Lower Burrell Council bestows honors for covid-19 response and city beautification

Call it pent-up gratefulness.

Lower Burrell Council awarded a whopping four proclamations this week thanking residents and others.

After covid-19 pandemic restrictions shut down public meetings for more than a year, Lower Burrell Council is in its second month of in-person public meetings. Council delayed publicly honoring residents and groups until this week.

Council issued proclamations Monday to Bethel Nursery School, the Burrell School District and the Burrellton Garden Club.

Councilman Rob Hamilton, with the help of his son, John Robert Hamilton, issued two proclamations to the Bethel Nursery School, which John attends.

“Covid-19 created a devastating impact on all communities,” the elder Hamilton said. “We take for granted the hard work people do when these things happen.”

He credited the staff of the nursery school for rising to the challenges of the pandemic.

Hamilton bestowed a second proclamation on the Bethel school, commemorating its 50th anniversary.

Then the city recognized the Burrell School District and its educational and administrative efforts during the pandemic.

“The ongoing pandemic challenged school leaders and administrators and had a direct impact on traditional student teaching and learning,” Hamilton said.

School districts such as Burrell were forced to create and administer “unprecedented policies” with face coverings, enhanced cleaning procedures and other changes, he said.

Burrell Superintendent Shannon Wagner credited the district staff for weathering the changes during the pandemic.

“We set forth policies and procedures,” she said. “If we didn’t have the people to carry them out, it would have never worked.”

Wagner brought workers from the district’s custodial staff, cafeteria, nurse’s office and other departments to accept the award from the city.

Council also honored the Burrellton Garden Club for its recent plantings outside city hall memorializing resident Joseph “Bud” Myers and his work with the farmers market. Additionally, the organization won approval from National Garden Clubs Inc. to bestow a Blue Star marker honoring military veterans at the memorial in front of Stewart Elementary School.

The club tends to a number of gardens in public spaces throughout the city.

“These garden club volunteers work quietly and tirelessly to beautify areas of our city,” Councilman Chris Fabry said.

Myers’ widow, Carol Myers, attended Monday’s meetings and thanked the city and the garden club for its recent dedication of the farmers market to her husband.

“Bud would have loved this,” she said. “Thank you for everything.”