Parks open (playgrounds closed - maybe)
New Prague residents were greeted by these signs at the playground in Memorial Park on Friday, March 27. City staff made the decision the morning of Friday, March 27, that parks in the City of New Prague will be open, with the baseball, softball fields and trails open for use. The playgrounds would be closed due to the coronavirus and the difficulty to keep such equipment clean. Park staff had been sent out and taped off the playground equipment. The closing of the playground equipment was in accordance with the order from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) that people should stay home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus by not gathering in large groups. Around 3 p.m. New Prague city staff received a message that playgrounds were supposedly not to be on the list of places to be closed. At the time of this writing on March 27, city staff was still debating whether to reopen the playground equipment or not. For more see an upcoming print issue of The Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)