Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEWSOMS

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Newsoms Memorial Day service, originally scheduled for this Sunday, May 24, will not occur. For the same reason, a few other communities in Western Tidewater have also been compelled to cancel their traditional observances this coming weekend.

The town of Sedley had also planned a memorial service for that day, but that’s been canceled with no possibility for a postponement.

The council for Boykins made the same decision. Linda Beatty, a resident, told The Tidewater News, “Sadly, the council voted to not hold Memorial Day event despite the 100-plus years of celebration,” she said. “It is always a gamble with the weather and if it needed to be taken indoors, no church would allow us to use the facility until they can return to having worship service again.”

Beatty added that the hope is to place flags on veterans’ graves before Monday.

In Franklin, the American Legion Post 73 will instead place flags on veterans’ graves in Poplar Springs Cemetery and Southampton Memorial Park Cemetery.

The Woman’s Club of Windsor has also decided to forego a ceremony on Monday. But, the group’s Public Issues Committee intends to have flags placed on the graves at the Windsor Cemetery.