In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many community gatherings and events that have taken place for generations have been cancelled. When the Wellington City Council members hosted their work session on Wednesday evening via an online meeting, the first topic was the Pioneer Days Celebration hosted each July.
Wellington City Police Chief Rory Bradley and his wife, Sarah, spearhead the event. Bradley stated that he is waiting for around May 15 to see what the state of pandemic is. While waiting, he has been sending updates on the celebration to Wellington Mayor Joan Powell and City Recorder Glenna Etzel. He stated that he does not know that anybody else is going to have any celebrations as most of them have been cancelled.
Bradley stated that they are not quite there yet and do not want to cancel. He stated that there is a possibility of needing to scale it back but definitely wants to move forward with it, which was something that was agreed upon by many on the council.
Bradley remarked that they could have a great turnout if they are able to host the event as, come that time of year, there will no longer be much to do. Mayor Powell stated that Wellington can send the message that while they understand the state of the world, if it does not amount to a pandemic in our area, to leave it be. The council agreed to keep it open and go with it for the time being.