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Residents Lament Devoe Park Rumpus

Residents of the community surrounding Devoe Park say that a nighttime party scene at the park is a constant source of frustration, concern and disturbance.

At a recent Community Board 7 meeting, several residents of the community made a plea for help. The parties, which have been a regular occurrence during the warm months for the last four years, started up again in mid-April when the Bronx had a string of warm weekends.

“It’s hedonistic,” said one resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. She described the cacophony produced by the parties as “an assault on the senses,” making it hard for residents to get any sleep or peace while the parties rage on.

Those who came forward said they were putting themselves on the line by complaining to the community board, saying the element behind the Devoe Park parties is dangerous.

“It’s a somewhat desperate situation for the residents who live around there,” said Board 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado.

Grilling, illegal in New York City parks, is a constant facet of the parties, as well as gambling and the excessive consumption of alcohol. In the past, residents have found leftover coals dumped on the hoods of their cars after complaining to the revelers about noise.

At the CB7 meeting, residents asked Councilman Fernando Cabrera, present at the time of the hearing, for help and invited him to witness the debauchery firsthand. Cabrera told the community members that he wants to be contacted as soon as a pattern develops. A few cold and rainy weekends following the CB7 meeting prevented any late night parties from happening.

Until the CB7 meeting, residents claimed police presence in the neighborhood was almost non-existent. Since the meeting, however, patrol cars have been seen driving through the neighborhood.

     

 

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

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