When we bought our house, we were thrilled that it came with a park at the end of the block with trees, benches, and a bocce ball court. Down the road, we discovered that it also came with a group of retired men who kept watch over the park and our street. One of which was Lenny, the previous owner of our house. It was not unusual to see Lenny’s Cadillac parked on the street, you knew he was occupying a bench with the guys. Sometimes there was a card game, or a coffee klatch catching up on the news of the neighborhood. One of the constant figures of the park, always there to say hello to on my way to the market. Recently, we found out that one of the members passed away. Frankie ran a small print shop around the corner on 11th Street. On Wednesday, his sister was clearing out his shop, offering a fax machine, Christmas ornaments, and assorted canning jars. I passed, but did pick up this metal box to use in my studio to remember one of the guardians of the park.
Sad for your, and the communities’ loss…