Like other towns and cities in New London County, Bozrah was eligible for American Rescue Plan Act funds. Once they discovered the amount, the Board of Selectmen went to work to determine what projects in town were eligible under the Act and to compile a list to submit to the federal government for approval.

The process began with a special meeting on Sept. 30 at which the selectmen received suggestions and requests from town committees and commissions, residents and area nonprofit organizations who have been struggling to replace resources depleted by the pandemic.

At that meeting, the board recorded all the requests for funds; further requests and suggestions were received by mail. The selectmen considered all proposals and then worked with the staff for Congressman Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, to sort through the proposed expenditures and decide which of them they would approve. The board then compiled a list of priorities and, at a special meeting on Nov. 22, came up with a budget for the approved items. Since in a town meeting government approval of the voters is necessary for any large special expenditures, the selectmen then called for a special town meeting to be held in January.

This special town meeting took place on Jan. 12, and in addition to approval of the ARPA funds, the selectmen sought approval of one of the proposed projects, the building of a 24- by 36-foot pavilion at town property in Maples Farm Park on Bozrah Street. First on the agenda was the ARPA allocation of $400,000, which, after questions and a short discussion, was approved by 28 of 29 voters present.

Part of Bozrah’s allocation will be given to the Thames Valley Center for Community Action and the Uncas Health District, two agencies that serve Bozrah as well as other towns in the region and whose staff has worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure that the townspeople had up-to-date COVID information, remained healthy and had adequate food resources.

Other ARPA funds for first responders will be spent on items requested by the Bozrah Volunteer Fire Company — a power stretcher, a hydraulic Hurst tool (also known as the Jaws of Life), firefighter personal protective equipment and a system to fill oxygen bottles.

Fields Memorial School will receive a new emergency generator and a new fuel tank to replace the expiring underground tank. Additional projects include replacement of road signs in town and improvement of the soccer field at FMS, as well as the town recreation field and playground at 59 Bozrah St. Other projects and expenditures originally proposed by residents were either deferred until the second round of federal money or referred to town commissions and boards for consideration.

Next, the town will have to complete the projects and purchases and report the actual expenditures to the federal government before being reimbursed.

The next item on the agenda was approval of the site plan for a pavilion to be constructed at Maples Farm Park. This item generated considerable discussion before it was passed. The pavilion had already been discussed last year at the annual town meeting. While most voters approved the idea of the pavilion, the site plan was unilaterally rejected by voters at that time. Residents whose property abuts the park had made the point that the pavilion would be located on their property line. Since the park and the adjoining Maples Farm Homestead are sometimes rented out for private parties such as wedding showers and birthday parties, nearby families feared that the pavilion would result in the kind of disruption that large evening gatherings with music, dancing and alcohol consumption entail.

Consequently the new proposal has the site situated further from property lines and nearer to the homestead, the parking area and the flag pole. The design of the pavilion was also discussed, with input from the community as to the style they would like to see.

One resident who rose to oppose the plan thought that money should be used for more pressing projects, and that since it would serve as a music space during the farmers market season, the Maples Farm Park Commission should build it themselves out of funds raised at the market. Residents who rose in favor of the pavilion pointed out that, because Bozrah does not have a typical New England town green, in recent years the park has become a kind of community hub for outdoor activities, including but not limited to the Bozrah Farmers Market.

Until interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the park and the homestead have been used for community harvest pot luck suppers, picnics, an annual art festival, a poetry reading series and various historical society and Agriculture Commission events. Since the pandemic, it has provided a safe outdoor site for such town ceremonies as the FMS graduation in 2020 and 2021.

In the end, the voters approved the site plan for the pavilion, 27-2. The town meeting adjourned after 45 minutes.

Mary Elizabeth Lang lives in Bozrah.