Three generations of the Lofting clan showed up to honor Hugh Lofting Sr. as he stepped down from his longtime position as a West Marlborough Township supervisor.
Before the May 4 meeting, township officials held a brief ceremony in the township garage to say goodbye to Hugh. On hand were his wife, Ann; his son, Hugh 2, and daughter-in-law, Sally; sister, Cintra Murray, and his young grandson, Tuff.
Supervisors' chairman Bill Wylie said no one seems able to pinpoint the date of Hugh's first official township meeting. Hugh said not even he is not sure of the date, but he thinks it was held in Ken Cruse's living room. Hugh served as township roadmaster for many years, so as a farewell gift, the supervisors presented him with a toy truck.
Refreshments were apple cider from Barnard's Orchards and a delicious cake, baked by Bill Wylie. Tuff Lofting did a great job distributing plates of cake and glasses of cider to the guests.
Emery Jones, formerly the secretary of the township planning commission, is taking over Hugh's position on the board of supervisors.
Bill Wylie, Hugh Lofting Sr., Hugh Lofting Jr., and township secretary-treasurer Shirley Walton at Hugh Sr.'s retirement celebration in the West Marlborough Township garage.
After the ceremony, the supervisors held their monthly meeting. Hugh Lofting Jr., who is stepping into his father's shoes as roadmaster, said he and the crew were busy mowing intersections, filling potholes and doing spring grading of the roads. He outlined some badly needed repairs he plans to do on the beds of the township's dump trucks: "They're from the 1990s, and they live in salt."
In an attempt to slow traffic and improve safety, the supervisors asked him to come up with ideas for narrowing the stretch of Newark Road between Upland Road (Route 842) and Route 82.
The supervisors also said they sent a violation notice to JLT Enterprises and set a deadline for the company to stop manufacturing wooden pallets at their property in the 1600 block of Newark Road. Neighbors had reported the manufacturing activity to the township, and there was a major fire at the site in March.
