Tug o' War Over Bronx Park
Jerome Park has always had its share of fans. Since it was acquired by the city in 1940, the north Bronx patch of greenery, which rests adjacent to the Jerome Park Reservoir, has provided hundreds of Bronx High School of Science and Lehman College students with a place to read, walk and neck (we're talking about the good ole' innocent days here).
But, according to the Daily News, the Department of Environmental Protection is not making the Parks Department's plans to add a jogging trail along the water's edge a walk in the park. It seems the DEP technically controls the land, which is part of the city's water system and responsible for providing the city with 10 percent of its water (the other 90 percent comes from the Delaware and Catskill systems).
The DEP says it fears that increasing public access to the reservoir could result in tainted water. But some Bronxites are calling foul on the city agency, saying Westchester residents have complete access to the Kensico Reservoir in Valhalla, NY. Anne Marie Garti, head of the Jerome Park Conservancy, told the News: "It's a prejudice against the people who live here."
