Newspapers / Morrisville and Preston Progress … / May 29, 1996, edition 1 / Page 5
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The Morrisville and Preston Progress, Wednesday, May 29,1996 - 5 Tour DuPont makes quick pass through town By Bin Kirkiand Only minutes before the Tour DuPont came through Morris ville, most of the spectators sat on the railroad tracks for a glimpse of the wOTld’s best cyclists. "Train’s coming," someone yelled. The spectators scattered and the freight cars roared through. The noise and the brief scare would make the cycle race almost anti-climactic as most of the 200 OT so spectators settled in safer locations along N.C. 54 on a warm May 4 afternoon. A lead car with a IS-minute sign had already passed through and so had the 10-minute car. Tbe 5-minute car would be the last signal that the cyclists were on their way. Manuel Gil, his wife, Christine, and their 7-year-old son, Jon^han, watch^ from a spot near the Aviation Parkway inter section. "We moved here for moments like this," said Gil, who had his own locksmith business in Chica go before settling his family in the Treybrooke Apartments. "We wanted a better qukity of life.” Someone mentioned the appeal of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs. "We never went to Wrigley Field," said Christine Gil. "But we do watch the Durham Bulls." A voice boomed out from a loud speaker hooked to a car. "Read all about the cyclists,” the woman said. "Get a p'ogram for WHOOSH-This was the scene along N.C. 54 on May 4 as 112 of the world's best cyclists raced through Morrisville as part of the Tour DuPont competitbn. only five dollars." The driver rushed away when it was £^^)arent the cyclists were just around a bend in the road. Not a single program was sold. And so they came. And went. In a hurry. Jim LeMar of McHTisville was fast enough to take 11 shots with a camera given to him by his wife, Linda. Another bystander admitted he only had time to take one. Still another observer could only curse. "They aren’t doing a damn thing," he said of the cychsts. "They’re just cruising." The crowd left as quickly as the 112 cyclists. Fran Minnich reopened Ben’s Bargain Bam after taking a lO-minute break. Under the shade of a small tree near the tracks, Liz Ryan and Joe Huegy, both Morrisville resi dents, enjoyed a picnic lunch of cream cheese spread, bread and tea "that had been left over in the refrigerator." They would be the last to leave. And Morrisville was once again the same. Make Sure Your Pet Has A Pleasant Vacation, Too! Critter Sitters 362-1745 Family Owned & Oporatad 18 Yoon Experienc* Vet lUconinMndad^ 3^ Blankenship named Firefighter of the Year WILLIAM BLANKENSHIP Morrisville Assistant Fire Chief William Ray Blankenship Jr. has been selected as the Ch^l Hill Firefighter of the Year. Blankenship joined the Chapel Hill Fire D^aitment in Dec^ber of 1993 after 13 years of combined volunteer and laofessional experi ence in the MorrisviUe Fire Depart ment, where he rose to and now holds the rank of assistant chief. The Ch^l Hill Fire Department allows its members to serve in voluntary or part-time cecities with another departmeoL In selecting Blankenship as Firefighter of the Year, the peer se lection committee said it recog nized his commitment to the advan cement of the Fire Department, in cluding his involvement in the de velopment of the First Responder program and his participation on the fire ^paratus specification conmittee. In addition, the com mittee cited the assistance and c«npassion he extended toward his fellow employees throughout the year. The citation was started in Chapel Hill in the late 1960s. Potential candidates are nominated by their peers, according to Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones, and the winner is then named by a group composed of administration and employee personnel. Outstanding per formance during the year, related to a single event or rented to overall service, is the basis for making the award. Jones, who has been chief since 1990, describes Blankenship as the epitome of someone in professional service. "Bill is modest, but dedi cated to his job," says Jones. "He does outstanding woik, yet is not a person who looks to cr^it. He just wants iM’ogress." Blankenship was bom in Wash ington, D.C.. and grew up in Clinton, Md. He and his wife, Melinda, and their 15-maithK)ld daughter, Myranda, live in Apex. It’s loyal, never needsawalk, and you don’t have to pick up after it. It mulches. $63 The LXI73 with 38-inch, cutting deck and o 14-lip overhead valve engine and D'icycler' mulching attachment. 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According to Chiotakis, the vehicle will consolidate a lot of equipment in several separate sec tions, each designed to hold equip ment for specific conditions the fire department may have to face. In cluded will be equipment for ccKifined-space rescues, such as in side manholes, as well as a fire sup port ventilator, jaws of life and other forcible entry tools and hydraulic tools for heavy duty work such as extricating vehicles from ccmstniction sites. Another area has been designed for firefighters overcome at the scene. It will supply fluids to cool off or provide warmth. The front of the 34-foot-long truck will have a telescoping light tower c^ble of rising 30 feet into the air to flood areas with light An other section houses breathing equipment to povide on-site, self- contained breathing apparatus. Commissioner Mark Silver-Smith thanked Chiotakis for the effort he put into developing plans to the new vehicle. When it arrives it will be boused ai Station No. 1. It was noted that plans for the new station have been delayed somewhat. Commissioners have unanimously aH>roved $230,000 to buy a 4.1'acre site in the northeast corner of N.C. 54 and McCrimmon Parkway, property owned by Charles and Nancy Zimmerli. Town authorities are studying a report that a gravesite exists on the property holding six to eight graves. Chief Chiotakis said noth ing is definite at this time and that the repon came from a tenant who said he recalls such a site as a child growing up in the are. "If thae are graves, it depends on where they are located," he explained, adding that specific steps are available for handling such situations. Approval of the fire truck ex penditure took place at the com missioners’ May 13 meeting. 20% OFF On Any Purchase Not Valid With Other Offers Or On Sole Items. Expires 6-5-96 OiMIbnokftedbiMin QamsrLocatton on Us odheNeuw&USI North 70 East between 24lM0«Ma)roakRd. Lowes and 1-40 RaWgh87M878 662-1508 Advertise In The Progress. 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Take the short trip to Madsen Motor Company AIKMADSEN nn MOTOR soon and bring home the best the world has to offer. MI/COMPANY 902 E. Chatham St. • Cary • NC • 27S11 • (919) 481-0600
Morrisville and Preston Progress (Morrisville, N.C.)
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May 29, 1996, edition 1
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