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Up and Away
January 17, 2007 — These workers from Pro Towers install a T-Mobile antenna at Cornell's Field today. According to their foreman, the photo on the left shows them just below the 130' high top. |
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Officials discuss legal fees, Weston Nurseries
by Robert Falcione January 16, 2007 — The Selectmen met with Finley Perry (Above), Chairman of the Land Use Study Committee (LUSC) as well as other members — Town Manager Anthony Troiano, Executive Secretary Ted Kozak and Appropriations Committee member Ron Eldridge — to discuss ways to reign in legal fees that they expect to continue at the rate of $6,000 per month, mostly to keep on top of the Weston Nurseries Land Sale. Selectman Ron Clark objected to paying Attorney John Dennis, who charges $325/hour, rather than having the Town Counsel, Richard D'Angelis, at $125/hour, to monitor the sale. Mr. Dennis has been credited with keeping the town in the picture after a Weston attorney tried to assert that the town had no rights, according to the officials. "It seems to me to keep the attorney we've got," said Mr. Perry, arguing for Mr. Dennis. Mr. D'Angelis came in during the latter part of the LUSC work, taking over from outgoing Counsel, Larry Faiman, but does not specialize in bankruptcy law. Weston Nurseries is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The town has 61A rights that allow it option of first refusal of a bona fide offer. Boulder Capital has come in with an offer to the Bankruptcy Court of around $21 million, with contingency for more money with 1,100 residential units, and escalating to multiples of that figure, something that would require rezoning of the land, a Town Meeting function. Boulder Capital has been defined as a stalking horse, a company that makes an offer to define the lowest offer a bankruptcy court would be expected to accept. Then other companies can tender their offers for the court to choose from, not necessarily choosing the highest bid, but the one most likely to satisfy creditors and succeed with the purchase, according to Mr. Perry. Getting back to the high cost of legal services, Mr. Troiano suggested that the Town Counsel be the gatekeeper, a person who controls the process and decides when an outside counsel is needed. "We need trigger points," he said. The town will continue to need legal representation to protect its rights in a land sale that many people believe will shape the future of Hopkinton. "However it plays out, it will greatly affect the town," said Selectmen Chair Muriel Kramer. " It will have a huge impact on the town," she said. |
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January 16, 2007 — Hopkinton Police Sgt. Joseph Bennett places the cuffs on a suspect while Officer Matthew McNeil looks on, the snow begins to fall, and the temperature dips to ten degrees while heading toward single digits. |
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January 16, 2007 – When hippies in the 1960s decide to put on a “free music festival” at Crumb Apples Farm, you know some hilarious and crazy events will ensue. That’s the premise behind Groovy, a musical spoof being presented by Enter Stage Left and featuring 38 preteen actors. The show will take place at 7:00 p.m. on January 26 and 27 at Hopkins School (104 Hayden Rowe Street) in Hopkinton. Tickets are $10.00, or $5.00 for students. “We have many very gifted young actors in this community and thought Groovy would be a great vehicle for showcasing their talents,” said Kelly Grill, a co-founder of ESL. “The music in this show is upbeat and fun and there are a lot of crazy characters. I think the audience will enjoy seeing their friends and neighbors on stage in this celebration of love, peace and music.” For tickets or more information call 508-435-2114 or visit www.enterstagelefttheater.com |
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No ID required
January 16, 2007 — Carol Dowling, left, and Ruth Yeslow wait for their orders to serve to patrons at the Senior Center lunch today, which was a full house. The minimum official age to stop by for lunch is 60, but no one was checking ID's. In fact, Director Cindy Chesmore was quick to point out that all are welcome. |
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Question on estate... Email your questions to: dtebaldi@tebaldiesq.com
Dear ITL: My father died last year, and in his will he left the home I grew up in to his second wife, my step-mother, in a life estate, naming me and my sister as remaindermen. My step-mother recently moved into a small apartment, and is renting the house to another family. Can she do this? B.R. Dear B.R.: Unless there are any special restrictions on the life estate your father created for his wife, yes, she can. The only difference between the rights your step-mother has in your family home by way of a life estate and the rights she would have had with a fee simple (complete and unfettered ownership) is that, with a life estate, she does not have the ability to convey the home to another by terms of her own will. When she dies, her ownership of the home ends, and that of the remaindermen begins. The holder of a life estate in real property is, unless the document creating the life estate states otherwise, responsible for maintaining the property in good repair, paying property taxes, and ensuring that no “waste” or other damage is allowed to occur with respect to it. Your step-mother is entitled to any income received as the result of renting the home during her lifetime, just as she would be if she owned the home in fee simple, and, if she wishes, she may use this income to provide her with support while she lives in a less expensive apartment.
(Disclaimer: The answers provided in this column are not in any way to be construed as legal advice. While the author is an attorney admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the questions presented do not come from clients, but from anonymous members of various Massachusetts communities. The answers presented merely describe what the law is, and do not contain specific strategies for dealing with the situations presented. If you have questions regarding these or other legal issues, please contact Attorney Demian David Tebaldi at 508-435-5576.) |
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Conservation/Environmental Sciences Scholarship
Hopkinton Area Land Trust (HALT) is pleased to offer a
scholarship to a graduating high school senior who is interested
in |
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Registration for Football and Cheerleading
Registration for the 2007 Hopkinton/Ashland Raiders Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading season will take place on Monday and Wednesday evening January 22 and 24th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Ashland Middle School cafeteria. Please check our website www.raiderfootball.org for further information. |
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The water department worked late last night and into the early morning hours repairing a water main break on Wilson Street. Residents throughout the town may notice some discoloration in their water today. Please check your water before using it and if any discoloration is still present, let your water run to clear the pipe Eric J. Carty, Water-Sewer Manager Hopkinton DPW 85 Wood St., PO BOX 171 Hopkinton, MA 01748 www.hopkinton.org 508-497-9765 P 508-497-9767 F |
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Knock your socks off at the HPTA’s SOCK HOP
January 20th
6pm – 9pm Middle School Gym
· Dance to the 50’s tunes of our DJ · Fun contests and prizes · $ 5.00 per child/ $ 20.00 family maximum
Fun for all ages! |
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What's with the Gigantic Calendar Icon?
by Robert Falcione
January 15, 2007 — Believe it or not, between the Police News
and the Calendar, about one entire day's worth of labor is put into them each and every week. Eric Montville's name can be seen on the Police News, but he is also the Calendar Editor, making sure that the dated information in all of the emails we receive, and all of the info from other means of notification, make it onto the Calendar in a timely fashion. "Oh really, you list events in the Calendar section?" replied one person too many this week, when she was asked why she hadn't checked the Calendar about an event she inquired of. Yes we do, and we list every event we can for every non-profit that emails us, and for our advertising partners as well, within reason. So, don't just let us know when your group is having an event, check the Calendar to find out what is going on with other groups in Hopkinton, and perhaps discover a real gem! Eric puts in a lot of time to keep it a valuable resource, and we'd like people to know it is there — and that is why we have enlarged its visual presence. Please use it and enjoy! |
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Hopkinton 71, Millis 35
' January 15, 2007 — Junior Paul Ostrander reaches high to come down with the prize during this evening's game against Mills. The scoreboard in the background was Hopkinton 71, Millis 35 at the end of the game. |
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DEMOCRATS TO HOLD
CAUCUS IN HOPKINTON
Candidates for Delegate and Alternate must be present at the Caucus and consent to nomination in writing. Candidates may make a one-minute statement and may distribute materials on their behalf. All ballots will be written, secret and recorded by the caucus teller. Those people not elected as Delegate or Alternate may apply to be "add-on" Delegates in the following categories: youth (35 and under), minority and disabled.
Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, creed,
national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual
orientation or economic status in the conduct of the Caucus
is strictly prohibited. Challenges to the Delegate-selection
process MUST be filed with the Massachusetts Democratic
Party, 56 Roland Street, Suite 203, Boston, MA, 02120 within
ten days after the caucus. |
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9:33 pm Officer Matthew McNeil spoke with a person who was riding a scooter in the roadway on Hayden Rowe Street...
9:55 am A woman in Revere called and reported that she had a greyhound dog at her house with a Hopkinton tag on it...
1:42 pm The manager of a Main Street business reported that a person was trying to possibly scam rebate for some alleged lost groceries... |
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January 15, 2007 — Here the Hopkinton High School JV Indoor Track Team showed great form today, above over the hurdles. |
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Cultural Arts Alliance Presents A Winter Coffee House Barn Fundraiser January 19, 2007 • 7:30 pm• Hopkinton Country Club Starring Alter Ego with special guest Hannah McBride tickets: $25* include Coffee and desert Buffet Cash Bar For Tickets Call the CAA at 508-435-9222 or email tickets@caahopkinton.org *Alter Ego is donating their performance |
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January 27th is the next Lions Club recycle date. All recyclable bottles and cans can be dropped off at Colella’s Supermarket on Main Street between 9 and 2. The Lions will also be collecting outdated/unused cell phones for the Hopkinton Senior Center during their recycling hours. Your help is appreciated. |
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January 14, 2007 — Please enjoy this reprise of a Barbara Kessler performance at ESL Theater last fall. |
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January 14, 2006 — Lt. Robert Bartlett hands over an air-pac while emerging from a basement on Briarcliff Drive this morning after receiving calls for a working fire and finding it under control. |
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State Police Investigate Route 495 Hopkinton Crash
January 13, 2007 — Today at about 9:45 a.m., State Police from the Millbury Barracks responded to a two-vehicle crash on Route 495 South, just south of the Mass Pike, in Hopkinton.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Anthony Kurgan indicates that 56-year-old Janice Trueman of Sturbridge was traveling on the ramp from the Mass Pike to Route 495 south in a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, when she lost control of the vehicle, causing it to abruptly travel to the left across the southbound lanes. At this time, 44-year-old Clare Curran-Ball of Northboro was traveling in the center travel lane in a 2003 Toyota Rav 4 and was unable to avoid colliding with the Cherokee. Following the collision, the victims were immediately provided medical care by members of the Hudson/Marlboro Ambulance service, who were traveling southbound in that area at the time of the crash.
Trueman, who had to be extricated from her vehicle using the Jaws of Life by members of the Hopkinton Fire Department, was transported by ambulance to Milford/Whitinsville Hospital and then airlifted to UMass Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries. Her passenger, 59-year-old Robert Trueman, and Curran-Ball were both transported by ambulance to Milford/Whitinsville Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
The cause of this crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed at this time. Hopkinton Fire and EMS and Hudson/Marlboro Ambulance assisted at the scene.
The two left lanes of Route 495 South were closed for about an hour. |
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The following article is an excerpt from extensive research on the fountain’s history done by Paul Annunziata, formerly of Hopkinton, who played in its waters about 50 years ago:
The fountain was a willed gift to the Town by Charles L. Claflin in memory of his parents, Charles Winslow and Maria Valentine Claflin. Charles L. Claflin carried on and expanded the extensive coal business that his father had begun.
One of Hopkinton’s most esteemed residents at the time, he had financial interests in large coal yards ranging from Albany, New York, to Boston. He was the eastern agent of the Delaware and Hudson Coal Company and President of the Massachusetts Wharf Coal Company in Boston.
Locally, he was the president of the Hopkinton National Bank, a trustee of the Hopkinton Savings Bank, president of the Local Board of Trade, a director of the Quinsigamond National Bank, and served on the Board of Selectmen of Hopkinton... |
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Girl Scouts Cookie Kick-off
The Hopkinton Girl Scouts held their annual Cookie Kick-Off Scout Skating Party at Roller Kingdom in Hudson Ma. on Wednesday January 10th. This is an event geared toward celebrating the January 5th start of the Girl Scout Cookie sales. But what Girl Scout celebration would go on with out giving something back to the community?
The girls were asked to bring breakfast cereal donations for the Hopkinton Food Pantry. We delivered some 93 boxes of breakfast cereal to the Hopkinton Food Pantry the next day. We are all very proud of the girls and their adult leaders for helping make this all happen. ~ Troop 3799
Photo, Colleen Malloy, 3rd Grade Brownie Troop 3799.
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State Police Crime Laboratory CODIS Administrator Suspended Pending Investigation
Specifically, a CODIS administrator failed to make timely and/or accurate notifications of DNA “hits” or matches in several old but still open criminal cases. As a result, in many of the cases, a suspect was identified prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations, but neither the police investigators nor the District Attorney’s Office of jurisdiction were notified in a timely manner. In some cases, a lack of prioritization by the CODIS administrator resulted in the statute of limitations expiring before final verification of the DNA match was made. Lastly, in a few cases, the CODIS administrator made notification to law enforcement officials of DNA “hits” on old cases when in fact, no match had been made.
Colonel Delaney assigned a member of his senior command staff in the Division of Investigative Services to lead the internal investigation as well as a comprehensive review of administrative practices. In addition to, and in furtherance of the investigation, Colonel Delaney made a formal request to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico Virginia for an independent, external audit of the administrative practices at the Massachusetts State Police CODIS DNA Unit. The FBI Laboratory, who has agreed to conduct the audit, has management and administrative control of the National DNA Indexing System (NDIS). This independent review will provide a more detailed and thorough analysis to the investigation and assist the investigators in making final conclusions and recommendations.
Affected District Attorney’s Offices were notified of the DNA discrepancies, expiration of the statute of limitations, and the pending internal investigation. In those cases involving reported “hits” that in fact were not “hits”, notifications were made to the appropriate District Attorney’s Offices as well as the police investigators assigned to those cases.
Following the discovery of the DNA discrepancies, Colonel Delaney ordered that an FBI qualified DNA Unit Supervisor be assigned to conduct a full, formal review of all CODIS DNA “hits” made to date and provide oversight of the entire CODIS process at the State Police Crime Lab. This supervisor will continue providing oversight until the matter is fully resolved.
The investigation remains open and ongoing. The CODIS administrator has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. |
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Jeff Leal 5th grade at Hopkins school went to school dressed as a penguin on Friday Jan 12, 2007. He got high fives on the bus, and was a real hit during dress up day at the school. David Laquidara won $10 for knowing who was in the costume. |
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Same-sex marriage?
When HopNews conducted a poll on whether a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage should be put on the ballot for the general population to vote on, almost 53% were in favor. Today, David Sheehan asked people on Main Street on video how they felt about same-sex marriage. All of the people had reasons to be downtown: they live there or were doing business there, even though we advertised the time of our intentions 15 hours in advance. The sample was very small, so there is no way we are promoting this as a scientific, or any other kind of poll. It is just for entertainment. Despite our efforts, we could not more than one viewpoint. |
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NATIONAL AMBER ALERT AWARENESS DAY
The Massachusetts Child AMBER Alert Plan is a voluntary partnership between the Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, Massachusetts Broadcasters Association, MassHighway, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the Massachusetts Port Authority, MEMA and two new partners – the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission and the MBTA Transit Police. The goal of this partnership is to quickly disseminate information on an abducted child and/or perpetrator to the public via: radio and television announcements, roadway and public transportation message boards, and lottery machines. FULL STORY |
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The Bay State Games offer a winter fitness challenge for adults called the Mass Shape Up (www.massshapeup.org). Hopkinton Schools Take Part in Fitness Challenge
What is Mass Shape Up? Mass Shape Up is a health and fitness initiative for Massachusetts residents who would like to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This four month competition will enable you to assess your daily routine and find a healthier way to live. The program aims to help you stay on track to reaching your personal health and fitness goals. There are 2 categories to choose from: weight loss and activity. Faculty, staff and administration from all of the area schools have chosen to take part in the activity contest.
Activity
At the HS, we have designed a bulletin board so that not only the teams can track their progress, but the students will be able to monitor the faculty, staff and administration as well. (pics attached) We are hoping to be role models to all of the students. Other schools have also chosen ways to track their progress. Here are the teams and their captains: SEE THEM HERE |
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Francis “Manny”John Deiana, 62,
of Hopkinton, died Thursday, January 10, 2006 at the Milford
Regional Hospital. Born in Framingham, he was the son of Helen
(Bernard) and the late Francis John Deiana.
Beverly Jo (McGreevy) McSkimming, 71, died peacefully on January 10, 2007 in Westborough, MA. Beverly died from complications of a stroke suffered in October, 2005. Born in Springfield, MO, Beverly attended Drury College and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She spent her adult life in St. Louis, MO, where she taught at the elementary level in the Hazelwood and St. Louis Public School systems for 43 years. ARRANGEMENTS |
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Same-sex marriage. Yea or nay? The HopNews camera will be around downtown asking that question on Friday, Jan 11 at around 3:00pm |
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE Schools’ Budget Becomes More Austere “Every cut from here on will be very painful” ~ Superintendent John Phelan “I’m not going to support $300K, and $1.5MM is too much” ~ Member Phil Totino Multiple Capital Articles Probable at Town Meeting
By David Hamacher
January 12, 2007 — The second phase of budget discussions for the Hopkinton School District was held last night and focused on Special Education, Buildings and Grounds, and Central Office. Director of Special Education, Dr. Trudy Sack began the discussions with an overview of how her budget may be impacted by what Superintendent Dr. John Phelan has called the “most austere budget he has ever presented to the school committee in his 6 ˝ years in Hopkinton.” His original FY ’08 proposal, presented on December 21st, showed an increase over the FY ’07 of 4.9% or about $1.5 million (MM), which is less than level funding for all services. The Appropriations Committee has asked every Department to present budgets for next year which do not exceed 1% increases over this year. 1% increase for the schools represents approximately $300,000. Dr. Sack indicated that each year Special Education (SPED) “gives back to the town between $60,000 and $70,000 a year,” generally from Medicaid reimbursements for medical and other needs of the SPED population. There are currently 12 students who are out of town placements who go to Keefe Tech and other vocational schools,” she continued. There are other students who need placing in residential facilities. FULL REPORT |
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Get away!
January 11, 2007 — Ed Harrow shares this photo from his trip to New Zealand of two penguins, one who is much less social than the other. |
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Click here to make HopNews your default
homepage! <---works with Internet Explorer.
ESL
Celebrates the 60s with Groov
Check
water before using
Registered Democrats in Hopkinton will be holding their
annual Caucus at the Hopkinton Fire Station (rear entrance,
up stairs) on Saturday February 3rd at 10:00 AM to elect
Delegates and Alternates to the 2007 Massachusetts
Democratic Convention. Delegates will be equally divided
between men and women in accordance with Democratic Party
rules. Any one, at least eighteen-years old and registered
as a Massachusetts Democrat as of December 31, 2006, is
welcome to attend the Caucus and run for a Delegate
position.
Recycle
with the Lions 
January
13, 2007 —In mid-November, 2006, Colonel Mark Delaney,
Superintendent of the State Police launched an internal
review and investigation into allegations that a Combined
DNA Indexing System (CODIS) administrator at the
Massachusetts State Police Forensic and Technology Center
had failed to follow clearly established professional
practices within the laboratory. 
Who is in the suit?
