Bill Ditter retires after 32 years

By Brenda Erdahl

Bill Ditter was probably the first person to ever ask to join the Maple Lake Fire Department.

That was in 1992 when it was still customary for the fire department elders to seek out new recruits not the other way around, but Ditter wasn’t from around here.  He had just moved from the Anoka area, and he was looking for a way to make a difference in the community.

“I went to Chief Anderson and said I’m interested in being on the fire department. He said, ‘well, ah I never had anybody ask, we usually come to you.’  I want to say it was six months to a year later and he called me,” Ditter said.

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