NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - The North Brookfield Board of Selectman decided to postpone their Fourth of July celebration Tuesday after Gov. Charlie Baker came forward and expressed his disapproval for the event.
The North Brookfield board of selectmen unanimously approved the celebration for Saturday under the belief the event would be a small gathering of about 250 people, over the objections of the town’s board of health due to coronavirus concerns.
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In a statement released Tuesday, the selectmen accused local health officials of taking their concerns to the media and alerting thousands of others to the existence of the parade in a politically motivated attempt to squash it.
“The Board of Selectmen are cognizant of the incendiary times in which we are living and unlike the members of the Board of Health who seem arbitrarily concerned with public health only when it fits their political ideology, we will not expose our residents to the public health and public safety risks artificially created by the BOH’s unconstitutional silencing of the free expression of their neighbors,” it read.
A new date for the celebration has not yet been set.
The Board of Health has not yet released a statement.
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