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(On this date 9 years ago: Reprinted from HopNews March 28, 2005)

Hopkinton Once  Proposed Site for World’s Largest Airport

Grass-roots efforts enlisted politicians

Sparked NIMS attitude (Not In my State)

by Ron DiMichele 

March 28, 2005 —The prospective din of low-flying jumbo jets and ensuing blanket of aircraft exhaust threatened to become a reality for Hopkinton and the surrounding area in 1970, when an interagency report pushed for an East Hopkinton site for a second Boston metropolitan airport. Convinced that air transportation needs would soon outstrip Logan Airport’s capabilities, the interagency committee placed Hopkinton at the top of a short list of potential jetport candidates. Hopkinton citizens organized against the plan and fought to convince then Massachusetts Governor Francis W. Sargent and the state legislature to put the brakes on this Massport initiative. Graphic below: Bluish area was the area of influence and land taking needed to build the airport and have industrial zones at the end of each runway.

Any marathoner knows Hopkinton lies 26 miles, 365 yards east of downtown Boston. This cozy proximity to the Hub was a main selling point to interagency committee members. Hopkinton was conveniently close to Boston for travelers, but far enough away to avoid air traffic snafus with Logan. Just south of the Penn Central Railroad line and the Mass Pike, and east of Route 495, the proposed Hopkinton Jetport had easy access to major transportation links. Plymouth and the Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod were also under consideration as jetport sites, but distance from Boston detracted from the plausibility of these locations.

Few questioned that the runways, terminals, hangars, and access roads of a major international airport would be disruptive to the sleepy hamlet of Hopkinton. Mass Public Works called for a six-lane highway stretching from Route 495 on West Main St. to the eastern end of the Jetport. A sixteen-mile westward extension of the MBTA’s Riverside Line was also suggested. Land acquisition estimates for the jetport ran between 14,000 and 20,000 acres with 5,400 people and 1,650 dwellings to be uprooted by the $400 million dollar project. Even at 14,000 acres it would have been about twice the size of the Charles de Gaulle Airport, which took up one third of the city of Paris, 7,500 acres, the day it opened.

Location, location, location may have been the report’s rallying cry for the new jetport, but Hopkinton residents weren’t buying it. Seventeen thousand acres equals approximately twenty-seven square miles – roughly the size of the entire town. If only the eastern end of town was being designated for the jetport – projected to be the largest in the world – where would the additional acreage come from? Surrounding communities soon joined the struggle against plans for a ‘Hopkinton’ jetport. 

HALT (Hopkinton Against Land Takeover) originated at a meeting in the former Hopkinton High School auditorium. Primarily a citizens group, HALT sought to organize, strategize, and mobilize what soon became the Framingham area’s fight against the proposed jetport. The Greater Framingham Area Against the Airports (GFAATA) formed to further the same struggle, but was composed of town officials - selectmen or their representatives. GFAATA opposed a jetport in the Framingham area; HALT opposed a jetport in any residential area in the state.

State Representative John Losch of Holliston was a central figure in the jetport resistance. At the time, Rep. Losch stated that he wanted to avoid an “intramural battle” in the state legislature – one area vying against another to avoid the jetport. Losch supported HALT’s position of championing Otis Air Force Base as the least disruptive and least expensive site for the proposed jetport. HALT believed the money saved by locating the jetport at Otis could be put towards improving ground transportation to Logan. HALT also sought to derail Hopkinton jetport plans by seeking to designate certain structures in Hopkinton as historical sites, and thus protected by federal law.

Losch and other anti-jetport leaders encouraged citizens to circulate petitions and to write area legislators urging them to stand against placing the jetport in any residential area in Massachusetts. At one meeting, Rep. Losch told a gathering of Framingham Area citizens to gird themselves for what could be a five-year battle against the jetport leading all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The interagency committee generating the pro-Hopkinton jetport report was comprised of representatives of the Massachusetts Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), the state DPW, the state Aeronautics Commission, the state Department of Commerce and Development, the MBTA, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Richard Doherty, the executive director of the MAPC, wrote an opinion in the interagency’s report protesting Hopkinton as a jetport site. At the other end of the spectrum was Massport, overseers of Logan Airport and the Boston harbor. With future Massachusetts governor Edward J. King at the helm, Massport supported Hopkinton as the prime site for a second jetport.

On July 30, 1970 it was reported that Rep. John Losch had informed Governor Sargent that Massport was considering filing legislation to authorize it to build a jetport in the Hopkinton area. According to the News, Gov. Sargent responded that he would use his veto power if Massport tried to legislate that move. In a major victory for those against the Hopkinton Jetport, Sargent later stated, “While I am governor, there will be no second jetport built in Massachusetts. Not in Hopkinton, not on Cape Cod. Not anywhere.” Sargent said he intended “to use every weapon in [his] arsenal to win this one for the people.”

Subsequent reports contradicted the findings of Massport and the interagency committee, stating that due to energy shortages, easing population growth, and environmental concerns, freight and passenger demands were not expected to increase in the foreseeable future. This brought to question the need for a second greater Boston airport. Future Massachusetts governor, State Rep. Michael S. Dukakis, said at the time that a jetport would make Hopkinton “a most undesirable place to live.”  But Ed King and his Massport honchos were not yet ready to give up the fight.

In 1974, Massport officials proposed a 28-mile Hopkinton-to-Boston monorail. Concerned citizens questioned whether this proposal was a ploy by the Massport executive director to inject new life into the Hopkinton Jetport push. King denied a connection between the two projects, but he expressed continued support for a second jetport and refused to rule out Hopkinton as a prime site. John Losch reconvened the Anti-Airport Executive Committee and encouraged a strong second wave of resistance to jetport plans.

In 1976, Massport published a master plan for Logan International Airport essentially ruling out the possibility of a second jetport until the year 2000. Massport cited the amount of land involved, costs, declining birth rate, the increased size of newer aircraft, and political opposition as the reasons behind the shelved plan. Be that as it may, the dogged resistance and organizational savvy of Hopkinton residents and their area neighbors proved a formidable force in maintaining a bucolic way of life in the town of Hopkinton. 

HCA Receives Support from Hopkinton Country Club Charitable Organization

March 28, 2014 —  The Hopkinton Center for the Arts is pleased to announce their receipt of a $1,000 donation from the Hopkinton Country Club Charitable Organization. The funds were given to support the HCA’s ArtSpace program, a free afterschool initiative that allows middle school students to explore the visual and performing arts.

“ArtSpace has been a success to date, at times drawing in dozens of students per week,” said Kelly Grill, HCA Executive Director. Grill continued, “This donation is integral to our ability to offer this program to the students free of charge, and we are ever grateful to the (Hopkinton Country Club) Charitable Organization for their support.”

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Saturday, March 29, 1PM: Upper Charles Rail Trail, Holliston section. Ken Parker, chair of Hopkinton's Upper Charles Trail Committee, will lead a walk along Holiston's portion of the trail. The walk will start at the Blair Square gazebo (Front Street in Holliston) and head toward Milford. There is parking off Front Street near the gazebo, by Casey’s Crossing (old train station) and at the municipal lot at Exchange Street. Do not park at CVS.

GOVERNOR PATRICK CELEBRATES LAUNCH OF FULLY ELECTRIC TRANSIT BUS FLEET IN WORCESTER

WORCESTER – Thursday, March 27, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick today celebrated the launch of a new fully electric transit bus fleet at the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA). The Governor also announced new investments in two programs designed to support alternative fuel vehicles and related infrastructure across Massachusetts.

“We are committed to using innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bolster our energy independence and grow our clean energy economy,” said Governor Patrick. “The WRTA’s new fleet is an example of how we are accelerating the adoption of cleaner vehicles throughout Massachusetts to reduce harmful pollutants and promote a more sustainable environment for future generations.”

The WRTA purchased six Proterra plug-in, all-electric buses with more than $7 million in federal funds and matching state funds from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). These buses represent the largest fleet of Proterra all-electric buses in the nation.

“Governor Patrick has been a leader in greenhouse gas emissions reduction,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan. “Thanks to his support, the transit authority is now home to a fleet that is cleaner, quieter and will save money. Today’s announcement shows that alternative fuel vehicles are a win-win for the environmental and economic bottom line.” ~ Contributed

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 Middlesex Sheriff, state officials warn of ongoing arrest scams

Callers fraudulently claiming to be members of law enforcement

March 27, 2014 — Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian is warning residents of a series of ongoing scams in which perpetrators are claiming to be Middlesex Deputy Sheriffs.

“In recent weeks we have been made aware of three different scams in which individuals claiming to be deputy sheriffs have demanded money and threatened arrest for failure to pay debts or failure to appear for jury duty,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “In an effort to prevent people from losing their hard-earned money, we want to make as many residents aware of these scams as possible.”

The callers claim the arrest warrants can be canceled if a fine or settlement is paid immediately. All three are similar to scams being reported nationwide.

In the newest reported scam, multiple individuals told the Office of Jury Commissioner (OJC) they received calls indicating warrants had been issued – or were about to be issued – because they failed to appear for jury duty. In each case the caller, who claimed to be a member of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, indicated the warrant could be resolved if the victim would pay a fine. That could be accomplished by the victim purchasing a money card or “Green Dot” card, loading it with a specific amount of money and providing the scammer with the numbers on the card.

 “We will never threaten arrest in such a manner,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “Our job is not to collect money, so we’ll never call you to ask for a credit card number or demand you purchase a product to pay any outstanding fines or debts.”

The OJC issues over half a million summonses every year to provide diverse and representative jury pools in Massachusetts courts. Potential jurors receive at least two or three notices from the OJC before they appear for service, and will receive multiple warnings from the OJC and the courts if they have missed their jury service. A delinquent juror’s first notice of missed service would never be a call from the sheriff’s office or OJC, according to Jury Commissioner Pamela J. Wood, nor would a government official ever demand payment of a delinquency fine over the phone.

Wood said that her office’s mission is to insure eligible citizens serve their jury duty, not collect payment of delinquency fines. “If you do miss your chance to perform jury service, you would resolve the matter by either reporting for jury duty or by providing proof of disqualification to the OJC. If you failed to do either, and you also failed to respond to our multiple jury duty notices, a judge could order you to pay up to a $2,000 fine. But that would be resolved with the court, not over the phone with the sheriff’s office.”

Earlier this month, the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office alerted the public to a scam in which callers were claiming to be deputies collecting debts owed to the IRS. Adding to the realism of the calls, the scammers allegedly provided two call back telephone numbers to the intended victims, including the legitimate numbers to the administrative office of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (781-960-2800) and the IRS telephone assistance line (1-800-829-1040).

In the third scam reported to the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, an individual reported receiving a call from a man demanding a $2,500 payment on a delinquent payday loan. The caller allegedly threatened arrest by the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, but told the victim the matter could be resolved if he paid a portion immediately by credit card.

“High rate payday loans aren't allowed in Massachusetts given our 23% interest rate cap,” according to Commissioner of Banks David Cotney. “Consumers should also be aware that licensed debt collectors cannot arrest delinquent borrowers and that this type of threat is likely a scam.”

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office is advising anyone who receives calls similar to any of these to not provide any personal information or money and to immediately contact their local police department or the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office at 978-932-3220. Information regarding specific scams can also be directed to the Office of Jury Commissioner at 617-422-5860 and the Division of Banks at 800-495- BANK (2265). ~ Contributed

BAYPATH HUMANE SOCIETY TO HOST ITS FIRST ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

March 27, 2014 — Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton invites the community to the Fore Paws Golf Tournament at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club. Registration materials are available at www.baypathhumane.org/fore-paws/.

All funds raised from the First Annual Fore Paws Golf Tournament will benefit the animals at Baypath Humane Society shelter. Green fees are $150 per person and include 18 holes of golf, a cart, a bucket of range balls and dinner and awards ceremony. Participants will also receive a Cyprian Keyes voucher for 18 holes of golf as well as one for their nine hole, Par 3 course.

The tournament will be a four-person scramble format with a shotgun start at 1:00pm. Contests will be held throughout the day including the longest drive, closest to the pin, and the lowest score.

“The Fore Paws Golf Tournament is the latest in a series of Baypath fundraisers, including the Paws & Claws 5k Race in the Fall and the Fur Ball in the Spring,” said Co-Planner Susan Rossnick. “We are confident that golfers will have a great time at Cyprian Keyes while also contributing to an important cause. 100% of the proceeds from the Fore Paws Golf Tournament will go to providing food, medical care, and other services to the cats and dogs at the Baypath shelter. “

Sponsorships are available at multiple levels ranging from the tournament title to individual holes on the course. For more information, contact Amy Hibel at 508-330-8396 or email ahibel@baypathhumane.org.

For more information, or to register or donate online, visit http://www.baypathhumane.org/fore-paws/  ~ Contributed

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MSBA Votes to Move Forward With Center School Project

March 26, 2014 — At today's Board of Director’s meeting, The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) voted to move forward Hopkinton’s Center School project into the feasibility phase.

Tasked with facilitating the development of a solution to the operational and educational constraints of Hopkinton’s K-1 Center School, the ESBC will now begin the process of evaluating and hiring a project manager, engineering firm, and other entities necessary for completing the feasibility study.

"Entering the feasibility phase marks a significant milestone for Hopkinton” said Joe Markey, Chairman of Hopkinton’s Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC). “Thanks to continued collaboration across town boards and committees, and strong community enthusiasm for finding a solution to the constraints at Center School, we are ready to hit the ground running into this next phase, with openness and active community engagement our key guiding principles."

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LET’S WALK FOR FUN IN HOPKINTON

            Walk 'n Mass Volkssport Club invites the public to its traditional “Walk and Soup Social” on Saturday, March 29, 2014. The walk is noncompetitive and participants are encouraged to walk at their own pace along a marked route. Walkers are offered a choice of walking one or two 5 km (3.1 miles) loops. All participants are invited to join the Soup Social after the event, which is sponsored by club members.

The start point is St. John the Evangelist Parish Center, 20 Church St, Hopkinton, Mass. Register for the 10 km distance between 9:30-10:00 a.m. and between 10:30-11:00 a.m. for the 5 km. Start times are staggered so folks will finish in time for the soups to be served at noon.

The first loop traverses the official Boston Marathon starting line, the Town Common, and cemeteries. The second loop visits residential neighborhoods and passes the football field, which transforms into an Athlete's Village used for staging and organizing the runners on Patriot's Day.

The walk routes are on paved surfaces suitable for strollers but would be difficult for wheelchairs due to a few slight inclines. Leashed pets are welcome and clean-up laws apply. However, pets are not permitted within the cemeteries and the dining hall.

            The walk is sponsored by Walk 'n Mass Volkssport Club. Volkssporting events promote fun, fitness and friendship by providing non-competitive walking and other sporting events free to the public. Volkssporting also offers an achievement awards program. For further information contact Bea at 508-429-3564, beateh1@aol.com  or visit the club website at www.walknmass.org .

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Davison M. Welch, 93

Davison M. Welch, 93, of Hopkinton, passed away Monday, March 24, 2014  at St. Patrick’s Manor in Framingham. Born in Hopkinton, he was the son of the late Marjorie and Charles Welch. He was the husband of the late Eleanor (Robbins) Welch.

An Air Force Veteran and member of the American Legion, Davison was a popular local artist. He enjoyed flea markets, playing volleyball well into his 70’s and collecting antiques.

He is survived by his children, Dave Welch of Hopkinton and Marjorie Fairbanks of North Carolina. He also leaves behind 5 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 29th at 11:00a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Hopkinton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Smile Train, St. Jude’s or any Veteran’s charity of ones choice. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton.

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Updated: February 27, 2018 08:38:29 AM