Dunedin Team Installs Fastest Tap at Public Works Games

Dunedin's Mike Blanton can make operating heavy equipment look easy.

But try using a backhoe to scoop an egg off a pile of sand and set it in a five-gallon bucket, not quite such a drop in the bucket. Blanton did it in 35 seconds.

The backhoe operation event, part of the inaugural North Pinellas Top Ops Competition, was part of Clearwater's Public Works Day on May 22.

The competition pitted 90 people from utility and field crews across Pinellas County for top honors and trophies.

Blanton claimed second place in the backhoe competition for Dunedin. The city's team owned the "Fun Tap" competition. Putting their dry clothes on the line, Blanton, Joe McLemore, Rodney Rainey and Larry Lash were able to open a PVC pipe and install a tap faster than any other team, beating out Clearwater for top honors.

“We’re trying to let everybody know what we do and the skill it takes,” said Tracy Mercer, director of Clearwater’s Public Utilities.

Public Works Day also featured tours of Clearwater's water reclamation facility, demonstrations and vehicle and equipment displays.

Events also included:

• Vacuum Truck Operation, where competitors tried to make a basket with a basketball/hoop. 
• The Hard Tap, where competitors open a ductile iron pipe and install a tap.
• The Fun Tap, where they open a PVC pipe and install a tap.
• Meter Madness, assemble a water meter from a bucket of parts.
• Director's Challenge, which tests the director's ability to successfully do the backhoe challenge.

Here are this year's results:

Backhoe

1st place: Clearwater – Todd Kuhnel; 34 seconds.

2nd place: Dunedin – Mike Blanton; 35 seconds.

Vacuum Truck Operation

1st place: Largo — Louis Cotticchio; 1 minute.

2nd place: Clearwater — Maurice Bryant; 1.01.

Hard Tap             

1st place: Pinellas Park — Get n Wet; Ricky Dillard, Bryan Creggor, Jason Hicks, Tim Beech; 2 minutes 43 seconds.

2nd place Clearwater: — The Water Boys; Charles McAbee, Brody Burke, Kyle Wilson, Matt Dombrowski; 2 minutes 49 seconds.

Fun Tap

1st place: Dunedin — The Team to Beat; Joe McLemore, Mike Blanton, Rodney Rainey, Larry Lash; 48.1 seconds.

2nd place: Clearwater — Kenny’s Rippers; Jason Gray, Kendrix Anderson, Orlando Rivas, Phil Horne; 48.38 seconds.

Meter Madness

1st place: Clearwater — Steve Martindale; 57 seconds.

2nd place: Clearwater — Davon Watson; 1 minute. 

Director’s Challenge

1st place: Clearwater — Laura Davis; 1.15 minutes.

2nd place: Pinellas Park — Randall Roberts; 1.29 minutes.

*updated 9:38 a.m. May 24, 2013

Related Coverage:

• Dunedin Employees to Face Off in 'Public Works Day' Games

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