By REID TUCKER
Paxton’s Dixie Youth Belles-division softball team was honored by Mayor Hayward Thomas and the Town Council for its second-place finish at the league’s World Series.
The Belles team members won the state championship last year in the Ponytails division, and they repeated the feat to win their second Florida title, this time as high school students, before heading on the road to the World Series meet in Monroe, La., as the Sunshine State’s representative. Though the Paxton squad fell 8-5 to the North Carolina champs in the semis on Aug. 5, the local Belles nevertheless returned home to a heroine’s welcome, receiving a plaque in recognition of their achievements from the Town Council at its Oct. 17 meeting.
Thomas and the other board members expressed how proud they were of the girls on the team for their success and for the sportsmanship with which they represented Paxton and indeed the whole state of Florida on the national stage.
In other Town Council news, the board unanimously passed a resolution to raise water rates by 10 percent, while setting the connection and re-connection fee at $30, and the members also returned straight votes in favor of purchasing two new pickup trucks for the use of city public works crews. DeFuniak Springs’ Triangle Chevrolet was the only company that responded to the city’s request for a quote, supplying the Council with a government price of $23,400 for each two-wheel-drive Silverado 1500 double cab pickup.
The Council also approved a request from Paxton School to use city property just off U.S. 331 (the location used by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office for its charity rodeo events) for a homecoming bonfire. The understanding is that Walton County Fire Rescue will be notified of the bonfire and will consequently be on standby during the festivities.
There was also a change with regard to city department heads, as Mayor Thomas appointed Councilwoman Ann Sexton to take over as head of the Water Department, while Councilman Travis McMillian became head of the Parks & Recreation Department.
Finally, the board members approved the purchase of candy to be passed out to trick-or-treaters on the night of Halloween, with the bill usually coming out to $200 or less.
Paxton’s Dixie Youth Belles-division softball team was honored by Mayor Hayward Thomas and the Town Council for its second-place finish at the league’s World Series.
The Belles team members won the state championship last year in the Ponytails division, and they repeated the feat to win their second Florida title, this time as high school students, before heading on the road to the World Series meet in Monroe, La., as the Sunshine State’s representative. Though the Paxton squad fell 8-5 to the North Carolina champs in the semis on Aug. 5, the local Belles nevertheless returned home to a heroine’s welcome, receiving a plaque in recognition of their achievements from the Town Council at its Oct. 17 meeting.
Thomas and the other board members expressed how proud they were of the girls on the team for their success and for the sportsmanship with which they represented Paxton and indeed the whole state of Florida on the national stage.
In other Town Council news, the board unanimously passed a resolution to raise water rates by 10 percent, while setting the connection and re-connection fee at $30, and the members also returned straight votes in favor of purchasing two new pickup trucks for the use of city public works crews. DeFuniak Springs’ Triangle Chevrolet was the only company that responded to the city’s request for a quote, supplying the Council with a government price of $23,400 for each two-wheel-drive Silverado 1500 double cab pickup.
The Council also approved a request from Paxton School to use city property just off U.S. 331 (the location used by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office for its charity rodeo events) for a homecoming bonfire. The understanding is that Walton County Fire Rescue will be notified of the bonfire and will consequently be on standby during the festivities.
There was also a change with regard to city department heads, as Mayor Thomas appointed Councilwoman Ann Sexton to take over as head of the Water Department, while Councilman Travis McMillian became head of the Parks & Recreation Department.
Finally, the board members approved the purchase of candy to be passed out to trick-or-treaters on the night of Halloween, with the bill usually coming out to $200 or less.