GRANITE QUARRY – David Morris was more than Granite Quarry’s fire chief Saturday. He was chief cheerleader.
Morris had plenty to cheer about as the Granite Quarry Fire Department claimed three first places and a third on its way to claiming the overall 2012 Rowan County Firefighters Muster championship at Dan Nicholas Park.
“That’s very exciting for a fire chief,” Morris told the Board of Aldermen Monday night. “I cannot be more proud of a group of men and women.”
Making him even prouder, Morris said, was they way the Granite Quarry muster team conducted itself throughout the competition.
“In my opinion, they were the best sports there,” he said.
The sign outside the town municipal building heralds the Granite Quarry firefighters as 2012 Rowan Fire Muster Champions.
The team included Cameron Laphan, Buddy Miller, Jason Verbeka, Matt Cline, Chris Lyerly, Chris Streetman, Jimmy Barnett and Bill Fraley.
“Thank you all for representing us and excelling,” Mayor Mary S. Ponds told the group.
Morris described how six guys from the team, with another man driving, pulled an 18- to 19-ton truck 50 feet in 29 seconds in the tug-a-truck event.
He also was impressed with his squad’s effort in extending and connecting 150 feet of hose line and having water pumping through it in less than a minute.
Granite Quarry’s junior team, which competed Sept. 8 at the Junior Firefighter Muster at Miller’s Ferry Fire Department, also was recognized.
That team included Andrew Ciaramello, Chase Lyerly, Drew Peeples, Samantha Gillespie and Chris Streetman. The team took third place in water ball and earned the Headache Award for the mystery event that had a CPR scenario.
Morris praised the Miller Ferry Department and Union Department for serving as hosts for the junior muster and regular muster, respectively.
This past Saturday, Lyerly, Gillespie, Peeples, Ciaramello and advisors Brian and Jennifer Peeples attended the Scott Junior Training Day at Scott International in Monroe.
Scott makes the air packs used by most firefighters.
Morris said the day allowed the Granite Quarry team to meet other junior firefighters. It also included a planning meeting for advisors, an idea and information-sharing session and a tour of the Scott facility.
Lyerly and Ciaramello took first place in Granite Quarry’s class in the “search evolution” and received multi-tools as a reward.
“It became apparent while talking and watching other teams there, that our juniors are trained and experienced at a high level,” Morris said.
“We received numerous compliments on their abilities and behavior.”
The Fire Department will be having an open house at its station on North Salisbury Avenue Oct. 13.
Morris said the public is encouraged to come in and look at the firehouse. Fire safety programs, food and games also will be available.
The department will be holding a “Dogoween Contest” at noon Oct. 27 at Granite Lake Park. Dogs dressed up in costumes will be judged in small, medium and large breed categories.
The cost is $5 per dog during an early registration from noon-2 p.m. Oct. 20 at the fire department. The cost is $7 a dog if entered and registered the day of the contest.
Dogs must be on a leash, current on their shots and not be in heat.
The auxiliary is conducting the contest to raise money toward dress uniforms for the department.
“I’m sure this is as first, isn’t it?” Ponds asked of Dogoween.
In another matter Monday night, aldermen expressed their displeasure with road repairs made by the Salisbury-Rowan Utilities Department after it replaced a 2-inch water line with a 6-inch line over a two-block length of North Oak Street.
William Honbarrier, a resident of the street, told aldermen the road is now as rough as a washboard. “It’s ruined because of that patching through there,” he said.
Town Manager Dan Peters said he has talked with Salisbury City Manager Doug Paris and lodged the town’s concerns. The SRU’s street supervisor and a consultant for Granite Quarry have inspected the patching of the street after the new line was installed, and it apparently meets the agreement the town signed with SRU in 1998.
Peters said he has driven on Salisbury streets that have been patched in similar circumstances and noticed their roughness, too.
“They’re equal opportunity street-tearer-uppers,” Peters said.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Feather said if someone came into his house and tore out a wall to fix a plumbing leak, he would expect that person to fix the wall, returning it to the condition it had been in or better.”I think it’s a substandard repair,” Feather said. “That street is not level.”
Honbarrier noted that with Monday’s rain, the street had large puddles of standing water, thanks to the resurfacing after the water line went in.
Alderman Jim LaFevers said if SRU’s work created standing water, SRU should correct that problem. Peters will contact the city of Salisbury about that concern.
Elsewhere, Anne Walker of Walker’s Park Circle, said she would like the town’s permission to erect a sign for Ketchie Marble at the edge of a 12-acre wooded tract she owns near East Rowan High School.
She wants to rent the sign space to Ketchie Marble as a way to raise extra income, while allowing the business to advertise.
Planning Director Susan Closner said the off-premise sign is prohibited in this residentially zoned area. Town Attorney Chip Short said it would take more than a “tweaking” of the town’s zoning ordinance to allow the sign.
“I do think it’s something we should look at,” Feather said.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.