City moves to reopen parks
Many will be ready for play on Monday
Mayor Stephen DiNatale announced on Friday that the city was moving forward with reopening parks and assisting business make the transition as the state loosens restrictions on its stay-at-home orders.
The mayor said city playgrounds, basketball courts, ball fields, and the Fitchburg Dog Park will be allowed to reopen on Monday, June.
With that, organized sports leagues can begin submitting permit requests with the Parks and Recreation Department, DiNatale said.
The Parkhill Park Splash Park, Johnson State Pool, and the Crocker Playground Spray Pad will be opening this summer as well. The Parks Department is reviewing the requirements for operating and will announce an opening date soon.
Not all recreation facilities are getting the OK to reopen, however.
DiNatale said the city will not be opening the J. Robert Crowley Swimming Complex and the annual Summer Playground Program will not be operating in parks this year.
“In lieu of the playground program the city is pleased to announce we are in the process of
planning a Summer Online Program which will feature arts and crafts, fitness activities and nutritional demonstrations,” DiNatale said.
Registration information would be available shortly, he added.
Thursday marked the second meeting of the newly formed Reopening Task Force, which included
talks about sanitation and safety.
The task force also launched two subcommittees.
The first will focus on activating public spaces — streets, parking lots, parks, and other outdoor areas — to encourage outdoor commerce.
The other will begin to look into phase three of Gov. Charlie Baker’s reopening, so the city can meet the needs of the businesses that open.
“This Task Force will
play a critical role moving forward, in encouraging proactive dialogue with the business community that will allow us to better predict and tackle new challenges as they come,” DiNatale said.
As of Friday, there have been a total of 773 positive COVID-19 cases in Fitchburg, of which 596 have recovered.
There have been 63 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the city, and it is important to note that the number includes indi
viduals who have died and were positive for the virus.
Official death record numbers may vary as the virus may not be the official cause of death, according to DiNatale.
DiNatale also encouraged residents to fill out the 2020 Census, which had its response date extended from July 31 to Oct. 31.
Residents who have not completed it, can do so over the phone at 844-3302020 or online at 2020census.gov.