Weekly News Roundup – 11/07/2021

Weekly News Roundup – 11/07/2021

Main Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update • Hopkinton Fire Department Reminds Residents to Change Their Clocks, Check Their Alarms During Daylight Saving Time • TAX CLASSIFICATION HEARING – TOWN OF HOPKINTON • Project Just Because offers holiday help • ESBC discusses plan for Elmwood’s future • Conservation Committee roundup: Modifications approved for Connelly Farms, The Trails projects • Planning Board approves tree cuttings at Eversource LNG facility • Massachusetts lawmakers release congressional district map • Winter Parking Ban Begins November 15 • School Committee chair: ‘Not an easy decision’ on unmasking • Superintendent explains what led to mask-optional trial period at HHS; teachers union still has concerns • Day 1 of mask-optional policy at HHS: About half of students approved to show faces • Parks & Rec roundup: Turf field delay could be costly; dog park nears completion


Main  Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update

What to Expect for the Week of November 8, 2021

  • Installation of Telephone and Communication Manholes
    • TMH at STA 36+60 (Fire Station and 77 Main)
    • CMH at STA 36+60 (Fire Station, 76 Main, 77 Main and 78 Main)
    • TMH at STA 38+00 (Police Station, 76, Main, 77 Main and 78 Main)
    • CMH at STA 38+00 (Police Station, 76 Main, 77 Main and 78 Main)
    • TMH at STA 39+75 (Shell Gas Station, 65 Main, 66 Main and 70 Main)
    • CMH at STA 39+75 (Shell Gas Station, 65 Main, 66 Main and 70 Main)
  • MassDOT Survey Crews to continue to locate limits of easements within the corridor
  • Delivery of Electric Materials

https://hopkintonmainstreet.com/

RELATED: Live Construction Video Feeds are available for the Main Street Corridor Project, check where crews are working and traffic / weather conditions before you leave your home or office.

View Live Video Feeds

 

Hopkinton Fire Department Reminds Residents to Change Their Clocks, Check Their Alarms During Daylight Saving Time

HOPKINTON — Chief William Miller and the Hopkinton Fire Department would like to remind residents to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when setting their clocks back for daylight saving time this weekend.

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2 a.m., and clocks will move back one hour at that time. 

View Press Release

 

TAX CLASSIFICATION HEARING – TOWN OF HOPKINTON

On Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 7:00 PM a public hearing will be held in the Select Board Meeting Room 215 – Room 216 at Town Hall, 18 Main Street, Hopkinton, MA, to determine the percentage of local tax levy to be borne by each class of real and personal property, in accordance with MGL Chapter 40 Section 56.  Oral and written comments from the public will be accepted at the hearing.

 View Notice

 

Project Just Because offers holiday help

The Hopkinton-based food pantry Project Just Because is looking to get out the word that it wants to help any families in need during the holiday season. PJB is providing holiday meals as well as gifts to ages 18 and under.

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ESBC discusses plan for Elmwood’s future

The Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC), tasked with finding a solution to the constraints of the Elmwood School building, met Oct. 27 to receive progress updates on the partnership between the district and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

According to a press release from the committee, the superintendent presented the 10-year enrollment projections for the district as calculated by the MSBA. She noted that the projections showed significant student population growth, consistent with the district’s own projections.

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Conservation Committee roundup: Modifications approved for Connelly Farms, The Trails projects

The Conservation Commission at its Tuesday night meeting expressed approval with major modifications to two ongoing projects: Connelly Farms and The Trails, Hopkinton.

Scott Goddard, representing Ravenwood LLC and developer Ron Nation, told the commission that “a significant revision” was made to the plans for the Connelly Farms subdivision project off Hayden Rowe Street near the intersection with College Street.

He presented a “fairly advanced draft plan” that showed the removal of one of the house lots (Lot 8). This allowed for the remaining eight lots to be pulled closer to the cul-de-sac at the subdivision’s center.

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Planning Board approves tree cuttings at Eversource LNG facility

The Planning Board discussed Eversource’s improvement project at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at 52 Wilson Street for the majority of Monday’s hour-long meeting.

The main issue was the request for additional tree cuttings at the southern border of the site in the vicinity of a new flare stack, which was unanimously approved. A flare stack is a gas combustion device used in industrial plants such as gas refineries and chemical plants for the safe removal of gaseous waste. There initially was a 50-foot radius, but Eversource requested that it be doubled to 100 feet.

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Massachusetts lawmakers release congressional district map

State lawmakers released a proposed new map of Massachusetts congressional districts Monday.

The map avoids any large-scale dramatic shifts in district lines, in large part because the state retained the same number of congressional districts — nine. That sidesteps the need to combine districts and potentially force incumbent lawmakers to square off against each other.

One point of contention came in the state’s 4th Congressional District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss.

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Winter Parking Ban Begins November 15

The DPW wishes to remind all Hopkinton residents of By-Laws pertaining to the parking of motor vehicles during the winter months. No parking of any vehicle on any street between the hours of 1:00am to 6:00am from November 15 through April 1.

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School Committee chair: ‘Not an easy decision’ on unmasking

School Committee Chair Nancy Cavanaugh has received mixed feedback on the new policy allowing vaccinated individuals the choice to remove their masks at Hopkinton High School, although there was more public input before the decision was made.

“With regard to [the Oct. 21] vote, we received more correspondence about the masking vote (both in favor and against) ahead of the vote than we did following the vote,” she shared. “There were also two petitions, one in favor of allowing vaccinated individuals to remove masks and one opposed that we received ahead of the meeting.”

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RELATED NEWS: 

Superintendent explains what led to mask-optional trial period at HHS; teachers union still has concerns

The Hopkinton School Committee’s 3-2 vote to become the first Massachusetts community to lift the mask requirement for COVID-19 vaccinated students and staff for a three-week trial period in November has brought forth a range of opinions from both inside and outside the community.

 

Day 1 of mask-optional policy at HHS: About half of students approved to show faces

For the first day of the lifting of the mask mandate, about half of the students attended Hopkinton High School with their masks on, according to Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh in an interview Monday afternoon.

Before the implementation of the mask-optional policy for COVID-19 vaccinated individuals, Cavanaugh said that parents were asked to upload a copy of the proof of vaccination as well as a permission slip.

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Parks & Rec roundup: Turf field delay could be costly; dog park nears completion

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Parks & Recreation Commission continued discussions on the Fruit Street fields replacement and dog park project. The commission also considered requests related to the Town Common and a Nov. 6 family event on the Fruit Street fields.

If the project proceeds, construction might take place in mid- to late 2022.

Bounce houses approved for family event

The commission granted the Friends of Hopkinton a permit to place bounce houses on the Fruit Street fields for Hopkinton families to enjoy on Saturday, Nov. 6. The bounce houses will be open to children ages 2-12 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Masks will be required.

Dog park progresses toward completion

“We are inching up to the finish line,” Guelfi said of the dog park project. “The only thing we’re waiting for are the gates to the fence and a couple other minor things.” As previously reported, the gazebo will not be installed until January, but the park will open to the public prior to the gazebo’s arrival.

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