Thomas Tweedy to be honored at traditional ex mayor’s dinner

Noah Manskar
Former Floral Park Mayor Thomas Tweedy.

Thomas Tweedy remembers attending a dinner celebrating Thomas Hayden, a former Floral Park mayor, after he left office in 1987.

Tweedy attended several more after that as he got more involved with the village, he said.

The tradition of feting the outgoing mayor with speeches and awards goes back at least 60 years, said Bill Corbett, a former village justice who owns a public relations business and law practice.

On May 9, it will be Tweedy’s turn. Floral Park’s West End Civic Association, the local Citizens Party and the village government are planning the “testimonial dinner” to celebrate the former mayor’s 16-year tenure on the board, which ended April 2.

“It’s a very gracious thing the people do, and I’m very honored, I really am,” Tweedy said.

During the dinner at the Stewart Manor County Club, elected officials and community leaders will present Tweedy with citations and make speeches celebrating his work in the village, Corbett said.

Village officials and the Citizens Party, Floral Park’s dominant political party, organize the event with the civic association of which the outgoing mayor is a member, said Susan Walsh, the village clerk.

The village does not spend any money on the dinner, Walsh said.

The event usually lasts until everyone has said their piece, Corbett said — the dinner for Ann Corbett, his wife, went on until nearly midnight.

A portion of the $60 ticket price will go to purchase a gift for Tweedy, Corbett said.

“Hopefully it encourages other people to get involved and throw some time into public service,” Corbett said.

Tweedy was elected to the village Board of Trustees in 2001 and was elected mayor in 2011. He chose not to run for re-election after six years in the village’s top office, two more than mayors traditionally serve.

While he sometimes faced criticism from civic leaders, Tweedy led the village’s fight against a video casino planned for Belmont Park and the Long Island Rail Road’s proposal for a third track on its Main Line.

He also worked to get state approval for a drainage basin at Belmont Park, a solution to a longstanding drainage problem in the village’s west end.

Tweedy said the dinner will be a celebration of everything the village achieved collectively during his tenure.

“I might have been the conductor of the orchestra, but I didn’t do it alone,” he said.

The dinner starts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, at Stewart Manor Country Club, at 51 Salisbury Ave. in Stewart Manor. The $60 ticket price includes dinner and an open bar.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Christy Reisig at 917-821-0826 or e-mail christycolgan@hotmail.com. Organizations wishing to honor Tweedy should contact Walsh at 516-326-6300.

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