Laurel Hill Park Will Likely Open Saturday, Gonnelli Says

SECAUCUS, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday he is reopening all state parks, effective at sunrise this Saturday, and he left it to the discretion of each county as to when they would reopen county parks.

Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise called him immediately after Murphy's press conference, and asked him if he wanted to reopen Laurel Hill county park in Secaucus.

"Absolutely I do," said Gonnelli. "And I'm going to call him back and tell him that on Thursday. People wearing masks, safely, social distancing, they need to get outside and walk right now."

Gonnelli said Laurel Hill will likely open Saturday, but that's not confirmed with the county.

Gonnelli was less optimistic about schools reopening May 15.

"I just don't see it happening, in my personal opinion," he said. "Now, that is just my own personal opinion. How can you keep kids six feet apart from each other in school? And then open schools to close them for the summer in three weeks? I don't see it happening."

Starting Monday, May 4 the Secaucus school district will give lunches to all children in the district, not just those who qualify for a free lunch. There are pick-up locations at all four public schools in town, plus at XChange. Families do not have to notify the school district in order to pick up the free meals.

Gonnelli said he has been pushing Secaucus schools to do this since the outbreak first began, but they had to get clearance from the state Dept. of Education, which took several weeks.