By Bill Parry
A legendary figure in western Queens politics will be remembered with a street co-naming in Woodside Saturday.
Woodside Avenue and 61st Street will be called “Walter McCaffrey Place” to honor the man who represented the 26th District on the City Council for nearly 16 years beginning in 1985.
“He was very proud to say he was a Woodsider by choice,” Community Board 2 Chairman Joe Conley said. “He took so much care of the community for so long he forgot to take care of himself.”
McCaffrey died last July from health problems that were exacerbated by injuries suffered in a car accident. He was 64.
Before his years at the Council, McCaffrey was chairman of CB 2.
“He was the chair when I came on board in 1985, he was a go-to person who always gave of himself,” said Conley, who pointed to two of McCaffrey’s most innovative ideas.
The veterans shelter on Borden Avenue was originally supposed to go in an industrial park.
“Walter thought veterans should be a part of the neighborhood and they paid him back by being V-Cops, doing community policing and cleanups,” Conley said.
In the 1980s, prostitution was a major problem in Long Island City.
“There was revolving-door justice — as soon as prostitutes and johns were arrested, they were back on the streets hours later. Walter developed ‘Court-Watch,’ where dozens of volunteers would sit in courtrooms staring down judges and prosecutors,” Conley said. “That resulted in tougher penalties and fines, the revolving door stopped and that was one of the first steps towards improving LIC.”
Conley has been CB 2 chairman for 13 years.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), sponsor of the dedication, said, “Walter was one of the smartest and most clever elected officials in the history of western Queens.”
The ceremony will be at 61st Street and Woodside Avenue at noon Saturday.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
