Dear Editor:
As a child growing up in the Bergen/Square area of Jersey City, I have very fond memories of playing after school in #11 School and Saint Aedan’s schoolyard. Saint Aedan’s is locked very often and thus kids in the area cannot play sports there very often; #11 schoolyard has become a permanent parking lot for the teachers of the school, and the school is used every night for Board of Ed functions. The gym inside of the school is also not available very often for the children of the neighborhood.
As someone who probably spent 350 days a year playing sports in this schoolyard from six to 15 years of age, I am appalled at how the Board of Ed has taken the only playing area in the neighborhood away from the kids. I firmly believe that actions such as this have created out-of-shape kids and have hurt our sports programs in this city.
A whole generation of children are having their childhood taken away by selfish decisions by the Board of Ed. As a 40-year-old who still lives in the area, I still miss the schoolyard and would love to have it open to hit a few jumpshots in the sun like I did in my youth.
Bill Horan, Jr.