Lynn chamber to honor Nahant crossing guard

NAHANT – You’ll see her shepherding children across the street at Johnson School, dressed as Frosty the Snowman at the Nahant Christmas Parade and at almost every event in town.And this evening Roz Puleo, who is the police dispatcher for the town and crossing guard at Johnson School, will be at Spinelli’s in Lynnfield where she will be presented with the 2009 Nahant Town Pride Award by the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC).To say Puleo is surprised by the honor is an understatement.”I was totally blown away by the whole thing,” she said. “I just don’t know what to say. I was very surprised because I don’t think I do that much. This is so nice.”Police Chief William F. Waters said Puleo was nominated for the award by some of the employees in Town Hall.”The amount of time she puts into things in this town is incredible,” he said. “The woman is a bundle of energy and I don’t know how she does it all. She’s a wonderful person and deserves this award.”Puleo is known throughout town for her willingness to pitch in and help out. She is one of the founders of the Nahant Christmas Parade and helped spearhead efforts to save the Nahant Lifesaving Station.Selectman Richard Lombard said the award is well deserved.”We’re very proud of her,” he said. “She deserves this award. She works 24/7 if she has to. She’s always there anytime she is needed in an emergency. She is very dedicated and is always raising money for projects in town like the Coast Guard Station and parade. She’s a wonderful lady and a fantastic community orientated person.”LACC President/CEO Leslie Gould said the award would be presented at the 97th annual Business Excellence Award Dinner this evening. Gould said nomination ballots were sent to more than 500 LACC members who selected the nominees then the ballots were reviewed by the LACC Nominating Committee.”We are so pleased to honor Roz’s daily passion,” she said. “It’s wonderful that we can recognize the dedication and talents of our municipal employees who work tirelessly on behalf of our community.”This is not the first time Puleo has been presented with an award for her service to the town. A couple of years ago, Puleo was awarded the Citizen of the Year award at the annual Town Meeting by Town Moderator Dave Conlin.