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The Boykins Town Council used American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds to help make work safer for the town’s sanitation workers at its Nov. 9 meeting while also helping the local Girl Scout Troop honor the flag and veterans.

Offering details from the Nov. 9 council meeting, Town Clerk/Treasurer Victoria Edwards first shared information Nov. 23 about the unfinished business item on the meeting’s agenda involving a tractor grapple.

“Councilman Hank Fuller expressed the need for a grapple attachment for our tractor to minimize contact our sanitation workers have with discarded household items that may be contaminated with various contagions and/or parasites they encounter during their garbage route,” she said. “A motion to purchase the grapple with ARPA funds was made by Councilwoman Linda Beatty and was approved.”

Edwards said the council also approved a request from Girl Scout Troop 5073 to use the Buck Lassiter Mini Park for a flag retirement ceremony Nov. 13. 

“In addition to the ceremony, the Girl Scouts provided a brief presentation on the different branches of the U.S. military in honor of our veterans for Veterans Day earlier that week,” Edwards said.

Among the pieces of information coming out of the reports given at the meeting, “our town shop is still under construction, and we are still looking for Public Works employee(s),” Edwards said.

Councilman Jerry Rice was absent from the Nov. 9 meeting.

Edwards also previewed two upcoming events in Boykins, first noting that the town’s Parks and Recreation committee is excited to hold the second annual Circle of Trees event in the Buck Lassiter Mini Park. 

“The public is invited to join us at the mini park Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. for the lighting,” she said. “We have 12 sponsored trees from various organizations, all with their own themed tree planned.”

She said light refreshments will be provided by Coldwell Banker, of Franklin.

Also, Boykins’ annual Christmas Parade will be held Dec. 12. Anyone interested in participating should call Edwards at 757-642-0909. The deadline to sign up is Dec. 5.