ESBC Sets Summer Agenda

Following a unanimous Town Meeting vote to fund a Center School feasibility study, Hopkinton’s Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) met recently to discuss next steps. At the May 22 and June 5 meetings, ESBC members expressed a desire to use time over the Summer to develop foundational knowledge that may be helpful once the formal Feasibility Study is initiated, and plan community engagement activities. 

 

"While Hopkinton awaits a decision by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), expected by early Fall, the committee is eager to build on community momentum and continue to advance the effort," said ESBC Chairman Joe Markey. “Any decisions regarding either the nature or the location of a solution to the constraints at Center School will occur after MSBA engagement, when we initiate the actual Feasibility Study, but there is preliminary work we can do now,” added Markey.

ESBC Clerk Rob Nickerson emphasized, "All of this work will take place in our posted public meetings, and we encourage anyone in the community to attend and participate." Nickerson said the preliminary work that the committee plans include: facility tours at both the existing Center School and Pre-K facility (currently housed in the Middle School), site walks at properties that could be used if a decision is made to rebuild rather than renovate, and knowledge-building sessions with experts in land use planning and school building practices.

As more information is gathered, the committee will announce additional events to inform the public and gather new questions and feedback. Meanwhile, those interested can follow the committee’s actions on Twitter (@HopkintonESBC), and on the Hopkinton town website at http://www.hopkintonma.gov/home/government/boards/esbc.

“Transparency and community engagement are two of our guiding principles,” said Markey. “We want to be sure that both the committee and the community are learning together and getting answers to important questions that will continue to come up throughout the process."

 

The ESBC’s next public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19, at 7:00 PM in Town Hall, Room 215. A detailed agenda is available at: https://groups.google.com/a/hopkintonma.gov/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/allagendas/esbc.

Tech Sandbox Ignites Entrepreneurship in MetroWest

Couldn't this work for Hopkinton?  Test your new technology startup ideas while living in this vibrant community that boasts miles of hiking trails, a 200 plus member running club, great schools, and a thriving culture of small and home based businesses.  Ditch the traffic and 2-hour commute and get to work in Hopkinton!

I think it could!

TechSandBox Looking to Rally Entrepreneurs in Boston’s MetroWest
"Here’s a concept: a Boston-area startup incubator outside of Route 128."

Hopkinton Running Club raised over $4,000 for OneFund Boston

On April 20th, numbers swelled into the hundreds for the Hopkinton Running Club's weekly Saturday morning run.  The run was aimed at demonstrating community support for those affected by the events at the Boston Marathon finish line a few days earlier. The event raised over $4,000 for One Fund Boston.

April 16th, Boston Globe: At race's starting point, Hopkinton grapples with Boston Marathon's horrific finish

April 17th, Boston Globe: In Hopkinton, Residents gather on the Common to reflect

April 17th: Idea emerges for a Saturday run:

April 20th: Hundreds gather at Hopkinton Town Common to run:

 

News coverage

Local news outlets have been very interested in the initiation of the Elementary School Building Committee in Hopkinton, MA, and a related article on the agenda for Hopkinton Annual Town Meeting May 6th, 2013. 

Here's a list of related news items from MetroWestDailyNews:

• December 9th, 2012: "Hopkinton Elementary School Building Committee Seeks Members"
• March 7th, 2013: "Four Named to Hopkinton Elementary School Building Committee"
• March 15th, 2013: "Hopkinton to Apply for State School Building Cash" 
• March 29th, 2013: "Hopkinton School Building Committee Revs Up"
• April 10th, 2013: "Hopkinton's Center School Among Districts Top Challenges"
• April 25th, 2013: "Hopkinton Selectmen Support School Study Article"
• April 27th, 2013: "Hopkinton Budget Blends Town and School Spending"

 

 

 

 

Seeking to set a model for transparency in Town Government

Early on, the Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) set a lofty goal to achieve a level of communication, transparency and civic engagement that "far surpasses the minimum standards set by Open Meeting Law."

Formed in March 2013 through appointments by the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen, the ESBC has been assigned a mission to "facilitate development of a proposed solution to the operational and educational constraints of Center School that will be supported by the voters of Hopkinton, as well as the MSBA."

Since then, the committe has met weekly, and has launched several communications channels aimed at building civic awareness and community engagement.  All meetings have been open to the public, and meeting minutes have been posted rapidly, supplemented with additional communications to keep the community informed. 

• Web Site: The ESBC Web site provide easy access to committee information, key documents, meeting agendas and minutes, press releases, and other information. http://www.hopkintonma.gov/home/government/boards/esbc.
• Twitter: The ESBC Twitter presence, https://twitter.com/HopkintonESBC, provides an opportunity to receive up to the minute updates on key activities and actions and interact directly with the committee.

Here are a few tips for community members navigating the ESBC website and Twitter feed:

1. Navigation and User Interface - The navigation on the ESBC web site is now across the top in two tiers: The top tier reflects items to which the community may come back more than once for reference, the bottom tier reflects areas that might not be checked as often. A new addition to our site navigation is the "Action Taken" summaries. Following the model used by the Board of Selectmen, the ESBC now can quickly post actions taken against our posted agendas. A fast, efficient way to reflect progress made at our meetings prior to availability of full meeting minutes.
2. Recent News - Items of interest (such as press releases, interviews, important documents), are posted in blog form. Every time an item is added, it is automatically replicated to Twitter to get the word out as much as possible.
3. Get in Touch with the ESBC- Email addresses are provided for all ESBC committee members, along with a description of each members role and expertise. A more detailed description of the members can also be found on the Who We Are page.
4. Twitter - Aside from just blog posts, the ESBC also posts directly to Twitter and our Google Group (independent of what appears on Recent News). This can be links to minutes, agenda links, quick recaps of meetings and decisions, or posing questions to the community.

All community members are invited to use and share these resources freely. Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to reach the level of awareness and engagement needed to achieve our community goals for Center School and provide the best learning environment for our community's youngest students.

Boston Marathon 2013

My finishing time was 3 hours and 8 minutes.  Very happy with the results of the race.   Over the past couple years, I have read so much great advice from experienced Boston Marathon runners, about "how to run the Boston Marathon," and all of it helped.

First, I followed a rigorous training plan. While I ran the race, all the other advice ran through my head:

• On the first few miles of down hills, I thought of Bill Rogers' advice about starting slowly
• Got my stride going through Framingham and Natick
• Didn't panic through the Wellesley Hills
• Took the benefit of the steep downhill at mile 16 without going too hard down the hill
• Made it over the hills and took advantage of the long flat mile half way up the heartbreak hill
• Did a quick quad check at the top of the hill, and 
• For the final 5 miles, I gave it everything I had left, picking up the pace and allowing the enthusiasm of the spectators to bring me in -- feeling great across the finish line.

Thank you to everyone who shared in my training, contributed to my fundraising, and helped make this possible.  See you at the 2014 Boston Marathon!

Pre-Marathon Weekend

Apparently I live closer to the starting line than any other entrant in this year's running of the Boston Marathon, earning me a runner profile on page 132 of the official Boston Marathon program guide, in which I reflect, "On April 15th we celebrate that single simple shared experience of running, which transcends all differences and distances." 

Walking down the street to check out the pre-marathon scene at the Common on Saturday, I was surprised to be greeted by this group of fans getting ready for race day:

The austere likeness of "The Starter," George V. Brown, was no match for the warmth of this marathon enthusiast:

 

Boston Globe, April 8th:Dick and Rick Hoyt honored with bronze statue near Marathon starting line

 

Final Long Run Complete

I just ran 13.1 miles, which actually seemed pretty short, compared with the four runs of 20 miles or more, several 18 mile runs, and routine 15 mile runs over the past 17 weeks.  I think I'm ready.


Hope to see you at Cornell's in Hopkinton 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. today.  All are welcome to this informal get-together to support SPEAC's fundraising Boston Marathon runners Joe Markey and Jon Graziano. Saturday, April 6th, 4-7 pm at Cornnel's in Hopkinton - standard fare, plus pizza and soda for children. Hope to see you there! 

Click here to read more and make a contribution!

April 6th 4-7 pm at Cornell's - Mark Your Calendar!

Event Notice from SPEAC:

 

Please join SPEAC as we support Marathon runners Joe Markey and Jon Graziano, Saturday, April 6th, Cornell's Pub in Hopkinton, 4-7 pm.

Each runner has committed to raise $2,500 to support Special Education in Hopkinton! All are welcome to this informal get-together. Pizza & soda for kids will be available from 4-6PM. The gathering immediately follows the HPTA’s Children’s Gallery; so pick up your auction items and come on over!

We hope to see you there!

Please consider donating at the event or through Joe and Jon’s fundraising websites:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/joemarkey/BostonMarathon

http://gogetfunding.com/project/jon-s-marathon-for-speac-hopkinton

SPEAC's Mission

SPEAC believes in the importance of each child’s education, striving to continually improve the quality of Hopkinton's special education programs through a variety of programs, speakers, administration meetings, and community outreach services. We provide resources needed from the preschool age child to the high school graduate and beyond.

3 weeks until Boston!

Back on track with 67 miles for the past week.  Enjoyed a great training run on the Boston Marathon course yesterday with dozens of other Hopkinton Running Club runners.

I feel ready for the marathon; lately even runs greater than 15 miles feel too short.  

• March 18:  16.27
• March 19:
• March 20: 6.01
• March 21: 10.01
• March 22: 6.12
• March 23: 7.02
• March 24: 21.57