Candidates Debate Becomes a Meet And Greet

Seekonk Board of Selectmen candidate Gary Sagar issued a press release on Wednesday stating the candidates event planned for Thursday night at  would no longer be a debate, and instead would be a meet and greet.

"The format, which has been changed from a debate to an informal 'Meet & Greet,' had to be changed due to a limited amount of candidates willing to appear to participate," Sagar wrote.

He wrote that in addition to himself, the expected attendees are Selectmen candidate Robert Blanchard (who is campaigning with Sagar), School Committee candidates Mitch Vieira and Brian Freitas and Planning Board candidate Neal Abelson.

Selectmen candidate Nelson Almeida wrote in the comments section of Attleboro-Seekonk Patch on Wednesday that he would not attend the event because Sagar and Blanchard are hosting it.

"I find it to be unfair for candidates to come up with a public debate and expect other candidates to be OK with it," Almeida wrote. "If it was a normal debate/forum, I'd go with no problem at all." 

Fellow candidate David Viera said on Wednesday that he was not boycotting because of who the hosts are, but he felt uncomfortable about attending because he was unable to get an answer on what the format would be after making a couple requests.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a question and answer session about the senior center ballot measure with members of the Senior Center Building Committee.