Man Accused of Wearing Gorilla Suit During Alleged Knife Assault

Press Release
Incident 2013-4521
On Sunday May 19, 2013, at approximately 7:08 pm, Hopkinton police responded to a West Main St. business on the report of a person dressed in a gorilla suit brandishing a knife. Upon arrival officers spoke with the victim who reported he was assaulted by a subject in a gorilla suit armed with a knife.

The victim ran inside the store and alerted the Hopkinton police of the incident. The victim was able to give police a partial description of the motor vehicle the subject fled in.

This vehicle later returned to the store and the license plate number was obtained and given to the police.
The vehicle was observed on Main St. where it was stopped by police.

The operator of the vehicle, later identified as O'Neill, Barry E. II, 19, of Tammer Lane, Hopkinton, Mass, was arrested and charged with:
1. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
2. Disorderly Conduct

O'NEILL was released on bail for his arraignment today in Framingham District Court. The gorilla suit was located in the vehicle and retained as evidence.

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Committee Gives Thumbs Down on School Choice

by Muriel Kramer

May 17, 2013 — Last night’s School Committee meeting got an early and celebratory start with many gathering at a reception in appreciation of Rebecca Robak’s 10 years of service as a volunteer on the School Committee.  Many in attendance spoke and highlighted her commitment, professionalism and high standards while thanking her for the countless hours she dedicated to serving the students and staff in the Hopkinton Public Schools.

Selectman Brian Herr spoke during public comment at the meeting to thank Robak for her service.  “Thank you for a job well done…Your passion, enthusiasm and commitment to our students is admirable.”

Robak spoke and noted, “In ten years we’ve seen some great strides…I’m proud to have been part of that.”  She added, “I’m proud of the way this committee has worked.”

The SC held a Public Hearing on the subject of school choice and voted unanimously not to participate this year; no one from the public attended to participate and the Interim Superintendent’s recommendation was against participating.  Dr. Hiersche noted that the funding mechanism had some problems and that Hopkinton is facing space issues projected for the next several years in his recommendation not to participate.

Speaking on behalf of the School Committee Scott Aghababian acting as chair thanked the voters for their support at Annual Town Meeting (ATM) on the budget and capital articles.  Al Rogers was on hand to detail some of the work that is coming up over the summer including the roof at Elmwood and Loop Road at Hopkins.  Currently the committee is waiting for one more contractor to weigh in before deciding on pursuing more options for solar panels on the Elmwood roof; currently the feedback has been only modestly supportive of pursuing solar panels.  The work on the generator for Hopkins will probably be done next summer.

Charlotte Shire, Science teacher at the High School, was on hand with some students and a parent to talk about the trip over April vacation that a group took to Costa Rica for a Global Student Leadership Summit.  Shire commented that the focus of this trip was not language immersion or cultural but rather an experiential learning tour to experience the biodiversity in Costa Rica. “Students participated in design workshops geared to training the next generation of leaders to address critical environmental issues.”  Students participated in workshops addressing urban planning, food, solid waste and transportation. She added that despite hearing from inspiration speakers and seeing many amazing things, the highlight of the trip was “hands down, how proud I was of our students every single day.”

Jessica Martel a senior at Hopkinton HS called the experiencing “literally life changing.”  Martel plans to study Wildlife Management at the University of Rhode Island next year. “My favorite part was seeing all the various wildlife.”  She continued that the experience carries forward and motivates her to pursue projects in town to help the town become more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Jon Graziano provided a brief update on the Elementary School Building Committee commenting on and thanking voters for the unanimous vote at ATM to fund the new feasibility study for a solution to Center School.  The ESBC’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday May 22^nd at 7PM at the Fire Station (second floor meeting room); the agenda is to address next steps.

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B.A.A. Issues Special Invitation To 2013 Boston Marathon Starters Who Did Not Cross Boylston Street Finish Line

BOSTON - The B.A.A., organizer of the Boston Marathon, is issuing an invitation to participate in the 2014 Boston Marathon to official entrants in the 2013 Boston Marathon who were unable to cross the Boylston Street finish line. More than 5000 official starters were affected on Monday, April 15 at the 117th Boston Marathon when the race was stopped at 2:50 p.m. ET.

"The opportunity to run down Boylston Street and to cross the finish line amid thousands of spectators is a significant part of the entire Boston Marathon experience," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director (file photo). "With the opportunity to return and participate in 2014, we look forward to inviting back these athletes and we expect that most will renew their marathon training commitment. Boston spectators are known for their impassioned support and unbridled enthusiasm, and they will give these returning athletes some of the loudest cheers at next year's race. We want to thank our participants for their patience as we continue to work through the details of arranging this accommodation for them, and we ask for continued patience from the running community as we plan the 2014 Boston Marathon next April."

To be eligible, a 2013 Boston Marathon participant must have been an official entrant who started the race and who reached the half marathon mark in this year's race on Monday, April 15. Registration for the 2014 Boston Marathon is scheduled to occur in September, and 2013 Boston Marathon participants who were unable to cross the finish line on Boylston Street will receive a non-transferable unique code in early August to be used for entry. An applicant's entry will be guaranteed only during a designated registration period. Participants will be required to pay an entry fee, which has yet to be determined.

The B.A.A. has communicated by email to the participants in this year's race who are eligible. Among the 5633 in this group are 2611 from Massachusetts and 726 who are international. In total, residents of 54 states and 47 countries are among this group. Also, the group is comprised of 2983 women and 2650 men and ages range from 18 to 82.

No decision has been made on the maximum field size for the 2014 Boston Marathon, including the number of qualifiers and invitational applications available. The B.A.A. will work with many partners, including public safety officials, before determining changes, if necessary, to the event and the race.

Flow Tests on South Street May Discolor Water

EMC will be conducting  required fire flow tests on South Street, Saturday, May 18^th.  You may notice some discoloration in the water during and after the test. This is due to the scouring of the minerals on the inside of the pipe. Please avoid doing any laundry or dishwasher loads during this time.  Any discoloration that may occur will eventually dissipate. You may need to run the water in your home for a short period of time to flush your internal pipes once the test is complete. ~ Eric Carty, Water-Sewer Manager

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Above, Hopkins School Principal Greg Martineau and Hopkins students listen to Peter Mezitt of Weston Nurseries.

May 15, 2013 — Members of the Hopkins School Principal’s Cabinet began planting in the school’s new community garden, the Hawk’s Nest, today, as part of a statewide public planting day, “Don’t Just Stand There…Plant Something." The students worked with Peter Mezitt, President of Weston Nurseries, who has donated perennials.

The statewide plating campaign is an initiative of Plant Something MA, a joint program of the Massachusetts Flower Growers Association (MFGA) and the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA). Plant Something MA seeks to get more people to enjoy gardening and support their local, independent nurseries, garden centers, landscapers and growers. For more information, visit www.plantsomethingma.org/may15

The Hopkins Garden Project is a hands-on, integrated learning concept started this year. Hopkins families completed the garden’s first phase at a work day on April 27 by leveling ground, building installing and filling raised beds, and spreading mulch. Photos and more information about the garden are available at https://sites.google.com/a/hopkinton.k12.ma.us/hopkins_community_garden/home. Contribute content.

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