city opens all public parks

On Monday all of Utica's public parks reopened with new guidelines.

Those include wearing masks when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained and social distancing.

Temporarily closed due to the covid-19 pandemic.

And now as news channel 2's brent kearney shows us, for many families, today was a long time coming."

"no its not raining here in the city of utica but their parks are now back open."

"ohhhhhhhhh i'm elated to see them happy out here and everything else."

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None ernie durse says he's now looking forward to a fun summer with his grand kids at the park.

"its good but its good that they're able to run under the sprinkler and have a good time in the sun."

He says he's been taking his family here to o'connor park for years and is excited to see it back open.

"the kids have always come down here, there's never been any problems they've got goof guidance over here with the counselors.

Its nothing but a good time and its a good thing that its back open again."

Utica mayor robert palmeri says park goers need to abide by the new guidelines while they're at the park.

"its cleansing, hand sanitizing social distancing, wearing a mask if you cant maintain 6 feet."

Palmieri says he's excited to announce another step of reopening, but says the city cant get complacent.

"what we have to be mindful of is that even though we are in phase 4.

We still have to be very conscious of cleansing and washing your hands.

Wearing your mask whatever it may be.

But it now gives the kids and the youth the opportunity to interact a little bit more with some of the guidelines with some guidelines that we're able to introduce now."

The parks for now will be open from 11-4 but the city says that can change if needed.

In utica brent kearney news channel 2 you can't cool off at