The Jim Thorpe community gathered Saturday to dedicate a room in the new police station to a councilman who died.

“It is fitting that we honor Tom (Highland) with this community room. He truly embodied ‘community’ in everything he did.”

Former Jim Thorpe Borough Council President Greg Strubinger led the honors as the new community room inside the newly-renovated Jim Thorpe Police Station was dedicated to the memory of Thomas R. Highland, a well-known figure in the Jim Thorpe local government and the business community.

In May 2021, a fire in the Highland home on Center Avenue in the Jim Thorpe Heights claimed the life of Highland’s wife, Lynn.

Highland survived; but passed away in March 2022, due to complications from fire injuries.

Thomas Highland was the owner of Highland Beverage, Route 209, in Jim Thorpe, and served on the Jim Thorpe Borough Council, where he was head of the police committee for 10 years.

“Today is a bittersweet moment, for sure, as we honor Tom for what he meant to the community,” Strubinger added, “but, also, for heartfelt thankfulness as we acknowledge the impact that his life had on the community.”

Members of Thomas and Lynn Highland’s family attended the dedication of the community room, now called the “Thomas R. Highland Community Room.”

The room features rows of tables and chairs, computers, and electronic equipment.

Former Jim Thorpe Mayor and current Carbon County Commissioner Michael Sofranko pointed out that there were more people at this dedication than that of the Memorial Hall approximately one month ago.

Sofranko shared a story of the last time he swore in Highland to the Borough Council.

“Tom came to my house to be sworn in, because he wanted to make sure it was all taken care of,” Sofranko said. “It was after everything went on. Both Tom and I stood in my living room. I had just broken my ankle; I was on a set of crutches, and Tom was where Tom was. Tom cared deeply about this community. Tom cared deeply about his family. And the fact that this many people are in this room, that speaks volumes.”

“On behalf of Carbon County and the Board of Commissioners, thank you to the Highland family for sharing him with us all those years. That you for all you always do and continue to give back to this community.”

Police Chief Joseph Schatz remembered when Highland was thinking of running for Borough Council.

“One day, Tom said, ‘Hey, guess what? I think I’m going to run for (Borough) Council,’ ” Chief Schatz shared. “I said, ‘If you get on Council, try to persuade Greg (Strubinger) to get on the Police Committee.’ So, Tom runs, and we supported him 100 percent in the police department because we knew Tom, we knew what kind of a guy he was.”

Highland won and joined the police committee. “In those 10 years, we were up on all our vehicles, we changed our lettering scheme to the black and whites, kept up on our equipment, and we talked about contracts.”

“When Greg came to me and said, ‘What do you think about honoring Tom by making this community room in his memory?’ and I said right away, ‘let’s do it’ ” Schatz added.

Borough Council President Connor Rodgers explained how dedicating the new community room to Thomas Highland was a perfect fit.

“The purpose of this room, the Thomas Highland Community Room, is the emphasis on the word community,” Rodgers said.

“Our chief and our former mayor talk a lot about community policing. That is the community working along side the police. It’s our community’s backing that makes our police department what it is. And that’s what this room is. On one side, there is a door that leads to the public. And on the other side, a locked door where our police will come from and interact with the public. This room is a bridge that brings the community and the police together, Rodgers said.

“Likewise, Tom’s business was and is a bridge between the community and the town council. He was a mentor to me, and I’m glad I had a chance to sit next to him during council meetings. This room is symbolic of who he was and his impact to this community.”

Greg Strubinger and Highland’s daughter, Jordan Highland, hung a plaque inside the community room featuring Tom’s photograph.

“It’s very humbling,” Jordan Highland said of the dedication. “My dad would have been so appreciative of this. He loved this town, he loved his family. He just wanted to make it better.”