Tim Cole and Crew Like to Keep It Clean

Tim Cole and Crew Like to Keep It Clean

By Sebastian Langenberg

If you’ve ever wondered how the village of Middleburg is kept so clean, tidy and seemingly picture perfect, you can thank Tim Cole, the town’s maintenance supervisor.

It’s immediately obvious how much Tim cares about the town and how hard he works to make sure it’s always in tip top shape. If a sign has been bent by a truck—or more likely a horse trailer—he’s on the job right away to get it fixed. He and his crew do it all, from replacing bulbs in the streetlights and lamp posts to cleaning out cigarette and trash receptacles.  “Every day is something different and interesting,” he said. “It’s so cool to see all the faces you grew up with in town; to see everyone you know. Some people have passed away, but you still see their kids.”

Tim, 51, is a true Middleburg native who grew up on Chestnut Street. He’s also spent his entire working life here, the first 27 years at the Middleburg Community Center, the last seven for the town. His father was a builder, so maintenance was an easy career choice for him.

“When I was young, I said I was going to leave town at 18 after graduating high school, but I’m still here,” he said. “Middleburg is like a big family.”

The community center was a natural place to start working, as well. His mother, Joanne, was the MCC’s executive director for 30 years. After so many years on the payroll there himself, Tim thought he needed a change but didn’t want to leave the area. That’s when he saw the Town’s opening after his predecessor, Marvin Simms, retired.

He’s had countless memorable experiences, including what he described as the craziest one of all—the infamous storm of 2016—when many homes, cars and businesses were badly damaged by golf-ball sized hail.

Other big events that keep Tim and his team busy include Christmas in Middleburg, The Middleburg Film Festival, Artists in Middleburg and Oktoberfest.

Not only did Tim grow up in Middleburg, he also met his wife, Jocelyn, at a once popular village staple at the now closed Mosby’s Tavern. An equestrian originally from Michigan, she had come to the area to train with the late, great Olympic horseman Jim Wofford. Tim saw her in the tavern, approached her and the rest is history.

“She’s been putting up with me for 25 years,” he said, somewhat incredulously.

Tim has seen countless changes to the town over the years and said, “It’s sad to see some of the old businesses close down, like the Coach Stop and Fun Shop. But it’s amazing to see the new businesses that come to town.”

Post Covid, he’s also noticed a significant uptick in visitors.

“I think people needed to get out and travel because they were locked down,” he said. “And then they came out here and went, ‘wow, where has this cool place been?’”

The influx of new tourists means more clean-up work, but Tim has no complaints because the job is never boring.

“Every day is something different and interesting,” he said. “And all four seasons bring something different.”

Hail sometimes included.