Long Island Street Dedicated To Late, 'Hero' Journalist Marie Colvin

OYSTER BAY, NY — A Syosset high school student first had the idea, and on Saturday it came to fruition: Part of Main Street in Oyster Bay was renamed in honor of late war journalist Marie Colvin, killed while exposing war crimes against civilians in Syria.

Colvin grew up in East Norwich and graduated from Oyster Bay High School in 1974. She died 10 years ago at the hands of the Syrian Assad regime while reporting there. A decade after her death, 17-year-old Sabrina Guo proposed renaming a street in her honor, according to Girl Pride International, a group Guo founded.

On Saturday a ceremony was held for the street dedication. Guo spoke at the event.

Guo also created exhibits about Colvin's accomplishments and life at Syosset and Oyster Bay-East Norwich libraries earlier this year.

"Marie was a legendary Oyster Bay hero who sacrificed her life to defend the freedom of the press. We are immensely proud that the resolution was passed unanimously in a bipartisan full vote and is now made into law," Girl Pride International posted.

Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan was in attendance — Lafazan helped sponsor the bill after Guo presented her idea.

"Marie was a life-long fighter for the freedom of the press — and for the pursuit of the truth. During a career that spanned more than three decades, Colvin exhibited remarkable bravery, tenacity, skill, and compassion as she exposed war crimes and humanitarian atrocities through her fearless reporting. In a time when foreign wars and the ensuing atrocities were not receiving nearly enough global attention, Colvin was a blazing light persevering in the name of truth and humanity; she kept burning until she ultimately lost her life in the line of duty," Girl Pride International remembered.

Colvin reported for British newspaper The Sunday Times from 1985 until her death in Syria in 2012. A U.S. judge recently ruled that Colvin was targeted by the Syrian regime to silence her exposing events and silence journalists.