The 2021 Lincoln Park Days, which would have run Aug. 27 to 29, was canceled Aug. 16 by a majority vote of the city council, due to the recent rise in COVID cases, young children being unvaccinated and the difficulty in maintaining safe social distancing at a traditionally crowded event. In its place, a carnival food truck event will be held in the community center parking lot.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – The city’s end-of-summer tradition, Lincoln Park Days, was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, and will be replaced by a carnival food truck event in the community center parking lot.
The cancelation of Lincoln Park Days — Aug. 27 to 29 — was approved Aug. 16 by a majority of the City Council, as was an addendum for the food truck event.
The recommendation was made due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Wayne County, and the fact that young children, who are attracted to carnivals, are ineligible for vaccination.
Mayor Thomas Karnes said the city’s Emergency Operations Committee determined that the event could not be held safely, and canceled it to protect the public.
“There was concern about the amount of people, particularly the kids at the carnival, who could not be vaccinated, and that it would be harmful to them, placing them at risk,” he said. “With the spike in the number of hospitalizations, and the Delta variation that is going on, the difficult decision was made to cancel Lincoln Park Days, with the recommendation that this is not something that can be safely done.”
Karnes said the decision was not an easy one to make, and noted that St. Pius Parish recently cancelled its festival.
City Attorney Ed Zelenak said decisions ultimately rest with the mayor and council, but when they disregard committee recommendations, they act at their own peril.
“Historically, they have acted to confirm professional recommendations,” he said. “That is a council decision, ultimately. So, the generic answer is council has the ultimate authority.”
Higgins said that he respects the committee and what they are saying.
“I understand that they are the professionals, and I understand that they get a lot of information,” he said. “I am simply saying that it should be the council’s decision.”
Councilman Larry Kelsey said that if the council makes a decision, they need to own the decision.
Karnes noted that the Lincoln Park Exchange Club received the special event permit to hold Lincoln Park Days.
He said the carnival company insisted it could provide a carnival, with rides, safely, but it was the emergency management team that pointed out the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, and the susceptibility of the group 12 and younger.
“For the sake of the children, that decision was made,” Karnes said.
Salcido said that should be a parental decision.
Karnes said the car show, Vegas tent and vendor booths would not occur, either.
“You could have Lincoln Park Days without the carnival, but that would be an undue burden on the Exchange Club itself, who would look to the carnival to recoup its losses, and the money that they put into it cover the DPS and police expenses that they have to pay, and different things for the park itself,” he said. “It would not be cost-effective for the Exchange Club to do that, and they would have to operate it at a loss.”
Maureen Tobin said she also believed parents should decide whether or not to let their children attend a carnival.
Karnes reiterated that the decision was made by the committee to avoid putting people’s health at risk when weighed against the financial loss of the non-profit groups that depend on Lincoln Park Days for fundraising.
He said that mask protocols would be difficult to enforce, especially with people walking around eating carnival food.
“The recommendation wasn’t made lightly,” Karnes said. “It is a concern that they have, in reference to the Delta variant, and it is something to be concerned with, with the spike that is going on,” he said.
Kelsey agreed that the mask mandate would be difficult to enforce.
“Everybody’s going to lose money, but I don’t put money over kids,” he said.