This playground was dedicated to Corp. Aviles’ memory in 1969. Neighbors and classmates have shared that this was at the suggestion of the Parks employee, a kind of father figure to the kids of the neighborhood, who kept an eye out for truancy and was a supportive presence. “Parky” is what they called him. A friend of Anibal’s remembered two people: Eddie Young and Douglas Mercado. With time, those that knew Anibal have moved and passed away. This memorial, and the work around the “Good Neighbors” project in general, hopes to restore what is possible of some of the meanings of Anibal’s life and the ethics that this playground is built upon. First, is his patriotic service in the Marines, an important recognition for all who serve, and more for Latinos, a group who are often underserved and criticized for lack of civic participation, which is not the case. Anibal is not an exception. There are thousands of Latino and African-American individuals who continue to serve, and with that service demonstrate the highest form of patriotism - their lives for their country. Second, is as a symbol of the era that he grew up in: a New York City whose demographics were shifting from Irish, Italians and Jewish, to a generation of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, and South Americans - all of whom were leaving their countries due to politics and economics. It has been said that this Manhattan Valley neighborhood was, in those times, called “West Spanish Harlem”. A mirror of the East side neighborhood; sandwiching Northern Central Park between two Spanish-speaking communities. Third, is remembering Anibal as a neighborhood kid. It brings to mind a time of stickball in the streets and open fire hydrants on hot days. Anibal was well known as an athlete. He was the captain of the Junior High School Basketball team. The reference image we’ve chosen for Mark Romero’s painting in this memorial is not his more severe Marine Corps photograph, instead it is a close-up of his Booker T. Washington Junior High School Basketball team yearbook photo. Here, he holds a ball with his graduation year “1962” written across it. He smiles innocently, happily and with a sense of pride. You can see his strength, his intelligence and warmth. In the original, he is surrounded by teammates, all of whom share this feeling. They are 14-16 years old and are looking forward to their futures, while representing this moment of their collective team spirit. We wanted him to be placed in this context of play and teamwork. It is this boy, who was admired and cared for, that we want to remember. He came from a loving family. He had two siblings (a younger sister and brother) and a loving parents. He was a natural leader: at basketball, at stickball, and track he exuded those skills of leadership. And he was a strong leader because of the home he came from, not just his apartment building on West 108th Street, but the “home” that was his neighborhood. A boy who came from a loving family, great friends, physical strength, humor, courage, intelligence, a neighborhood that had a community with families of similar boys and girls. He was a great person who took that to his service for his country. The NYC skyline in this installation, painted by Atu Ram and Bernardo Palombo, connects past and present: the painting of Anibal to the images of our neighbors taken over the last twelve years. It offers an image of a town with a strong past and a hopeful future. One of equanimity between neighbors, who may only know each other tangentially, yet become signs of being “at home” because our streets are extensions of our apartments. With this information viewers, playground visitors and nearby residents will have a chance to connect to this dedication that contextualizes Anibal’s memory as a familiar story: he was a neighborhood kid, a “Good Neighbor”, a recognizable person, a presence of “home”. Just like we are too.