The Secret of the Ooze (or, Why this Rutgers Street Playground is Closed
A mysterious substance leak from a restaurant on East Broadway has sidelined the Captain Jacob Joseph Playground until further notice. The pocket park was gated and locked last week, with signs to that effect arriving shortly thereafter.
Apparently an unknown kitchen “grease” oozed into the play area. Equally unknown is the restaurant in question, though it’s probably Chinese newcomer Wu’s Wanton King.
“The restaurant will be hiring a contractor to address the issue [this] week,” a spokesman from the Parks Department tells us.
No ninja turtles (or radical rats) were seen in the immediate aftermath, though. But keep your wits about you.
Captain Jacob Joseph, for whom the park is named, was born and raised in New York City. He attended Columbia University, but left to enlist in the Marines in 1938. Joseph fought and died four years later in the gruesome battle of Guadalcanal on October 22, 1942.