North Conway wins Fryeburg Fair Firemen's Muster

Bill Haynes photo

Competitors in the Wet Hose competition got wet when they failed to finish connecting their coupling before the water was turned on.

- Bill Haynes photo

The team from just across the border combined a second in the Rescue Drag along with a pair of thirds in the Dry and Wet Hose events to take home the overall championship among 17 teams competing, including a team from Rhode Island. They were presented with the Bob Butters trophy on which they will have their name engraved alongside past winners.

Members of the North Conway team were Sam Henderson, Ryan Smith, Brandon James, Chief Pat Pierce, John Garcia, Kevin Hickey, Steve Chaputt, Bill Jaquith and Capt. Mark Ewing.

Brownfield, which won both the Ladder and Rescue Drag events, won the Sportsmanship Award.

Fryeburg Fair began giving out the Butters trophy in 1995 in memory of the longtime Norway chief. Windham won the first trophy followed by North Conway, N.H., in 1996 and Waterford in 1997. Bowdoinham took overall honors in 1998 and Waterford won it for the next five years.

In 2004, Kennebunk came away the winner. In 2005, Sumner won the event when Waterford failed to field a team but Waterford returned to victory in 2006 to earn its seventh win in nine years. Lovell captured the top prize in a close contest in 2007 and the hometown Fryeburg team won last year.

The muster leadership spans three generations. Corliss Watson shares the chairmanship with his son, Clyde, who is assisted by his grandson, Gabe.

Results:
Dry Hose
1.Waterford — 17.21 seconds
2.Kezar Falls — 17.83 seconds
3.North Conway, N.H. — 18.04 seconds

Wet Hose
1.Norway — 16.83 seconds
2.Kezar Falls — 18.04 seconds
3.North Conway, N.H. — 18.94 seconds

Ladder
1.Brownfield — 9.02 seconds
2.Redstone, N.H. — 10.13 seconds
3.Fryeburg — 10.26 seconds

Rescue Drag
1.Brownfield — 14.04 seconds
2.North Conway, N.H. — 14.55 seconds
3.Paris — 14.51 seconds

Ball Squirt
1.Waterford 2.Chesterville
3.Wales