The Kings Mountain Herald Page 3A JOSEPH BRYMER/HERALD Bethlehem Fire Department Chief Jeff Cloninger, right, congratulates firefighter of the year John McDaniel. Jeffery Scott Dixon was also named firefighter of the year. He was not able to attend the annual dinner Saturday. Bethlehem VFD notes anniversary Bethlehem Fire Department celebrated its 40th anniversary Saturday night with a dinner and Christmas program. Honored guests included the original board of direc- tors members Bill Babb, Sidney Dixon, Dwight Ledbetter, Fred Tate and John Tria. John McDaniel and Jeffery Scott Dixon were named 2004 firefighters of the year. The department received 287 calls totalling 831,448 hours. Dixon, McDaniel, Mason Dixon and Todd Hullender were recognized for achiev- ing either fire fighter I or fire fighter II certification. Eight members of the department are now certi- fied. Six of the members are EMTs and one is on the Hazmat team. ° The 21-member depart- ment put in 1,989 hours of training this year. “They're not getting paid. This is something they are doing on their own,” Hullender said. Members talked about the department's first trucks, a three-quarter ton weapons carrier and a 6x6 troop carrier. The depart- ment purchased its first real fire truck, a 1933 LaFrance, from the Kings Mountain Fire Department, for $1. “We had a humble beginning. We had fun. We depended on each other like you do now,” said for- mer chief Fred Tate. The current chief is Jeff Cloninger; assistant chief Daryl Philbeck; training officer, Todd Hullender; captains, Randy Lail and John McDaniel; lieutenants, Mike Jenkins, Mark Butler, David McDaniel and Eric Roper; treasurer, Doug Sutton and assistant treas- urer, John McDaniel. Other members include Randy Conner, Marty Lockridge, Bob Hullender, Jessie Saucier, Scott Hawkins, Ryan Pennington, Dennis Morrow, Chip Parker, Mason Dixon, David Ayscue, Jeff S. Dixon, Avery Turbyfill and Mark Butler. Reserve firefighters include Larry McDaniel, Jeff A. Dixon, Keith Dixon, Junior Sellers, Harold Farris and Willard Yarborough Jr. Chaplain Bob Hullender and Guyann Hullender organized the dinner which was held at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Other original board of director members include Andrew Brown, Boyd Howell, Jerry Morris, David Smith and James Spake. Deceased board members include Charles E. Blalock, Herman Blalock, Jake Crocker, Marion Dixon, Paul Lancaster, Floyd McDaniel, Hal Morris, Charles Spearman, Jim Yarbro and David Wise. Some of the other hon- ored guests included Cleveland County Fire JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD Bethlehem Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary past presidents include Betty Benton, left, Frances Lail, Colleen Tate, Flora Lee Yarbro and Gladys Ledbetter. Some of Bethlehem Fire Department’s original board members attended a 40th anniversary celebration Saturday night including John Tria, left, Dwight Ledbetter, Fred Tate, Bill Babb and Sidney Dixon. LoVe or Past auxiliary presidents attending were Betty eeii- Benton, Frances jail, j Qi Colleen Tate, Flofa Leéiic | Yarbro and Gladys ii Ledbetter...) a TATA |