Ewing retires after 27 years on the road for Wayne County
Robert “Bob” Ewing, second from right, receives a retirement proclamation from Wayne County commissioners Jonathan Hofstetter, left, Dave McMillen and Ron Amstutz. Ewing was the backbone of the Wayne County Engineer’s Office asphalt and chip and seal road maintenance operation, helping to prevent issues like skidding, hydroplaning and vehicle damage during his 27 years with the office.
After 27 years of service to the Wayne County Engineer’s Office highway maintenance team and 11 prior years of experience with a private company, it is safe to say Robert “Bob” Ewing has traveled on about every inch of road in the county, making repairs or plowing snow.
Ewing was drawn to public service in 1997 when the engineer’s office needed a maintenance crew member, and he was looking for a change.
“I was working until dark every night,” Ewing said. “There is nothing wrong with that, but I had three kids in school and wanted to spend more time with them. This position allowed me to do that; it has been a good fit for me.”
Ewing moved up the ranks, mentored new employees and was the resident asphalt distributor operator. He worked for two different engineers during his tenure, but the most welcome change he experienced was when the office moved from the Vanover Building across from the fairgrounds to its current location on West Old Lincoln Way.
“When we got called in in the winter to plow snow, the trucks were parked in a lean-to at the Vanover Building. They weren’t heated, and we had to sit in those cold trucks in a line and wait to get salt loaded,” he said. “The slush would freeze underneath them and never thaw, so we carried about an extra thousand pounds of ice. The new location has heated buildings to park the trucks in, so the ice doesn’t accumulate.”
Ewing had high praises for everyone he worked with over the years in the office’s role of maintaining the county’s transportation infrastructure, especially when plowing roadways during the winter months when driving could be treacherous.
“We always had safety in mind,” he said. “While we were plowing, we would be on the lookout for motorists who were stranded or not aware that we were on the road.”
An avid sports fan, Ewing will now watch his favorite sports teams play late-night games without worrying about getting a 2 a.m. call to plow the roads when an unexpected snow moves in.
Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.