I don't think the Rochester Country Fair has an ax throwing contest, but they've axed out two of the four days of the popular event because of the EEE mosquito threat.

Officials of the Town of Rochester said the fair will be closed Thursday, August 8 and Friday, August 9 for the safety of all. So, the 20th Annual Rochester Country Fair will only be open on Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. After considering all the alternatives, it was decided to place a dusk-to-dawn curfew on all public town-wide events.

Town officials have also asked the public for help in getting out the word to reach everyone who'd be directly affected by this cancellation. They've also worked on consolidating certain events, such as the antique tractor pulls that will now take place on Saturday.

Admission will be free to the public, although donations will be gratefully appreciated. And please remember, no pets will be allowed, only service animals.

The Rochester Country Fair began in 1999 by a small group of residents with the intent of celebrating the new millennium. The fair is funded solely by fundraising events and donations. With the proceeds, two higher education award scholarships are presented to local high school seniors who will be attending college in the fall.

The Rochester Country Fair, held at its new location at 65 Pine Street, attracts thousands of people from all around. There'll be lots of music, good food, beer and wine, and I hope they don't scrap the frog racing contest because of this. Come to think of it, if Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo were around, I'm certain they'd be very entertained by the pie-eating and ice cream-eating contests. It's a great family attraction.

Let your neighbors know about this urgent notice, please, and thank you, kindly!

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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