Bronx Marine Laid to Rest

The body of Fordham-area-born Marine Lance Cpl. Alberto Francesconi, Jr., 21, was returned to his old neighborhood for a moving memorial service attended by New York Cardinal Edward Egan.

A Saving Grace for Unemployed Women Comes to the Bronx

On a cloudy and chilly day in North Fordham, the women sitting in a classroom at Refuge House got a glimpse of sunshine.

Grace Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides free job training and employment assistance to underserved women in New York City, converted a classroom at Refuge House, on Bainbridge Avenue and East 196th Street, into a recruitment center for its upcoming daytime training program.

Teachers Discover Homeless Shelter Moving In

When they started bringing bunk beds into a small apartment building across from their school, teachers at a Bedford Park elementary school knew something was amiss. Sure enough, the owners of the building are in the process of transforming the building into a shelter for homeless families. The community isn’t happy about it.

Espada Sworn In to State Senate

during a ceremony at Lehman College on Jan. 8.Pedro Espada, Jr., was sworn in as the new State Senator of the 33nd District. He spoke on a variety of topics, including his plans to help the Bronx deal with a spiraling economy.

Public and Community Meetings

•    The Community District 10 Education Council will meet Feb. 12 at 6:15 p.m. at MS 45, 2502 Lorillard Place, in the auditorium. For more information, call (718) 741-5836. •    The Community Board 7’s Housing Committee will meet on Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Board office, 229A E 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650. •    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Station House, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824. •    Bedford Mosholu Community Association will meet Feb. 4 at 8 p.m., 400


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Channeling a Bronx Literary Giant

Actor Tristan Laurence Perez (above) played the role of Edgar Allan Poe for a celebration of the author’s 200th birthday on Jan. 18. The Bronx Historical Society put on the event to commemorate Poe’s final years, which he spent writing in his small Bronx home. Poe Cottage has since been restored and moved to what is now Poe Park on Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse. Perez played Poe for the day, answering questions from the audience as if he were the author himself.

Reservoir Facelift Plan Gets Mixed Reviews

At a special meeting of Community Board 8 on Jan. 8, the Parks Department unveiled its preliminary design plans for a $4.5 million renovation to green areas and parts around the Jerome Park Reservoir.

Obama and Bronx Politics

Barack Obama, now the 44th president of the United States, is a global phenomenon.

But keep in mind that he was a state legislator in Illinois a little more than four years ago.

That’s something Bronx lawmakers can relate to, which is good, because there are lessons in the Obama brand of politics that we hope our elected officials will emulate.

Obama is not thin-skinned, not resentful, not paranoid, not vengeful. He has an ego but it is powered by confident self-assurance, not paranoid self-doubt.

He surrounds himself with super-smart, highly competent staff and advisers. This is made possible by the personality traits listed above.

To Obama, political competition is not war, but competition, like basketball. He plays hard, breaks a sweat, and afterward treats everyone with respect regardless of what side they were on. Just ask Hillary Clinton about that.

Here in the Bronx, we can learn from Barack Obama, the campaign he waged and the person he is. It’s good timing, too, considering Bronx politics is also brimming with change.

The new chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party, Carl Heastie, is already emulating Obama in a key area. "No door is closed," he said in a recent interview, referring to his willingness to work with any Bronx leader, regardless of what side they were on in the bruising battle over the party’s leadership last fall.