Read on to see why we're so excited about how far we've come and how much more we can do ...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/09/19/a_new_deal_for_nira...

A new deal for Nira Rock
Park, once dire, gets a little help
By Paysha Stockton, Globe Correspondent | September 19, 2004

Nira Rock Urban Wild, the former puddingstone quarry near Day Street, has been foreboding for years: Dense woods hid its fenced-in, weedy grounds, and broken glass and syringes littered its overgrown paths.

Neighbors complained that the place was a destination for drugs and sex, according to Paul Lanoix, a member of the Day Street Crime Watch group.

''It's just a disgusting part of the neighborhood," said Lanoix, who lives nearby. ''I rarely come up here because I don't feel it's that safe."

Judith Wright, director of the Boston Police Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit, confirmed that the park is known for drug trafficking. For years, neighbors and police have labored to quash illegal activity there, she said, and police officers try to walk the park, whose grounds aren't visible from the street.

Unfortunately, she said, people avoiding the unsafe park has made it worse. ''If people don't use it, it becomes more attractive to people doing bad things there."

(continued with link)http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/09/19/a_new_deal_for_nira_rock/

http://web.mac.com/cgomezkramer/Nira_Rock/A_Recommendation_Letter.html Nathaly Figueroa, an 11th grader in Boston who lives just two doors down from Nira Rock's orchard and rock face, share's her inspiring vision of bringing diverse neighbors together in Nira Rock's sanctuary. Nathaly says "there are issues in the community that are known but not spoken." We'll make sure they get spoken, and acted upon!

http://www.nirarock.org/