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American Legion urges council to revise Memorial Day parade route to honor veterans; council cites safety constraints
Summary
Bob Morrison of the American Legion told council the parade route change denied veterans proper recognition by bypassing local cemeteries; council agreed to have a committee and the police work with the Legion but stressed safety and staffing limits.
Bob Morrison, commander of the American Legion post, told the Village of East Canton council during public comment that recent last-minute changes to the Memorial Day parade route meant the procession did not pass the town's veteran cemeteries and did not sufficiently honor veterans.
"I was very disappointed about the fact that it did not honor our veterans the way I think it should have and gone by the cemeteries," Morrison said, and asked the mayor, police chief and council to be "open-minded to look at what we can do next year" and to consider increased security funding so the parade can safely include cemetery stops.
Council members and the police chief acknowledged the concern but said safety and available resources limit route options. The chief described operational constraints: crossing and temporarily closing state routes, managing traffic flow into and through the village, and current staffing and vehicle resources. Police offered to help the Legion with parking or pre-parade activities at a cemetery if routing the entire parade past the cemeteries proved unsafe.
Council asked either the recreation committee or the safety committee to take up the request and work with the Legion and the police chief. Members suggested discussing the issue again closer to next year's parade—about six months prior—and to convene a public work session so options can be developed in view of safety requirements.
No vote was taken; council left the matter for committee follow-up and further planning.
