State of the onion

IN SOME WAYS, it's no surprise that local grocer Jeff Brown was Michelle Obama's guest of honor at last night's State of the Union address. The first lady, who is championing fresh food with a White House vegetable garden, would naturally be a fan of Brown's Shop Rite stores. Brown has brought a number of his supermarkets into poorer neighborhoods that traditionally must rely on high-priced bodegas and convenience stores.

This may seem a small thing, but it's revolutionary for a number of reasons: It ensures that poor urban neighborhoods have access to fresh produce and fresh foods. Those healthier choices can help fight both hunger and obesity among populations that often are forced into less nutritional options - gleaming new supermarkets with well-stocked produce departments have often steered clear of them.

The bigger surprise is that the call came from the Obama administration's Office of Urban Affairs. We hope this means there will be new energy put to an agenda that recognizes that while cities have challenges, they also have great strengths.

Rep. Dwight Evans, an early champion of the fresh-food initiative, also deserves a shout-out for this local accomplishment. *