Storm threat forces Arlington Heights to cancel parade

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes says he stands by the decision to cancel Monday's Memorial Day parade due to forecast severe weather.

Disappointed residents have spoken out on various social media platforms against the early cancellation, which was announced Friday afternoon and attributed to predictions of 50 percent chance of rain and storms during the time of Monday morning's parade.

"I was as disappointed as any of our residents," Hayes said. "It's always a special community event, and it has a very special purpose in honoring those who have given their lives in defense of our country."

Hayes said he didn't make the decision but supported Greg Padovani, chairman of the Arlington Heights Veterans Memorial Committee, in his decision to cancel one of the northwest suburb's largest Memorial Day parades.

"The good thing is that they can still remember the purpose of the day, and we're still holding the ceremony. People will still have an opportunity to come to that," Hayes said.

The Arlington Heights Memorial Day ceremony will still take place at 11 a.m. but will be moved from Memorial Park inside to the gymnasium at Christian Liberty Academy, 502 W. Euclid Ave, with seating in the bleachers and hundreds of chairs on the floor.

The 144th Army band will play and the Honor Flags from Glueckert Funeral Home as well as the Fallen Hero Wreaths will still be on display.

Not all residents were as happy about the event being limited to an indoor ceremony. One person described participating in or attending the parade for more than 40 years, never with a cancellation due to impending weather, she said.

"The decision, to my mind, is unbelievably premature for haven't we all learned that forecasts are changeable by the hour as well as by the forecaster. Too bad for the residents, the participants, and of course the vets. For the decision-makers, hope for morning lightening between 9 and 10 a.m.," she said.

Another poster wrote: "The 4th of July parade needs to be canceled also. It is expected to be hot that day and people might pass out."

Hayes said in addition to safety concerns, some of the anticipated 3,500 participants also expressed concern for money they'd lose if the parade was canceled last-minute.

"To a certain extent, we're a victim of its own success," Hayes said. "Greg has been able to attract a lot of units and bands, and they might incur some expense and a potential loss of contract money."

As of Friday afternoon, no other Monday Memorial Day events have been canceled due to weather, but several suburbs said they'll make a final decision Monday morning.

Naperville parade officials said they will decide by 9 a.m. parade is on or off. Des Plaines officials say they might cancel their parade's band if lightning develops. And several suburbs say they may make a last-minute decision to move ceremonies indoors.

Padovani said several weather models show a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms during the Arlington Heights parade, which would have started at 9 a.m. and run at least an hour. Many of the parade's 3,500 participants were expected to be children and elderly veterans.

Padovani said there are not enough places to shelter that number of people quickly in a bad storm.

The decision to cancel was made Friday in part to help participants save money, Padovani said. The individual parade units would have had $5,000 to $6,000 invested in buses and other parade equipment - contracts they can cancel Friday without penalties, whereas Saturday might have been too late, he added.

"It's unfortunate, and I share everyone's disappointment," Hayes said. "But again, I think we can still observe the day in a very respectful way, in your own way at home or by participating in our remembrance service that will still be held, although indoors."