Stratton Park Message Board

Remember the time we all went to PS 102 Park and did stuff

Do you remember
Punch Ball Games, Duncan YoYo contestes?

My mother used to call it "punky park", because she thought that was where all the punks hung out.

I remember the sprinklers in the summer, especially. Also, it was a big day when a dumptruck would come in and unload a fresh mountain of sand in the sandbox.

One time I got onto the monkey bars there, and couldn't get down for fear of heights. My brother George had to climb up and rescue me.

Hello Luis: How are you. Hope all is well. You should share your brother George's story of losing his finger on the fence at 102. You may not remember me, we are a few years apart. But we do have something in common. We both have an Aunt Beatrice. Your Uncle Charlie was my Mom's (Rita) brother and your Mom (Mary) was the sister of Beatrice who married Uncle Charlie. I remember when you guys lived at the corner of Leland and Guerlain in the mid 60's. I just saw your sister Diane at our cousin Lorraine's husband's funeral about two weeks ago. Stay well and keep writing. The more the merrier. Love, Peace and Happiness, your sort of cousin, Matty

Hello All: I was born in 1950 and lived at the corner of Thieriot and Guerlain right across from the handball courts. However, in the early 50's, there was a rather large house on that handball court corner and the rest of the block going down towards the school there were several small houses. I remember the day in about 1954 when that large house was burnt down and eventually the smaller ones met the same demise. For a short time there lay mountains of dirt on the entire block creating great fortresses for dirt bomb wars. Fortunately, I was too young to be over there and do remember some tragic events like one of the Clancy Boys getting severely burned in a fire in the huge lot. Eventually, the playground was built and completed in about 1955 or 56. I distinctly remember my first day at the playground and was so excited to be allowed to literally go across the street and test out the monkey bars. I had never been on such a thing before and started to check out my climbing abilities. At the time, the playground had not yet been blacktopped and the ground was a sort of sandy gravel. Anyway, I fell off those virgin bars and landed flat on my knees. I was scratched up a bit and got back home where my Mom cleaned up the scratches and I went back where my misfortune was repeated. Now, there were new scratches and the old ones were full of grainy sand. It was quite painful and I started to run back home and as I was in the middle of the street my weakened kness caused me to fall again but this time on the hot blacktopped Street. I felt the sand embed further and felt the heat of the payment go right through to my bones and the blood vessels lit up in my eyes like lightning bolts. Needless to say, my knees were quite stiff and were not able to bend for a few days. I had ventured on those monkey bars again but they were not my friend anymore and I felt more comfortable on the sliding pond and swings where we did some outrageous stunts far more dangerous than the monkey bars could ever be. And so it was, my first unforgetable day at the 102 playground with so many many more after that. Have a good week. Matt Keenan

Matt, that is quite a description. I think having pebbles and gravel embedded in your bloody knees and elbows was a right of passage and a daily event for us. These darn kids these days (including my own) are so coddled and spoiled they barely know what a blister is!

Luis,

Give your brother George my regards, we were classmates. As I recall, I was there the day that George ran through the broken fence by the handball courts and got his finger caught in the mesh trying to pivot a turn, pulling the end of his finger off. I think it was to the middle knuckle if I'm not mistaken, I forget if it was the middle or ring finger. This part is really sketchy in my memory, but I think someone got some ice from Stevie's Good Humor truck and put George's finger in a styrofoam cup and sent it to the hospital with him, or after him, but for some reason it could not be re-attached...Eddie Acunzo

Matty... I remember Lea (John Shanley) being one of the more daring ones on the swings...

Eddie Acunzo...I think it was Ed Stack who put Georges' finger tip in ice...

JohnT

Yes, Jojh T: You are absolutely right. There may have been others, but I never saw anyone like Lea on the swings. It was breathtaking just watching him standing on the swing and taking it up so high you'd think he was gonna go all the way around. In fact one time he was facing the handball court and while going up he let go and grabbed onto the fence. We mentioned it on the old site a last summer, John was also quite a rider of the flagpole getting up above the roof of the park house. Sometimes, I was afraid to watch. Have a good day. Love, Peace and Happiness. Matty Keenan

Wow, you guys have long memories...

Matt, I do remember you, but its been what, 40 years or so, ugh how time flies. Janie is your sister, right? I remember her too, she was closer to my age I think.

Anyway, my brother George did indeed lose his ring finger in the fence. I remember that day well, although I was maybe 7 at the time. George rushed into the apartment - yes at the corner of Guerlain and Leland - holding his hand, and yelling. Initially I thought it was a joke (you know, like the finger in the box), but then saw his hand was really bleeding. My father took him within a couple of minutes out to the hospital, by cab, but didn't say which one they were going to. A few minutes later someone showed up with the finger on ice, and sent them on their way, maybe to Jacobi Hospital, or Bronx Hospital, I don't remember. Whichever one we sent him to was the wrong one.

I will be posting a pic of the fence opening eventually.
Sorry I don't post more often, I go out of town alot, and don't always have internet. Its great to connect like this though. Keep it goin.
LV

Balaban lived across the street from the PS 102 playground. His house was surrounded by a tall chain-link fence, no trees or grass in the front yard. Kids made up gruesome stories about how Mr Balaban captured kids if they got too close, and strung them up in his basement. I remember trembling out of fear when I would be near his house and see him or his tall son go in or out. In reality, whenever kids played near his house, he would come out and yell at them to "get away from my house you kids!!".

I also remember a rhyme that went like this:

Balaban, the crazy man
washed his face with a rubber band

My brother used to take piano lessons next door to Balaban's house. I had to sit outside waiting for my older brother to get done. I was afraid that he or his son would come out and get me.
Later on in life and a bit older Harold Tuttle and I would run by his house and throw fire works over the fence.
Have a great day to all young at heart