Photo by Miriam Quinones
The American Legion of Co-op City, Post 1871 gathered at 2049 Bartow Avenue, at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, 2020 for a wreath-laying ceremony and car parade, in place of the annual Memorial Day ceremony.
The event went ahead despite the statewide ‘PAUSE’ order which is still in effect in New York City and in other regions of the state, and which precludes non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason.
Photo by Miriam Quinones
The PAUSE order dictates that parties, celebrations or other social events are canceled or postponed at this time and that any concentration of individuals outside their home must be limited to workers providing essential services, and social distancing should be practiced.
As part of the Co-op City commemoration, two people laid a wreath under the American flag at a memorial site displaying a plaque with the following inscription, “An everlasting tribute to the men and women who served their country in time of war. Dedicated May 17, 1987 Veterans Memorial Council”.
Photo by Miriam Quinones
About ten cars were seen participating in the car parade, while some members of the armed services were seen in uniform outside their cars. The car parade route was unspecified.
Most people appeared to remain inside their cars, many of which displayed the American flag. About five people were seen outside their cars standing around though it was not clear if they just happened to be in the area, or if they were officially part of the event.
Everyone who was outside a car wore a mask, and appeared to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Photo by Miriam Quinones
A press release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office dated May 15, 2020, extended the NYS PAUSE order until May 28 for all regions that were not reopening that day, including New York City. Other regions not reopening that day included Western New York, the Capital Region, the Mid-Hudson Valley, and Long Island.
On the other hand, some parts of the state have already begun re-opening such as The Central New York, North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions, as they have met all of the required seven metrics to begin phase one of the state’s regional phased reopening plan.
The press release read, “When a region meets all seven metrics required for reopening, that region may immediately enter phase one of reopening”.
Ensuring New Yorkers adhere to the statewide PAUSE order has not been without its challenges. In April, a Hassidic funeral in Brooklyn had to be broken up when 2,500 mourners arrived to attend the event, did not practice social distancing, and did not wear masks.
Norwood News contacted the Co-op City event organizer for comment on the morning of Tuesday, May 26. As of the time of publication, we have not received any feedback.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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