hoods better to tell their stories than - Allegheny West Magazine

Thornburg’s
Mayor
Ambassador
ABOVE: Tom and Eileen Mackin in the dining room of their home
on Cornell Street in Thornburg. Tom is the second mayor to live
in the house, occupied before he and his wife moved in by
former Mayor Tucker Gordon.
46 Allegheny West Magazine September/October 2012
BY HEATHER SCHIEFER MURRAY
PHOTO BY AMY CRAWFORD
Before Tom and Eileen Mackin bought their home on
Cornell Road in Thornburg, the previous owner of
the home invited them and their two young sons over
so he could ensure he was selling his home to a
family who would be good neighbors in the
community. “He was more concerned with what kind of people
we were than our offer on the house,” Eileen said. Twenty-three
years later the Mackins remain in the home and have proven
themselves as good neighbors in the Thornburg community.
Tom is currently serving his second term as the borough’s
mayor, a position the former owner of his home also held. Tom
said it’s not a political job, with some of the main functions
being serving as a go-between for the borough and the
emergency service departments it contracts with and serving as
the ice cream scooper at the annual ice cream social.
Prior to his election as mayor, Tom served on the borough
council for about 14 years. “The borough council helps keep
the community going in the right direction,” Tom said.
“Everyone tries to better the community. I couldn’t even tell
you who is a Republican and who is a Democrat.”
Tom was encouraged to run for mayor by the town’s previous
mayor, Tucker Gordon. “It’s not a politics thing,” he said.
Tom and Eileen both say it’s the little things that make the
community special, like the involvement of residents.
“You know everyone,” Eileen said. “It’s very unique. When
someone is in trouble, everyone helps out.”
Tom and Eileen also credit the borough’s community club for
keeping the borough vibrant. “They’re the ones that make
everything happen,” Tom said. “They do all the work.”
Tom and the seven members of borough council are all
volunteers. The borough has three full-time employees, a
secretary, and two maintenance workers. Tom said the two
maintenance workers keep everything in the borough, including
the streets in the winter, well taken care of. “I don’t know how
they do it, but they do,” he said.
Full-time, Tom owns a utility contracting company. Eileen is a
recently retired nurse, whose job as the first lady of Thornburg
is to keep the mayor in line and help out scooping ice cream.
The Mackins also benefit from the Thornburg tradition of
children returning to the borough to raise their family. Their son,
daughter-in-law, and 18-month-old granddaughter, Grace, live in
the borough. Tom’s sister also lives in the neighborhood. Their
other son and his wife live nearby in Kennedy Township.
Tom envisions himself staying on as mayor for a while. As for
staying in the community, Eileen said they’re there for the
duration. “They’ll have to carry us out of here,” she said.