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	Ben and Haydee Martell Photos on this page were contributed by Ben Martell: Taft '62 to email Ben directly click here
	1315 Morris Ave Ben owned this house on Morris Ave in the late '50 to early '60 while he attended Taft high School. The house is one block south of Taft. It had a great wine cellar in the basement. Ben spent many hours playing in that wine cellar in the summers because it was so cool. The family next door were Jewish and he remembers looking out the 2nd floor window to watch them celebrate their religious holidays in the backyard which, actually, was the tarmac leading into the carport located in the basement at the rear of the house.
	St. Augustines Church 167th Street and Fulton Avenue, facing west.
	St. Augustine's School located between 167th Street on Fulton or Franklin Avenue (?) Ben remembers a day when a group of guys from the neighborhood came down the street in front of the school looking for trouble. Ben and his friends ran up the stairs of the parish house, Irish Christian Brothers. Brother Rice who heard their predicament, got his shotgun and went out to the street. Ben says, "One look at him and that was the last time that group ever showed their faces again in our neighborhood."
	Stairs These stairs connect Sheridan Avenue and the Grand Concourse and was used by the students. Ben remembers seeing many students sitting on the steps, talking after class. Corner of 172nd and Sheridan Avenue facing West.
	Taft High School This photo was taken from the corner of 172nd and Sheridan Avnue facing East. This is the Main entrance of Taft High School. Ben doesn't remember ever using it, however, he thinks it was nicely built and decorated.
	1102 Washington Avenue Ben says it was a great place to live. He remembers two great gals, the first was Carol Ann (Irish), who lived on the 5th floor(Ben was always trying to get her attention but she liked a guy named Mayo). The other gal was Carmen (Puerto-Rican) who lived on the 1st floor. Both were wonderful people and part of Bens memories of 1102.
	15 Governeurs Place Ben's dad owned the store between 1954 to 1960. Ben can still remember the times he worked with his dad at night. One day Carol's mother invited Ben to Carols birthday party where they played "Spin the Bottle" and he won a kiss from Carol. Ben says he was too embarrassed to kiss her in public so they put a towel over their heads so they would get it over with. Ben says they were model teenagers compared to todays standards.
	Sheridan Avenue and 172nd Street- Taft H.S. Taft High School is on the left. The entrance shown in this photo is the one Ben remembers seeing most used by the student body. The iron rod fence was the subject of a joke played on Ms. Levine, the school principal. The seniors(1961-62)blew up condoms and put one on each of the iron rods. One of the teachers (Ms. Goldberg, senior class counselor?) worked feverishly taking the condoms down while other students were putting up others. (It seemed funny at the time)

Thank you Ben for your photos!