Montefiore to Roll Out First-Ever Float at Gay Pride Parade

By DAVID CRUZ

In the last three decades, employees from Montefiore Health System made it a point to join hundreds of people in marching at the Gay Pride Parade in Manhattan. Teams of hospital employees, decked out in rainbow-colored shirts, would amble along Fifth Avenue in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ community, in which many call Montefiore their go-to hospital or their employer. This year, and perhaps in perpetuity, a first-ever float bearing the hospital logo will roll out at the festal parade, joining a cavalcade of other floats that send its message of support to the gay community. It also serves

Police in the 52nd Precinct are on the lookout for a suspect of a crew wanted for a daylight stabbing of a teen on Wednesday near the #4 subway station in Norwood. Police say the stabbing is likely gang-related since the victim, known to have affiliation with a local crew near Knox Place, had stepped off the subway at the Mosholu Parkway stop when he was hit by a cane and later stabbed. The suspect fled with two other teens who were later arrested, according to police. The victim, said to be 15 years old, was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center,

Editor’s Pick Fireworks for the Fourth The public is invited to an American Fireworks Extravaganza at Orchard Beach on June 30 after 9 p.m. in an early celebration of Independence Day. The event is sponsored by the Office of the Bronx Borough President. All music will feature Bronx artists. For more information, visit www.ilovethebronx.com. Events The artwork of Suzanne Axelbank will be featured Sunday, June 26, from 12 to 4 p.m. at Tilila, 3648 Bailey Ave, as part of its Bronx Artist Brunch. The brunch will also feature performances by the Paul Carlon Jazz Trio. For more information, call (929)

By DANIELA BEASLEY

Following the massacre at in the Orlando, Fla. Shootings, along with a spate of shootings in the Bronx, a state assemblyman has re-launched a popular program where guns are traded for cash, and no questions asked. Assemblyman Victor Pichardo of the 86th Assembly District is sponsoring the latest gun buyback program to get weapons off the streets and prevent future shootings. “The recent mass shooting and recent spates of violence in our community need more than our thoughts and prayers – they require action,” Pichardo said in a statement. The gun buyback event will take place in early August, which normally ranks

Dear Fellow Readers, It’s that time again! The latest edition of Norwood News is out, featuring plenty of community news you can use! We begin, of course, with the front page story on a new program rolled out by the 52nd Precinct dubbed the Neighborhood Coordination Officer program. Find out how this program, in the works for nearly a year, can do with improve the fraught relationship between the community and police. On page 2 you’ll find our take on what can make the program a true success. More inside-the-cover stories include the latest in several key political races in the

Crafty Seniors R.A.I.N. Boston Secor Senior Center, 3540 Bivona St, presents a free exhibition of crochet creations by the seniors on June 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (718) 671-8550. Rent Freeze Meeting A Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) workshop will be held on June 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Serviam Gardens, 323 E. 198th St. Those eligible may be able to receive a rent freeze, and can receive help completing their applications and collecting all documents needed for this program. Seniors must be at least age 62 or disabled, have

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Community Relations/Long Term Planning Committee meets June 28; Economic Development Committee meets June 28 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the Board office at (718) 933-5650. THE 52nd PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL meets June 23 at 7pm at the Botanical Gardens Auditorium. The entrance is on Mosholu Parkway opposite the Botanical Gardens Train Station. Editor’s Note: Starting in July, local Community Board 7, Bedford Mosholu Community Association, and the 52nd Precinct Community Council will be

By DANIELA BEASLEY

The 52nd Precinct officially rolled out the Neighborhood Coordination Officer program (NCO), part of the NYPD’s overall Neighborhood Policing Program. Eight patrol officers and one sergeant, referred to as neighborhood coordinating officers (NCOs), make up the precinct’s NCO program. They’re offered the chance to create their own schedules while also provided with a smartphone for residents to stay connected to them at all times. “I guarantee that if you have a persistent problem, these cops will take care of it,” said Assistant Chief Larry Nikunen, referring to the roundtable of NCOs at the front of Mintz Auditorium in Monroe College

By DAVID CRUZ

The candidates for the 13th Congressional District race squared off in a penultimate debate before the June 28 primary, this time focusing more on policy and staving off mudslinging. The debate, hosted and televised on BronxNet, saw six of the nine Democratic candidates—Sam Sloan, Clyde Williams, Adam Clayton Powell IV, Suzan Johnson Cook, and Mike Gallagher–take prepared questions from Gary Axelbank, the moderator. Three of the candidates—Assemblyman Guillermo Linares, Senator Adriano Espaillat, and Yohanny Caceres–were unavailable. Espaillat said last-minute business in the Albany Legislature, particularly talk on mayoral control, compelled him to stay. Linares and Caceres did not offer an explanation on their