Plainville Select Board Tables Circus Permit Amid World Cup Staffing Concerns

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH -- May 26, 2026, Plainville Select Board tables circus permit and fields two resignations at May 26 meeting. The board voted to continue the Zerbini Brothers circus permit application to its June 8 meeting after the town's police chief warned that World Cup quarterfinal coverage at Gillette Stadium on July 9 would consume staffing, potentially requiring a paid police detail for an event the Plainville Alliance Club has historically received free. Applicant Dick Saban, of 9 Appletree Drive, said the club paid roughly $700 in costs last year and has no control over the circus's schedule. The board also announced a $30,000 FIFA support grant secured by the town's economic development director and the two department chiefs, and accepted resignations from Planning Board member Justin Alexander and School Committee member Jen Plant, with a joint appointment meeting set for June 4 to fill the School Committee seat.