Government

The Police Chief Search Committee is pleased to announce that it continues to make significant progress toward its goal of finding a permanent Chief for Hopkinton. The Committee’s activities to date have included a careful review of the credentials of a pool of twenty (20) qualified applicants, the completion of a phone screen with applicants of interest, and the completion of an extensive face-to-face screening with a narrowed-down field of 10 candidates. As a result, the Committee has determined that 5 candidates will be invited back to continue in the process.

Continuing a tradition that began when she was first elected, Representative Dykema will holding her quarterly office hours in each of the four towns of the 8th Middlesex District next month.

“Being accessible to constituents was a pledge I made when I was first elected,” said Dykema. “I’ve learned so much from all those who have come to meet with me and I appreciate hearing their thoughts and ideas.”

Residents are encouraged to stop in to the office hours to share concerns, questions and opinions on state issues or simply to chat over a cup of coffee.

Hopkinton may be home to an International Marathon Museum a few years down the road. Michael Neece and Tim Kilduff, both members of the 26.2 Foundation, and architect Scott Richardson presented preliminary plans for a museum with a hall of fame located on East Main Street to the Planning Board during their December 2 meeting. No vote was taken by the Board as the museum is in its early stages of development, but reactions were positive.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) today reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts added 9,100 jobs in October and the total unemployment rate was 7.2 percent. Over the year, the unemployment rate was up 0.5 of a percentage point from the October 2012 rate of 6.7 percent.

TOWN of HOPKINTON’S POLICE DEPARTMENT Seeks Full-Time and Part-Time Dispatchers - Under the general guidance of the Dispatch Management with direction from the Chief of Police, dispatch employees are responsible for receiving and transmitting emergency and administrative messages to appropriate law enforcement, fire and emergency personnel in the manner dictated by the State Mandated Emergency Medical Dispatch Protocol, and department policy.

An update on Legacy Farms was given by developer Roy MacDowell during the November 18 Planning Board meeting, including an update on the proposed hockey rink. A request for proposal (RFP) for the Legacy Farms athletic field called for by Town Manager Norman Khumalo and Town Counsel Ray Miyares has been sent out to potential developers. The intent is to have a hockey rink developed at Legacy Farms, but the land can be used for other athletic-specific uses.

According to a press release today from the Town Manager''s Office, the Police Chief Search Committee has made significant progress in its work to find the next Chief of Police for the Town of Hopkinton.

At the Director's Meeting of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) held this morning in Boston, Hopkinton received an invitation into the MSBA's eligibility period.

“I’m delighted that the Board has voted the Center Elementary School into the Eligibility Period,” said State Treasurer Steven Grossman, Chairman of the MSBA. “We look forward to working collaboratively with Hopkinton officials to develop the best solution to meet the town’s educational needs in a fiscally responsible manner.”

The Massachusetts Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that will restore the value of the minimum wage in Massachusetts by increasing the minimum wage to $11 by 2016 and tying future increases to the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast region. The bill also increases wages for tipped workers to 50 percent of the minimum wage.

According to news reports from several media sites, the town of Milford has voted down the proposal for a casino. The Milford Daily News is reporting unofficial results that show of the 9,846 voters who cast ballots, or 55 percent of all registered voters, 6,361 votes were cast against the casino and 3,480 in favor. There were five blanks.

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