Past issues discussed
The New Hyde Park village board approved a request by VFW Post 8031 to hold its annual Memorial Day Tribute parade on Saturday, May 25th. The parade route will begin at Hillside Boulevard, proceed east on Jericho Turnpike, north on New Hyde Park Road, and then west on Lincoln Avenue to Memorial Field for services.
While the board approved of their route, a discussion reflecting on previous issues with the route arose, particularly with the parade stopping at Village Hall and the length of the route.
Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro conducted the meeting, as Mayor Daniel Petruccio was not in attendance. Lofaro said the board would discuss the route with the VFW further, and make tweaks to the plan where necessary.
Trustee Lawrence J. Montreuil said he had discussed changing the route with the VFW last year, where they were “receptive” yet cited “logistical challenges” in doing so.
“The problem is the parade stops here at Village Hall for a remembrance, and there are people in the parade who don’t even get to witness the ceremony,” Lofaro said. “That’s a travesty in itself.”
Lofaro supported an idea of shortening the length from Memorial Park to Village Hall, citing a challenge for elderly veterans to travel a longer distance, however he stood by the VFW’s request.
“If they’re saying this is the route they want, then i’m okay with it,” he said.
Lofaro suggested a ceremony to be done in front of Village Hall at 9 a.m. and a parade to begin at 10 a.m., saying “the events out here and the parade are too different.”
Other suggestions made by the board were conducting a shorter procession either starting at Village Hall and making its way over to Memorial Park, or the reverse order.
“This seems to make more sense because we have refreshments here, and afterwards we would have a big marshaling area that won’t tie up traffic along Hillside Boulevard,” Montreuil said.
Montreuil mentioned that attendance for the Memorial Day has been dropping, which he attributed to the parade being spread out on Jericho Turnpike. Similar to the homecoming parade, Montreuil suggested to begin the parade on Lakeville Road, saying the parade would be more “condensed.”
In Other News
The village board approved of landscape/gardening license renewals for Jose’s Lawncare Corp, Four Seasons Landscaping, Velasquez Landscaping and Fischetti IV Landscaping, as well as for the carters Anthony Danzo and Progressive Waste Solutions of LI. A license application for tow car owner Tip Top Auto Body was also renewed.
