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Commissioners Adopt Resolution To Name U.S. 421 Bridge Over South Fork New River After Deputy Mast

By Jesse Wood

July 17, 2013. At Tuesday’s Watauga County Board of Commissioners meeting, Chairman Nathan Miller presented two resolutions honoring Deputy William Mast Jr., who died in the line of duty on the morning of July 26, 2012. Both were adopted.

One resolution proposed naming the U.S. 421 Bridge over the South Fork of the New River in honor of Mast.

Deputy William Mast Jr.
Deputy William Mast Jr.

Miller said that the N.C. Department of Transportation reserves the naming of bridges for fallen law enforcement officers and that other than a parkway bridge, the U.S. 421 Bridge was the biggest bridge Miller could think of in Watauga County.

In a memo, County Manager Deron Geouque noted that the commissioners would need to pass a resolution before the N.C. Department of Transportation would review the request. Also, since the bridge is located in the Town of Boone, the Boone Town Council would have to pass a similar resolution as well.

The commissioners also scheduled, in accordance to law, a public hearing regarding the change for Tuesday, August 20, at 6 p.m.

Mast’s father was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.

From the back row, he told the commissioners, “I’ll feel honored if you’ll do that.”

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed the resolution.

Also, Miller presented another resolution honoring Mast, one that requests citizens, businesses, nonprofits and state and local governments to observe a moment of remembrance on July 26, 2013.

The resolution requests all flags to be flown half-staff and encourages the one-minute remembrance to occur at 10 a.m. by ceasing activity where practical and marking the moment with whistles, horns, bells, sirens, etc.

This resolution was passed unanimously as well. 

Mast Resolution

 

Mast Resolution 2