Road at recreation center renamed for late mayor
Marlboro officials rename Recreation Way Saul G. Hornik Way
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik, his wife Daryl, and two of their three children, Ethan and Olivia, hold a road sign that bears that name of the mayor's late father, Saul G. Hornik, who served as Marlboro's mayor during the 1980s. The entrance drive at the Marlboro Recreation Community Center has been renamed Saul G. Hornik Way.

MARLBORO - Saul G. Hornik Way was officially unveiled on the morning of April 4 following a surprise announcement the night before.

Mayor Jonathan Hornik was speechless when, at the beginning of the April 3 Township Council meeting, Councilman Frank LaRocca announced that Recreation Way would now bear the name of the mayor's late father, Saul Hornik.

Saul Hornik served as Marlboro's mayor from January 1980 until December 1991. He died of lung cancer in December 2005.

Saul G. Hornik Way is the entrance road to the Marlboro Recreation Community Center off Wyncrest Road, in front of the municipal complex.

"Today we want to honor and recognize a great man who once selfishly dedicated so much of his life to this town, working long and hard for the promise of better things for the future. He was a man with vision," LaRocca said of Saul Hornik.

"[Today], when looking at the cleanup of the Imperial Oil (toxic waste) site, the improvements to our recreation facilities, the continued expansion of Town Hall and the police department building, even the creation of a dog park, you see that the results, this hard work many, many years ago, are still blooming today," LaRocca said.

As those in the audience applauded, Jonathan Hornik accepted a certificate and a street sign to mark the renaming of the road.

Peggy Gamza, the current mayor's aide who also worked for the late mayor, reflected on Saul Hornik's ability to make the employees at Town Hall feel like a family.

"He was an unbelievable man, father, grandfather, and mayor of this town," Gamza said.

"For me it's a double pleasure," said Business Administrator Alayne Shepler, who worked for the late mayor and now works for the current mayor. "Saul Hornik was a wonderful man. He was not just the mayor of Marlboro, he was not just my employer, he was my mentor and he was my friend."

Shepler said no matter what town she was working in after she left Marlboro, Saul Hornik would always call to check on her.

Arthur Goldzweig, who was Saul Hornik's predecessor as mayor and served as township attorney during Hornik's administration, was in attendance for the renaming of the street in Saul Hornik's honor.

Goldzweig laughed as he recalled how he received calls from Saul Hornik each time he (Hornik) decided to run for mayor, during which Saul would reveal that he was running with a different party.

"I think he ran out of parties," Goldzweig laughed, noting that Hornik ran as a Democrat, a Republican and an independent.

"I am convinced that were you not to run for mayor, Saul would have found a way to run for mayor," Goldzweig told Jonathan Hornik.

Goldzweig said the former mayor was dedicated and loved his job, which was a 24-hour task.

"He loved this town," Goldzweig said, as he wished the current mayor the success his father had.

Council President Jeff Cantor said he never had the opportunity to meet the former mayor, but wishes he had after hearing all the kinds words that were spoken about him. He joked that the current mayor is so on top of what is happening in town that LaRocca had to wait until Hornik was on vacation to plan the dedication ceremony.

Jonathan Hornik said he was at a loss for words after seeing the honor that was bestowed on his father. He joked that when he came into Town Hall to find the meeting room packed, he thought the crowd was there to give Marlboro Superintendent of Schools David Abbott a hard time during the superintendent's presentation of the school district's 2008-09 budget.

"This really means a lot to me (and) my family. My father would really appreciate this. He loved this town [and] I got my love of this town from him," the mayor said, adding that the position is a labor of love that brings long hours, but noting that his father was passionate about it.

"If he was here he would say thank you, but he's not, so I will say thank you from him," Hornik said to all those who made the honor possible.