Whether your family is vacationing or “stay-cationing” in the Berkshires over the February school vacation, there are events to keep you entertained and inspired all week long!
It is not clear precisely when the home-rule petition hearing will begin. There are 10 hearings starting at 1 p.m. and the Great Barrington hearing is seventh on the list for that afternoon.
Senate Bill 101 provides that horse racing licenses in locations that previously were granted commercial racing licenses would need no further approval from the municipality. In Great Barrington, that would mean neither the selectboard nor the citizens would ever have a vote.
In the spirit of reflection and self-examination, herein lies The Edge's second annual Great Barrington year in review. It includes some select stories from other South County towns as well, along with embedded links to Edge stories for more information.
"I do not not anticipate any issues whatsoever to get the home-rule bill through. We're a home-rule state. Whatever the town wants, I am for." -Rep. William "Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox
In a letter to the editor, members of Citizens Concerned About GB Horseracing write, "Although that clear message has been sent, there is a simple next step that citizens can take to be sure that the home rule petition becomes law, and not just a message."
It seems to me that we may have won a minor skirmish in this matter, but the battle is not over. There is still a lot of work to do before we arrive at a point where the citizens of Great Barrington are guaranteed the right to self-determination on the issue of horse racing.
Leigh Davis openly questioned why her fellow board members wanted to revise certain policies and whether they were a response to actions she has taken since her election to the board in May.
