Be Healthy: Four-Way Kidney Transplant Swap Brings Joy to Bronx Families

Vital Stats: 200 – Number of liters of blood a human kidney filters daily. (Source: Kean University) A four-way kidney transplant was performed at Montefiore Medical Center on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, thanks to the generosity of 30-year-old Army veteran Christopher Forthman , who decided to be an altruistic kidney donor. Forthman, a neighbor in Norwood, donated one of his organs to Juan Garcia, sparking a rare pay-it-forward style chain that would lead to three other Bronx patients in need of a donated kidney. Garcia was initially supposed to receive a kidney from his daughter Sagracio, but she was not a match for him.

Editor’s Pick Christmas Tree Lightings The public is invited to tree lighting ceremonies by the Jerome-Gun Hill BID on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. at East Mosholu Parkway North and Jerome Avenue; and by Community Board #7 on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. on the center island at Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue. Onstage Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse, presents Henry’s Law performed by the Hostos Repertory Company, through Dec. 4 (call for times), in the Repertory Theatre (tickets: $10; free/students and under 18), a friendship develops when popular female student is tutored by

By David Cruz

In the 2013 election, turnout on Election Day was historically low, despite a mayoral election and a swell of New York City Council races that year. That sentiment was viewed in the numbers during the mayoral election– roughly 19 percent of the Bronx voting age population came to the polls. More stunning, 8,000 ballots casted by Bronxites were tossed out since their ballot cards were filled out incorrectly, relinquishing the vote. Invalid ballots are one of a litany of election problems that have long troubled good government groups such as the League of Women Voters (LWV). But now, the New

By DAVID CRUZ

The City Planning Commission will meet in December to vote on whether to approve zoning amendments for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s lofty plan to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing by 2025. The move is part of a public review assessing de Blasio’s $41.4 billion Housing New York proposal that, despite a citywide low-rent housing crisis, was unanimously rejected by Bronx officials. With a vote of 0 to 19, the Bronx Borough Board, a 22-member panel comprised of heads of all 12 community boards, the borough president, and nine New York City Council members, rejected two zoning law

It’s still unclear who staged a daring daytime robbery in the heart of Norwood’s commercial district on Nov. 19, but police have now released video of a suspected vehicle involved in the heist. Police in the 52nd Precinct say the robbery happened at just before 9 a.m. at an AT&T store on East 204th Street. An employee of the store was just about to open when two masked men pulled a gun on him. The suspects forced the worker to disable the alarm system and later restrained him to a chair with duct tape inside the stock room. It’s then

By JASMINE GOMEZ

A snapshot of Community District 7’s health status has just been released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, offering glimmers of hope and areas of concern. The agency compiled health profiles for each of the city’s 59 Community Districts, which included statistics ranging from life expectancy rates, leading causes of death, and the effects of housing and air quality on one’s health. Each profile also highlighted comparisons in each district to the Bronx and city overall. The average life expectancy of residents in Community District 7, covering Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford, Fordham, University Heights, and Norwood,

By FRIDA JOHANNES

Most of New York is still riding high on the Halloween sugar rush, but one section of the Bronx took a healthier alternative approach on Halloween day. Local businesses in the Fordham section of the Bronx closed off Decatur Avenue and organized a community block party where kids and adults engaged in healthy eating and living. Nonprofit organizations such as Provident Loan Society of New York, passed out granola bars, fruits and other snacks that didn’t contain unhealthy corn syrup. “It’s really important for us to contribute to our local community. We all have a responsibility to make our neighborhoods

Heating Assistance Available This winter, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) offers eligible households of low-income and elderly New Yorkers to receive a one-time benefit of up to $625 depending on income, household size, and heating source. Households may begin applying for assistance Nov. 16. Applications for emergency benefits for those in danger of losing heat will be accepted starting Jan. 4, 2016. For more information and requirements, go to http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap. Yankee Leadership Awards Applications are available for the Youth Leadership Awards. Nominees are expected to perform 50 hours of leadership/volunteer services as a tutor, mentor, community unity developer, and/or

By DAVID CRUZ

Bronx officials have formally rejected Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to change zoning laws to help build 80,000 units of housing in the city, dealing a blow to the de Blasio Administration’s signature policy initiative. The unanimous 0-19 vote against de Blasio’s Housing New York proposal happened at the Nov. 19 Bronx Borough Board, a body made up of a cadre of chairs and district managers of community boards and the borough’s New York City Council Delegation. “I vote in the negative,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., saying “one size does not fit all.” The $41 billion plan looks