Babylon Town Councilwoman Carol Quirk has been busy over the past few months, getting ready for her son's wedding. If the couple had waited, perhaps Quirk could have performed the ceremony. Quirk was tapped as the Town's new clerk and will be responsible for, among other things, issuing marriage licenses and officiating at civil wedding ceremonies.

Quirk was appointed to the position in a unanimous vote by the board and moves into the post Mon., May 19. It was held by former Babylon Town Clerk Janice Tinsley Colbert who stepped down to accept a job with Suffolk County.

"I am very excited about it, and look forward to serving the people of Babylon in this new capacity," said Quirk, who has been on the Town Board for 6 years.

Quirk began her work in public service as a volunteer more than 30 years ago when she became president of the Deer Park Soccer League. Throughout those years, she helped the club grow and worked with other League members and officials to bring new fields to Deer Park. When she ran for the town board, it was, she said, an opportunity to serve a larger Babylon Town community. Now she's moving to a new phase, she said. "serving people in different ways."

She and her husband, a U.S. Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, have lived in Deer Park for 40 years and have three sons.

Quirk has worked with children and families at BOCES for 30 years, but will be leaving that position to become town clerk. Town councilmen, considered flex-time officials, earn $52,900 a year. The town clerk earns $80,000; it is a fulltime position.

The town council is responsible for setting policy and enacting laws, while the town clerk is the chief records keeper for the town. The town clerk's office maintains the minutes for all town board meetings, the zoning board, the two-family review board, the planning board, and all other boards governing the town. The office has records dating back to 1827, including town laws, resolutions, ordinances and other town business in original form, and on microfilm.

All active and inactive files are filed in the town's archives, and records can be retrieved by a computerized filing system. Birth and death records and burial permits for cemeteries go through that office, as well as requests for marriage licenses and ceremonies.

Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone said that Quirk was the perfect candidate for the job.

"I have a great deal of respect for her and she has been an asset to the town board and the community," he said. "She is very good at constituent service and technology, and those two things are important in that department.

The Town Board will appoint someone to replace Quirk on the Town Council, and Bellone said no decision has been made but he expects to discuss it with the board and make a decision within a few weeks. That individual, as well as Quirk would have to run for reelection in November.

In addition to Tinsley-Colbert stepping down, the deputy clerk, Ronnise Miller will be leaving at the end of November. Quirk said that she would be interviewing applicants for that position.

One of her goals, she said, is to offer residents greater computer accessibility.

"I have enjoyed working with the other council people and will miss that part of the job," said Quirk. "But I will be just down the hall, and consider myself still to be part of the team."