Board Plans No Action At Norwood Plaza Dance-June 26, 1969

Selectmen Decline Preemptive Police Crackdown on Defiant Plaza Merchant Rock and Roll Festival

Charles L. Rich, chairman of the board of selectmen here, said last night police would only “take action if there’s a disturbance” at a music and dancing festival from 7 to 11 p.m. tomorrow at The Norwood Plaza

The Plaza Merchant’s Association is going ahead with plans for the dancing despite the selectmen’s outright refusal to grant a formal dance permit. Charles L. Rich acknowledged that the ban voted by the board is outside the town and could spur a note, but added that the board members may take further action after the dance is over.

The local merchants are contending that they do not need a dance permit because the plaza is entirely private property. The selectmen argue that a rock and roll band proposed for the party could attract large numbers of young persons from surrounding communities and disturb the peace. Charles L. Rich said the police would not be called in to break up the affair on a preemptive basis, adding that any order to physically interrupt the activities must come directly from the town manager if local laws are being actively violated. The selectmen formally conferred on the matter before the start of last night’s special town meeting.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger