The members of Burke Masonic Lodge presented the Community Builders Award, one of the most prestigious awards that Virginia Freemasons can award, to Harold Wagstaff and Paul Ward for their contribution to the local community.   

The certificates were signed by Reese E. Carroll, grand master of Masons in Virginia and Victor John Vince, master of Burke Lodge, and were presented at the annual awards dinner at the lodge on Oct. 24.

Wagstaff has maintained the Burkeville waterworks for over 30 years, has been caretaker for the Burkeville Lodge of the Blind for over 25 years and served on the Burkeville Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years. He has purchased groceries for the sick and elderly who could not get out, fixed water pipes in the middle of the night and generally gone out of his way to help people in Burkeville.  He has raised money for various charities through trail and motorcycle rides.

Paul Ward, owner and operator of the Hillside Restaurant and Comfort Inn Hotel in Burkeville, is an active participant in community affairs in Nottoway and surrounding counties. Ward is a member of the Meherrin Volunteer Fire Department, manager of the Meherrin July 4^th annual celebration and ramrods fundraisers for the Meherrin Fire Department. The area Head Start Program has its regular meetings at the Comfort Inn operated by Ward, who provides the meeting rooms at no cost. Several local youth organizations, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and various churches rely on the Hillside restaurant to provide assistance for their fundraising “Brunswick stews.”