West Pottsgrove Dedication Honors Former Manager

WEST POTTSGROVE PA – Family members and friends of the late Roger Villano, who served for more than two decades as manager of West Pottsgrove Township, gathered Friday (Aug. 27, 2021) with public officials atop the crown of the South Grosstown Road bridge (above), and formally dedicated it in his name and honor.

Additionally, the township Board of Commissioners has named a portion of the road between West High Street and Old Reading Pike as “Honorary Villano Way,” current Manager Scott Hutt announced.

The road was closed for the 20-minute dedication ceremony, and a canvas awning sheltered bridge guests from the hot sun. The mood was happy and upbeat as Villano was remembered for his many attributes.

He was insistent, board members said, a quality which ensured the bridge that now bears his name was erected over rail tracks beneath it to ensure public safety. He was patient, a trait on which they said he relied while working in negotiations with Waste Management Inc. over tipping fees at the township landfill.

Villano was respected, too, Hutt noted.

Hutt acknowledged he had never met his predecessor, who died in April 2016, but he’s heard plenty of good things about him from commissioners and others. “If you were a manager for 21 years in the township you lived in, and no one has anything bad to say about you, that is really saying something!,” he observed. The audience laughed; many shook their heads in agreement.

“Roger was instrumental in setting the township up for financial success,” Hutt continued. “Everyone owes him a debt of gratitude that cannot be understated. Serving the community for that long takes a sense of public service that is truly rare.”

Commissioners have talked since early spring, according to Hutt, about what they might do to best pay tribute to Villano’s efforts. Several ideas were offered, but the one that appealed most to those considering the options continued to focus on the bridge.

So when the time came Friday, shortly after 1 p.m., Hutt called family members forward to its east wall and sidewalk. Together they pulled aside a velvet covering (above) with gold tassels to reveal a bronze plaque.

The “Grosstown Road Bridge,” it reads, is “dedicated to Roger Villano, in recognition for his exemplary work and dedication to West Pottsgrove throughout his tenure as township manager, January 1, 1983 – August 10, 2004.”

Photos by The Posts