October 4, 2007
REGION
The state will begin feasibility studies for local school projects about a month earlier than anticipated, potentially allowing some projects to be ready for Town Meeting votes next spring, staff writer James Vaznis of the reports in the Globe's City & Region Section today.
On Nov. 2, the state School Building Authority will decide which school districts' proposed projects to study first. Other districts will be selected on a rolling basis after that.
Being selected for a feasibility study doesn't automatically guarantee construction funding, but it is a prerequisite. More than a dozen school districts west of Boston are among 161 districts statewide competing for about $500 million in construction funds this year, the first time in four years the state is doling out school construction money.
In choosing which feasibility studies to pursue first, the state has been dispatching inspection teams to analyze building conditions and enrollment trends, visiting 90 districts so far. Those districts include Berlin-Boylston, Franklin, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, Nashoba, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, Shrewsbury, Wayland, and Wellesley.
The resulting studies, which should be completed this winter, will give the state the first glimpse of how much it could potentially cost to do all the projects. In all, 161 districts have expressed interest in 422 school projects.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:51 AM
September 28, 2007
Bourne firefighters use the Jaws of Life to cut away the roof of the vehicle in which Hopkinton, Town Manager Anthony Troiano is trapped. It took firefighters nearly 45 minutes to extricate Troiano from the mangled car.
(Globe archive photo)
HOPKINTON
A hearing to determine whether Hopkinton Town Manager Anthony Troiano will be charged in a fatal automobile accident has been continued for a second time.
Troiano sustained serious injuries in the May 15 crash on Sandwich Road in Bourne that resulted in the death of Lilija Berents, 69, of East Falmouth. A hearing was originally scheduled for Aug. 20, when Troiano would have appeared before a clerk magistrate to face possible charges including motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, speeding, and failure to pass safely.
That hearing was continued until Sept. 24 to allow Troiano more time to recover from his injuries. This week, a judge continued the hearing again, until Nov. 5, saying that attorneys needed more time to gather medical records.
Troiano returned to full-time duty as town manager on Sept. 17.
-- David Cogger
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 08:51 AM
July 24, 2007
HOPKINTON
Hopkinton-based EMC Corp, the No. 1 maker of corporate data storage equipment, reported higher quarterly profit on Tuesday on strong software and hardware sales.
Second-quarter net income rose to $334.4 million, or 16 cents per share, from $279.1 million, or 12 cents a share, a year earlier.
The Hopkinton, Massachusetts, company's growth is being fueled by sales of software products that it has acquired over the past few years. Its top performer has been VMware, whose computer programs help companies boost efficiency of server computers, getting more use out of machines running that software.
-- Reuters
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 01:14 PM
July 16, 2007
(Handout photo)
HOPKINTON/WESTBOROUGH
A suspect has been arrested in connection with three high-profile rapes in Hopkinton and Westborough in 2003 in which a man broke into the victims' homes and threatened them with guns and knives, authorities said.
Marcelo Mota, 28, was apprehended in New Jersey over the weekend after authorities said they matched his fingerprints to a print left on the banister at the scene of an assault Aug. 14, 2003, in which a woman fought off her attacker.
After two other women had been raped in a little more than week, a man with a knife broke into a Hopkinton apartment and assaulted a woman but fled when she fought back, authorities said. The three attacks that August panicked the surrounding area as police searched neighborhoods with dogs trying to track down the perpetrator.
"We allege that this defendant preyed on these unsuspecting women and in the process caused many residents of the Metro West community to live in fear that they might be next," Middlesex District Attorney Gerald T. Leone Jr. said in a press statement.
Mota, a former Framingham resident, had been living in Delran, N.J. He was arrested by the Burlington County Sheriff's Office when authorities matched his fingerprints to the one taken from the Hopkinton crime scene, according to the statement.
Read more about this developing story in the Globe's Local News Updates blog.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 01:06 PM
July 4, 2007
HOPKINTON
A project to repave a section of Hayden Rowe Street has been postponed indefinitely due to the failure of a milling machine, town highway manager Mike Mansir says.
The work was intended to take place the last week of June. The project involves resurfacing about one-third of a mile of Hayden Rowe Street, from Main to Fenton streets.
-— Kyle Alspach
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:34 AM
June 18, 2007
HOPKINTON
Efforts to prevent a major housing and commercial project were defeated today, as voters rejected a property tax hike that could have allowed the town to buy about 710 acres of land.
The $30.4 million purchase, which needed both town meeting and town election approvals, failed at town neeting last week. But some in town hoped voters would still support the land in today's town election, thus resurrecting the proposal.
Instead, residents rejected the land buy, with 3,034 votes cast against the purchase and 1,646 in favor.
The development, proposed by Weston-based developer Boulder Capital, will be located off Route 135 around Weston Nurseries. The project is slated to include a shopping center and nearly 1,000 homes.
-- Kyle Alspach
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:52 PM
June 18, 2007
Bourne firefighters use the Jaws of Life to cut away the roof of the vehicle in which Hopkinton Town Manager Anthony Troiano is trapped. It took firefighters nearly 45 minutes to extricate Troiano from the mangled car.
(Photo by David G. Curran for the Boston Globe)
HOPKINTON
A court hearing for Town Manager Anthony Troiano, who remained in a coma as of late last week after a car crash last month, has been tentatively rescheduled for Aug. 20, his lawyer said.
Troiano could be charged with motor vehicle homicide in connection with the crash, which killed East Falmouth woman. Troiano had been scheduled to go before a clerk magistrate in Falmouth District Court on June 11, but the hearing was pushed back due to his condition, his attorney, Augustus Wagner, said.
Meanwhile, selectmen last week tapped Fire Chief Gary Daugherty to serve as the acting town manager. Daugherty agreed to serve three to four months in the position.
-— Kyle Alspach
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:07 AM
June 17, 2007
HOPKINTON
Upgrades to Town Hall and three schools to make them more accessible to the disabled are on the line in tomorrow's town election.
Residents at last week's special Town Meeting approved appropriating about $290,000 for the upgrades, which will bring Town Hall and the schools into compliance with state and federal disability laws. The money will be used to build new ramps and make numerous other adaptations at the buildings.
The measure on the ballot is in the form of a debt exclusion property tax increase, in which the town's tax levy will increase until the debt is paid off.
-— Kyle Alspach
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 12:02 PM
June 14, 2007
From Globe West: Town fails in bid to buy open space
HOPKINTON
It's not over yet. That's the message from those who want the town of Hopkinton to buy 710 acres of undeveloped land, keeping it out of the hands of a developer.
A proposal to spend $30.4 million on buying the land failed to get the required two-thirds majority at a special town meeting earlier this week.
But voters at a town election Monday will still consider a proposal to raise that money through a tax increase. If that proposal passes, town meeting could get another chance to vote on the spending.
Selectman Brian Herr says the issue is not yet resolved.
Julia Linnell, who lives near the proposed development site, which lies off Route 135 near the Weston Nurseries garden center, says she believes that Boulder's proposed development would "wreck the town.”
Boulder is proposing to build a shopping center and more than 900 homes on the site.
Boulder president Roy MacDowell warns that if the town isn't careful, it could end up with an agreement to buy the property but no authorization from the voters to buy it.
He says that could put the town in a "precarious position."
The town has a right to buy the property because its owners took part in an agricultural tax break program, which required them to give Hopkinton first crack at buying the land if it ever went on the market.
Selectmen are holding a public hearing tonight to hear people's opinions on the purchase of the land.
-- Kyle Alspach
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:04 PM
June 14, 2007
HOPKINTON
With scary projections of a $20 million school budget deficit by the year 2017 looming, Hopkinton town officials are mulling a task force to examine long-range municipal financial planning.
School committee member Phil Totino said the town needs a formal strategy to deal with projections, which put the blame on increases due to rising fixed costs like energy and health insurance for staff.
The School Committee recently discussed proposing a task force made up of town department heads that would put together budget projections and examine ways to offset expected deficits, such as by attracting more commercial and industrial growth to shore up the town's tax base. Totino said he hopes the group will begin meeting this fall.
-— Kyle Alspach
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:03 AM
June 12, 2007
HOPKINTON
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani stopped in Hopkinton today for a fundraiser at the home of billionaire Richard J. Egan, founder of Hopkinton-based EMC Corp.
In a quiet neighborhood of immaculate homes, cars lined the streets for the invitation-only event.
It was an odd location for a news conference, but before heading into the fundraiser the former New York City mayor spoke to the media.
Flanked by Egan and former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Paul Cellucci, Giuliani pledged to run a forward-looking campaign and charged Democrats with having a “campaign in the rearview mirror.”
New approaches to healthcare, energy and immigration will be among the hallmarks of a Giuliani presidency, he said, though he offered no specifics.
When asked about the possible campaign of actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson, Giuliani said he is unfazed.
“From my point of view, the more the merrier,” he said. Giuliani took time to thank Cellucci, referring to him as a “most effective spokesperson” who has been actively promoting the Giuliani campaign since endorsing it in January.
Giuliani did not have any other stops to make in the area after the fundraiser, which was attended by several hundred people, according to Cellucci.
Egan, who founded the data storage giant EMC in 1979, has been a staunch supporter of the Bush presidency and served as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2001 to 2002.
-- Kyle Alspach
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:37 PM
June 12, 2007
HOPKINTON
Selectmen last week came up with two options on how to deal with the absence of a town manager, and they are expected to continue their discussion on Tuesday.
Town Manager Anthony J. Troiano, who started working in Hopkinton in January, was involved in a serious car accident last month and has been unable to return to work.
Selectmen said last week that they will either appoint a town employee, such as the police chief or fire chief, to temporarily take over the duties of the position, or they will temporarily hire a resident.
– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 08:36 AM
May 16, 2007
HOPKINTON
The Hopkinton town manager suffered serious injuries in a two-car crash late Tuesday night on Cape Cod that left a 69-year-old woman dead.
Anthony J. Troiano, 51, was driving a 2004 Hyundai sedan east on Sandwich Road at 11: 18 p.m. when he tried to pass another vehicle and struck a 1999 Toyota sedan head-on, according to a release from State Police.
The driver of the Toyota, Lilija Berents, was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from her car. Berents, of East Falmouth, died at the scene. Troiano, of East Sandwich, was rushed to Tobey Hospital and later transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, where his wife and two grown children went to his bedside.
Troiano became the town's first manager in January when Hopkinton changed its form of government. “We are just keeping our prayers with his family and hoping for good news,” said Muriel Kramer, the chairwoman of Hopkinton's Board of Selectmen.
-- Globe City & Region Staff
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:03 PM
April 26, 2007
HOPKINTON
Fashion shows have gone to the dogs.
This afternoon in New York City, a local nonprofit that places retired racing dogs in good homes will put on a canine fashion show. Cleopatra's Needle in Central Park will be the inspiration as 12 models will dress in Egyptian to, well, walk (the dogs) like an Egyptian.
Greyhound Friends, Inc. is a Hopkinton-based nonprofit that has found homes for 6,000 dogs since its inception in 1983.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:19 AM
March 30, 2007
HOPKINTON
A British newspaper reports on the latest twists in the case of Neil Entwistle, the Hopkinton man accused of murdering his wife and young daughter.
Attorneys for Entwistle say that a police search of his house was illegal, and that much of the evidence against him should be thrown out.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:47 PM
March 28, 2007
(Photo courtesy EMC)
HOPKINTON
EMC Corp. chief executive Joseph Tucci's 2006 pay package cost his Hopkinton-based company $20.2 million in salary, bonus, and company stock, compared to $29.8 million in 2005, according to a proxy statement filed with federal regulators yesterday.
Tucci actually collected about $5.6 million for his work last year. Most of his compensation expense is due to accounting rules that charge the company at once for stocks and stock options that Tucci can only collect in future years.
Still, Tucci's lofty compensation didn't sit well with corporate governance critics, who say that the lackluster performance of EMC shares doesn't justify Tucci's income, the Globe business section reports today.
-- Hiawatha Bray
Posted by Martin Finucane at 09:03 AM
March 26, 2007
Hopkinton/Holliston
Fourteen Hopkinton and Holliston students were honored by the National PTA for their efforts in capturing the theme “My Favorite Place,” in an annual creative arts competition. Six of the winners earned first place and will now go on to compete nationally. Categories include literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts, dance choreography, and film/video production. There are four age groups in the competition from preschool to high school. First place winners are listed below.
HOLLISTON WINNERS
Timmothy Barber, First Place, Intermediate Division, Film/Video Production
Carrie Gillespie, First Place, Intermediate Division, Literature
Allison LeBel, First Place, Middle Division, Literature
HOPKINTON WINNERS
Rachel Ansell, First Place, Junior Division, Visual Arts
Brandon Hall, First Place, Primary Division, Photography
Grant Gendron, First Place and Third Place, Senior Division, Photography
–Lisa Kocian
Posted by lkocian at 12:15 PM
March 22, 2007
Weston Nurseries co-owner Wayne Mezitt contemplates the future.
(Globe staff photo by Bill Polo)
HOPKINTON
Standing in an open field north of Route 135 on a March day, you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. The dominant sounds are birds chirping and the wind whistling.
But change is also in the wind for this land, which has been under the care of family-owned Weston Nurseries for decades, reporter Lisa Kocian reports in today's Globe West. A 750-acre expanse of fields and woods around the landmark garden center in Hopkinton is being sold, and a developer stands ready with plans for a multiuse project that could include 1,000 homes.
The developer has offered Weston Nurseries $30 million for the property, but the town has the right to acquire the land by matching the bid, since the owners have been receiving local tax breaks through a state agriculture preservation program.
The 2000 Census reported that Hopkinton had slightly more than 4,500 housing units, most of them single-family homes. The proposed development would increase the number by more than a fifth -- in a town that already is among the fastest-growing in the state.
If the town decided to acquire the Weston Nurseries land, the property tax bill for a home with Hopkinton's median assessed valuation -- $550,000 -- would go up about $497 annually for the next 20 years, according to Maureen Dwinnell, the town's treasurer.
Read more about this story in today's Globe West and see a gallery of photos of the Weston Nurseries land online.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:27 AM
March 15, 2007
HOPKINTON
The town's planning consultant, Sasaki Associates, will be on hand tonight to present information and take questions on the East Hopkinton Master Plan, which focuses heavily on what to do with the 750 acres for sale next to Weston Nurseries.
The land has a buyer and the town is now mulling whether to exercise its right of first refusal to match the $30 million offer. If not, developer Boulder Capital plans to build age-restricted and multi-family condominiums and rentals and some single-family houses, as well as retail shops on the open land.
The forum will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. downstairs at the Golden Pond Nursing Facility, 50 Main St.
-- Lisa Kocian
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:21 PM
March 12, 2007
HOPKINTON/SHREWSBURY/REGION
A former Hopkinton woman charged with motor vehicle homicide for the death of a 21-year-old Shrewsbury man last fall is being held without bail for failing a sobriety test.
Alison J. Voorhis was ordered held without bail after she registered a .126 percent blood alcohol level on a breathalyzer last Thursday, according to Tim Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.
Voorhis is scheduled to return to court on March 27 for a pre-trial hearing. A jury trial is scheduled for May 11 in which the 47-year-old is accused of driving drunk when she slammed head-on into an Audi driven by Evagelos Pashos, a senior at Northeastern University. Pashos was pronounced dead at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
Voorhis was ordered to stay away from alcohol and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet after she showed up late to Westborough District Court on Feb. 26, Connolly said. A warrant was issued for her arrest on Feb. 20 when she failed to appear in court, but the judge gave her until Feb. 26 to show up before she would be arrested.
Voorhis has since moved from Hopkinton, but her new address was impounded with the rest of the case by Judge Vito A. Virzi last Friday. Voorhis’ Ashland attorney, Angelo Catanzaro, did not return a call seeking comment.
-- Jennifer Rosinski
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:47 AM
March 8, 2007
The Girl Scouts at the airbase
HOPKINTON/REGION
Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas – they'll bring a taste of home to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thanks to the Patriots’ Trail Council Girl Scout Troops 3789 and 2995, troops deployed out of Hanscom Air Force Base will soon receive more than 625 boxes of the famous cookies.
Friends, family and area residents bought and donated the cookies the Hopkinton girls are sending to the troops, according to a press release from the Girl Scouts. This is the second year that Troop 3789 has collected cookies for Hanscom personnel and the plan is for more Hopkinton scout troops to participate next year, according to the release.
-- Lisa Kocian
Posted by lkocian at 04:50 PM
February 24, 2007
HOPKINTON
EMC Corp., the world’s largest maker of data-storage computers and software, will create 369 jobs at a customer service center in Ireland.
The Hopkinton-based company’s VMware unit will add technology, human resources, sales and finance operations at its site in Cork, Ireland, Irish Enterprise Minister Micheal Martin said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. The expansion will be supported by Ireland’s Industrial Development Agency, the Worcester Telegram reports.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 08:22 AM
February 7, 2007
HOPKINTON
The future of 750 acres next to Weston Nurseries will likely be decided by town meeting in May, according to Muriel Kramer, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen.
Boulder Capital, a local real estate development company, has forged a deal with the brothers who own the land and the nursery to purchase the property. But the town has the right to match the offer of about $25 million because the property was enrolled in a state land preservation program that gave the owners local tax breaks.
Kramer said the town could afford to buy it, but it’s anybody’s guess if voters will want to take on the tax burden.
Roy MacDowell, president of Boulder Capital, said he wants to convince the town that his company will develop the land in a way that will make everyone happy.
“We want to do something [so that] when we all look back 10 years from now, the town’s proud of it, we’re proud of it,” he said.
Preliminary plans calls for roughly 1,000 units of housing, although MacDowell said everything is negotiable at this point. He said he envisions age-restricted and multi-family condominiums and rentals and some single-family houses, as well as mixed-use retail, open space, riding and walking trails, and a “more vibrant” Weston Nurseries.
Kramer said town meeting will likely be presented with several options – a much more complicated decision than simply whether to buy the land. Another option, for example: the town could assign its buying rights to a nonprofit land trust, which would partner with the town to develop a smaller portion of the land.
–Lisa Kocian
Posted by Erica Noonan, Globe West at 05:53 PM
February 7, 2007
HOPKINTON
Eben Howard pleaded not guilty today
(Josh Reynolds for WBZ-TV Channel 4)
HOPKINTON
Middlesex County prosecutors charged an inmate with a jailhouse assault today after they say he kicked Neil Entwistle, the British man accused of murdering his wife and infant daughter in their Hopkinton home, the Globe reports today.
Eben Howard, 33, pleaded not guilty today in Cambridge District Court to one count of assault and battery. Prosecutors allege that at about 9:10 p.m. on Dec. 20, Howard kicked Entwistle in the abdomen. Both men were out of their cells at the time, according to court records. It was not clear why Howard kicked Entwistle.
There is no indication from court records that Entwistle suffered any injuries from the kick. Entwistle's lawyer, Elliot M. Weinstein, declined to comment about the alleged assault or discuss any injuries his client may have sustained. He referred all questions about the incident to the Middlesex Country District Attorney's office, saying he would not contribute to the ongoing publicity surrounding his client.
"I will not comment with anything in connection to Mr. Entwistle's case," Weinstein said.
-- Mac Daniel and Andrew Ryan
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:19 PM
February 4, 2007
HOPKINTON
Selectmen will meet tomorrow night in a working session (which means it won’t be televised) to discuss any town meeting articles pertaining to the schools, which could include the school budget, according to the selectmen’s office.
The meeting is at 6 p.m. in room 211 of Town Hall. Annual Town Meeting starts Monday, May 7.
–Lisa Kocian
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:01 AM
January 23, 2007
HOPKINTON
Showing the widening fallout from the mishandling of DNA test results at the State Police lab, the lawyers in three high-profile murder cases challenged the reliability of such test results and suggested the problems could help their clients.
A lawyer for Neil Entwistle, whose DNA was allegedly found on the gun used to kill his wife and infant daughter in Hopkinton last year, said the suspension of Robert E. Pino, the civilian administrator of the DNA database at the State Police forensic laboratory, "calls into question the reliability, trustworthiness, and integrity" of the lab and should be investigated by an independent forensic scientist.
The FBI began auditing the laboratory last week because Pino allegedly reported four test results incorrectly and failed to report 11 matches in old unsolved rape cases until the statute of limitations had expired.
But Entwistle’s lawyer, Elliot M. Weinstein, said in an interview that the bureau has had its own deficiencies with DNA analysis in recent years and lacks credibility.
Weinstein, who unsuccessfully asked a judge last fall to toss out DNA evidence against Entwistle, declined to say whether he intends to submit a new motion on the basis of Pino’s suspension. But his comments indicate that defense lawyers will probably cite the lab’s problems as reasons that judges should block DNA results from being introduced as evidence, that juries should discount such evidence, or that convictions should be overturned.
-- Jonathan Saltzman
Posted by Martin Finucane at 08:53 PM
January 16, 2007
HOPKINTON
Lauren Lodge from Hopkinton leads in the girls' 4 x 800 Medley at the 30th annual James Kalperis State Relays held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston last weekend.
(Photo by Jay Connor)
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:10 PM
January 11, 2007
HOPKINTON
Nearly three weeks after Neil Entwistle was transferred to Bridgewater State Hospital for a mental health evaluation, medical staff members have determined the murder defendant is not suicidal and let him return Wednesday to the Middlesex County Jail, according to Sheriff James V. DiPaola.
Entwistle, 28, who is accused of fatally shooting his wife and infant daughter in Hopkinton nearly a year ago in one of the most sensational murder cases in recent Massachusetts history, was escorted in manacles to the jail by three sheriff’s deputies, the Globe reports.
"He does not appear to be a threat to himself or to others," DiPaola said afterward.
Entwistle, who had been held since Feb. 15 in a cell at the infirmary, will be moved to a special housing unit in the jail where correction officers will watch him around the clock. "There will be a human being outside his cell," said DiPaola.
-- Jonathan Saltzman
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:28 PM
January 8, 2007
HOPKINTON
As the son of a high school football coach, Hopkinton's Gerard Leone Jr. learned discipline and a respect for rules at an early age, so when he became interested in the law, it seemed natural for him to become a prosecutor.
Over the past 15 years, he's been the lead prosecutor in some of the most notorious criminal cases in Massachusetts, including British au pair Louise Woodward, who was convicted in the killing an 8-month-old infant, and Richard Reid, the al-Qaida loyalist who was convicted of trying to blow up a plane with a bomb in his shoes.
Now Leone, who has served as the No. 2 prosecutor for a state attorney general, district attorney and U.S. Attorney, has just started work as the top prosecutor in Middlesex County, where he faces more high-profile cases, the AP reports.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:56 PM
January 6, 2007
HOPKINTON
Data storage provider EMC Corp. said in a regulatory filing it plans to cut its workforce by 1,350 jobs this year, 100 more than disclosed in October.
Hopkinton-based EMC, which said it is working to consolidate its business, expects to take a pretax charge of $175 million, or 6 cents per share, in the fourth quarter to cover the upfront cost of the cuts.
-- AP
Posted by Martin Finucane at 09:24 AM
January 3, 2007
HOPKINTON
Neil Entwisle, the Hopkinton resident charged with murdering his wife and young daughter, is being evaluated at a state psychiatric hospital after leaving what has been termed a "depressive" letter.
The letter included instructions for burial but did not suggest Entwisle was going to commit suicide, according to Middlesex Sheriff James DiPaola. The Associated Press reports that the letter came not long after Entwisle's request to be confined to his parents' home was denied.
Entwisle is facing the possibility of life without parole should he be convicted in the two slayings. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 21.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:51 PM
January 3, 2007
HOPKINTON
(Photo by Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe)
Hopkinton's Gerard T. Leone will be sworn in as the new Middlesex County district attorney today.
Leone, a Hopkinton resident, plans to focus on protections for children and the elderly, the Globe reports. Leone talks about keeping a diverse office and preventing teen crime.
He also has the high-profile case of Neil Entwisle to contend with, but Leone's resume includes some major cases already. Leone's career includes prosecutions of shoe bomber Richard Reid and British au pair Louise Woodward.
-- Adam Sell
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:15 AM
December 26, 2006
HOPKINTON
The center in the basement of Town Hall will remain a magnet, only its customers will be much different, if selectmen follow a suggestion made by the town's Youth Commission.
The commission asked the selectmen last week (12-19) to consider using the former senior center as a youth center. The former senior center was replaced by a new facility recently.
Executive Secretary Ted Kozak said the selectmen are mulling the idea and will consult with the building department to see if there are any code issues that need to be considered. The Youth Commission proposed the center as a place for mostly middle school students to hang out after school, he said.
-- Lisa Kocian
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:17 PM
December 20, 2006
HOPKINTON/NEWTON
With authorities unable to locate the motorist who caused a fatal Hopkinton hit-and-run accident in September, the father of the victim issued a public plea today urging the driver to step forward voluntarily.
Michael MacDonald, 25, of Newton was killed on Sept. 16 while trying to cross Route 495 after the car in which he was a passenger broke down. His father, James MacDonald, called the loss a "terrible tragedy," in a statement released by the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.
"Michael was a caring son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew, and friend," the elder MacDonald said in the statement. "As his father, I not only lost my best friend, but the joy of fatherhood, and his positive impact he would continue to have on others."
"Nothing will ever take away our pain. However, one of our needs is knowing who was driving the car that morning. We can’t imagine a person or persons living with this secret. It is human nature that this tragedy will consume you and others with the pain and anxiety, along with the fear and the legal consequences, for the rest of your life."
"We have so much pain in our hearts but through the pain we try to remember that people are generally good. We realize that this was not an intentional act and it is a tragedy for all involved. The truth will set you free."
Authorities have said they know little about the car that hit MacDonald at about 4:35 a.m., except that it was mid-sized and dark in color. Prosecutors have urged anyone with information about the case to call the State Police Barracks in Millbury at 508-929-3232, or the State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office at 617-679-6600.
-- Ralph Ranalli
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 01:32 PM
December 19, 2006
HOPKINTON
A judge today denied a request by lawyers for Neil Entwistle that their client be released from jail so he could return to his native England until he goes on trial next year for the slaying of his wife and infant daughter.
Middlesex Superior Court Judge Peter Lauriat ruled that Entwistle will continue to be held without bail, according to a statement released by the Middlesex County district attorney's office.
In a three-paragraph order made public this morning, Lauriat said that based on the circumstances of the case, "the defendant's release on conditions of bail which would allow him to reside in England pending trial in this case is neither warranted nor appropriate." The judge did not elaborate.
Entwistle has been held in Middlesex County Jail since Feb. 15, when he was extradited after his arrest in London. He is being held on charges of murdering his wife, Rachel, 27, and their 9-month-old baby daughter, Lillian, on Jan. 20. He flew to England near the time of their death. His trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 1.
-- Andrew Ryan and Jonathan Saltzman
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:33 AM
December 15, 2006
HOPKINTON
Lawyers for Neil Entwistle argued in court this afternoon that their client should be released from jail so he can return to his native England until he goes on trial next year for the slaying of his wife and infant daughter.
Prosecutors for the Middlesex County district attorney's office dismissed the claims made by the defense, saying that the fact that Entwistle flew to England after the killing of his wife and daughter proved he was a flight risk.
Judge Peter M. Lauriat took the motion under advisement and could issue a ruling at any time.
Entwistle has been held in Middlesex County Jail since Feb. 15, when he was extradited after his arrest in London. He is being held on charges of murdering his wife, Rachel, 27, and their 9-month-old baby daughter, Lillian, on Jan. 20. He flew to England near the time of their death.
-- Megan Tench and Andrew Ryan
Posted by Martin Finucane at 04:28 PM
December 13, 2006
HOPKINTON
An 85-year-old Hopkinton man was killed yesterday when the Toyota sedan he was driving crossed from the right lane and struck the median on the Massachusetts Turnpike eastbound in Brighton, State Police reported.
About 12:45 p.m., troopers responded to the single-vehicle crash one mile west of Exit 19, which closed the eastbound left lane for about an hour. The driver of the Toyota, Patrick J. Bronder, later died at Boston Medical Center.
-- Globe City & Region staff
Posted by Martin Finucane at 08:29 AM
December 8, 2006
HOPKINTON
Hopkinton could be headed for another big growth spurt.
A purchase and sales agreement is expected to be signed next week for the sale of 750 acres next to Weston Nurseries.
Roy MacDowell, the president of Boulder Capital, a local real estate development company, said the sale price is $20 million with a deferred payment of another $5 million and the possibility of more if the company is able to get local approval for more residential units than expected.
The company is expecting to build roughly 1,000 units – a mix of single-family houses, condos (possibly age restricted) and rental apartments or houses – as well as some retail, and possibly office and institutional space.
MacDowell emphasized it’s far too early to commit to specific uses and amounts because the company has to do more research and talk to the town about what it desires.
Even after the P&S is signed there is still a chance that Boulder Capital could be outbid. Because the matter is in bankruptcy court, other bidders will have about another month to outbid the company, if they are willing to go at least $1.5 million over Boulder’s bid.
Weston Nurseries President and CEO Gary Furst said he believes there are four or five other interested bidders. According to MacDowell, his company then has another chance to bid. A judge has the final say on who gets the deal.
After that, the town will have 120 days to match the winning bid because the property was enrolled in a state land preservation program that afforded the owners local property tax breaks. The recent draft master plan notes that voters may be reluctant | 
