Community spirit in high gear at ‘Touch a Truck’

LIME ROCK — The Lakeville Hose Company held its “Touch a Truck” fundraiser at Lime Rock Park Saturday, June 29.

Race cars whizzed by as people wandered around the vehicles from fire and ambulance squads, and local businesses such as Perotti Tree and Century Aggregates. And sometimes just someone’s tractor. Skyler Ohmen of Salisbury had his 1947 John Deere tractor ready to go.

He was asked if it runs. By way of an answer, he fiddled with knobs and levers and then turned the key.

It ran, much to the delight of Talek Dobrusin, age three and a half, who was perched in the driver’s seat under the watchful eye of his grandfather Alec Dobrusin.

Stacey Dodge sat inside the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service’s vehicle, showing a group of interested young people exactly what all the straps are for.

And Ethan Borkowski of Torrington was on hand with state troopers Nate Day and Josh Wedge.

Borkowski, age 15, is a member of the Troop B cadet program. He said he comes to community events to “interact with the public.”

Day said the Troop B cadet program currently has four cadets and could certainly use more. Cadets learn how to conduct DUI stops and building searches, attend leadership and team building exercises, and undergo physical training.

The program accepts boys and girls, ages 13 to 20.

While the troopers and the cadet chatted with a reporter, several family groups approached and got pens, stickers, and a couple of youngsters even got to sit in the police car and play with the siren a little.

And in case of lagging interest among the younger set, there was also a bouncy house.