Weekly News Roundup – 01/17/2021

Covid-19 Updates & Precautions and Vaccine Update • Hopkinton is shown as a Red town in this week’s “Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report” from the state • Town Election 2021 – Candidates Needed • Town counsel cautions ZAC on commercial solar restrictions; discussion to continue • District presents, explains FY22 budget of $54.1M • Superintendent: Hybrid students soon will receive hour of virtual contact on at-home days

Covid-19 Updates & Precautions

When can I get the Covid-19 vaccine? (January 15, 2021 Update)

Phase 1 (Groups 1-4 are in progress), Phase 2 (February – March 2021), Phase 3 (Starting April 2021)

View Vaccine Information & Timeline

This page provides information, maps and resources about the coronavirus response in our local area.

Visit Hopkinton, MA – Coronavirus Response Hub

As of 01/13/21, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 523 total confirmed COVID-19 cases; 74 of those cases are active, with 432 recoveries and 17 deaths. You can see historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard

The most recent update from Jan 14th includes:

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 weekly Public Health Report
• Hopkinton Youth & Family Services – Spark Kindness
• Hopkinton Emergency Notification System; Code Red
• Stay Connected – Reminder
• Martin Luther King Day – Reminder

RELATED NEWS:

Hopkinton is shown as a Red town in this week’s “Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report” from the state

Public Notice: 2021 Open Burn Season

Massachusetts allows residents to burn brush between January 15 and May 1, depending on weather conditions and air quality. You must obtain permission from the Hopkinton Fire Department if you plan to open burn.

You can access the Open Burn Permit homepage directly by clicking here, or find the link via the Hopkinton Fire Department webpage. To bypass the instructions/information page and go directly to the application for a burn permit: click here. **If you had a burn permit from a previous season, you must re-register in this new system. Once you submit your application, you will receive an email confirmation with additional information.

View Notice

Hopkinton Youth & Family Services – MLK Day Programming

Please see information below from Hopkinton Youth & Family Services re: MLK Day Programming.

View Programs

RELATED EVENT:

Hopkinton Youth Commission & Freedom Team talk MLK Day… On the Hangout Hour!

On the Monday, January 18th Hopkinton Hangout Hour at 2pm, we have a special Martin Luther King Day edition as Jim Cozzens will catch up with the Hopkinton Youth Commission, Hopkinton Freedom Team and Stacia Krozy to talk MLK Day!

Town Election 2021 – Candidates Needed

Considering running for local office, but don’t know where to begin? Due to Covid there is an online process to request nomination papers this year.

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Town counsel cautions ZAC on commercial solar restrictions; discussion to continue

The Zoning Advisory Committee’s discussion on how to better control commercial ground-mounted solar developments took a turn Monday night, following input from town counsel. During its previous discussions, ZAC had suggesting wording limiting commercial solar photovoltaic installations to previously disturbed land, among other things.

Bryan Bertram, an attorney with Miyares & Harrington LLP, advised against that approach. “I think you would have a problem if you targeted this just at solar,” he told committee members at Monday’s meeting.

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District presents, explains FY22 budget of $54.1M

At a public hearing during Monday’s Hopkinton School Committee meeting, superintendent Carol Cavanaugh presented a tentative FY22 budget of $54,153,911, an increase of a little less than 6 percent from the current budget of $51,206,402.

That figure includes a requested increase of $2,145,327 for salaries, which represents 4.2 percent of the increase, and $802,182 for expenses, or 1.6 percent of the increase. Of the 4.2 percent salary increase, 2.9 is allocated for contract increases and 2.3 for new staff positions.

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Superintendent: Hybrid students soon will receive hour of virtual contact on at-home days 

Hopkinton students involved in asynchronous learning will be required to spend one hour of virtual contact time per day with a teacher starting Jan. 19, superintendent Carol Cavanaugh said Wednesday.

This hour could include a variety of options, including morning meeting check-ins, instructional read-alongs and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) lessons, she said during an appearance on HCAM’s Hopkinton Hangout Hour.

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