January 20, 2013 — members of Carol Mecagni's Senior Center Art Class stop for a quick photo during their opening reception and show today at the Hopkinton  Center for the Arts on Hayden Rowe Street. The showing will continue until January 29, 2013.

January 19, 2013 — This gull grabs a morsel from the surface while strong gusts turn Hopkinton Reservoir into a churning body of water.

January 19, 2013 — Checking the warrant status of a driver on Hayden Rowe Street this afternoon, Hopkinton Police discovered an active warrant for larceny from Milford on the individual driving and placed him under arrest.

Downtown Corridor Project Update

Yesterday’s meeting to review the 25% design plans for the Downtown Corridor project provided opportunities for residents, local business owners and other stakeholders to offer additional input on the project to Town Staff members. Selectman Brian Herr attended the meeting as a member of the Downtown Initiative Steering Committee.

Overall, attendees expressed that the 25% design plan represented some improvement from the previous plan. Attendees also offered constructive suggestions to strengthen the plan, including but not limited to, safety improvements at Ash, Meserve and Pleasant streets, changing Church Street to one-way, eliminating a left turn from Summer Street onto West Main Street and further researching the configuration of the current entrance and exit from Bill’s Pizza parking lot.
To be certain all the suggestions are evaluated carefully by Town Staff and the BETA Engineering team, the presentation of the 25% design plan to the Board of Selectmen has been rescheduled from January 22, 2013 to February 5, 2013.

 

Above is a press release from the Town manager as well as a newly presented HopNews photo taken at the meeting. Principals off-camera are Selectman Brian Herr, Town Engineer Dave Daltorio, DPW Director John Westerling, and Director of Planning and Land Use, Elaine Lazarus. Town Manager Norman Khumalo is in the foreground.

TVL Champs

Hopkinton was victorious in their senior night meet against Ashland.  It was their final home meet for the season and and they are, for the fourth year in a row, the TVL Champions!

These are the graduating seniors:

From the back left:

Row 3: Holly Franke, Molly Abate

Row 2: Coach Bryan King, Abby Will, Hannah Allen, Corinne Daley

Row 1: Phillip Gebler, Brian Doyle, Josh Perez, Jackie Schofield.

January 18, 2013 — Hopkinton Middle School was evacuated to the high school late this morning after someone sounded an alarm over the strong odor of smoke in a couple of the rooms. A quick investigation by the fire fighters on scene coordinating with the station determined there was a permit to burn issued on Whalen Road. A trip to that location by Firefighter Santucci, who saw thick smoke from the fire heading toward the neighboring school, confirmed their suspicions and the students returned to the school.

January 17, 2013 — Reader from Upton, Nicole Brooks, shares a great phone-photo of the family canine Chewy, who looks back at her iPhone while evergreens in the background droop from the weight of the snow, following the most recent storm. The iPhone, as well as iPads, tablets, Droids, and other communication products from Samsung, too, are available at  Advantage Wireless, 77 West Main Street in Hopkinton (508-435-6600). Who needs a camera when phones can take photos this good? See John,.Sergio or Ryan for expert advice and service. Need the definition of burnt sienna? Choose "Resources" from the blue menu bar near the top of the page, and then "Dictionary" to find the definition. And for most words listed, a sound file with the proper pronunciation is available for playing.

by Robert Falcione

December 17, 2013 — Town Manager Norman Khumalo conducted a meeting at Town Hall this morning that began with a presentation  by Town Engineer Dave Daltorio of proposed changes to the Downtown. The changes are part of a proposal by BETA Group, the engineering company hired by the town to offer improvements in traffic, pedestrian and bicycle safety, as well as improved aesthetics, from Ash Street to Wood Street . The plan has reached what they call a 25% threshold, and is ready for submission to the state for consideration of funding.  The entire process of approvals, 25% plan, 50% plan, and 100%  plan, will take 4-5 years, Mr. Daltorio said. He and Mr. Khumalo opened up the meeting for questions and discussion, pretty much from the start.

      More than one person, among the residents and business people of the Downtown in attendance, expressed concern that parking spaces would be lost. Mr. Daltorio agreed, but said it was in the name of safety, and in accordance with Mass DOT specifications.

      Wood Street resident Jackie Potenzone said she does not allow her kids to walk to school any longer, because the Pleasant and Main Street intersection is dangerously busy in the morning.

     "There used to be a crossing guard there, but they cut the budget.

     "There should be a crosswalk light at Pleasant Street," she suggested. 

      At the 2012 Town Meeting an Article to purchase a home at 2 Wood Street for relocation or demolition to widen that intersection was withdrawn by  its proponents, when it was clear that with the failure of associated articles, the tone of the body was against the measure. 

      Another Article last year sought to fund a study to bury utilities in the Downtown. The study would have cost $580,000 for what some estimates put at an $8 million job.   

      Although both of those Articles failed measurably last year, today Selectman Brian Herr said they were under reconsideration.

     The team that oversaw the planning process, the results of which were presented today, consists of Town manager Norman Khumalo, Director of Planning and Land Use Elaine Lazarus, Town Engineer Dave Daltorio and Director of Public Works John Westerling.

       "You people don't live in town," said well known Hopkinton native Tom Terry to the members of the team. He suggested the Selectmen should be the ones to hold the reins.

       Selectman Brian Herr, in attendance,  said that there'll be plenty of opportunities [for further input].

      Part of the plan shown today would shut off the Town Hall driveway to vehicular traffic and create a walkway to the crosswalk with a bumpout, which would force the current exit driveway by the bank into a two-way drive. Mr. Terry was not in favor of the change, especially in light of the difficult traffic conditions at the intersection of Hayden Rowe and Main Streets, and said he concurred with this writer, who had spoken against it earlier in the meeting.

      The purpose of the walkway, a factor not presented at this meeting today, is to move people from a new parking area to be constructed behind Bill's Pizza that is needed for the Library expansion. An Article funding a $50,000 study of the lot was defeated by a simple majority at last year's Town meeting. The library expansion needs about 20 more parking spaces in order to conform to the approval from the state, and the town has been unable to secure parking agreements from any other neighboring property owners. Bill's has been the only one. Any agreement would need to be long-term, 30-99 years.

        The Selectmen are expected to view the presentation, as well as input from today's  meeting,  at either of their next two meetings.

People who would like to live longer by eating pesticide-free, organically grown colorful vegetables and herbs raised locally need look no further than Long Life Farm, a community supported agriculture farm (CSA) that is taking on new shareholders. Shareholders can receive weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of these precious commodities, but don't wait too long. There are about 60 families participating at the moment, and the number is sure to go up.

 

In the meantime, principal farmer Laura Davis and Beth Mezitt from the Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library have teamed up. Long Life Farms has contributed a bi-weekly share to be raffled off by the Friends, with all proceeds going to the Friends, who help supplement the Library's needs not funded by the Town, through advocacy, volunteerism and financial support for programs and services.  Raffle tickets are available at the library or from a "Friend."

January 16, 2013 — Highland Street in Woodville has a period look, and especially with the recent snowfall, as the coating of snow adds dimension and depth to an otherwise brown and grey time of year.