Woodside P.O. To Be Named In Manton's Honor
Aceremony to rename the

Woodside Post

Office Building in honor of the late Thomas Manton, by Congressmember Joseph Crowley and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, will be held next week before a crowd of 150 invited guests.

Among the latter will be Manton's family, New York State's two U.S. Senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Borough President Helen Marshall.

The ceremony will take place at the Woodside Post Office, 39-25 61st St., Woodside, at 11 a.m.

Manton, who died last July at the age of 73, grew up in Woodside and later in life represented the area in the City Council and in Congress for 30 years.

Before starting his political career, which also included serving as chairman

of the Queens Democratic Party organization, Manton served as a U.S. Marine during the Korean War and was a New York City Police Officer.

In announcing the post office renaming, Crowley recalled, "Tom Manton loved Woodside, where he grew up and made a positive impact on the community. So it is fitting, after his long and distinguished years of public service to the people of Woodside and Queens, that we remember him by honoring his name and enduring memory.

"The Thomas J. Manton Post Office Building will be an important reminder to the people of this community of the respect and love we have for an individual whose lifelong career was serving the public as a Marine, a cop, a City Councilman and a Congressman."

In October, Congress approved legislation sponsored

by Crowley and Schumer to rename the Post Office building in Manton's honor. Manton was first elected to represent the 7th Congressional District, including Woodside, in 1984. He held the post until 1999 and for part of that period, he and Schumer served in the House together.

Manton was succeeded in Congress, by Crowley.

-John Toscano