BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Hopkinton residents werefaced with adversity when the Slusser Senior Center was burned down by an arsonist in January, but showed resiliency in getting it rebuilt and open before 2007 was over. The Slusser Center wasn’t the only thing in town making news, as many other people and events in Hopkinton helped shape the year.

January

• The Crossroads Learning Community School in Contoocook was awarded official charter status after nearly three years of planning. However, despite the approval, difficulty receiving grant money from the state prevented the school from its goal of opening in January.

“The grant was larger than we thought in terms of the application and filling that out,” said Jan Williamson, the agency supervisor for NFI North, the organization running the school.

“As far as how much money we’ll receive in terms of the budget, we will need outside funding and determine where we are going to go with this.”

• Hopkinton’s Budget Committee requested a 3.8 percent or less budget increase for 2007, but selectmen decided to go with a proposed 7.28 percent increase, an addition of $372,390. The move, according to then Town Administrator Ed Wojnowksi, was to keep the town tax rate at its 2006 rate of $4.33 for the upcoming year.

Hopkinton’s tax rate was set at $4.04 in early October. In August, Wojnowksi left his position for a job in Newmarket.

• Several Hopkinton High School students prepared to fly six hours to Honduras to help paint and build new classrooms for the fourth consecutive year.

• The New Hampshire Superior Court approved selectmen’s motion to intervene in Bio Energy’s suit against the Department of Environmental Services, after the West Hopkinton plant was forced to undergo a new source review before it could resume operations.

2007 came to a close the same way it opened, with the topic of Bio Energy on residents’ minds. In December, the state’s decision to revoke the company’s solid waste permit was upheld, though the court also ruled Bio Energy could open its West Hopkinton plant to burn clean wood for fuel.

• Controversy turned criminal on Jan. 15, just months before the Slusser Senior Center ter was scheduled for its grand opening.

At about 10:30 p.m., resident Vernon Miller was watching television when he heard the sound of an explosion. He grabbed his video camera and headed to the sight of a blazing fire, as an arson had set the building up in flames.

On a work trailer near the construction site, the arson had spray painted, “Not on my tax $,” although Hopkinton selectmen said no tax money was used to build the structure.

Police said they found a petroleum accelerent at the scene. As of Dec. 27, 2007, Police Chief David Wheeler said there is still no update on the case.

Residents voiced opinions weighing their options before rebuilding the senior center, asking selectmen to consider their role in why it was burnt down in the first place.

The decision was made to rebuild, and as the time drew closer to completion later in the year, the building was once again debated by selectmen.

However, after a tumultuous year, the Slusser Senior Center finally opened its doors on Nov. 3.

• Hopkinton residents expressed a desire for the town to curb spending, as about 200 residents packed the Hopkinton High School bleachers during a Jan. 24 town and School District budget hearing.

“I’m tired of constant increases in expenses that lead to increased taxes,” said School District treasurer Arnold Coda, who echoed the sentiment of some in attendance.

“There are many people in this town that can afford a tax increase, but I can’t. My family and I are struggling.”

Selectmen came to the budget hearing only 1 percent above their suggested increase on the town side, but the school came in with a proposed 8.18 percent increase compared to the suggested 3.8 percent change.

February

• The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston’s planned 42-room retreat and meeting center on the shore of Lake Jo- Sylvia (Clement Pond) in Contoocook first came to the front burner in town after the Zoning Board approved the group’s proposal.

An upset group of residents formed the group Protect Our Waters, Environment and Residential Neighborhood (POWER), feeling the structure would take away from neighborhood’s quality of life.

The group fielded an appeal with the Merrimack County Superior Court against the Hopkinton Zoning Board, and the decision has remained in the courts since.

Hopkinton’s Zoning Board approved the original proposal because of its distance from the water and feeling it would not be used for commercial purposes, among other reasons. Residents, however, still feel the building will be detrimental to the neighborhood.

• Members of the community hosted a Mardi Gras celebration at Hopkinton High School to raise money to help send 28 volunteers to Biloxi, Miss., to help restore homes for families devastated by the wrath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Feb. 17 event included a silent auction, music and other activities that helped raise about $7,000 for the volunteers’ cause.

March

• Looking to cut the budget in town, a group of Hopkinton residents circulated a petitioned warrant article to eliminate the Recreation Department.

“Most people I talk to are appalled by the notion,” said then recreation director Robert Mattes. “I think there are a lot of things that happen that go through the Recreation Department, and if that’s not there, I think it it will be sorely missed.”

Residents seemed to agree with Mattes’ thoughts, as they voted to keep the department at the March 14 Town Meeting.

• March means election time in Hopkinton, and voters let it be known that they were not in favor of bringing in SB2, official ballot voting, rejecting the change for both the town and schools.

Although voters numerically supported the school SB2 with a 807-803 result during the March 13 elections, a three-fifths majority was required to pass the change. For the town, residents voted 900-714 against SB2.

Tom Congoran and Scott Flood were elected to the Board of Selectmen, as Congoran garnered 918 votes and Flood, 791.

Sue Strickford was re-elected as town clerk/tax collector, Sharon Baker won supervisor of the checklist, Richard Gourley was elected trustee of trust funds and Patricia Smith as cemetery trustee.

Daniel Coen, Patrice Gerseny and Karen Irwin were named to the Budget Committee, while George Chase and Holly Gagne were voted in as library trustees.

On the school side, David Luneau won election to the school board. Arnold Coda won school treasurer; Charles Dibble, school moderator; and Sue Batchelder, school clerk.

• At the Hopkinton School District Meeting on March 10, 765 residents turned out, approving several improvements to Harold Martin School.

Voters approved money for 48 single-paned windows for the school, as well as a replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, though money for an additional parking lot was denied.

• Late into the night during Town Meeting, Hopkinton residents showed distrust of their selectmen.

“My view is we really need to examine the budget and pass only the necessities and not the nice things to have,” said resident Al Bloomquist. “In years past, I would vote on whatever selectmen recommended, but now I can no longer afford to employ that strategy.”

One of the areas of concern for residents was the public safety budget, and Budget Committee member Dan Coen proposed a $41,000 decrease because he said he didn’t want to pay for a new EMT/firefighter who was recently hired, or a full-time fire chief, which was implied in the budget.

Although town residents said they supported the department, the budget was voted down. Soon after, however, Selectman Louise Carr proposed an amendment to strike the narrative about a potential full-time fire chief and the budget passed.

April

• Hopkinton High School’s team made it through two rounds of the Granite State Challenge, a NHPTV trivia show, before falling to Hollis-Brookline High School 285-220 in the quarterfinal round.

“We would have liked to go further, but it was a good, positive experience for all and we really supported each other well,” said Principal Steve Chamberlin. “It was a great group of kids and we all love trivia, so it was just a lot of fun for all of us.”

• For the second consecutive year, New Hampshire was hammered with spring flooding caused by heavy rains. Hopkinton was no exception to Mother Nature’s wrath, as the storm knocked out power, flooded basements and closed roads in town.

“I think this year was a little worse than last year. Statisticwise, maybe it wasn’t, but I think we’ve had more road closure and damage than last year,” said Deputy Fire Chief John Pianka.

Downed trees knocked out power in some areas and kept residents from pumping water out of basements for a period of time. School was canceled on April 17 after power went out and upon returning, one of the boiler’s valves malfunctioned.

• Hopkinton resident Bonnie McEwan left her job at the Cracker Barrel General Store to serve her country as a member of the Air National Guard Reserves in Iraq, but she still showed she was thinking of those in town.

A folder at the store held correspondences from McEwan and residents of Hopkinton, and Girl Scouts showed they were thinking of her by raising cookies for troops in Iraq.

“I believe in what I am doing over here and am proud to serve my country,” said McEwan.

• After nearly three years at his post, Hopkinton Recreation Director Robert Mattes stepped down to take a job in Union Vale, N.Y.

Mattes created a variety of programs in town, including stained glass-making classes and December’s popular Breakfast with Santa.

Justin La Vigne eventually took over, bringing his own level of creativity to town by creating popular programs such as Tumbling Tots.

May

As promised, Hopkinton selectmen turned to private funds to help raise $330,000 for the Slusser Senior Center.

Selectmen promised taxpayers they would not feel an impact from the building, and sent out about 750 letters to individuals asking for donations.

At a November meeting, board members officially accepted $45,000 in gifts, only part of the generosity of Hopkinton residents toward the senior center.

• To close out the month, Hopkinton High School’s drama troupe put on a performance of “Alice in Wonderland” at the school’s auditorium.

June

• Khristin and John Carroll made a potentially live-saving donation to Hopkinton High School in memory of their late son when they donated two emergency defibrillators to the school.

The couple’s son Timothy, a 1996 Hopkinton graduate, died suddenly in 2000 after running up two flights of stairs, and John and Khristin have committed themselves to saving as many lives as possible since.

“Many people don’t think sudden cardiac arrest can affect their children when, in fact, it affects thousands each year. And not just high school or college- age students, even young children as well,” said Khristin Carroll. “Our mission is to educate people and let them know it does happen and how to be prepared if it does.”

• After losing its previous recreation director to another job, Hopkinton filled the vacant position with Justin La Vigne, who traveled to New Hampshire from his previous home in Danville, Va., where he was assistant director of outdoor recreation. La Vigne fit in quickly, creating a variety of new programs and expanding on those already in place.

“I hope to get involved with the community and bring a lot of joy for recreation in Hopkinton,” said La Vigne. “In New Hampshire, the outdoors is there for you, so I really hope to take advantage of that.”

• With the end of the school year, Hopkinton High School officially bid farewell to Andre Dusseault, who retired from teaching history and social studies after 30 years at the high school.

“Every time he would come in and talk about his retirement, I would just ignore it,” said Principal Steve Chamberlin, who worked with Dusseault for eight of his 30 years at the school. “He finally went to one of his colleagues and said, ‘You better go talk to Steve for me, because I am really retiring.’ I guess I just didn’t want to face it.”

• With the upcoming Fourth of July festivities approaching, Hopkinton announced there would be changes in the celebration to save taxpayer money.

The Strawberry Festival at the community center and parade routes were replaced by a family fun day at Houston Fields and a new improved course for the parade.

• Bow police received a report of suspicious vehicles late on June 25, and discovered an underage party, arresting two teenagers with the help of Hopkinton police.

Upon returning to their vehicles after walking into the woods, officers from both Hopkinton and Bow found their tires had been slashed.

“When the officers got there, there were some minors coming out of the woods,” said Bow Lt. Dave Girard. “The officers walked these kids back to the cruisers and that’s when we realized the our tires were slashed.”

July

• Businesses such as the Covered Bridge Restaurant in Contoocook prepared for the potential loss of business as New Hampshire passed a state-wide smoking ban, effective in September.

• During Family Fun Day at Houston Field, the Slusser Senior Center was opened for tours, despite being in the middle of construction.

Residents spent fun in the sun with an old-fashioned parade, celebrating the Fourth of July holiday.

• The 10th annual Hopkinton Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament raised $16,000 and attracted 100 golfers and 80 sponsors. The previous year’s event raised $10,000, which was given to Hopkinton High School graduates. This year’s proceeds will benefit the graduating class of 2008.

• Harold Martin School prepared for a teacher swap, as the school decided to only run three kindergarten classes during the 2007-08 school year.

Because one class was removed, a teacher was shifted to the first grade. The move came as a result in fluctuations in class sizes from year to year.

• In honor of a longtime town moderator, a new carving of the town seal was hung in Town Hall and unveiled during a July 16 selectmen’s meeting. “The people who were here were very impressed,” said then Town Administrator Ed Wojnowski.

• Hopkinton’s Tween School ‘n’ Home after-school program celebrated its 25th anniversary of serving the town with a place for children to kick back and forget about learning for a while.

• Ed Wojnowski stepped down from his position as town administrator after nearly five years on the job.

• A software glitch caused 500 Hopkinton residents to file abatement forms, as many properties’ in town had tax bills with a rate far too high.

The town had attempted to switch its homeowners’ data to new software without going through the process of visiting each home, but due to discrepancies between the two programs many homeowners were overcharged.

“I knew right away when the first person came into the Town Hall yelling,” said Ed Wojnowski, in his final weeks as town administrator. “I think we sent the bills out on a Tuesday, and people were lined up in here by Wednesday morning.”

Because of the glitch, Hopkinton began a town-wide revaluation. • Hopkinton Superintendent of Schools Brian Blake returned from his trip to China, where he spent time with other educators learning about Chinese culture and how to bring it into American classrooms.

August

• Sixteen residents formed a Green Committee, which hopes to help the town become more aware to preserve the planet starting at a local level. • New questions arose in the debate over the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston’s proposal for a Lake JoSilvia retreat house.

Selectmen listened to Mike Sintros discuss his plans to house Peruvian exchange students who will work at Pat’s Peak while in New Hampshire.

This development seemed to go against the reason the Zoning Board passed the retreat, saying it was more residential than commercial.

Also, Selectman Tom Congoran was questioned about possible conflict of interest, as he had written an editorial in The Villager, a newspaper he owns. For Chairman George Langwasser, the retreat house won’t be an issue that will disappear any time soon.

“This is an issue that keeps rearing its ugly head, and I have a feeling it will not be going away until the court decision has been offered,” he said. • New Boston resident David Woodbury donated a renovated passenger train car to the Contoocook Riverway Association. It was placed on the tracks near the covered bridge in the center of town.

• Bob Veloski was officially named the town’s interim Town Administrator, replacing Ed Wojnowski, on Aug. 24. Selectmen will begin searching for a full-time Town Administrator around the first of the year, and Veloski may be a candidate for the job.

• A new senior citizen bingo law went into effect in August, increasing maximum prize amounts from $150 to $500, and lowered the minimum age of players from 60 to 55.

• As always, the Hopkinton State Fair drew a large crowd during its five-day run, giving visitors a chance to take in rides, eat a variety of food and see different exhibits.

• When the Annual Yearly Progress reports were released statewide, Hopkinton performed well in most categories, although its economically disadvantaged subgroup did not meet the requirements in math.

“The test is very frustrating,” said Superintendent Brian Blake. “Overall, I am pleased with the results. I don’t put a whole lot of stock in one assessment measure. I am very cautious in terms of looking at the results and putting a lot of weight into one test.”

September

• Hoping to raise awareness about environmental conservation, Hopkinton hosted its first Eco-Fair at the high school, with a number of exhibits given by community members.

“I am just delighted. The response was wonderful,” said Janet Ward, a member of the town’s Green Committee. “After speaking with exhibitors, they were very excited, too, and want to come back for our second annual fair.”

• Lunch sales at Hopkinton Middle/High School decreased after a price increase from 2006, causing school officials to look at the possibility of adding a variety of combination meals for students to choose.

October

• A portion of land the town purchased several years ago to build a practice baseball field sparked a debate during the Oct. 8 meeting, as members of the Hopkinton Youth Soccer Association asked the board to either go ahead with the project or refund them their portion of the money used to buy the land.

All of the work for the field would be donated, and the money needed for materials would be moved from another project’s account, something Budget Committee member Dan Coen claimed was illegal.

Selectmen responded that the money being moved had been set aside for another field project, so the procedure was following the law.

“I want to apologize. Because of a lousy few thousand dollars, this town has taken a step back,” said selectmen Chairman George Langwasser. “We’re heading down a dangerous road. I am bitterly disappointed that we can’t yet follow through on an agreement that we’ve already made. I just feel badly about it and want to apologize.”

Soon after, the town officially decided during a public hearing to go forward with the field project.

• Steve Reddy of Hopkinton, the owner of Zetland Homes, put the finishing touches on the third “green home” in New Hampshire. He completed construction of the environmentally friendly house in Loudon in mid-October.

• Struggling with tax issues in town, Erick Leadbeater was forced to put a portion of Gould Hill Orchards for sale for $2.2 million.

The town had tried to work out an agreement to buy and preserve the land, but was unable. Leadbeater put the land on the market with hopes of keeping it as a working farm.

November

• Despite being burnt down, rebuilt and constantly debated, the Slusser Senior Center officially opened its doors on Nov. 3 with the grand opening ceremony. At a selectmen meeting the previous week, board members debated whether the building would be ADA compliant because the elevator was not yet installed. Because only one floor was opened and it was accessible at ground level, selectmen decided to go ahead with the ceremonies as planned.

“We had a few people who were against it but the town for the most part really supported it. It’s great to see the building with people in it. It has been more than I hoped for,” said Gene Slusser, who donated $1 million for the building to be constructed.

• The First Congregational Church of Hopkinton wrapped up yearlong celebrations for its 250th anniversary. Throughout the year, church members took part in activities such as dressing in period costumes relating to the church’s history.

• For the second time in recent months, selectmen debated potential conflict of interest. Board member Scott Flood had forwarded e-mails from a community member solely to The Villager, a newspaper owned by Selectman Tom Congoran.

“It seems to me a conflict of interest that the only newspaper you have sent these e-mails to is one owned by a member of the Board of Selectmen,” said Louise Carr, whose e-mails regarding the Slusser Center had been passed on.

• Gathering on a cold November night, members of the Hopkinton community came together to honor those who served and are serving the country overseas at a candlelight ceremony at Civil War Park on Nov. 11.

• A state Supreme Court judge upheld the Department of Environmental Services’ decision to revoke Bio Energy’s solid waste permit, leaving the door open for the West Hopkinton plant to resume operations.

According to the ruling, Bio Energy can seek to reopen the plant and burn clean wood for fuel. A spokesman for the company said they intend to pursue operations at the power plant and be part of the state’s pledge to provide renewable energy by 2025.

December

•U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of outstanding schools included Hopkinton High School, as it was honored with a silver ranking – one of only 405 schools nationwide to be so recognized.

• Despite some confusion, Hopkinton and Webster were able to iron out financial issues regarding their joint transfer station. A mistake in a warrant article resulted in Hopkinton putting too much money into a revolving fund, while Webster did not contribute.

As a solution, the two towns will work out a payment plan so Webster will be able to catch up to the amount Hopkinton has contributed.