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To Lowell’s First Look:
There are many people in Lowell under the impression that the City Council cancelled the Memorial Day parade. Up until our last meeting, I had no idea this was an issue.
I would never have voted to cancel the Memorial Day Parade. After 45 minutes devoted to this subject at the Coffee With Council on Saturday morning, I believe I understand how this perception came to pass. Until Saturday morning, I had no idea two different entities put on the Memorial Day Parade and the service at the cemetery; the VFW and the American Legion.
First let me explain that any parade on Main Street, no matter how long it has been going on, needs to apply to the City for permission. In order for Main Street, which is State Highway M-21, to be closed a number of things have to happen. We have to notify the State and then the LPD needs to prepare to divert traffic and block parking on Main Street. This is true for all parades – Homecoming, Riverwalk, and Christmas all come to mind.
Now, let me flash back to 2020 when ALL parades were cancelled in Michigan. The City was contacted by someone at the VFW asking permission to have the service at the cemetery if social distancing/mask protocols were observed. I voted yes along with the other Council members.
This year we were given a memo by City Manager Burns telling us the VFW wanted to repeat last year’s service at the cemetery. In my mind, the VFW was speaking as the entity for both the parade and the service. So I voted to allow them to do what they did last year – no parade, but a service in the City owned cemetery.
This was interpreted by members of the American Legion and the VFW as a vote against the parade. Not so. My vote was to allow the same event as last year – not to prevent a parade. This may sound like a wiggle, but until last Saturday I did not know that what I perceived as a single event was actually a combination of two events put on by two organizations.
I hope this clarifies my vote on the matter.
I also hope that members of the American Legion can accept my apology for the misunderstanding and can rest assured that there will be no further misunderstanding of this time in my remaining years on Council.
Cliff Yankovich
Lowell City Council
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