It was disappointing to hear public comments characterizing the July Fourth parade as a Republican parade. It is a town event. Always has been. Who stepped forward to facilitate the parade for the town has varied over its long history. My family organized it for many years. Rosemary Lynch led it for some time, after which Lilly and Len Holden stepped up to run the event.

For all five Select Board members to publicly state support for the town’s parade and grant a permit for such, but then have three members deny sponsoring this town event is disingenuous at best. The town, as represented by the Select Board, either wants a July Fourth parade or it does not. You can’t have it both ways. Clearly, three-fifths of the board did not want a parade this year. To ask volunteers facilitating this town event to also personally obtain the insurance for the town will only serve to discourage participation and volunteerism in the future. Unfortunately, the sponsorship denial, which has never happened before for this parade, has necessitated cancellation of the parade for this year.

My hope is that all the Select Board members truly do support a July Fourth parade and will be the first ones to step forward next year to organize this event for the celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary.

— Daniel McIntyre, Hopkinton

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