MY FAVORITE PLACE

ON APRIL 28TH 1916 THE PROSPECT PARK ZOO OPENED AS WE KNOW IT NOW. DOES NOT HAVE THE ANIMALS WE WERE USED TOO AS IT'S A CHILDRENS ZOO TODAY. BUT THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PLACE TO GO WHEN I WAS A KID. THEY HAD ELEPHANTS, A TIGER, LION, MONKEY HOUSE, A RHINO, HIPPO, BEARS AND THE SEALS. IN THE EARLY 80'S WAS VOTED ONE OF THE 10 WORST ZOOS IN AMERICA AS THE ANIMALS WERE IN SMALL ENCLOSURES. BUT WHAT DID WE KNOW, ALL WE KNEW WAS THERE WAS A ZOO WITH ANIMALS FROM AFRICA IN BROOKLYN. EVERY KID LOVED THE PLACE.

WOLLMAN ICE RINK RENOVATION

BROOKLYN'S WOLLMAN ICE SKATING RINK IS SOON TO UNDER GO A HUGE TRANSFORMATION. A NEW ICE SKATING RINK IS BEING DESIGNED WITH WATER FEATURES AS WELL AS A ROLLER SKATING RINK. COST IS $75 MILLION. TALK ABOUT INFLATION THE WHOLE PARK COSTS $9 MILLION TO BUILD IN 1867.

BROOKLYN'S LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

BROOKLYN'S FIRST CASUALTY OF THE CIVIL WAR WAS A 12 YEAR OLD DRUMMER BOY CLARENCE MacKENZIE. HE IS BURIED IN GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY.

MARY'S CORNER

MY FRIEND'S GRANDMOTHER DIED ON THURS, SHE WAS 101 AND WORKED AT HER CORNER STORE IN SOUTH BROOKLYN TILL SHE WAS 96. MARY'S ITALIAN AMERICAN GROCERY STORE CATERED TO EVERYONE IN THIS WORKING CLASS AREA WHICH IS NOW BEING GENTRIFIED AND ALL OLD STORES ARE BECOMING NEW. SHE WOULD GIVE CREDIT TO BLACK, WHITE, SPANISH. DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU WORKED IN OR WERE FROM THE AREA SHE TOOK CARE OF YOU.LOTS OF TOUGH GUYS AND DRUGS IN AREA BACK IN THE DAY BUT NO ONE EVER ROBBED MARY'S. ALL OF US WOULD LOOK OVER HERE. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD NAME THE CORNER AFTER HER, SO THE NEW COMERS WILL ALWAYS ASK ABOUT AND BE TOLD WHO MARY WAS. THE OLD-TIMERS KNOW.I WANT TO START A CRUSADE TO RE-NAME PRESIDENT ST AND 3RD AVE CORNER OF THE STORE "MARY'S CORNER".

GREENWOOD MONSTER

I JUST SAW A GIANT TURTLE AT GREEN - WOOD CEMETERY. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CANADA GOOSE AS ONE WAS RIGHT NEAR IT. IT WAS CRAWLING ON GROUND AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT'S THAT? IT LOOKED PREHISTORIC WITH SHARP EDGES ON SHELL AND WAS HUGE. HE JUMPED INTO THE LAKE. I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR THIS GUY AGAIN. ALWAYS SEE LITTLE ONES THERE BUT NEVER ONE THIS BIG.

THE FATHER OF PROSPECT PARK

JAMES STRANAHAN WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HAVING PROSPECT PARK BUILT WOULD HAVE BEEN 200 YEARS OLD ON FRIDAY APRIL 25TH, I HAVE A TOUR AND WILL MENTION THAT AS WE WALK PAST HIS STATUE. HE WAS ALSO CALLED BROOKLYN'S "FIRST CITIZEN". WITH CENTRAL PARK BUILT ALREADY HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE NOT SECOND CLASS AND HIRED OLMSTEAD AND VAUX TO BUILD US A BETTER PARK. HAPPY 200TH.

PROSPECT PARK WILL BE ROCKING

THIS YEAR IS THE 30TH YEAR OF CELEBRATE BROOKLYN. MANY DIFFERENT ACTS AND SHOWS WILL BE PERFORMED AT THE BANDSHELL INSIDE PARK JUST OFF 9TH STREET. FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE GO TO WWW.BRICONLINE.ORG/CELEBRATE/2008SEASON.ASP.