Grassy Pond VFD celebrating 30 years of service

Members of Grassy Pond VFD roll out of the station Wednesday to answer another call. The department will celebrate its 30th year on Nov. 1 with an open house, a chicken stew and hot dog supper and a stump meeting. The Grassy Pond Volunteer Fire Department will be celebrating its 30th year of operation Nov. 1 with a day-long program that starts with an open house and wraps up with some good, old-fashioned stump speeches by politicians hoping to get elected, or reelected, Nov. 4.

Officially charted in January 1978, Grassy Pond VFD started operations with an already vintage fire truck and a dedicated group of men and women. While the dedication hasn't wavered, the department looks much different today.

Membership has doubled to about 45 members today, and the 1950 American LaFrance pumper the department started with has long been replaced by two fire engines, two tanker trucks, two squad trucks and a brush truck.

The Nov. 1 celebration at the Grassy Pond VFD on Ellis Ferry Road begins with an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All of the equipment will be on display and Fire Chief Nathan "Junior" Ellis said there will be light refreshments, inflatable children's rides and games during the open house. The Cherokee County Fire Chiefs Association also will bring its fire safety trailer to the event to present educational programs.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the department will hold a chicken stew and hot dog supper.

The stump meeting will kick off at 7 p.m.

Chief Ellis said the stump meeting is open to all local, state and U.S. candidates, though it was not yet clear which candidates were committed to attending.

A tradition at the Grassy Pond VFW, candidates actually once spoke from a tree stump at the side of the building. Weather permitting, an outdoor band shell will be used this year. Attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs.

The fire department also has lined up musical entertainment for the evening. Among the bands committed to playing is the Christian bluegrass group the King James Boys.

Seven of the original charter members of the Grassy Pond VFD still serve the department, among them Robert LeMaster.

When they formed a committee to explore opening a fire department in their community, LeMaster said the county was basically covered by only a few departments, those being located in Gaffney, Macedonia and Blacksburg. Their exploratory committee not only recommended forming a department in Grassy Pond, but also sharing all of the information they had compiled about starting a department with community leaders across the county.

Grassy Pond VFD covers about 34 square miles and a population of about 5,500 residents.

Its headquarters are in the former Grassy Pond Elementary School, which it obtained in 1985.