Town Manager Weekly Update - August 28, 2025
Elaine Lazarus
From Elaine Lazarus, Town Manager - August 28, 2025
52 Main Street Building Collapse
On Wednesday, August 27, the Fire Department and Police Department were called to 52 Main Street where a partial collapse of the building had occurred. A planned demolition of the former Hopkinton Drug building had been underway at the site. Upon arrival, they found that the front wall of the building, about 40 feet in length, had collapsed onto the Main Street sidewalk. All of the workers on-site were accounted for, and there were no reported injuries. The collapse occurred in an area with unknown pedestrian traffic, so given the circumstances and the nature of the collapse, the Fire Department quickly deployed its technical rescue team and searched the area using specialized camera equipment. This equipment is designed to search confined spaces and collapse voids both visually and auditorily. A thorough search of the area was conducted to ensure that no individuals were trapped under the debris. In collaboration with the demolition company, the Fire Department team worked to clear the debris from the sidewalk to eliminate any further hazards. While there was some damage to traffic poles, signs, and the crosswalk light, no additional injuries or safety concerns were reported. During the response activity and then staying until the site was secure, Police officers and detail officers worked to control access to the site and traffic in the area, ensuring public safety. The Director of Municipal Inspections responded to the scene to assess the building structure, and to ensure that the site was adequately secured after the debris was removed from the road and sidewalk. The response by the Hopkinton team was quick, professional, and impressive.
Thank you to the Dispatchers, the Fire Department, the Police Department, detail officers, building officials, and others, who provided direct response and support during this time. In the following days, there will be debrief and assessment to determine what happened, and to identify next steps.
From the Hopkinton DPW: September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
On Sept. 5, DPW employees will be wearing t-shirts with yellow ribbon designs. We encourage everyone to join us and wear yellow on that day and throughout September to support the families who fight against childhood cancer.
Hopkinton Youth & Family Services September Newsletter: HYFS September 2025 Newsletter.pdf
Upcoming Events:
- September 4 - Recovery City, 6:30 pm, Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe, Free. See flyer below.
- September 5 - Veterans Breakfast, for Hopkinton Veterans of any age, at the Senior Center, 28 Mayhew St. Free; no sign-up required, 9:00 am.
- September 6 - PolyArts, on the Town Common, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
- September 13 - Ash Hop Porchfest, Hopkinton and Ashland Ash Hop Porchfest; 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Here’s the timeline for the day:
- 1–5 PM: Porch performances throughout Ashland and Hopkinton
- 5–6 PM: Community Hour at The Corner Spot in Ashland
- 5-8 PM: Want more music and community building while supporting a local brewery? Clover Road will have music from 5-8 pm.
- September 13 - Hopkinton Family Day, 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm, High School athletic fields.
- September 21 - 2nd Act Performance: “I’ll Never Do That”, 7:00 pm, Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe, Free. See flyer below.
PolyArts
Polyarts began in 1974 as a demonstration of various arts and crafts to showcase the talents of the local community. Since then it has grown into a day long event with many professional craftspeople, performing artists and community groups participating throughout the day. Polyarts is free to attend and is a family-friendly day with something for everyone, be it food, music, crafts or other entertainment.
Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 am to 4 pm on the Common.
Hopkinton Family Day
Hopkinton Family Day is a fantastic community day full of live entertainment, fun games and activities as well as great food trucks, all topped off with a tremendous fireworks display. The day is sponsored by many generous local businesses. Town organizations, non-profits, clubs and businesses located in Hopkinton offer activities for everyone. All activities (except the food trucks) are free for the whole family.
Saturday, Sept. 6 from 2 pm to 9 pm at the High School athletic fields.
Sunday Library Hours Begin Sept. 7
The Library will be recommencing Sunday hours for the 2025-26 school year beginning on Sunday, September 7. The Sunday hours are 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm; the Library will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays on holiday weekends. Sunday hours will pause for the summer of 2026 beginning on Memorial Day weekend.
Check out the Sundays are Coming video from the Library, at this link: SUNDAYS ARE COMING with bloopers.mp4
Parks & Recreation Fall Registration
A link to the Parks & Rec. program activity guide is here: FallCatalog_8.5.25.pdf
Board and Committee Meetings Next Week
Tuesday, September 2 - Conservation Commission, 7 pm
Wednesday, September 3 - Council on Aging, 1:00 pm; Cemetery Commission, 6:30 pm
Thursday, September 4 - Select Board, 6:00 pm; Cultural Council, 6:30 pm; School Committee, 7:00 pm
More meetings may be posted as we get closer, just check the online calendar on the Town website: https://www.hopkintonma.gov/ Scroll down to the Events Calendar.
The calendar listing for the meeting will also have the agenda (posted at least 48 hours in advance), and will indicate whether the meeting is in person, virtual, or hybrid. If there is a virtual component to a meeting, the link will be on the calendar and/or on the agenda itself. No one needs a reason to attend a meeting, curiosity is enough! Feel free to check one out.
If you can’t attend a live meeting, some are also available to stream anytime on YouTube, thanks to HCAM: HCAM.tv
I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend.
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