Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Daniel R. Laughlin, 90

Daniel R. Laughlin, 90 of Hopkinton formerly of Cochituate, died peacefully and comfortably on Monday, October 19, 2020 following a period of declining health.

Dan was born on December 22, 1929 in Cochituate to Edward Laughlin and Emily (O’Halloran) Laughlin.

He attended Wayland High School and the Vesper George School of Art in Boston. He served in the United States Marine Corps in the Korean Conflict. He married Patricia Hogan in 1956 at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston. He was employed by Southworth Industries in Hopkinton until his retirement in 1994. He served as a Trustee of the Hopkinton Public Library and on the Finance Committee of the Town of Hopkinton. He was a member of the Holy Name Society of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church.

Dan was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Patricia A. Laughlin, and is survived by his brother Charles Laughlin of Crescent, PA, his brother John Laughlin of Cochituate, his sister Louise Laughlin Lieb of Los Angeles, CA and his children, Kathy Laughlin Mone of Hoboken NJ, Elaine Laughlin of Providence, RI , Julie Laughlin of Falmouth, Edward Laughlin of Lowell, Greg Laughlin of Las Vegas, NV, Nancy Laughlin of Lowell and Jean Laughlin Davis of Pittsboro, NC, as well as 8 grandchildren, and many nephews and nieces. He was the brother of the late Robert Laughlin and Francis Laughlin.

Due to the COVID pandemic, all services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hopkinton Senior Center, 28 Mayhew Street, Hopkinton, MA 02148.

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Town of Hopkinton Department of Public Works
Public Informational Meeting - Asset Management Program (ZOOM Meeting)

Nov 5, 2020, 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Please click the link below to join the ZOOM webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88576399220?pwd=YXY4YW01Yi9sU3RxNDNiRHhheDhJUT09

Passcode: 626366

Or iPhone one-tap :

US: +13126266799,,88576399220# or +16468769923,,88576399220#

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 408 638 0968 or +1 669 900 6833

Webinar ID: 885 7639 9220

The Department of Public Works will present its Asset Management Program (AMP) for the Town’s water, wastewater, and stormwater system on November 5, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. The DPW worked with the IT Department and Weston and Sampson over the past year to complete this AMP. Funding came from a combination of Town funds and a grant received from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust and MassDEP. The Asset Management Program will allow the DPW to promote the sustainability of its water, wastewater and stormwater systems.
--
Thank you.
Sincerely,
John K. Westerling, MPA
Hopkinton's Director of Public Works

Celebrate Australia

You and your child are welcome to join us online as we celebrate the culture of Australia. Kids will sing a song, listen to a story, and have fun making a craft (Australian Aboriginal dot turtle).

A list of simple materials will be emailed to all registrants. Pre-registration is required for this FREE program.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Hopkinton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

FREE, REGISTER HERE: https://www.hopartscenter.org/

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Hopkinton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency 

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Effective October 23, this pause will allow for the development of enhanced COVID-19 protocols to further protect players, families and coaches

BOSTON – October 22, 2020 – Due to rising cases of COVID-19 connected to indoor ice hockey, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a new public health order today prohibiting indoor ice rinks and ice skating facilities from operating from October 23, 2020 to November 7, 2020.

This order is in response to multiple COVID-19 clusters occurring at rinks throughout the state following games, practices and tournaments. Neighboring states including New Hampshire have enacted similar temporary restrictions regarding indoor ice hockey.

There have been at least 30 clusters of COVID-19 associated with organized ice hockey activities involving residents from more than 60 municipalities in Massachusetts. Each of these includes two or more confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases, totaling 108 confirmed cases.

This pause will allow for the development of stronger COVID-19 protocols to further protect players, families, coaches, arena staff and other participants, as well as communities surrounding hockey rinks.

Current protocols include limitations on the number of people allowed in an arena, social distancing and other precautions. This order includes all indoor ice rinks and ice skating facilities in Massachusetts. These rinks and facilities may not operate during this temporary two-week pause. It is effective between 5 p.m. on October 23, 2020, and 12:01 a.m. on November 7, 2020. College and professional programs are exempt from this order.

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Water Discoloration

Please be advised that we are aware of some periodic water discoloration, predominantly in the Eastern part of town and we are investigating the cause. Water quality including visual, taste and odor are affected by both seasonal temperature changes and drought conditions as the water is pulled from deeper and further out in the aquifer. The discoloration is caused by the minerals that are naturally occurring in the water and is not harmful. Please check our media outlets for updates. For instantaneous updates please go to https://groups.google.com/all-groups and select water and sewer notices and follow us on our Twitter feed @hopkintonwater .

We are now in our first full 6 month billing cycle since the pandemic started and we are starting to receive more calls for high water bills. With most people being at home much more than normal, residential use has increased. Dishwashers, bathrooms and laundry are the major indoor uses. In particular with the increase use of toilets, leaks in the flapper valve are more likely to occur. Coupled with the increase use in the home, our prolonged drought has also caused a large increase in outdoor usage. These two factors are the main reason for the rise in customer use.

Please check our website www.hopkintonma.gov   for water conservation tips and our billing policy.

Eric J. Carty Water-Sewer Manager
Hopkinton Water-Sewer Dept.

COVID-19 Housing Assistance - NEW UPDATE
Hopkinton renters and homeowners facing eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, or other housing emergencies caused by loss of income, increase in expenses, or both due to the COVID-19 pandemic may call theMassachusetts 2-1-1 information hotline for information on state housing assistance programs. Operators for 2-1-1 are trained to answer questions and connect residents to the state agencies that administer COVID-19 housing assistance programs. Information is also available on the state’s website:
www.mass.gov/CovidHousingHelp .

REMINDER:

UNIBANK TO HOST FREE HOME BUYING WEBINARS

UniBank will be hosting free monthly home buying webinars for the remainder of 2020. These educational opportunities will provide homebuyers with valuable information about finding and buying the home of their dreams. Important discussion topics include: Negotiating a Winning Offer, Finding the Right Mortgage and Pre-Qualifying, Down Payment Options, The Importance of Home Inspections, and more. A prize will be awarded at each event.

Join UniBank’s Mortgage Representative, Dave Sampson (NMLS #688948) for any of the 3 webinars:

• Tuesday, October 27 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

• Tuesday, November 17 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 16 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Attendees of each event will be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Sweepstakes to win gift card is subject to complete official rules which are available at www.unibank.com. To enter, individuals must register and attend the seminar. No purchase or account required to enter or win.

All seminar attendees will receive a $250 mortgage closing cost coupon from UniBank.

To register, visit www.unibank.com.

UniBank is rooted in the Blackstone Valley with assets of $2.1 billion as of September 30, 2020. A full-service, mutually owned community bank, UniBank has branches in Central Massachusetts and the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. UniBank’s newest full-service branch is located at 193 Boston Turnpike (Route 9) in Shrewsbury (at the former site of Spag’s). UniBank is dedicated to contributing to the overall quality of life and economic health of the communities it serves, while maintaining a high level of financial soundness and integrity. UniBank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC and Member DIF.  UniBank NMLS #583135. The company website is www.unibank.com .

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Rick Odell, 62

Rick Odell, 62, a longtime resident of Hopkinton, passed away Oct. 18 after a battle with cancer. He passed at his home in Southwick, surrounded by his loved ones.

Richard was born in Summit, New Jersey, to Shirley J. (King) Odell (now of Southwick) and the late Ellsworth I. Odell Jr. He was predeceased by his sister, Nancy R. Odell-Liupakka, in 1987.

Rick was employed as a strategic sourcing manager. He was passionately involved in the Hopkinton Scouts, helping young kids learn outdoor skills. For his love of lake life, wildlife and the outdoors he was part of the Lake Maspenock Preservation Association and the Woodville Rod & Gun Club.

In addition to his mother, Rick is survived by a daughter, Taylor Rose Odell of New York City; a son, Austin Walter Odell of Durham, North Carolina; one brother, Thomas E. Odell and his wife, Lisa, of Glenwood, Iowa; a sister, Shirley A. Warner and her husband, Seth, of Tolland, Massachusetts; his best friend, Fiona Lyons of Holland, Massachusetts; his former spouse and mother of his children, Susanne Odell Farber of Hopkinton; and his faithful canine companion, Dakota. Rick leaves extended family members along with numerous friends who will miss him.

Private services will be held. A celebration of life in Rick’s honor will be planned when it is safe to do so. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to Family Promise Metrowest ( www.familypromisemetrowest.org ). Arrangements have been entrusted to Southwick Forastiere Family Funeral Home ( www.forastiere.com ).

October 21, 2020 (Natick, MA) – The Foundation for MetroWest, the only community foundation serving the MetroWest region of Greater Boston, today announced 32 students will represent MetroWest on its Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) Junior Board. Of these, two students represent the town of Hopkinton. YIP has grown to become the largest youth philanthropy education program in the country and has been offered by the Foundation for more than 20 years to middle and high school students across MetroWest. The students will serve on the student-run board, which functions like a nonprofit board and

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Daniel Shea, 60

Daniel Shea, 60, of Ashland, passed away Monday, October 19, 2020 at Tufts Medical Center following a brief illness. Born in Pittsfield, MA, he was the son of the late Irene (Skubel) and John Shea. He was the husband of 29 years to Amy (Wright) Shea of Ashland.

A lifelong Ashland resident, Dan was active in his community, having been a member of the Knights of Columbus and serving on several town committees. He had also been a past vice president of Hopkinton and Ashland Pop Warner. His humorous, witty and sarcastic stories will be missed.

Besides his wife, Dan is survived by his daughter, Sydney Shea of Washington, D.C.; his sister, Kathryn Price and her husband, Kevin of Ashland, as well as many nieces, nephews, friends and co-workers.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 23rd from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton, 57 Hayden Rowe St. www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com  A funeral mass will be celebrated following visitation at 11:00 a.m. at Saint John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ashland Emergency Fund, PO Box 112 Ashland, MA 01721.

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Reminder:
Voters of Hopkinton

Early voting in person will be offered from Saturday, October 17 until Friday, October 30. Due to occupancy issues at Town Hall, the Board of Registrars voted on 09/29/2020 to hold early voting in person for the November 3, 2020 State Election at the Hopkinton Senior Center at 28 Mayhew Street. Voters will not use the main entrance, but will enter through the library door and will exit through the side door once they have voted. Mask wearing as well as social distancing will be required to protect our dedicated team of election staff and fellow voters.

The hours for each day at the Senior Center will be as follows:
Saturdays and Sundays - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays - 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Tuesdays - 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Fridays - 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
This will serve as a supplement to voting by-mail and in-person voting at the polls on November 3rd to better spread out voting and limit potential COVID-19 exposure in our community. If you are looking to return a mail-in ballot, please do not bring it to the Senior Center. To hand deliver your ballot, bring it to the 24/7 secure drop box at the Town Hall.

Remember When?

First quarter 2019

by Robert Falcione

October 19, 2020 — Once upon a time, most people were not as focused on staying away from one another as they are now.  Gatherings were considered the more the  merrier, and most people shook hands with abandon. Now look where we are. The cautious wash hands, sanitize common surfaces frequently, avoid gatherings and wear masks. Remember how we gathered without worrying much about the transmission of deadly diseases to or from one another? Everyone shook hands. Well, actually, this writer stopped shaking hands a couple of years ago and did my best to pass that idea along to others; a difficult thing to do for an Italian boy who was taught that a handshake is a quick measure of a individual's sincerity.

        For those who would like a quick look back at the way things were in 2019, we offer a one-click solution. Below is the first quarter of 2019 in pictures set to video that we put together at the end of 2019, as we do most years. We'll put up the other three quarters in time. There is also a generic computer-generated instrumental sound track so that we don't get slammed for infringing upon anyone. Feel free to mute the sound if it displeases. BTW, thanks to the many photographic contributions community members have made. They make it real.

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Lake Cleanup Extended through Sunday

Weather isn't looking great for Saturday, so we decided to go virtual and make lake clean up the entire weekend.
The dumpster is being dropped off at Sandy Beach Saturday at 9am and will be picked up by Sunday at 4pm.
Here is our goal.
1. Grab your family, trash bags, gloves, etc and head out at some point between NOW and Sunday at 4pm to clean

up YOUR WATERFRONT/STREET and if possible an area listed below:
*Woody Island Causeway
*Shoreline- lowest the water has been for clean up so would LOVE to get all shore areas.
*Dam- may need a truck for this if there are large items like tired, etc
*Sandy Beach- trash clean up and make piles of any large branches, debris, etc
*Sandy Beach Parking lot- clean up large rocks and branches, prep to get it lined this week!!!
*Hayward Street, even all the way up to KO-HAYWARD FROM KO DOWN TO AUCIELLO HAS BEEN DONE
*Downey Street, Oakhurst, Crockett Rd-DOWNEY STREET HAS BEEN DONE
*All side streets off Hayward and Lakeshore
*Launch area off of West Main up to Oakhurst on both sides of the street
THE CAUSEWAY NEAR THE PUMPING STATION HAS BEEN DONE
2. TAKE PICTURES and POST the area(s) you covered. It would be great to see our community in action

and also a good way to track areas that have been done.
3. Drop off trash and trash bags IN the dumpster between 9am Saturday and 4pm Sunday.
*** PLEASE only use the dumpster for lake clean up purposes.
Also please mind social distancing at all times and wear masks when necessary.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP!! LET'S KEEP OUR LAKE BEAUTIFUL!

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Reckless Driver Arrested After Trying to Evade Troopers on Mass Pike

Shortly after 5 PM today a Massachusetts State Police Trooper located a Toyota Corolla that witnesses had reported was going more than 100 mph and weaving in and out of traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike eastbound. The Corolla also had no license plates.

The Trooper attempted to stop the erratic operator in the Millbury area. The Corolla’s driver refused to stop and fled, continuing at a high rate of speed in light traffic conditions. MSP Troop C Headquarters assumed command and control of the pursuit. 

Shortly after 5:20 PM the suspect vehicle, still fleeing to evade Troopers, crossed into MSP Troop H, and that Troop’s  Headquarters took command and control of the pursuit. 

In Framingham, the suspect vehicle attempted to take the ramp at Exit 12 at a high speed and crashed and rolled over. 

The female operator, the lone occupant of the vehicle, exited the car under her own power and became combative with Troopers. Troopers took her into custody. The suspect complained of pain and was taken by medical helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. 

At this hour the suspect is in the process of being released from the hospital and and will be transported to State Police-Charlton to be booked on charges including refusal to stop for police, operating to be endanger, plate violation, speeding, among other offenses. 

The suspect is identified as CARLA JOFFRE PENA, 20, of Dorchester. 

Investigation indicates that prior to her erratic operation today, PENA had the Corolla brought from a tow yard to a Springfield address, where she took control of the car and began to drive east. 

The Corolla had been towed to the tow yard after PENA was previously arrested four days ago. This past Sunday, Oct. 11, an MSP Trooper observed her driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Ludlow with a stolen plate attached to the Corolla. When stopped by the Trooper, PENA also was found to be unlicensed and the car was not registered, not insured, and had no inspection sticker. She was arrested for those offenses after that stop on Sunday and arraigned in Palmer District Court yesterday. She arranged to get the car back today.MSP Press release

HOPKINTON, MA (October 15, 2020) - The Zoning Advisory Committee will hold its annual Public Forum on October 26, 2020 at 7:00 PM, remotely via Zoom.

The Zoning Advisory Committee is a nine-member board appointed by the Planning Board, typically with representatives from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Appeals, as well as At-Large positions. The Committee meets one or two times a month, usually on Monday evenings.

The purpose of the Zoning Advisory Committee is to review and develop proposals for zoning bylaw and zoning map amendments, and make recommendations to the Planning Board.

Zoning bylaws generally regulate the use of land, buildings, and structures.

The purpose of the Zoning Advisory Committee‘s annual public forum is to hear ideas and proposals for desired changes to the Zoning Bylaw and/or the Zoning Map from residents. This is an opportunity to propose changes to the land uses permitted in specific areas in Hopkinton, the manner in which certain uses are permitted, dimensional requirements, or other ideas with
respect to land use regulation.

The Zoning Advisory Committee encourages residents to attend this forum and provide ideas and proposals for amendments to the Zoning Bylaws, whether they are changes to regulations currently in place or entirely new regulations. Access information for the Zoom meeting is below:

Click HERE to join meeting
Meeting ID: 847 4441 0596
Passcode: 812841
Call-in Number: (646) 876 - 9923
The Zoning Advisory Committee will also be holding a meeting on November 9, 2020 to
discuss the Solar Overlay District and hear public comments related to that proposal. This
meeting will also be held via Zoom, with details available prior to the meeting

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

UNIBANK TO HOST FREE HOME BUYING WEBINARS

UniBank will be hosting free monthly home buying webinars for the remainder of 2020. These educational opportunities will provide homebuyers with valuable information about finding and buying the home of their dreams. Important discussion topics include: Negotiating a Winning Offer, Finding the Right Mortgage and Pre-Qualifying, Down Payment Options, The Importance of Home Inspections, and more. A prize will be awarded at each event.

Join UniBank’s Mortgage Representative, Dave Sampson (NMLS #688948) for any of the 3 webinars:

• Tuesday, October 27 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

• Tuesday, November 17 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 16 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Attendees of each event will be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Sweepstakes to win gift card is subject to complete official rules which are available at www.unibank.com. To enter, individuals must register and attend the seminar. No purchase or account required to enter or win.

All seminar attendees will receive a $250 mortgage closing cost coupon from UniBank.

To register, visit www.unibank.com.

UniBank is rooted in the Blackstone Valley with assets of $2.1 billion as of September 30, 2020. A full-service, mutually owned community bank, UniBank has branches in Central Massachusetts and the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. UniBank’s newest full-service branch is located at 193 Boston Turnpike (Route 9) in Shrewsbury (at the former site of Spag’s). UniBank is dedicated to contributing to the overall quality of life and economic health of the communities it serves, while maintaining a high level of financial soundness and integrity. UniBank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC and Member DIF.  UniBank NMLS #583135. The company website is www.unibank.com .

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Maspenock Cleanup This Coming Saturday

Click here for a much larger, more detailed 44" - wide version.

Please join us for a safe, social distant lake clean up on Saturday, October 17th from 9am-12pm. We encourage families to participate. Let's keep our lake and waterfronts and streets clean!!!

    *Masks will be required.
    *Check in at Sandy Beach to sign -in and for your assigned area anytime between 9am-12pm.

     *Maintain social distancing at all times when in the parking lot.
    *LMPA will provide gloves and trash bags but please feel free to provide your own if you are more comfortable.

Unfortunately we will not be able to offer coffee and donuts or pizza this year. We also will abide by all Covid rules set by the governor and Parks and Rec. Should any regulations change between now and then we may have to cancel and go virtual.

Thank you,
The LMPA E Board

HopNews file photo.

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Working hard for Hopkinton Homeowners and the surrounding Communities

Antoine “Tony” O’Baoill

Watertown- Antoine “Tony” O’Baoill, 69, of Watertown, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, October 9, 2020. Born in Dublin Ireland, he was the son of Margaret (O’Reilly) and Anthony Boyle. Tony was raised and spent most of his childhood in Finglas, Dublin, Ireland.

Tony was a renaissance man. He was an avid hiker, outdoorsmen, car enthusiast, voracious reader, and an excellent chef. His travels took him all over the world, often returning to Ireland to visit family and friends. He spent most of his professional life in the automotive industry.

Tony was a loving father to Pearse O’Baoill and his wife, Megan of Hopkinton, and a devoted grandfather to his grandchildren, Rory and Luke O’Baoill. He is also survived by his brothers, Eddy, Steven, Bernard and Marcus, and his sisters, Jane and Mairead, as well as many brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends who will miss him dearly.

He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Due to COVID-19, service arrangements are private and are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton, www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com/ . In lieu of flowers, donations in Tony’s name may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Please visit https://themmrf.org/get-involved/ways-to-donate/  for more information.