This brief episode of Small Town Big Racing is a follow-up to the special election to approve the location of a thoroughbred race track in Hardwick, MA.

The vote was held on Saturday, January 7, 2023, with those opposed to the race track prevailing. With a total of 1,148 votes cast (about 57% of the registered voters in Hardwick, MA), the final results are:

YES votes: 313

NO votes: 831

4 blank ballots returned

This podcast was originally created to provide a source of information and a chance to share perspectives that dug deeper and looked beyond the high-level FAQs and mailers provided by Commonwealth Equine and Agricultural Center LLC, owned by Commonwealth Racing, LLC, ID, and New England Horse Park LLC.

This episode serves as a reminder that today no matter what your vote was, we all still live here, we all still belong to the same community, we are still neighbors, AND there is still work to be done.

This little town is truly something special, and right now, we have the opportunity to come together and use the momentum that has been created to move forward and make it even better. It’s up to each of us to choose how we want to move forward.

Thank you so much for listening to this podcast series, for sharing the episodes, and for supporting this small town.

If you are interested in continuing to be involved in the growth, development, and well-being of this town, consider:

Joining the Hardwick Villages for responsible growth. You can find them via their website, on Facebook or email them at hardwickisourgome@gmail.com
Keeping up to date on town meetings and our local government by checking the town website regularly here
Finding other ways to get involved and make connections by joining the Hardwick Virtual Common here.

The Results Are In, But There is Still Work to Be Done