Jim Pitts

ARPD Park Director

Jim Pitts has been fixture on the Garden Isle as long as I can remember. First with the ARPD in a variety of positions, then as an employee of the Alameda Police Department. Jim could flat out move. I vividly remember him running down more than one park rat following some transgression of the rules.

Tours of Duty: McKinley (1968)

 

Larry Wayne

Park Rat and ARPD Park Director

Larry was an Estuary Ram who shared his memories of Estuary Park in PlayBall! – Alameda’s Sandlot Saga. He also went on to work for the ARPD as a PD. Larry was also a gifted athlete and signal caller for the Encinal Jets.

Tours of Duty:

QB Wayne in action against Berkeley - 1968 (Photo: Bordanaro and Zarcone)

WANTED: ARPD T-shirts and Estuary Rams

With a holiday week approaching, some ex-pat Alamedans will be returning to the Garden Isle for a whiff of mom’s (grandma’s) Thanksgiving turkey and home cooking. Take a minute to climb up in the old attic searching for your childhood ARPD treasures. T-shirts, trophies, and photos!

If you happen to run into anyone from the “old days”, please pass along news of PlayBall – Alameda’s Sandlot Blog. Ask them to take a moment and send us some names and memories. 

Hopefully, an old Ram or two will find their way along the cyber trail to share some recollections of the “park” that had its backstop removed… never to be returned.

Gary Fenstermaker

ARPD Park Director

We need some scoop on Fen. We know he was one heck of an athlete and coached the ARPD Flag Football South All-Stars in 1968, but have little to go on after that.

Tours of Duty: Franklin (1968)

Ding! Dong! – Who Am I?

After receiving reports that some neighborhoods on the Garden Isle had no Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween night, the staff at PlayBall! decided to provide our readers with a virtual visit.

“Trick Or Treat?!!!”

Gary and Kin in 1963 (Photo © PlayBall! - Alameda's Sandlot Blog)

Congratulations to Gary Veasy, who’s internal memory drive is still spinning, as he correctly identified the characters in this photo as himself (Black Beard the Pirate) and the editor of this madcap blog (Superman). Gary wins a gift certificate to Tucker’s Ice Cream for a delicious Tommy Tucker cone.

Outrageous!

Back in the day, Halloween meant filling up pillow cases with candy. Alameda’s flat geography and block layout made it easy to canvas multiple neighborhoods in search of chocolatey goodness. I remember emptying my bag into a huge salad bowl, then dashing back out the door for more gathering. Sadly, it would appear those days are long gone. Take a look at the size of Halloween candy today…

Don't be fooled by the wrapper!

These days, it would take two nights and hundreds of blocks to fill up the way we used to in about four hours. What’s next, an “Essence Of Candy” size? (Oh, no! I’ve become the grumpy old man!)

The good news is that Alameda remains a Halloween hot spot. Homes along Grand Street are still giving out 1,000 pieces of candy per house to little ghouls and goblins.

Bob Wondolleck – Franklin Eagle

Bob prepares to drive one over the rose covered fence in left

While growing up, Bob and Tom Wondolleck could see the playground at Franklin Park from their Gold Coast home located one block away at the corner of Grand St. and San Antonio Avenue (see below). Their sister, Julie, worked for the ARPD in the mid-1970’s as a leader in the camp program.

The view of Franklin from the Wondolleck's front yard

McKinley Park Photos

New photos of McKinley Park have been added to McKinley Park – The Stats page.

Park Stores – Convenient Food Mart

There were only a couple of places on the Garden Isle where a kid could buy a frozen Slurpee or Icee. The Convenient Food Mart was one such mecca. “Convenient”, as it was called back in the day, is located on High Street directly across from the main entrance to Lincoln Park. The store was also known as The Lincoln Market (original name) and Bonfaire Market (currently).

The store was once owned by Dale Farina, father of Lincoln park rat Cliff Farina. No wonder they had an Icee machine!

Still selling Icees after all these years (Photo: Kin Robles)

Krusi Ace Downed

Valenzuela deals at Woodstock (Photo: Bordanaro and Zarcone)

Krusi Colt pitcher, Terry Valenzuela, got his first taste of defeat in the 1970 Little Coast League season at the hands of Woodstock. Valenzuela, and batterymate Don Ratto, had the host Seals baffled through the first five stanzas, including four and two thirds innings of no-hit ball. Unfortunately, a gaffe a Colts outfielder enabled Woodstock to score two runs and take the lead. Previously unbeaten Krusi would never recover. Final score: Woodstock 5 – Krusi 2. On this early July outing, Terry Valenzuela ended up with nine K’s and just three walks. Steve Ford was the winning pitcher striking out two and walking one in his five innings of work.