Playground Noise Getting On B'klyn Residents' Nerves
NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ CBS 2) -- When you live across from a school you expect some noise but residents on Argyle Road in Brooklyn said Friday the screaming kids are getting on their nerves and now they're threatening to take legal action.
In the fall, the P.S. 139 playground in Ditmas Park began staying open from 8 a.m. to dusk, seven days a week. The move was a part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's "Schoolyards To Playgrounds" initiative.
"On the weekend, let us have one day of peace and quiet," Vera Gordon, 80, said.
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Gordon claims that she doesn't even need a clock to know what time it is because she can tell it's recess just by the level of noise.
Residents said the noise from the playground is amplified because of the U-shaped school.
"Because of the form of the amphitheater [noise] ricochetes and you sometimes think it's coming from the block in back," Gordon said.
"I think it's quite unfair," resident Mary Ann Cappellino told CBS 2's Scott Rapoport.
"It's terrible, and we have it seven days a week," resident Arlene Bonadonna added.
Some, like Mike Salgo, said Sundays should be a quiet day when the yard should stay closed.
"Give us a break. One day a week," Salgo said.
But others in the area argued the kids need and deserve a place to play.
"That's the place where they play. And they have fun. They run. That's the only place where they can run," resident Oksana Sheechuk said.
"School yards are for kids to playing. And I think they should be open for the kids to play. We don't have other play spaces in our neighborhood," resident Jan Rosenberg added.
The city apparently agrees. A spokesperson for the mayor told Rapoport the situation has been reviewed and the playground will remain open on Sunday.
An attorney who disagrees with the decision is considering taking the matter to court.
