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But now, instead of letting it burn, they are turning that collective grief into something productive and lasting. We found out more when we passed through that neighborhood today:

Jules Vasquez Reporting

The steady sound of cement being scraped off the pavement and working men shoveling it into carts is familiar enough. But the project they are working on and the workers are not your usual fare.

These 14 men are from the Victoria Street Crew - and they are working under the direct supervision of Marcia Argalles. You'll remember her; she's the mother of 9 year old Joshua Abraham, the 9 year old who was killed on Independence day. Now, she's using his memory to fuel a goodwill effort.

Marcia Argalles - Organizing Effort
"After his death, I guess, God opened my mind, and I started seeing the kids around in my neighborhood - Fort George and Pickstock. They don't really have any place to play. They don't have a playground, and they're always on the street playing and kicking balls and other things. And I really saw that I have to do something for these kids."

And what she did was at a neglected neighborhood park. It's the Victoria Alvarez Park - really just a swatch of sand and urban neglect - but her vision is to transform it - and she's doing it with these men who are in themselves transformed:

Marcia Argalles
"I have my crew that works with me from CYDP. I have 14 guys who work under me, and they are working extremely great, putting in over-time. It's a dream, and I want to see my dream come through. Everybody is saying, 'We will do this. We have to do this for our little Josh.' We are doing this for Josh."

Phillip Cadle - Victoria Street Community Effort
"We as a community - the guys here - the same guys that they thought that all they could do was to give trouble - they are working today. They are putting in the work, and without them, this park wouldn't be anywhere."

Benjamin Hyde - Victoria Street Community Effort
"We have to come together in the neighborhood in person - because this is no 'politricks' thing - this is on our own timing, and we are doing our thing for the kids in the neighborhood."

Ron Whylie - Victoria Street Community Effort
"Today, life is rough, and I'm telling you that if it's wasn't for the sake of our children, a lot of things that are happening now wouldn't have been happening. But in the same way, we have to look out for them and take care of them. That's why we got together, formed a community effort and invested to take care of the park for our youths and younger ones."

Tingling - Victoria Street Community Effort
"We decided that we had to step up and try to make a change for Miss Argalles, because she doesn't want any more kids getting hurt. It's something that all of us have to agree on. But I would just like to say that I really appreciate the little 'end' from the Government, because 'plantain noh di eat like rice, in fact, rice noh di eat like rice'. Let's cut the plantain talk, 'rice noh the eat like rice.'"

Eric Martinez "Junior H" - Victoria Street Community Effort
"I want a lot of people to know out there, ghetto youths can change. It took us a life of a 9 year-old to go to make us realize that violence isn't the solution to the problem right now. Everything is about positive change that we are dealing with because, if you can see, we are doing a tremendous work right now. This entire vicinity - we are the ones who have it looking good like this. And we want the 'system' and the public know that this is not related to any politician effort. It's not PUP or UDP who are building this park. Now a notorious figure like me who they were saying caused a lot of problems - I just want people to see what is happening; a positive thing can come out of anybody. It is never too late to change. They call me Junior H Martinez, a.k.a. Shotgun - who they said caused all this uproar on Victoria and Kelly Streets. I just want them to know that we are into a positive change right now. Any other neighborhood, I want them to know that we are serious about what we are dealing with. We want a positive change for the youths because I have my kid. I have my little daughter, and it could have been my little daughter who lost her life on the 21st of last year. This is the change right here that was done to us. God came and touched us and told us to deal with something positive away from this negativity that were stirring up."

And so if you take them at their word - and we must - this is an effort not only of rehabilitating a rundown park - but it's also some social rehab for the workers - who we came upon working through the lunch hour:

Marcia Argalles
"They say, 'Ms. Marcia, we will work right up until our work is done that we set out for the day.' They don't even want to take lunch. I asked them that whoever wants to go and take their lunch can go and come back, and they are very loyal. You can ask the neighborhood. You can go from house to house, and you can ask them about these guys."

And now this grieving mother wears a satisfied smile and the twinkle of a vision being realized - she says it's a part of her healing process:

Marcia Argalles
"The kids - they will put their hand prints on the wall. All his close friends will put their names on it, and I feel that when this park is finished, it will be a closure for me. I think that I will be able to go on with my life in the memory. It is sad that I had to lose my son, and I miss him so much. But something good is coming out of it."

The park will keep its name as Victoria Alvarez - but the tag "In Memory of Joshua Abraham" will now be added unto it.

The effort is funded by contributions only, so if you'd like to assist, you can call Marsha at 651-8672.

They need a few loads of sand to move things along at this time...