Bronx News Roundup April 14

The Gotham Gazette takes a look at the borough president's race, and concludes front-runner Ruben Diaz Jr. "practically has a set of keys to borough hall already." The real race, says reporter Courtney Gross, occured months back when the so-called Rainbow Rebels ousted then-Party Chairman Jose Rivera. The 2000-word story also touches on what could be two fascinating City Council races this fall involving incumbents Maria Baez (14th District) and Joel Rivera (District 15).

A five-year-old boy was reunited with his worried mother after hopping on the No. 1 train at the 225th Street and ending up in South Ferry. This story was also picked up in the UK.

Phil Spector, the Bronx-born music producer and songwriter, was found guilty of murder yesterday.

A Bronx nun has been chosen to do a scripture reading at tomorrow's installation mass for incoming Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

Still on nuns, the movie "Doubt," which is set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in the 1960s, came out on DVD last week. Watching it bought back memories (mostly good ones) for Daily News columnist Patrice O'Shaughnessy who went to St. Raymonds.

Affordable housing advocates are having a hard time wooing State Senator Pedro Espada, the Senate's housing committee chairman, as they push for a vote to repeal vacancy decontrol.

Curtis Silwa of Guardian Angels fame has started giving free tours of the Bronx.

Toxic waste in Bronx schools has parents up in arms - and suing the city.

Bob Kappstatter looks at who might replace Assemblymembers Ruben Diaz Jr. and Aurelia Greene should they become borough president and deputy borough president respectively.

The BBC interviews a family who became homeless last summer and now live in a Bronx homeless shelter.