Paging Jonathan Hicks

We hope the Times's chronicler of tasty local political brawls will soon make his way up to the South Bronx soon, where a truly Bronx-tastic City Council special election is underway. "Some things never change. Like good, old-fashioned Bronx County politics," a correspondent emails. "Some things do change. Like names." Here's the deal: the race features two guys named Serrano, neither of them related to Congressman Jose E. Serrano or to his son, Jose M. Serrano, who is vacating the Council's 17th district for a State Senate seat. We also have Maria del Carmen Arroyo -- daughter of Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo -- whose name, until recently, was Maria Aguirre. The Serranos and other power players -- including Local 1199 SEIU-- were backing George Torres (one of two guys named Torres) -- until he got tossed off the ballot. We love this race! The vote is February 15.