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Street co-named in honor of Mary Vavruska, former CB3 chair who passed away last year

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Sept.19, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan

A well-known Jackson Heights community activist now has a permanent place in the neighborhood.

Mary Vavruska, a longtime Jackson Heights community leader who died last summer, was memorialized with a street co-naming ceremony on Saturday, turning the stretch of 34th Avenue between 93rd and 94th Streets in to Mary Vavruska Way.

“Vavruska dedicated so much of her life to improving Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and Corona,” said Councilman Daniel Dromm at the co-naming ceremony. “As a Council Member and fellow community activist, I had the privilege of working closely with her on a number of projects. I was always inspired by her selflessness and determination to get the job done.”

Vavruska was a lifelong resident of Queens, and dedicated her life to improving the community. She worked as the chair of Community Board 3 for many years, and was especially active on issues of land use, economic development, and education. She also was instrumental in establishing the 115th Precinct on Northern Boulevard and the Louis Armstrong Middle School on Junction Boulevard.

She also served as the president of the Brulene Cooperative apartments and worked for the well being of the Jackson Heights Naturally Occurring Retirement Community.

In addition to Dromm, several other local politicians attended the ceremony, along with Vavruska’s son, Charles Vavruska, and other family members.

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