GREAT VALLEY — Great Valley town employees celebrated the retirement of a long-time Highway Department employee on Thursday.

Rich Fluent of Salamanca, who has worked for the Highway Department for 34½ years, officially retires at the end of the month.

With accumulated time off, his last day on the job was actually March 9.

“It’s been a nice ride,” Fluent said with a wry smile as what he called his “second family” celebrated his retirement with sandwiches and refreshments in the highway garage and town offices.

What did he like about the job he started in 1987? “I liked being outdoors,” Fluent replied. “There’s something different every day.”

Fluent missed the sweeping of roads in the spring and will miss the upcoming tarring and chipping of town roads. He plowed Bear Hollow Road with the 2018 International truck with an automatic transmission and an air-ride seat he’s been driving for the past two years.

Highway Superintendent Jack Harrington congratulated Fluent on his retirement. Harrington was the fourth superintendent he’s worked under. The others were Roy Phillips, Tom Dineen and Jim Brennan.

Highway Department employees Nate Dunkleman, Chad Smith and Randy Peplinski were also on hand to celebrate with Fluent as was Supervisor Dan Brown.