FILE PHOTO
Members of the Berlin Electric Department offer demonstrations during the 2015 Touch a Truck Day.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Oct. 4, 2018) Children ages 8 to 80 should find something to play with, on, or simply to marvel at during the return of the annual Berlin Touch a Truck Day at Stephen Decatur Park on Saturday.

Each year, organizers bring large utility vehicles and provide demonstrations.

“Touch a Truck is something that Tim Lawrence started a few years back,” Berlin Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells said. “It’s to give everyone in town a chance to see the work that the town employees do and the kind of equipment that they’re using.”

Lawrence, the Town of Berlin Electric Utilities director, said the event is enjoyable to put together.

“It’s kind of giving back to our customers and their children, to help educate them on what we do in our daily lives here,“ he said. “It’s a chance for the kids to see all the equipment — and the adults too.

“Adults really like it as well and we always have a lot of good compliments from the parents. They like to see what we really do out here and they get to see all the equipment that we run, and we actually let them run some of it,” Lawrence continued. “It’s kind of interacting with the citizens of the town.”

He said town workers would bring bucket trucks and a Digger Derrick truck to set a utility pole and perform a climbing demonstration.

“The police department is supposed to have a K-9 demonstration and state police is supposed to be there too,” Lawrence added.

Last year’s event was rained out three times and eventually canceled. Lawrence said organizers are hoping for better luck this year.

Touch a Truck Day is scheduled from 10 a.m. until noon, with the electric department, water resources, public works and police scheduled to participate.

For more information, visit www.berlinmd.gov/town-events/berlins-touch-truck.