Kendall cancels Memorial Day observance scheduled for May 30
Photo by Tom Rivers: Boy Scouts and veterans hold a large American flag during a Memorial Day observance at Greenwood Cemetery in Kendall on May 30, 2018. Brian Shaw, a Boy Scout in Troop 94, is in back center, holding the flag.
KENDALL – The Kendall Town Board has decided to cancel the community Memorial Day observance on may 30 due to concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic.
The observance rotates each year from one of Kendall’s three town cemeteries. The observance is also on May 30, which was the official day for the holiday until it was changed to be the last Monday in May. Memorial Day used to be known as Decoration Day. The holiday was celebrated on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.
The service usually attracts about 75 to 125 people with local firefighters, scouts, Kendall students, veterans and senior citizens gathering to pay homage to veterans who died in service to the country.
Tony Cammarata, the town supervisor, said he was concerned about the potential health risks to the public with a gathering of that size.
