OCTOBER 1, 2009 ISSUE
Main and Underwood Retire From Boone Police Department
Boone Police Captain Curtis Main and Boone Master Police Officer Carl Underwood enjoy a cookout in honor of their dual retirement on Wednesday, September 30. Photo by Corinne SaundersA cookout honoring the retirement of Boone Police Captain and Interim Boone Police Chief Curtis Main and Boone Master Police Officer Carl Underwood took place from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Boone Police Department’s back parking lot on Wednesday, September 30.
Main served on the Boone Police Department for 28.5 years and Underwood served 12.5 years.
Main, who has served as interim chief since Boone Police Chief Bill Post’s retirement on July 31, said he is sure the department will choose Boone Police Captain Tim Wilson to serve as interim chief until a new police chief is selected.
In addition to Boone police officers, retired officers, officers from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and Avery County Sheriff’s Office, police chiefs from Beech Mountain and Banner Elk, Boone Public Works employees, Boone Fire Department firefighters and other community members attended the cookout.
Underwood, a former member of the Blowing Rock Fire Department for 31 years, owned a business in Blowing Rock and retired about 14 years ago.
“I got bored [and] came on board [with Boone Police],” he said, adding that he has enjoyed working with the people at the department.
Underwood is “the hardest-working fellow I’ve ever worked with,” Main said. “He’s worked directly with me for the past eight years.”
Main, who formerly worked for the TRW (now the IRC) electrical manufacturing plant, said he had wanted to be a police officer from the time he was young.
Boone Police Sergeant Bill Hartley Jr. (left) presents Captain Curtis Main with a shadow box while Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson offers her congratulations on a job well done. Photo by Corinne Saunders
“I applied when I was 20 and got the job,” Main said, adding that he earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Mayland Community College after he started working on the force.
“I’ll miss the folks and the job,” Main said. “The town’s a great place to work. The town has been good to me, but it’s time to go and let some of the newer folks take over.”
Main has no definitive plans for post-retirement life, with the exception of spending more time with family and friends, he said.
Main’s coworkers expressed appreciation for his service to the department.
“I hired Curtis when I was at the police department,” said Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman. “I worked with him about 16 years, [and] he’s a great guy, as solid as the rock of Gibraltar. He’s a great officer and friend…he will surely be missed.”
Boone Police Captain Tim Wilson, who is in charge of the investigations unit, expressed similar sentiments.
“He’s been a loyal servant to the town and a true friend to all the men who served underneath him,” Wilson said. “He’s always been the ultimate professional. We’re going to miss him a great deal. We’re losing a great friend and someone who’s very knowledgeable about the law. He’s one of the anchors of the department; anytime something has been needed, he’s always been the first to jump in [and] do what he can to help.”
“Curtis has been one of the strongest backbones of the department,” agreed Boone Police Sergeant Carson Puckett, who is in charge of narcotics.
“He is one of the most well-respected and most looked-up to [officers],” Puckett said, adding that Main’s shoes will be hard to fill.
Boone Police Lietenant Tom Redmond gave speeches on the services of Main and Underwood and Boone Police Sergeant Bill Hartley Jr. presented each with gifts. Underwood received a gift certificate to Lowe’s for his “honey-do” list and a shadow box, and Main received a “vermin rifle” for his rodent problem at home and a shadow box. The shadow boxes contained the Boone Police badges for their ranks over the years.
Underwood and Redmond worked together as firefighters before joining the police force.
“Carl has been a friend, he’s been a coworker [and] I just want to give him a sincere thanks,” Redmond said.
Underwood “is a go-getter,” Redmond said, adding that he has energy comparable to a 21-year-old.
“There is a position here called the Carl position,” Redmond said, adding that he does not think anyone will want to take on all the duties Underwood performed.
“He worked in alcohol enforcement, he worked at Hardin Park School,” Redmond said. “I can only compare his popularity to Barney and Barney did traffic direction. Carl made that school what it is today.”
The core group of Boone policemen hired in the 1980s are all retiring over the next 1.5 years, Redmond said.
“We’ve stayed together about 30 years. It’s because of [Main] and Chief Post, leaders that brought us through the hard times and through the good times. This department will continue as strong as it ever was because of the retirees here,” he said, gesturing to other retirees in the audience.
“Just because he’s leaving doesn’t mean he’s gone,” Redmond said of Main, adding that the training practices he began will remain because they are “the right way” because they are productive.
“He taught many of us radar, traffic law enforcement, traffic crash reconstruction…and officer survival,” Redmond said. “This department is what it is today because of him.
“I guess the highest thing I can say about this man is his faith and dedication to God…this county has got leaders that bring a covenant over us, a protection over us,” Redmond said. “Because of men like him, we can come to work each day and know we’re safe.”
Andy Burgess, director of the basic law enforcement program at Caldwell Community College (CCC), announced that a new award will be given out each year at CCC to honor Main.
“In 1995, he started teaching motor vehicle law at Caldwell,” Burgess said. “He taught 14 years [and] was a 22-hour block instructor.”
The new award will go to the top motor vehicle law student each year, he said.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
