Hobart J. Burd retires after 30 years on boro zoning board

FRANKLIN-For 30 years, Hobart J. Burd n known to all as "Jay" - served on the Franklin Zoning Board of Adjustment. But it took his retirement for this quiet man who has played a major role in the town's history to finally reap recognition. Burd, 78, was appointed to the board on April 23, 1975. Last month, he finally retired. The departure from public life came a bit early. Burd had planned to retire at the end of this year. But the town council found itself needing to move planning board member Mark Zschack to the zoning board because of a legal technicality. To allow the move to be made smoothly, Burd volunteered to step aside. "This is typical of Jay's selfless attitude and his dedication to the Franklin zoning board," said Jim Kilduff, the borough's director of planning and community development. "We appreciate what Jay has done for us, and I just want to publicly thank him for his volunteerism and his dedication to the public." Burd came to Franklin with his family in 1934 when he was eight. As the Second World War was reaching its climax in 1944, he left high school early to enlist in the U.S. Navy, serving in the Pacific theater and taking part in the invasion of Okinawa on Easter weekend of 1945. When he returned home after the war, he went back to school and earned his high-school diploma in 1947 and then went on to college. He became a teacher in Hamburg and, after five years there, became a teacher in the Franklin School in 1957. One of the highlights of his teaching career came in 1964, when, as coach of the high school baseball team, he won a Group 2 state championship. Burd became principal of the Franklin School District in 1970, a post he held until 1987. Besides coaching baseball, Burd has been a football referee for 50 years and a basketball ref for 25. Asked why he added the zoning board of adjustment to his busy schedule, Burd responded, "the town wanted somebody and they needed somebody, so I decided to go on it. "One thing I'm also proud of is that I was the only one to be a student in Franklin and then came back to be a teacher and principal, " added Burd, who has nine children, including seven sons. He also served on the Wallkill Valley Regional High School board of education for 27 years, including the years prior to the school's 1983 opening. In short, there seems little Burd hasn't done during his many years of public service—including almost 20 years as a member of the rent leveling board. "He's just a very intelligent person and he's been part of the town's growth over the years," said zoning board chairman Paul Crowley. "He's just a remarkable individual. He doesn't come forward for accolades. But he was always there as a worker." When asked if there was one occurrence in his 30 years on the zoning board that stood out to him, Burd remembered the decision to allow Sprint to install microwave dishes in back of what is now WalMart in order to create better telephone communication. "There were a lot of people in town that were afraid of the waves coming in, and they (Sprint) brought in people from Washington, D.C. to explain," Burd recalls some 20 years later. "And in the end, they finally went along with them. We had quite a time, but I guess it all worked out for Franklin." "I've always said that I'll never leave Franklin," Burd concluded. "I think the world of it."