12 • The Hopkinton Independent • June 30, 2021
Hervol competes with world’s best golfers at U.S. Open Hervol | from page 1
I still have that belief, if not even more now, that I belong out there, that’s where I’m supposed to be. — Jimmy Hervol, after playing in the U.S. Open attention to Q-School, a multi-tournament qualifying event through which players can earn status on the PGA or Korn Ferry Tours. Having played in a U.S. Open will only fuel his desire to get back to big-time events, he said. “I am better for just being out there,” Hervol said. “I’m looking forward to the next opportunity for sure.” Right: Jimmy Hervol prepares to tee off on the 16th hole during his appearance in the prestigious U.S. Open earlier this month.
PHOTO/HERVOL FAMILY
Fire Chief Slaman set to retire By Jerry Spar Managing Editor
F
ire Chief Steve Slaman took the microphone during the public forum at the June 15 Select Board meeting to announce that he planned to retire after five years leading the department. “Hopkinton is a great community, and the Hopkinton Fire Department is poised to serve it well,” Slaman said. “The women and men of the Hopkinton Fire Department are well-trained professionals that embrace our caring philosophy. Against that backdrop, I would like to brief you on my 2021 retirement plan. “I have known this day was coming for a while, which made a transitioning plan easy to talk about early on with my officers. I can proudly report to you that the organization is ready. You have an outstanding pool of firefighters poised to advance. Finally, I have a grumpy hip that’s telling me I’ve
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FILE PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO
lating greens and canyons that, while scenic, can swallow up errant tee shots with ease. The Hopkinton High School graduate and former UConn star admitted to being a little nervous as he played in a group just a couple of holes behind Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele, two of the biggest names in the field. “You get out there and there’s thousands of people and you can hear the roars from the other holes,” Hervol said. “In that moment, you feel the nerves, but it’s also just super exciting.” Hervol said his ball striking let him down a bit the first day and he was forced to scramble too much on tricky greens to score. “On [the day before the tournament], I felt a little tight, not physically but my nerves were getting up there a bit,” Hervol said. “When you’re not hitting greens, it’s going to be really tough. It’s the U.S. Open course, so it’s long, the rough is thick, and the greens were pretty fast.” He soaked up quite a bit from his time in San Diego, however, watching some of the big names tee it up on the range and spending time playing with Lanto Griffin, a past winner on the PGA Tour who finished the U.S. Open tied for 35th. Griffin, who is a decade older than Hervol, shared some advice on playing in a U.S. Open and getting to the PGA Tour. “He talked about staying patient, during this tournament but in pro golf in general,” Hervol said. “He played mini-tour stuff for seven years before he broke out and got on the PGA Tour. You just have to keep working hard and good things will come, even when you don’t expect them.” Hervol earned his spot at the U.S. Open by finishing second in a qualifying event in New York. He was one of only 66 golfers to make it through the qualifiers, out of more than 9,000 hopefuls. He was joined in San Diego by his parents, his girlfriend and several other family members and friends. Hervol has also had the backing of people from Hopkinton to Storrs and everywhere in between. Since he qualified for the Open, he said he’s probably received around 500 calls, texts or social media messages. Hopkinton Country Club member Doug Brown served as his caddy during the tournament and did a great job, Hervol said. Since finishing his career at UConn and turning pro, Hervol has spent time on the Minor League Golf Tour in Florida. Just hours after John Rahm won the U.S. Open, Hervol was boarding a flight to Georgia to play in the first Forme Tour event, a U.S.-based alternative to the McKenzie Tour, which was interrupted by the pandemic. After the summer winds down, Hervol will turn his
Steve Slaman took over as chief in 2016.
run out of time and it’s time to retire. “You have an in-depth look at the organization at your fingertips, which includes budget proposals, annual reports and my self-evaluation. All of these documents are meaningfully developed and supportive of the plan. “I came into this position with quite a bit of attention, and now I hope to transition out with little fanfare. I can’t start to thank you enough tonight — I’m not ready. But it’s time for everyone to know that it’s time for me to move forward with the transition.” As Slaman’s announcement came during public comment, during which time back-and-forth discussion is discouraged, the board did not directly address the situation, aside from a couple of brief comments that reflected Slaman’s popularity. “Chief Slaman, I think you cannot expect little fanfare,” Select Board chair Irfan Nasrullah said. “I don’t want to accept the resignation,” lamented board member Mary Jo LaFreniere. Slaman, who started with the Hopkinton Fire Department as a call firefighter and worked his way up, was promoted from deputy chief in 2016, taking over on an interim basis that January and then given the position permanently three months later.
