A new ban on smoking in publicly owned outdoor areas is coming to Hopedale, Mass., as the town’s board of health approved the ban by a 2-1 vote.

The ban includes parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and swimming pools, as well as the town’s country club which is owned by the town and leased to the club, according to WMRC-AM.

Hopedale is located in Worcester County, approximately 35 miles southwest of Boston, with a population of approximately 6,000 residents.

Avatar photo

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.