Shrewsbury Names Mediation Room After Longtime Employee

When Frank Clark decided to hang ‘em up earlier this month, it singled the end of a 40-year career with Shrewsbury’s department of public works, one that’s left an indelible mark with the borough and the people living in it.

To show their appreciation of a man who not only did his job well, but also made a difference in the lives of those living in town, Shrewsbury’s council issued a proclamation to Clark and, in a surprise move, also named the borough’s mediation room after him.

Located inside borough hall, the mediation room is now known as the Frank Clark Mediation Room, and it’s got a plaque on the wall to prove it.

Frank and his wife Doreen attended Monday’s council meeting expecting the proclamation honoring his four decades of service. When Mayor Donald Burden convened the meeting to the hallway outside of the council chambers, Clark wore an expression that said he knew something might be up.

Having a room in borough hall named in his honor, well, he probably wasn’t expecting that.

Asked to say a few words, Clark, who has served as the foreman of the public works department for the past 13 years, kept it short and simple, saying first that he didn’t want to hold the council meeting up for very long.

“I can’t thank everybody enough for this,” he said. “Past and present mayors and council members, I’ve made a lot of friends over the years.”

In other news, the council recognized Cary Costa during its meeting. Costa was recently named 2011 Fire Protection Inspector of the year by the New Jersey Fire Prevention Association for his dedication and excellence in the field of code enforcement and fire protection inspection.

The council approved an ordinance on first reading that would allow Spirits Unlimited, a liquor store located in the Staples shopping center on Broad Street, to remain open later on Sunday nights.

With the recent opening of Trader Joe’s and the recent reopening of a BYOB restaurant in the center, Teresa Helmka, who owns Spirits Unlimited along with her husband, sought to capitalize on the longer hours these other businesses remain open on Sunday nights.

The ordinance requires a public hearing before it goes into effect.