Westfield Postpones Memorial Day Parade Amid Coronavirus

WESTFIELD, NJ — While Memorial Day seems far away, it's only six weeks out, and Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle said during the Town Council meeting Tuesday that it will have to be postponed due to coronavirus.

Brindle said in her opening remarks that the decision had to be made now, "given the logistics that would need to be secured and finalized within the next month."

They will host the parade in July or September, she said, "at a time when we can gather and properly honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice."

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Brindle said that as of Tuesday, Union County reported 7,265 cases of coronavirus, with Westfield reporting a total of 146 to date.

So far, 13 Westfield residents have passed away due to the virus, appoximately half in long-term care facilities. The head of one nursing home confirmed four deaths at that home, while the other declined to comment in a news report.

Brindle noted later in her remarks, "It has been just over a month since my initial COVID-19 message to the community, and the world already looks very different in that time span. Things we took for granted as part of everyday life are now temporarily suspended. None of us envisioned April being a time for distance learning, waiting in lines to enter grocery stores, and wearing face coverings in public."

The first announced deaths from coronavirus in the United States were just a little over a month ago. As of Monday, the U.S. death toll was 23,529.

Development downtown

During the message, Brindle also discussed town initiatives regrading development downtown. She said these could "ensure our downtown not only survives but eventually thrives after we emerge from the other side of this pandemic."

"Tonight," she said, "we’re taking the next step by voting on a resolution to ask the Planning Board to seek a study to determine if our entire downtown within the Special Improvement District qualifies as an area in need of rehabilitation. As a reminder, this designation allows for agreements with property owners that is meant to encourage them to improve their properties through five-year tax abatements on the value of their improvements."

She said, "The property owners were very enthusiastic about this designation when we asked for their input last month."

For more of the mayor's remarks from Tuesday, click here.

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