WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 15, 2020 15
Garden in Juniper Valley Park dedicated to
late, longtime legislator Thomas Ognibene
BY DEAN MOSES
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
A small crowd gathered around
a secluded patch of grassland
in Juniper Valley Park located
on 80th Street and Juniper Boulevard
North to celebrate the life of community
leader Thomas V. Ognibene on Sunday,
Oct. 11.
Adjacent from an erected podium
stood an easel displaying a photograph
of Ognibene, a former councilman in
the 30th District. Over the course of his
tenure, the late elected offi cial became a
beloved fi gure throughout his constituency
and was mourned by many more
aft er his death in 2015.
In order to celebrate a life well lived,
Councilman Robert Holden, Councilman
Eric Ulrich, former Senator
Serphin R. Maltese, Vietnam Veterans
of America Queens Chapter 32, along
with many others arrived to pay their
respects.
“It has been fi ve years since we lost
Tom Ognibene. I remember the emptiness
I felt. We lost a mentor. We lost
such a great man,” said Holden.
He continued by speaking of his
friend’s dedication to cleaning up
Juniper Valley Park.
“This was all covered with weeds,
trash everywhere. I took photos and
sent it to Tom. When he got elected,
he said, ‘Let’s rebuild the park.’ We
did that. Thanks to Tom Ognibene’s
funding, every part of the park was
refurbished.”
Both Councilmen Holden and Ulrich
felt a deep kinship to Ognibene through
his mentorship, friendship and fatherlike
love. It was stated that Ognibene
took in aspiring political leaders and
mentored them, and in doing so set a
high standard of leadership.
“He set the bar so high for public service
that people in this community have
the right to expect all of their elected
offi cials to work just as hard for them;
to be just as honest, straightforward
and gets results for them. That was
what Tom was about: A man of honesty.
A man of results. A man of conviction
of principals, conservative conscious,
trying to lead the city and community
in a better direction. That is what today
we are celebrating a life of service and
dedication,” Ulrich said.
In addition to speeches by elected offi
cials, people who knew Ognibene best,
such as his widow Margaret, shared
memories and amusing anecdotes from
both his time in offi ce and personal life,
proving there is still more to learn, even
aft er a person’s death. Many learned
that Ognibene served in the military
for the fi rst time while others chuckled
at stories of his impressive appetite.
The event concluded with applause
as the councilmen, veterans and Ognibene’s
family and friends unveiled
a plaque naming his favorite area of
Juniper Valley Park the “Thomas V.
Ognibene Garden.”
Photos by Dean Moses
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