By Michael V. Cusenza
The City has approved a request to honor a beloved crossing guard who died last year in the line of duty after she was struck by a dump truck at a notorious Woodhaven intersection, the Ozone Park Residents Block Association announced on Friday.
The southwest corner of Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard soon will be co-named for Krystyna Naprawa, 63, the 13-year veteran crossing guard who was pronounced dead at the scene on Oct. 20, 2023.
“We sent the letter to the NYC Council, the speaker, Queens Community Board 9, and all our local officials, asking for the request to be honored,” OZPKRBA President Sam Esposito said. “This morning, we received a call stating the request was approved, and the City records already reflect this. This is the fastest we have ever seen a street renaming request [approved].”
File Photo
The southwest corner of Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard soon will be co-named for Naprawa.
Esposito also noted that last October the civic sent an additional letter to the City Department of Transportation, urging the agency to install a right-turn signal on the southbound service lane of the bustling intersection. NYC DOT quickly studied the intersection and implemented the signal shortly thereafter.
Esposito said the street co-naming “is also a way to send a much-needed message to all crossing guards that we acknowledge their demanding job and the hazards of that job.
“We cannot think of a better honor for the people who have passed on and left indelible marks on everyone they met, and they will be unforgettable for years to come for all the good they did for our communities,” he added.
