Located on the top, flat part of Verona, Penn. — running parallel to the main street, about one-half mile away — was Second Street where I grew up.  The topography made it special, but more notably, it was all of the hustle and bustle in this mixed Italian, German, Croatian, Irish and Polish neighborhood that made it shine.

As youngsters, we put up a basketball backboard and net on the streetlight right in front of my family home.  We played all day, and with the streetlight, we would play long into the night too.  Boys came from all over.  All I had to do was provide the ball and drinking water.  At times, cars on the road waited until a play was over, some even parked their cars and joined in.