Photo coutesy of the Office of State Sen. Gustavo Rivera
Democratic State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) and members of his team joined St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction on Monday, April 21, for their weekly syringe clean-up in Fordham Manor’s Poe Park.
The senator’s team said the cleaning route started at Poe Park, moved on to the Kingsbridge underpass, then to St. James Park, and finally to Aqueduct Walk. Anti-social behavior stemming from drug use in these areas has been the subject of different community forums in the past.
As reported, the areas in question are frequently used by drug users and residents have previously raised safety concerns for children over discarded needles, among other issues. New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined Councilmember Oswald Feliz (C.D. 15) and other elected officials on a walk around the Kingsbidge underpass area and Poe Park in March 2024, to witness firsthand the problems experienced by the community as a result of drug use in the area.
Flier courtesy of the Office of State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33)
Bronx Community Board 7 and City Council Member Pierina Sánchez (C.D. 1) supported the effort this year, described by the senator’s team as an important one. “We hear the community’s concerns about public drug use and discarded needles, which is why we’re working closely with organizations like St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction,” said Rivera in the context of the clean-up. “Harm reduction teams are out in the community almost daily, collecting syringes, and helping keep our parks and streets cleaner and safer.”
He added, “Just last week, I partnered with [Bronx] Community Board 7, Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), and neighbors to clean up our community with the support of St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction. We must seriously consider opening Overdose Prevention Centers in areas where they are most needed, to bring drug use into safe, private, and sanitary settings where recovery can begin. Everyone deserves clean, safe neighborhoods and accessible public spaces.”
Flier courtesy of NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
As reported, on April 30, Rivera, a progressive Democrat, announced his endorsement of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a fellow progressive and assemblyman for A.D. 36 in Queens since 2021.
Part of Mamdani’s platform includes freezing rent; fast, fare-free buses; no cost childcare; city-owned grocery stores; cracking down on bad landlords; and creating a department of community safety. We reached out to Mamdani’s team to ask how he proposes to fund the programs and will share any details we receive.
Click here for some relaed previous coverage on the topic of overdose prevention centers.
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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.