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Since 2003, Hopkinton News
TM

P.O. Box 351, Hopkinton, MA 01748
508-435-5534

Editor@HopNews.com



Four Score and Seven Years Ago...

July 8, 2012 — Above, at the Hopkinton Sportsmen's Club on Lumber Street yesterday, Dr. Robert Bee, a retired professor of Anthropology, sports a .69 caliber Gallager carbine used in the American Civil War. Below, encampments were set up across from the club, complete with tents and flags. Although Dr. Gallager was in period attire, the rest of the participants were not due to the heat. The Union pants were made of heavy wool that would dangerously overheat today's re-enactors. According to one member of the traveling troupe, the South had the cotton, a lighter and more cool fabric.
The event will continue today.
     According to the group's press release, "...the Hopkinton Sportsmen's Club, 95 Lumber St., Hopkinton, sponsored by the North South Skirmish Association, the 34th Btn. Virginia Cavalry, and the 20th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. There will be authentic Union and Confederate camp sites, displays of period firearms, equipment, uniforms and camp life. Visitors can explore the lives of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb during the most tumultuous time in our nation's history. There will be uniformed living historians on site to help visitors learn about the sacrifices these courageous citizen soldiers made to preserve our nation. There will also be live firing competitions on the range by uniformed participants firing original and reproduction Civil War firearms.

YOUR HOME

Walk on Water

July 7, 2012 — In order to get airborne with its water-logged wings, this cormorant, a diving bird, needs to push off the surface by walking on water to gain momentum. Its footprints can be seen behind it on the top of the water, this afternoon at Hopkinton Reservoir.

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Jazz at Sunset

July 7, 2012 — Kaoruko Pilkington led the scat at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts Sunset Jazz Series Saturday night. Please check the calendar to see who will lead the next few performances. A video clip of a couple of minutes of this evening's performance is below, featuring "The Girl From Ipanema". Or see a super high quality video here, on our SmugMug site.

 

Leggo My...
July 7, 2012 — All was fine with these birds and a couple of confederates on a South Mill Street driveway until the one on the right decided to abscond into the tree with whatever tasty treat is has in its claw. The bird on the left is loudly protesting its selfishness, and apparently, the very fabric of the pecking order. 

SERVICE GUIDE
 
 

In Memory of Thomas F Hilditch III

One year has come and gone and the pain still hasn't gone away. I will never forget the laughs we shared, and the memories we made. Love u forever and always. RIP January 22, 1957 - July 7th 2011. Your Loving Niece, Joyce Alexander

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Patricia A. Dee (Mullins), 74

HOPKINTON – Patricia A. Dee (Mullins), 74, died July 1, 2012 in Conway, SC. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of the late James and Nora (Shaugnessy) Dee. She was a 1957 graduate of Hopkinton High School and was the proud mother of the Mullins Family Singers.

She is survived by her children Lisa Itse and husband Daniel of Freemont, NH, Kathleen French and husband Dean of Conway, SC, Patricia Word and husband Jonathan of Milford, Judith Sullivan and husband Thomas of Hopkinton, Mary Poillucci and husband William of Hopkinton, David Mullins and wife Vickie of Glendora, CA, Daniel Mullins and wife Patricia of Duluth, MN and Michael Mullins of Hopkinton. She also leaves her sister Mary Schneider of NJ, 21 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, Jonathan Robert Cloutier.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 11 at 1 p.m. in the chapel at Faith Community Church, 146 East Main Street, Hopkinton. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery, Worcester. Calling hours are Tuesday, July 10 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Callanan Cronin Funeral Home, 34 Church Street, Hopkinton.

Donations may be made to the Respite Center, 112 Main Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748.

   

Annual Seafood Bake
 The Woodville Rod and Gun Club is having its annual Seafood Bake on 
Saturday,  August 4 @ 1:00 p.m.  Tickets are $30.00 which include a 
lobster, chicken and steamers and all the fixin's. For just the chicken 
and all the fixin's $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids. For tickets 
and more info visit the club on Rte 135 in Hopkinton.

 

Familiar Scene
See New HopNews Website... 35,000 photos viewed yesterday

July 6, 2012 — Few Hopkinton residents would not know the location of this West Main Street scene in the photo above taken this morning, the roof of the gazebo reflected in  the pond in the background. The photo is full of diagonal lines that give additional strength to an already powerful image that abounds with inference, seasonal references and power. The reflection of the gazebo roof mimics a mirror-image of the triangle formed by the bird's wings.
         HopNews, after a couple of years of suggestions to do so by colleagues, has purchased a SmugMug site to display photos and videos at a quality unparalleled in this our tenth year of presenting outstanding images to Hopkinton readers, as well as others who have an interest.
         The site is in the cloud, a place where a user can store information that is away from its point of origin. Google, Adobe, EMC and others have cloud storage available for home and business users. These types of sites generally have protection from loss of information with duplicate files and backups.
           HopNews will continue to present brilliant photos and videos by principal photographer Robert Falcione and others as it always has done on these pages. The difference is that now, readers can enjoy a copy of the photo printed and delivered to their home or business address directly from the new website, without needing to call to place an order.
          Photos (As well as a video) from Wednesday's Horribles Parade went up late that day and had quite a few views. But yesterday, the first full day of the gallery upload, 35,000 photos were viewed on the site by HopNews readers.
           The galleries will be presented from hereon in at our special SmugMug location. And when the Editor decides a feature photo on HopNews is worthy of printing, it too will be uploaded and a link will appear.   Use coupon code HopNewsxyz at checkout to save $10 off of your first order.


She Loves You...
July 6, 2012 — Pincers and stingers set this apart from being mistaken for a member of the Fab Four anytime soon. Highway Manager Mike Mansir wonders if anyone knows what type of beetle it is that he discovered and photographed in his yard.

ANSWER:
Hi, the bug in question is a female "Broad necked root borer". scientific name Prionus laticullis. The female is larger than the male. The "ovipositer" is not a stinger but the way the female deposits its eggs. It can "bite" seeing how it chewed its way out of a root or tree base. They are a common bug in the Northeast, but not seen often because they roost in wood.

Thanks, David Hebert

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Greyhound Friends Founder Thanks Community

July 6, 2012 — I would like to thank the entire local community as well as the worldwide Greyhound community for making our 6th Annual International Greyhound Welfare Conference a huge success. The event was hosted by Greyhound Friends on June 30th under warm but pleasant conditions. Thanks to our Greyhound family members traveling from as far as Ireland and Spain for making the conference the highly informative event it was intended to be. Numerous important topics including current issues relating to greyhounds, lurchers, Spanish galgos, and hounds around the world were discussed.

Special thanks to those who helped organize and run the event as we continue our unified goal of saving racetrack greyhounds and placing them in responsible and loving homes. We invite the entire community to attend our annual Fall Open House event on September 22nd and 23rd.

Sincerely,

Louise Coleman

Founder

Greyhound Friends

July 6, 2012

SERVICE GUIDE
 
 

A Relocated Frankland Road on the Planning Board Agenda
Above, view from the new Legacy Farms South Road looking north across East Main Street. Weston Nurseries side entrance is center and to the right.
July 5, 2012 — Legacy Farms representatives will be meeting with the Planning Board on Monday to discuss the long-planned relocation of Frankland Road as part of the development of Legacy Farms. The Legacy Farms South Road is near completion, and builders are chomping at the bit to begin construction. Above, the red arrow lays along the current peach Street, which will be discontinued.  Below, the green color added by HopNews highlights the path of the new Frankland Road in the northern section of the development. The current Frankland Road joins East Main Street at a triangular intersection, with a near head-on turn, that many believe is very dangerous. In the new road, outlined in green, Frankland Road would be redirected and the triangle eliminated.

Legacy representatives will also seek a change in their Master Plan Special Permit to alter the location part of the planned 1.6 mile long North Road.

 

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School Department Press Release

Interim Superintendent Search: Semi-Finalists Announced

Hopkinton, MA 7/5/2012


The Hopkinton School Committee is pleased to announce that the Interim Superintendent Search Screening Committee has identified three candidates for further consideration by the School Committee for the position of Interim Superintendent of Schools for the 2012-2013 school year. The six member Screening Committee included representation from the School Committee, the district’s administrative office, and building level administration.

 

The Screening Committee reviewed the resumes of seventeen applicants for this position, two of whom later withdrew from consideration. At the conclusion of its review, the Interim Superintendent Search Screening Committee put forth the following slate of candidates (in alphabetical order) to the School Committee for further consideration:

READ MORE...

   

  

Police Incident Log - Most Recent First

 

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Incident Log
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
11:46 pm An officer assisted with a road hazard on East Main Street.

11:27 pm
A caller reported that two teenagers were pounding on the glass ...

9:50 pm
A motorist reported a disable motor vehicle on 495 and that the operator was walking...

9:20 pm
A resident of Jamie Lane reported fireworks going off in the area. An officer checked the area but could not locate any fireworks.

6:20 pm
Officer Peter Booth stopped a motor vehicle on Lumber Street and subsequently arrested a 49 year old male from Framingham...

READ THE FULL STORIES....

 

Horribles Parade

July 4, 2012 — The July 4, 2012 Hopkinton Horribles Parade took off from the Hopkinton Common promptly at noon, showering bystanders with candy and water from water balloons, waterballs, super-soakers, and all kinds of other devices. The usual irreverent sentiments about recent events is on billboards on some of the floats, and politicians trudged through the route pumping flesh. Please visit the HopNews July 4 Gallery in the new HopNews Galleries section, where images can be viewed more quickly and orderly than ever, with the original, full-sized file image available for viewing, too. Even better, readers can now purchase print copies of their favorite photos online, all the way up to 16x20, and have them delivered to their door without needing to call the office. Please choose the gallery icon to view 82 more great photos of the Horribles Parade as well as the Lake Maspenock Association Boat Parade. (For those purchasing photos for the first time, take $10 off at checkout. Coupon code is HopNewsxyz)
        Watch the HD video of the parade here.

SERVICE GUIDE
 
 

Water, Water, Everywhere...
July 4, 2012 — Although they are surrounded by water, these boat parade participants on Lake Maspenock borrowed a theme from their counterparts in the Horribles Parade and doused each other like ships in a battle. Photos from the parade are part of today's gallery.

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One Picture is Worth...

July 4, 2012 — This picture only tells part of the story. The park closed before noon and displayed a sign saying so. They were at "capacity." They also displayed a sign stating they would reopen at 3:00 pm, causing people to queue up and park anywhere they could, creating a traffic mess. Some even held tailgate parties on the side of the road while they waited.


Friends and Supporters
July 3, 2012 — US Senator from Massachusetts Scott Brown, who is running for election for a full term, met with supporters as well as local politicians at Uhlman's Ice Cream in Westborough this afternoon. Above, Hopkinton Republican Town Committee member Leda Arakelian and her eleven year-old son, Aren, speak with Senator Brown. Photo supplied by Marty Lamb's campaign. Mr. Lamb is running for state rep in Hopkinton's district.

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Sweet Beak
July 3, 2012 — The Potenzone family of Wood Street enjoys morning and evening visits to their feeder by two families of Hummingbirds. Even high speed ISO and fast lens failed to stop the movement of the wings of this female in the low light of dusk today.

 

 Police Incident Log - Most Recent First

 

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 Updated  Tuesday, July 3, 2012 

Incident Log

Monday, July 2, 2012

11:54 pm A caller reported loud music coming from Hayden Rowe Street. Several officers responded and discovered an underage party. The youth's parents were contacted.

9:05 pm A resident of Spring Street complained about fireworks going off in the neighborhood. An officer checked the area and advised that all was quiet.

7:08 pm A 911 caller reported a one car motor vehicle accident without personal injury on West Elm Street.

5:02 pm Officer Peter Booth arrested a 42 year old male from Randolph on 495 and charged him with No Inspection/Sticker, Operating a Motor Vehicle With License Suspended, Subsequent Offense and Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle.

3:57 pm Two officers responded to a two car motor vehicle accident without personal injury on Main Street.

2:35 pm A caller from East Main Street reported that her son advised her that someone tried to get into their house earlier today. An officer spoke with the residents and took a report.

10:51 am An officer spoke with an individual about an incident that occurred on West Main Street.

8:33 am An officer responded to a motor vehicle accident without personal injury on South Street.

6:07 am A motorist reported that there was a tree limb down, blocking part of the roadway on Front Street. The DPW was notified.

   

Geese at Work

July 2, 2012 — Some of these Canada geese in the little pond at the south end of Lake Whitehall have just gotten their flying wings, while others are mature. The green covering is not a grassy lawn, but moss on top of the shallow water.

 

Yellow Brick Road

July 2, 2012 — There is no Land of Oz at the end of this winding road. It is apparently a sidewalk at Legacy Farms at the Clinton Street entrance in a photo taken yesterday. The road, to the left, was not yet paved. The entrance at East Main Street has been paved and is sporting a beautiful stone wall.


 Police Incident Log - Most Recent First

 

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 Updated Monday, July 2, 2012  

 

INCIDENTS

11:23 am Someone's child was offered marijuana on Cedar Street...

 

5:19 pm Marijuana possession bylaw violation...

 

7:17 pm Yale Road resident allegedly threatened by a neighbor who was then...

 

3:42 pm There were multiple 911 calls for a struck deer in the roadway...

 

12:34 am Probation faxed a warrant for a violation of probation, ankle monitor, for a person who lives on...

 

6:33 pm A caller reported several youths driving around an electric scooter...

Read the Full Stories and More, Here...  

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Civil War Event

10:00 am, July 7 & 8, 2012

Hopkinton Sportsmen's Club

There will be a Civil War event July 7 & 8, 2012 at the Hopkinton Sportsmans Club, 95 Lumber St., Hopkinton, sponsored by the North South Skirmish Association, the 34th Btn. Virginia Cavalry, and the 20th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. There will be authentic Union and Confederate camp sites, displays of period firearms, equipment, uniforms and camp life. Visitors can explore the lives of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb during the most tumultuous time in our nation's history. There will be uniformed living historians on site to help visitors learn about the sacrifices these courageous citizen soldiers made to preserve our nation. There will also be live firing competitions on the range by uniformed participants firing original and reproduction Civil War firearms. The event will begin at 10:00 am, and will be held rain or shine.

SERVICE GUIDE
 
 

Milford Police Warns of Scams

(Milford, MA.) July 2, 2012 — A Milford resident reported suspicious activity Saturday afternoon June 30, 2012. On this day a white male described as approximately 5 feet 11 inches, 200 pounds, late 40’s or early 50’s with a scruffy beard and wearing a hat and glasses knocked on the resident’s door. He stated to the resident I did your roof, remember, I have to fix a shingle. The subject also asked if his daughter could come in while he fixed the roof. The resident agreed. The female subject asked on two occasions to enter other parts of the house. One was to use the bathroom and another reason. The female subject was identified as being approximately 40 years old, Hispanic or white, 5’6” with short brown hair. During conversations between the resident and the pair, the subjects had commented about the loss of a loved one. Once the pair had left the resident discovered a large amount of cash was missing. The suspects left in a newer gray or silver colored Chevrolet Tahoe with a rug sticking out of the back.

 

Scams like these involve a pair of people working together to gain the trust of elderly persons so that they can gain access inside the homes of potential victims. Once inside scam artists working in groups will try to keep the homeowner(s) busy while a second or even third thief looks through the home for valuables to steal. The professional thieves are limited to only their imaginations on what type of service or products they are offering. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is so if you come across any similar situation and you feel something is not right then you should contact the police immediately.

 

The suspects apparently did some research to learn about the loss of a loved one at this residence. The Milford Police has also been receiving reports from residents reporting they are receiving calls saying that the FBI statistics show an increase in their neighborhood and offering an alarm system. Given that crime statistics are not sent to the FBI by neighborhoods, this sounds also like a scam, if not then some sales pitch to get the resident to purchase an alarm system. MPD Press Release.

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Hillers on Top


July 2, 2012 — Members of the Championship Hiller Swimming and Diving Team competed in the Natick mini-triathlon on Sunday July 1st. The event had a 1/4 mile open water swim, then a three mile bike, followed by a one mile run. There were individual competitors, as well as teams competing in this year's event. In the Boy's Team Division, Captain Kevin Lagasse (swim), Bowdoin bound John Lagasse (bike) and Middlebury bound Paul Lagasse (run) were victorious in a blistering 17 minutes, while representing the girls, former Hiller All Star, and present Collierville, TN standout Kara Cooney(swim), All Star freshmen Nikki Annenburg (bike), and Senior Captain Jackie Schofield (run) were 2nd in their division with a time of 23 minutes.


(Picture from left to right Kara Cooney, Jackie Schofield, Nikki Annenburg, John Lagasse, Kevin Lagasse, Paul Lagasse)

 

Lake Maspenock Rescue
July 1, 2012 — Firefighters and Police responded to an emergency on Lake Maspenock Sunday evening, when two young men capsized their vessel, said to be a kayak by one public safety official, and wound up needing help. When firefighters arrived ready for a water rescue, according to Fire Chief Ken Clark, a good Samaritan, along with a neighbor across the lake, had already rescued the individuals and brought them to shore onto Sandy Beach. Walking down the path from the beach to the parking lot, one firefighter said, "You guys are really lucky."

"I know," responded at least one.

The young men were evaluated by ambulance personnel, but refused further treatment or transport. The police transported them from Sandy Island parking lot to Woody Island.

   

Bylaw Violation
July 1, 2012 — A motorist was stopped for moving violations on the town line with Ashland, but wound up with Ashland K-9 Officer Dax getting up close and familiar with the interior space of his vehicle. The driver was cited for those offenses, as well as a Hopkinton bylaw violation for possession of marijuana, less than an ounce.


Up and Away
July 1, 2012 — Looking at the surroundings on Lake Whitehall this afternoon, the photographer caught a scene unfold similar to the one above about 1,000 feet away. It only took a five minute wait for another person to materialize out of the trees and plunge into the water.

 

Road Rage Incident on Rte 495 in Merrimac Ends in Shooting

State Police Seeks Public's Assistance

July 1, 2012 — Today at 1217 p.m., an apparent road rage incident on Rt 495 NB in Merrimac, MA resulted in a 16 year old female being shot one time in the upper arm.

Troopers from the State Police Barracks in Newbury responded to the area and are currently securing a number of areas as potential crime scenes. Troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit for Essex County, Crime Scene Services Section, and Ballistics Section are assisting with the investigation.

Troopers continue to search for the suspect vehicle described as a white, Honda Accord with tinted windows, bearing a red, white, and blue registration plate, with a white female operator who was wearing sunglasses. The passenger in that vehicle is alleged to have fired the round that struck the victim. He is described as a light skinned African-American or Hispanic male with short hair, wearing gray t-shirt sunglasses.

The victim was taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport with injuries reported as non-life threatening. The other occupants of the vehicle reported this as a road rage incident. The 16 year old female victim is from Maine. We are not indentifying her at this time in accordance with our policy. Troopers have responded to the hospital and are interviewing potential witnesses to this shooting.

State Police are asking for the public’s help in this matter. Traffic at the time of the shooting was heavy and there may be other witnesses to this crime who have not yet been identified. If anyone has any information regarding this incident they are asked to please call the State Police Barracks in Newbury at (978) 462-7478.

UPDATE:

At the time of the shooting the victim in this incident and three other members of her family where traveling in a white, 2002 Nissan Xterra. The family was returning to Limington, ME after a family trip to Massachusetts. This case remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police. Please do not contact the barracks directly.

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CONCERT ON THE COMMON CANCELED
Today, Sunday, July 1, 2012
Due to stormy weather
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SERVICE GUIDE
 
 

Resident Calls For School Committee Resignations

Dear Editor:

According to data supplied by US Census ( http://smallbiztrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Survey-of-Business-Owners-2.xls ), Hopkinton Public Schools annual ‘gross sales’ are about twice the average US manufacturing firm’s annual gross sales. If the Board of Directors of such a firm orchestrated the removal of a recently hired CEO (1 year into a 3 year contract), just before the annual stockholder’s meeting, but didn’t announce the ‘resignation’ until after said meeting, I would expect considerable outrage on the part of the stockholders, more than considerable interest on the part of the press, and certainly more than passing curiosity on the part of our legal establishment.  (File photo)

In Hopkinton’s School Committee/Landman affair, many fingers continue to point at Jean Bertschmann, as the ‘then’ Chair which is not completely inappropriate. However, all the ‘then’ members of the School Committee are a part of what appears to have been a conspiracy to keep said resignation secret until after the election. I believe all members of the School Committee should tender their resignations on the basis of managerial, if not financial, misfeasance.

 

Sincerely,

Edwin E Harrow

8 Spring Lane

Hopkinton, MA

July 1, 2012

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Joan L. Strathern, 74
Joan L. Strathern, 74, of Hopkinton, passed away, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late Helen (Condry) and Everett Strathern.

A 1960 graduate of Simmons College, Joan had worked for the Town of Millis School library. She belonged to the teacher's association both locally and nationally as well as the local education board. A longtime Hopkinton resident, Joan enjoyed her family and friends as well as traveling and reading.

She leaves behind a cousin, Don Creswell Sr. and many extended family members.

Funeral services will be private with the family and donations in her memory may be made to the Boothbay Regional Land Trust, 137 Townsend Ave. P.O. Box 183, Boothbay Harbor, ME. 04538. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmhttp://www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com/ore Funeral Home of Hopkinton,