dinner and the comedy show, you will have the opportunity to win a signed Bruins hockey stick and Patriot’s tickets.  Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased by contacting Debbie Amorelli at secondvp@demonsyouthhockey.org. The Demons is a non-profit organization that serves children who want to take ice skating lessons or play youth hockey.

   

 SPORT OF THE WEEK

Veteran sports writer Lou Ottaviani will be featuring one Hiller sport in a "Sport of the Week" column for HopNews in extended coverage over and above our usual photographic coverage of Hiller sports. Mr. Ottaviani's reports are written not only for the sports-knowledgeable, but for those who enjoy a good read and a good story.

Hiller Boys Bounce Back and Finish Strong, Beating Millis 69-56

By:  Lou Ottaviani

January 7, 2012 — The Hopkinton boys basketball team has experienced some early setbacks with some of their players being banged up, along with your typical nagging injuries.  For any coach, this can be a frustrating thing coming into the start of the season.  Hiller coach Tom Keane won’t use this as an excuse.  “We haven’t had a full squad all season,” said Keane.  “It is difficult, but I won’t use that as an excuse.  We have an extremely hard working squad despite having been injury prone our first five games.  We’ll work through it.  I give a lot of credit and have a lot of respect for our players for being very flexible to play different position.  We’ve got excellent leadership from our co-captains (Jason Dlugolecki and Barrett Hanlon).  Both are top notch kids who are looked up to by their teammates.  We depend on them a lot for leadership and scoring.”

On a brighter aspect, Hanlon has returned to action after sustaining a broken right wrist, an injury sustained during football season.  This talented basketball player has been working to perfect his left-handed shooting techniques during his absence to playing.  One would think that a player would be at a disadvantage if they had to shoot with their opposite hand.  After having watched him play last night, I can’t imagine how good he really would be if he shot right handed.  Despite not being back 100% and limited to basically shooting all his shots left handed, Hanlon had a very impressive night scoring 21 points, just one shy behind teammate Dlugolecki who led all scorers with 22 points. 

At one point in the game, Hanlon was 7 for 10 from the line and that was shooting lefty.  Not too shabby.  Millis’ strategy to keep both Hopkinton star players (Dlugolecki and Hanlon) at bay was to utilize a triangle and two style defense, hoping to force the Hillers to rely on their outside shooting. As it turned out, it didn’t hinder either of their performances.  14 of Hanlon’s 21 points came on drives to the basket and 7 were created through being fouled and going to the line.  Dlugolecki didn’t let his outside shot or the drives to the basket hold him back either.  His 22 points consisted of connecting on two 3-pointer, six 2-pointers and 4 free throws at the line.

Hopkinton started off slow to start the game, quickly falling behind by a score of 15-7 to end the first quarter.  It seemed as though that he Hillers couldn’t do anything right.  Their play was sluggish and sloppy.  Mohawk Derek Latosek contributed big for the Mohawk’s first quarter lead by hitting three 3-pointers.  Latosek ended up being Millis’ high scorer on the evening, finishing with 15 points. 

The Hillers came out strong in the second quarter, taking advantage of their up-beat tempo style on offense and pressure defense which caused favorable turnovers for Hopkinton to turn into points for the Hillers.  Things took a positive change for the Hillers when Hopkinton hit two quick 3-pointers and with 3:22 left to the half, Dlugolecki went to the line to tie it up hitting on a free throw at the 3:22 mark.  Hanlon continued by adding a couple of free throws and baskets giving the Hillers a lead they wouldn’t have to look back on. 

Hopkinton outscored the Mohawks 29 to 12 in the second quarter to give the Hillers a 36-27 lead going into the locker room at halftime. 

Millis came out strong to start the second half, outscoring Hopkinton 16 to 12 and closing the gap to within five (48-43).  Going into the fourth quarter, the Mohawks were starting to pick up the momentum by bringing the score within two (50-48) before the sleeping bear woke up.  The Hillers fourth quarter was almost a repeat of their second quarter, with Hopkinton pulling away when Hanlon hit four for four at the line and two additional baskets to stretch their lead to 58-52.  Jake Hamilton then followed up with a 3-pointer to make it 61-54 at the 4:01 mark.  The Hillers went on to prevail, finishing up at 69-56.

“We’re starting to gel (as a team),” said Jason Dlugolecki.  “But we have to make sure we play a full 32 minutes.  We had some pretty good spurts tonight and we still have a lot to work on.  But it was a good win for us.  Hopefully we can continue to improve and excel on defense and keep our momentum going to put a winning streak together.” 

Hanlon echoed similar sentiments, adding, “They came out with their triangle and two defense and we needed to adjust to it.  We started out slow at the start of the game and third quarter but were able to adjust to it.  Our defense stepped up, as well, which created offensive opportunities which we also took advantage of.” 

Both co-captains stepped up defensively, Hanlon (3 steals) and Dlugolecki (1 steal).  Both took a charge each for the team.  That’s like a “badge of honor” when one of Coach Keane’s players does that.  Hanlon also contributed with 6 assists and 12 rebounds.  Dlugolecki finished with 4 rebounds. 

Hopkinton (3-4 overall; 3-3 TVL) will host Medway next Tuesday at home for a 6:30 start time.  Come down and cheer on your Hiller boys basketball.

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Phyllis M. (Rousseau) Chenard, 90

Phyllis M. (Rousseau) Chenard, 90, of Hanover, NH, formerly a long time resident of Southborough, died on Monday, January 2, 2012 after a period of declining health. She was the wife of the late Roland A. Chenard who passed away in 1984. Phyllis was a 1939 graduate of Framingham High School and work for many years at the Correctional Facility at Sherborn as a secretary.

 

She was an avid swimmer and enjoyed walking. Phyllis was a member of the Southborough Senior Citizens; the former Southborough Womens Club; and Southborough Senior Chorus. She is survived by her children, Jennifer Fontaine and her husband Arthur of Southport, NC; Renee Russell and her husband Daniel of White River Junction, VT; Roland J. Chenard of Hopkinton; 6 grandchildren, Jason & Seth Dunnet; Marc Fontaine; Buffy Constantine; Carrie LeCompte, Joe and Jennie Russell; 4 great grandchildren, Emma and Eli Dunnet; Brooke Constantine; and Oliver Fontaine; her a brother, 5 sisters, Edna Carr, Pauline LaForce, Kate Sveneson all of Framingham; Theresa Crowley of Franklin; Jeanne Taylor of Hopkinton.

 

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, January 6, from 10:30 to 12:30 at the Morris Funeral Home, 40 Main Street, Southborough Funeral service will follow at 1 PM at the Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Southborough Rural Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be sent in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association Arsenal St. Watertown, MA 02472 To send words of condolence to the family go to www.Morrisfuneralparlor.com

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 State Crime

Statie Interrupts Newton Armed Robbery in Progress

Massachusetts State Police a short time ago interrupted an armed robbery in progress at the CVS on Route 9 in Newton. Trooper John McKinnon was walking into the CVS where he observed a man with a box-cutter robbing the pharmacy. Trooper McKinnon placed the suspect under arrest. Further investigation revealed that the suspect used a Toyota Venza that had been reported stolen a short time earlier.

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Many Increases Proposed in School Budget, Fees

Public Hearing on budget to be held on January 26, 2012

Department to roll out new website

by Muriel Kramer

January 6, 2012 — The School District is ready to roll out a new web page, and for the next couple of weeks they will be specifically seeking feedback from parents, students, staff and the general public. The new URL is going to be posted on the older school page today. The new website is intended to be more user friendly and uniform throughout. The site features necessary information in a consistent format including easy to find information about all schools' addresses and hours as well as a complete staff listing. For a short period of time both sites will be maintained while the new site is finalized.

 

The School Committee voted to submit ten articles for Town Counsel review as placeholders on the Annual Town Meeting warrant for: the operational budget, a feasibility study for an elementary school, a new buildings and grounds truck, a tractor-mower, loop road repair, design and repair for the Elmwood School roof, High School track repair/replacement, Center School windows, Center school HVAC study, and technology upgrade. Annual Town Meeting is May 7th.

 

After the televised meeting, the School Committee held a budget work session with representatives from the Appropriation Committee and the Elementary School principals/assistant principals. The superintendent’s preliminary budget recommendation for $34,260,733.00 represents a 3.95% increase for FY13 over FY12. The School Committee will hold its Public Hearing on the proposed budget on January 26th. As part of his initial presentation on the recommended budget, School Superintendent Jonathan Landman noted the budget addressed sustaining reasonable class sizes, the addition of professional math intervention, enhanced support for special needs students, alignment of the 4-9 math program with the Common Core in advance of changes to MCAS, technology upgrades and equipment replacement as well as leadership to move world language forward.

 

Projected class sizes for next year range from 22 in first grade classrooms to 25 in fifth grade. Despite support for the Superintendent’s proposed budget and emphasis on maintaining class sizes, all three elementary schools express additional needs for secretarial support, full time assistant principals and additional support for math and reading. The School Committee’s meeting/work session next week on 01/12/2012 will address specifically curriculum additions and/or concerns included in the proposed budget.

 

The work session also addressed increasing fees in the next year. Proposed increases for next year include increasing parking fee from $210 to $250, bus fees from $210 to $250, athletic fees per sport from $125 to $200, full day kindergarten tuition from $3,700 to $4,000. Also proposed for next year is to assess daycares and afterschool programs a $100 fee per student for transport on the buses. According to Attorney Nancy Campany from the School District's Counsel, Murphy, Lamere & Murphy, P.C. of Braintree, legally the schools are only obligated to provide transportation to and from home. Requiring the businesses that receive these students to pay a fee would necessitate an agreement with each business and the schools; however, parents could be assessed additional fees to have the schools transport the students to other locations. School Business Manager Ralph Dumas made the point, “The argument can be made that we are subsidizing private businesses by providing this service, and we are under no obligation to do so.”

 

For her part, school Committee member, Rebecca Robak made the point, “We run the risk of losing community good will and support. Between taxes, fees, and capital articles; we need to take a realistic look at what we are asking people for.” The Public Hearing on the school’s budget will address all these issues and allow for public input; that hearing will be January 26, 2012.

 

    

Water Fresh Farm Marketplace Opens - Softly 

 

January 5, 2012 — The Todaro/Barton family farm market opened their doors today without the usual dignitaries, clowns and balloons that accompany such an event. Nonetheless, the soft opening drew a robust crowd that took advantage of their many offerings, especially their fresh vegetables.

       HopNews was there, recorded a video, and teen reporter Austin Falcione even wrote a mellow, rhyming rap about the place. Take a sneak peek at the grand farmstand and hear Austin's rap in the video below. And rumor has it, there'll be vendors there on Saturday in a Grand Opening.

   

 Regional Crime

Masked Armed Robbery Surveillance Video

Click here for Audio of 911 call following robbery

 

 

(Milford, MA.) On January 3, 2012 Tuesday morning at 6:12 am the Milford Police received a report of an armed robbery had just occurred at the Village Laundromat located at 70 Main Street. Milford Police responded and learned that a masked male subject approximately 5’08” had smashed the side glass door with a hammer and entered the business shortly after an employee entered. The suspect was armed with a hammer and threatened the employee to give him the money or he would hit her. The suspect did rob the employee of an amount of cash from the business’s safe and fled out the side door onto Court Street and in the direction towards Spring Street.
 

Milford Police Detectives are continuing the investigation along with patrol officers and are reviewing video evidence. Video evidence captures a subject dressed in a winter coat possibly green or gray colored with stripes on the sleeves and a hood. The suspect also had a full face mask on and was carrying a hammer in his right hand. The suspect then smashed the side glass door and entered the business approaching the employee shortly after she arrived demanding money from the safe. The suspect is observed wearing a dark colored back pack with a yellow hard hat attached to it.

 

The case remains under investigation.

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Volunteers Needed for Milford Regional’s End of Life Comfort Program

MILFORD - January 5, 2012 — Milford Regional Medical Center is recruiting volunteers for a patient comfort program based on the “No One Dies Alone” program. Compassionate Companion volunteers provide companionship to dying patients that don’t have family or friends available to stay with them 24 hours a day. A Compassionate Companion offers comfort through talking, reading or simply sitting with the patient during this difficult time. Comfort carts provide access to soothing music and reading materials. “It’s not about doing,” notes Elaine Willey, director of volunteer services. “It’s about being. The essence of the program is a compassionate, caring presence at the end of life. Every hour that a compassionate companion is at the patient’s bedside, is one less hour that a patient is alone.”

Schedules are created based upon the volunteer’s availability. Shifts are generally four hours in length. Volunteers will be interviewed, screened and trained for this program. For more information on the Compassionate Companion Program or to volunteer, call Elaine Willey, director of volunteer services at Milford Regional before January 26, 2012. She can be reached at 508-422-2263; or by email at ewilley@milreg.org.

     

No Keebler Elves Here

January 5, 2012 — Austin provides scale for this hollow Ash tree on Pond Street, which is being taken down by Joe Regan Tree Company after being struck by a vehicle.

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CLICK HERE FOR CENTER SCHOOL SURVEY POWER POINT PRESENTATION

Majority of survey participants say:

1. Replace Center School by expanding Elmwood to two separate schools OR,

2. Renovate and expand Center School

Send SOIs (Statement of Interest) to MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority)

Hopkinton - January 4, 2012 — The School Committee and the Board of Selectmen met jointly in the auditorium of the High School this evening, largely to hear a presentation by Paul Flaxman of the results of a survey he developed to ascertain where individuals in the community stand regarding the next step in the elementary school discussion. Last year, Town Meeting shot down an Article sponsored by the School Committee, 70% - 30%, to build a new, districted school on the town's Fruit Street land. The same question failed at the ballot box. Both the idea of a school on Fruit Street, as well as a districted school were shown to have very low appeal in this latest survey taken by 1,208 registered voters.

        Mr. Flaxman, Vice-President of Boston Research Group explained his methodology of asking questions and gathering demographical data on the participants, and then linking some answers together as themes. In addition, they cleaned some of the data that was gathered by people who sped through the survey, indicating they had taken it before, or same answers that were given repeatedly for each question, or more than 6 surveys from the same IP address.

         Mr. Flaxman admitted early on that because a large number of surveys were through the school department's list serv, that those answers were biased, taken by school-age families. However to offset that, they reached out to people in the newspaper, the press, the library and the Senior Center. From those latter two sources, 19 surveys were taken in paper form. And because some age groups taking the survey outweighed their counterparts in the general population, Mr. Flaxman took that into account and gave them a different weight when tallying the results.

          Nearly two-thirds of respondents agreed that addressing Center School has more than a small degree of urgency.

          But all in all, the top two vote-getters of all possibilities were 1. To replace Center School with a two-school solution on Elmwood School land if sufficient land is available. 35% were in favor, and 34% more were willing to consider and 2. Renovate and expand Center School. 34% were in favor and 31% more were willing to consider. Although the two results are a photo-finish, they are statistically a tie, given that there was a plus or minus 3% margin of error.

          Most people favored the methodology, but resident mom Kim Brennan, a vocal opponent of last year's failed attempts, felt the survey asked some leading questions.

          School Committee Chair Jean Bertschman said that this survey was a start of the process and that future discussions would take into account the voters' perceptions of the cost of projects, as well as repurposing Center School in conjunction with the costs if the solution is off-site.

          The two groups voted unanimously to send Statements of Interest for repair projects to the MSBA for consideration, as well as renovation or repair to Center School.

          The School Committee will hold its regular meeting tomorrow, Thursday evening, in the Middle School Library at 7:30 pm.

           NOTE: HopNews hopes to link to tonight's power point presentation by tomorrow noon.

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beFREE! Bonfire Comedy Night 

 Saturday, January 7th

 7:00 - 10:00 PM
(Doors close at 8:00 PM) 
 St. John's Church
Church Street, Hopkinton  
$5 Admission includes refreshments 

           Featuring comedy by Michael Petit 

     with FUN, FOOD, GAMES & PRIZES!!

 

The beFREE! Project and St. John's Church are co-sponsoring an alternative social event for high school teens featuring Comedian Michael Petit, who has appeared on Comedy Central and E's Talk Soup. He is a master of impressions and laugh out loud comedy!

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NON-PROFIT FORMED TO HELP FUND EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF HOPKINTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

January 4, 2011 — The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation, Inc. today announced its formation as a new non-profit entity designed to support the Hopkinton Public Library.

 

Founded in September 2011, the Foundation will spearhead efforts to raise private funds for the expansion and state-of-the-art renovation of Hopkinton Public Library, pending receipt of a Library Construction Grant from the state and final approval from the Town of Hopkinton. Following the expansion, the Foundation will provide ongoing funding for long-term enhancements of the library, such as print and electronic collections and community-responsive programs for children, teens and adults. This expansion and improvement will make Hopkinton Public Library truly the educational and cultural center of Hopkinton, offering all residents enhanced access to information, entertainment and knowledge through materials, programs and cutting-edge technology.  In May 2011, Hopkinton Annual Town Meeting approved the proposed plan for renovation and expansion. These plans, and a virtual tour, are available online at www.hopkintonlibrary.org  .

 

In July 2011, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) awarded a grant to the Town of Hopkinton for the planned expansion and renovation of the current library building. The MBLC grant of $4.5 million, available as soon as July 2014, will offset the project’s total estimated cost of $10.2 million. The initial purpose of the Foundation is to raise private funding to further defray cost to the town.

 

To begin its fundraising effort, the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation will host a Mother & Daughter Princess Tea. The event will include live performances by Disney®’s Belle, Cinderella and Rapunzel, and a delicious sundae bar, specialty pastries, tea and light refreshments. The Mother Daughter Princess Tea will be held on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree Inn, Westborough, MA. Tickets are $35 per person and are available by contacting Lindsay McDermott at Lindsay.mcdermott@yahoo.com .

The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation is led by a Board of Directors comprised of eight Hopkinton volunteers. Directors are Scott Richardson, John Ferrari, Laura Barry, Ron Eldridge, Katie Davenport, Amy Montalto, Joe Markey and Lindsay McDermott. Ex Officio Board members are Rownak Hussain, Director of Hopkinton Public Library, Christine Clifford, on behalf of the Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library, and Mike McNamara, on behalf of the Hopkinton Public Library Board of Trustees. In addition to the Directors, the Foundation already has recruited the assistance of countless volunteers. If you are interested in learning more about Hopkinton Public Library Foundation, or would like to volunteer, please contact the Foundation at info@hopkintonpubliclibraryfoundation.org .

 

Hopkinton Public Library Foundation wishes to thank the Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library and the Hopkinton Public Library Board of Trustees for their support and contributions to Hopkinton Public Library Foundation. All three groups play a critical role in supporting the Hopkinton Public Library. The newly formed Hopkinton Public Library Foundation exists to address long-term library funding needs including facility renovations, expansion and resource enhancements. The Friends of the Library is a non-profit, membership organization that generously supports the immediate needs of Hopkinton Public Library through its important activities such as the library books sales and its annual apple crisp sale at PolyArts. Both the Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library provide financial support to enhance, but not replace the Town’s budget. Finally, Hopkinton Public Library Board of Trustees, consisting of five elected members, oversees the public administration and management of Hopkinton Public Library on behalf of the Town. Hopkinton Public Library Foundation looks forward to working with both the Friends of the Library and the Trustees to realize its shared goal of providing Hopkinton residents with a library facility that will better serve all residents, and provide Hopkinton with the educational and cultural center it deserves. Contributed content.

 

    

ESL’s Contemporary American Songbook Concert January 8

Cast members include (left to right); Front row - Rachel MacKenzie, Carole Shannon, Emily Grill, Mark Schiappucci, Noelle Laumeister Back row - Mark DiCampo, Melissa Ennulat, Ben Walton, Lillian White, Gina Servello Not pictured- Emily Shaner, Accompanist Sinai Tabak

 

HOPKINTON, MA (January 4, 2012) – Enter Stage Left Theater will be presenting an Evening of Contemporary American Songbook at 4:00 p.m. on January 8 at Memorial Hall, 30 School St, Milford. The concert is directed by Mark DiCampo and features selections from American composers including Stephen Schwartz, Alan Menken, Cy Coleman, Frank Wildhorn and many others, with songs from such noted productions as The Light in the Piazza, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A New Brain, King David, Ragtime and Pippin.

 

The evening is a celebration of the the Great American Songbook as we attempt to update this tradition of great song writers by evaluating our favorite contemporary composers,” said DiCampo. Tickets are $10 per person; $5 for students, seniors or Stage Door members, and are available via www.enterstagelefttheater.org .

 

Enter Stage Left Theater, Inc. is a non-profit, performing arts center in Hopkinton offering theater education, training and performances for students of all ages. Both Enter Stage Left and the Cultural Arts Alliance are part of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, whose mission is to provide a multi-media arts facility that will allow a collaboration of individuals and organizations to create and present quality visual and performing arts, arts education and events.

   

Featherbedding

January 4, 2012 — This mute swan, identified by its black facemask, gives new meaning to the word featherbedding, as it sleeps with its herd on Lake Maspenock in this photo taken today by Christine Snow. NOTE: Any word on this page will reveal its meaning and pronunciation by double-clicking it.

     

Governor Patrick Visits Keefe Tech

 

FRAMINGHAM – Wednesday, January 4, 2012 – Governor Deval Patrick today visited the Joseph P. Keefe Technical School in Framingham to outline the “Career Readiness” piece of the Administration’s Gateway Cities Education Agenda announced this past fall. During his visit, the Governor saw first-hand how non-traditional learning methods, such as internships and on-the-job training, have proven successful in helping students succeed post-graduation. HopNews file photo.

 

“Keefe’s successful model of integrating academics and on-the-job experience is what we hope our Gateway Cities Education Agenda will address in cities across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “I congratulate the students and leadership at Keefe in proving that career readiness can lead to countless post-graduation opportunities.”

 

During the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Education Summit in November, Governor Patrick unveiled the Gateway Cities Education Agenda, a set of strategies aimed at eliminating those deep and persistent achievement gaps that disproportionately affect children living in poverty, students of color, students with disabilities and students who are English language learners. 

 

This plan will deliver a set of five principles and action items that will close achievement gaps more quickly and effectively and also result in the development of a stronger, more comprehensive 21st Century public education system: (1) getting every child to reading proficiency by the third grade; (2) providing every child with a healthy platform for education; (3) creating a differentiated education system that meets each student, particularly English Language Learners, where they are; (4) preparing all students for college and career success; and (5) seeding and incentivizing innovation.

 

Each of these goals will be represented by a pilot program, to be offered to several gateway cities on a competitive grant basis, which will be included in the Governor’s fiscal year 2013 budget proposal.

 

“As House Chairwoman of the Education Committee, I recognize the importance of vocational technical education in increasing college and career readiness amongst our students,” said Representative Alice H. Peisch. “In today’s economic climate, training in both academics and technical skills are essential in order to compete with a global workforce.  I hope to continue our support of vocational technical education in order to help educate the Commonwealth’s diverse student population, and to better prepare them for success in the 21st century economy."

 

 “The Gateway Cities Education Agenda is one of those programs that illuminate the Governor’s innovative approach to advancing the Commonwealth’s educational opportunities,” said Representative Chris Walsh. “Quality education has been proven to be the most direct line to a strong and broad based economy, good work force development and a high quality of life for our residents. The Governor choosing to speak at Keefe Tech in Framingham is a clear indication of how important the MetroWest is to the overall success and importance of education in the state.”

 

The Joseph P. Keefe Technical School is a four-year high school, serving approximately 675 students from Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton and Natick. The Keefe school belongs to the South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical School District and offers both academic and career-focused programs. Contributed content.

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BAA Wants Marathon Bleacher Seats Under Their Control

  "The BAA has made it clear that they own the race. They want control of the bleachers," Mr. Khumalo said.

Town Manager wants control of Boston Marathon number waivers

Above, from left, student Nick Cornu, Selectman John Mosher, Acting Chair, Selectman Vice Chair Ben Palleiko, Selectman Brian Herr, student Alex Kraieski, and Hopkinton Marathon Committee Chair, Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace. The students were attending the meeting as part of a school class, and were invited to sit with Selectmen and fill the empty chairs left by absent board members.

 

January 3, 2012 — The Selectmen opened the Town Meeting Warrant this evening, but did not bow to a request from Town Clerk Ann Click to move the September 6, 2012 state primary election from the Middle School to the Senior Center. She noted that she was acting on a request from the school department, which will have been back to school for only a few days prior to that time.

       Selectmen objected on the grounds that moving the polling location could cause a drop in voting participation, something that could shelve the plan. Mrs. Click was concerned that she could inform the public of the change with her yearly street listing mailings. One selectman suggested that it would be better to mail a notice of change closer to the election.

       Mr. Palleiko suggested they consider it further when all five members are in attendance.

       The board also considered changes in the Open Meeting law that would accommodate a board or committee member attending remotely.

        Mr. Palleiko suggested that remote participants must have access to the same materials present at the main meeting place.

        He also expressed concern that remote attendees should not use the option to attend from work at a reasonable distance.

        Mr. Palleiko also expressed concerns that speaker phones could inadvertently be heard by people who should not be privy to executive session discussions — or that a person in proximity to the remote participant could exert undue influence on the member.

        The full board will take up the matter another time.

        Hopkinton Marathon Committee Chair Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace came before the board to hear Town Manager Norman Khumalo explain his changes to the way some traditional practices of the Committee have been played out.

        Mr. Khumalo suggested that the Board of Selectmen be the body to receive the number waivers from the BAA [Boston Athletic Association] for the Boston Marathon. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a coveted goal of marathon runners, and Boston is one that runners must qualify for in order to participate officially with a bib number.

        However, the BAA doles out numbers that waive the requirements. Large charitable groups like Dana-Farber make their own arrangements with the BAA for waivered numbers, as does the Hopkinton Athletic Association. Selectman Brian Herr is an inaugural participant in the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (HopNews file photo), which receives invitational numbers, and has qualifying runners join their endeavor, too. This year will be his 23rd year running for the cause. It is estimated that DFMC runners have raised over $50 million over the years.

        The Hopkinton Marathon Committee received nearly thirty waivers last year on behalf of the town, and Mr. Khumalo wanted the Selectmen to dish them out this year, but they would have no part of it.

        Instead, inasmuch as the numbers, which are given to people who raise as much as $4,000 for each runner who gets one, represent a gift, the Selectmen eventually agreed to accept them as a gift and give them to the committee for distribution. But the motivation for the change was clear, when toward the end of the meeting, Mr. Khumalo revealed the town would be receiving an additional ten numbers this year. Apparently, he would like some control over those.

        Another conversation Mr. Khumalo has been having with the Boston organization, but out of the earshot of the Hopkinton Marathon Committee, is the BAA's desire to have control over the bleacher seats that the town moves from the sports stadium to the triangle at Cookie's Corner by the Start Line for the use of Hopkinton residents and VIPs invited by the committee. At least one set has been donated by New England Laborer's Training Center to the Hopkinton Marathon Committee as part of their annual PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes). Many non-profit organizations that do not pay taxes, make a good-neighbor PILOT payment.

        "The BAA has made it clear that they own the race. They want control of the bleachers," Mr. Khumalo said.

        Selectmen suggested that Mr. Khumalo, the Hopkinton Marathon Committee and the BAA have a meeting.

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