Sparky and the marshal: With gratitude to retiring Fire Capt. John Morton

We wish Capt. John Morton well in his retirement from the Goldsboro Fire Department and from his post as the city's fire marshal.

In addition to inspecting city buildings and new facilities as they were constructed, Morton also played an integral part in making KidsFest happen each year. Teaching kids and families the importance of fire prevention and the steps to take in case of a fire always brought out the best in him.

It was always a joy to see him and Sparky the Fire Dog out at events -- oddly, you wouldn't often see them together -- greeting kids and posing for photos.

We hope Morton, I guess we can just call him John now that he is retired, finds joy in his post-career years.

Maybe the gang at Station 1 will still let him come by once in a while and talk shop -- as long as he brings the doughnuts.

Published in Editorials on September 12, 2017 9:42 PM