Shaffer, Plummer are 2014 Grand Marshals

The grand marshals of this year’s parade are a couple of former chiefs — Tammy Schaffer, who served for 10 years as the city’s police chief before retiring this summer, and Bob Plummer, whose seven-year run as the city’s fire chief ended last October.

Both are delighted to receive the honor of being named the co-grand marshals for the parade, but they’re also wondering — why me?

They’re also both looking forward to going to the fair and not being in charge.

Schaffer said she did her job for the city and doesn’t feel like she did anything “outstanding” for the honor.

“I don’t feel very deserving of it,” she said.

Nevertheless, she said, “I’m very honored. It will be nice to see (the fair) from a different perspective.”

Schaffer, who retired at the end of May, recalled the Bluffton Free Street Fair as a lot of work and pressure. And it was stressful.

“It will be nice to enjoy it,” she added.

For Plummer, the grand marshal offer surprised him. “It came right out of the blue,” he said. “I did not expect it at all.”

Plummer has retired to Florida, and was going to be back in Bluffton to visit family and to actually experience the Street Fair from a different point of view. “This will be the first Street Fair that I won’t have safety responsibilities at for a long time,” he said.