Late last year, the Fund for the City of New York, along the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, named the first winners in the its new program: the Sloan Awards for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics in New York City Public High Schools.

Homer Panteloglou, a science teacher at the High School of Economics and Finance in Lower Manhattan, was among the educators honored. Panteloglou, his students say, is an inspiration inside and outside of the classroom.

Kathleen (Kitty) Walsh, a 20-year-old college student, is a real fighter.

The young boxer is battling her way through the Daily News Golden Gloves tournament. The semi-final round for both men and women takes place this month, leading up to the finals at Madison Square Garden on March 25-26.

Walsh is hoping to emerge a champ – and make her way from New York to London for the 2012 Olympics.

What happens to a funeral home when it’s no longer a funeral home?

For Ava Gerber, who recently bought the Robert F. Cranford Funeral Home near Fort Greene Park on DeKalb Avenue, the answer was obvious: turn it into a yoga studio.

Then, bring students to the embalming room and help them meditate on death.

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The price of a horse carriage ride in New York City could rise by $20 – to $54 for a half hour – if a proposed law is passed by City Council. It’s the latest issue to confront the contentious industry, where controversy often focuses on animal rights. The new legislation would further regulate standards for the treatment of carriage horses in addition to providing the first price hike in two decades.