A street outside Bowne Park was co-named Paul A. Vallone Way in a ceremony on Oct. 19.
Photo by Dominick Totino
The memory of the beloved late City Council Member Paul Vallone will live on in the Northeast Queens community following the co-naming of a Flushing street and a Bayside school in his honor.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, the intersection of 32nd Ave and 157th Street outside of Bowne Park was officially co-named “Paul A. Vallone Way” during a well-attended ceremony. Several elected officials who worked alongside Vallone and his family and friends gathered to pay tribute.
Vallone represented Northeast Queens in the city council from 2014 to 2021 before serving as the deputy commissioner of the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services. Throughout his political tenure, he gained the reputation of a public servant devoted to improving parks, schools, senior services, and animal advocacy, among other causes.
“Everyone in District 19 remembers Paul and the happiness that radiated from him. He will never be forgotten, and this street co-naming will serve as a constant reminder of the life that we lost,” said City Council Member Vickie Paladino, who organized the ceremony alongside Vallone’s former Chief of Staff, Jonathan Szott.
Other elected officials in attendance included New York State Attorney General Letitia James, U.S. Representatives Tom Suozzi and Grace Meng, State Senator John Liu, State Assembly Member Edward Braunstein and City Council Members Linda Lee and Sandra Ung.
“Paul Vallone was the best of the best, and I am honored to have called him a true friend,” said Attorney General James. “To Paul, service was more than a choice, it was a calling. He approached every situation with open ears and treated all people with compassion, respect, and grace. His loss is felt deeply, both in his beloved Queens and throughout New York City.”
It was noted that Vallone’s dedication to improving Bowne Park made the…
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