A complaint about cattle trucks on Route 82

A man who lives along Route 82 came to the West Marlborough township meeting on Jan. 4 to let the supervisors know that noisy tractor-trailers hauling cattle to the feed lots at the former King Ranch were making his family's life miserable. 

He played a recording he made of a trucker applying his Jake brakes and said the "obnoxious" noise goes on around the clock, making it difficult to sleep or concentrate. It sounded a lot like this YouTube clip:

He said he suspects the trucks are also too heavy to be using the Rokeby bridge on Route 82.

Township supervisor Jake Chalfin said he sympathized, as loud trucks hauling road materials sometimes use Springdell Road near his house.

Township supervisor Bill Wylie said he believes the cattle at the feed lots are brought there for a period of quarantine before being shipped overseas. He suggested that the township could contact the farmer running the operation and notify him of the problem with the trucks. If that doesn't work, he said, the second step might be to contact the Pennsylvania State Police and ask them about their truck inspection protocol.

Holsteins at the feed lots, Jan. 5.

West Marlborough reorganization meeting

By state law, each township board of supervisors has to "reorganize" at the beginning of the year. West Marlborough did so on Monday, Jan. 4:

• Bill Wylie remains chairman of the board of supervisors, with Jake Chalfin as vice chair. 
• Shirley Walton remains the township's secretary/treasurer. 
• Tom Brosius remains chairman of the planning commission, with Tom Roosevelt as vice chair and Emery Jones as secretary. 
• Township meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of each month.
• Josh Taylor was reappointed to another 3-year term on the township zoning hearing board.

Two notable changes did take place. Township employees (other than the supervisors) received a 3% raise across the board. And the head of the road crew, Hugh Lofting Jr., took over his father's position as township roadmaster and emergency management coordinator. Residents won't notice any changes: "He handles most of it now," explained supervisor Hugh Lofting Sr. in nominating his son for the position.

Hugh 2 and Brother Wilson got a raise.