A couple of weeks ago when I needed to know how to dispose of a dry Christmas tree, I called Bethel Township Administrator Tim King.

Over the years King has been one of my “go to” people when I needed a local answer. So you can imagine my surprise when someone else answered his office phone.

That is when I learned that King had recently retired after 20 years.

It has been a very full 20 years, I might add, with the township offices moving from the small facility on U.S. 40 to the new firehouse on Lake Ave and growth in law enforcement coverage and road maintenance. There have been many changes in this area in the last two decades.

I wanted to talk to King just one more time, and I caught up with him by phone this week.

“I’m going to miss the great people and employees of Bethel Township,” said King, who also added that he will miss Clark County officials that he has worked with over the years.

Trustee Nancy Brown agrees.

“We will really miss Tim,” she said.

Personally, I am going to miss Tim’s chipper voice on the phone when I called Bethel Township for information that he always seemed to have at his fingertips. However, I’m looking forward to working with Shelly Huntington, the new part-time Bethel Township administrator. I’ve already added her name to my contact list.

Huntington will be working part time because of a reduction in state township funding all over Ohio, according to Brown. However, she will be working the maximum number of hours allowed.

Huntington lives only 7 minutes from the township offices, even though she lives in Huber Heights.

“I live closer to the township offices than the people on the far end of the township,” said Huntington, who raised five children in the area and homeschooled.

She is hoping that her organizational skills, classes in accounting and business, in addition to her many years of local volunteer experience, will help her fill King’s shoes.

“There is a huge potential here for growth,” said Huntington, who is looking forward to being a part of local progress.

And, to top that, when I called two weeks ago, Huntington quickly had the answer to my Christmas tree disposal question. Evidently she has “hit the ground running,” and the transition will continue to go smoothly.

Best wishes for a great retirement, Tim, and welcome Shelly.