Community

After Bronx Medical History is Made, HIV-Positive Heart Transplant Recipient Meets Donor Family

By RACHAEL MCCALLEN & SÍLE MOLONEY
It was an extra special Thanksgiving this year for one mother and her family. Seven months after history was made in The Bronx, an emotional meeting took place on Tuesday, Nov. 22, between the world’s first HIV-positive to HIV-positive heart transplant recipient and her donor’s family. Westchester mom, Miriam Nieves, 62, who is HIV-positive, met the mom and sisters of deceased donor, 30-year-old certified nursing assistant, Brittany Newton, who was also HIV-positive.   Newton’s family had flown in from Louisiana for the special occasion. Seven months after her surgery at Montefiore Health System, Nieves shared her gratitude for her medical


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After Some Early Funding Hurdles, The Bronx Children’s Museum Formally Opens

By ARIEL PACHECO
After operating as a “museum without walls” for more than 12 years, The Bronx Children’s Museum has finally found a permanent home in the South Bronx. Located near Yankee Stadium, along the Harlem River, The Bronx Children’s Museum is set to officially open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 3.   A long-awaited, ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday, Nov. 16, in celebration of the opening of the museum’s opening. The Bronx Children’s Museum is the first ever children’s museum in The Bronx, and event organizers estimate they will engage with 24,000 children at the facility during its first year.


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Caroling After A Stroke, Montefiore Melodies Sing Again

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Choir, Montefiore Melodies, will bring together people recovering from strokes or other neurological disorders for the first time in two years on Friday, Dec. 2. The choir will meet in person and sing songs of holiday cheer.   Led by speech pathologist, Mehak Noorani, the singers will work to improve their vocal clarity and coordination as they play with tambourines and maracas. The choir is a place of community, helping people build confidence, socialize, and feel joy during their recovery.   The event takes place on Friday Dec. 2  from 12:30 p.m. to  1 p.m. at Montefiore Moses Campus,


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NYCHA Program Renovates 18 Homes in The Bronx, Queens & Brooklyn for Public Housing Residents

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has partnered with local agencies to renovate 18 homes throughout The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, and make them available to public housing residents through the Small Homes Rehab-NYCHA Program. The initiative is the latest effort by the Adams administration to help communities of color throughout New York City build and maintain wealth through homeownership.   NYCHA Interim CEO, Lisa Bova-Hiatt, said, “Across the country, the high cost of homeownership is even greater for households of color relative to White households.” She added, “The Authority is committed to being part of the solution around


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Bronx Chamber of Commerce Mourns Chairman Joseph P. Kelleher & Share Funeral Details

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New Bronx Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors are mourning the death of longtime chairman, Joseph P. Kelleher, and have shared details of his funeral arrangements, which are attached further below. The Board of Directors announced Kelleher’s passing on Friday, Nov. 25, writing in part, “It is with profound sadness that the Board of Directors and leadership team of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce announce the death of our Chairman, Joseph Kelleher.”   They said, “Chairman Kelleher was a loving husband and father, friend and mentor to many, businessman and fierce advocate for The Bronx and New York State.


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NYC Department of Sanitation Announces Special Leaf Collection Schedule

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Department of Sanitation has announced a special leaf collection schedule for City residents. Instead of decomposing in a landfill, the collected leaves will be turned into renewable energy or compost, and added to soil to nourish street trees, soil and parks. The department will collect leaves in paper leaf bags, unlined containers or curbside composting bins. Department officials advise residents not to use plastic bags.   Residents in Areas with Curbside Composting Department officials said residents currently receiving a curbside composting service already have a leaf collection service in place. Residents should simply place their leaves in


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JPMorgan Chase Employees & Partners Donate 500+ Needed Items to Mark Veterans Day

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center celebrated Veterans Day with a donation of more than 500 basic need items from JPMorgan Chase. The items, including socks, blankets, toothbrushes and soap, were collected by JPMorgan Chase employees located in The Bronx and Westchester lower Hudson Valley, who collected the items for veterans living in, and/or receiving long term care at, the Bronx VA Medical Center, located at 130 West Kingsbridge Road in Fordham Manor.   JPMorgan Chase representatives said many of the veterans face a variety of challenges and rely on the VA for medical services, as


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NY Lottery: TAKE 5 Top-Prize Winning Tickets Sold in The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York Lottery representatives announced that one top-prize winning ticket was sold for the November 20th, Take 5 evening drawing. The ticket, worth $31,150, was purchased at Fordham Lucky 7, located at 152 E 188th Street #154 in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx.   Lottery officials also announced there were multiple, top-prize winning tickets sold for the November 19th, Take 5 drawing, including one sold in The Bronx. The Bronx winning ticket was sold at St. Gabriel Pharmacy, located at 18 West Burnside Avenue in Morris Heights, and was worth $6,444. Another was sold at 113 Q’Blvd News


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$3 Million for Montefiore to Engage Fathers, Improve Child Welfare among Families at Risk of Substance Abuse

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded researchers at Montefiore Health System a $3 million grant to improve the well-being of families, by helping fathers with substance use disorders. The new grant aims to enhance a regional partnership between addiction treatment programs, child welfare services, and government agencies.   Officials from the hospital said that in the United States, 8.7 million children live in households with at least one parent who has a substance use disorder. In The Bronx, where there are more overdoses than in any other U.S. county,


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