Also this issue: Who? Us? MOVE changes the tone of its e-mails in the wake of John Gilbride’s murder. -Daryl Gale Dual Murality To some, it's fantastic. To others, an eyesore. No matter, the mural at 15th and Waverly stays for now. -Jenn Carbin 'Lude Behavior Main Line gang busted for alleged narcotics sales. -Brendan McGarvey Charismatic Visionary or Naked Power Wielder? -Mary F. Patel Market Volatility -Daniel Brook Soundbites -Deborah Bolling The Bell Curve City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

October 3- 9, 2002

city beat

Holding Down the Fort

by Daryl Gale

A few weeks ago we brought you the strange tale of the unofficial Fort Mifflin website, www.fortmifflin.org, and the website’s author, Eileen Young-Vignola, executive director of the national historic fort. Crucial to winning the Revolutionary War, the city-owned fort is a significant historic landmark, but has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent times. Young-Vignola blames the fort’s proximity to the airport for at least some of the damage, and made her displeasure clear on the site. She also used the website to run a moving tribute to the victims of Sept. 11 and some rather crude cartoons and caricatures that took shots at Osama bin Laden.

The city took exception to Young-Vignola's website, and made its displeasure clear by showing her the door.

Asked whether Young-Vignola was fired or resigned, mayoral spokesman Frank Keel was a bit cagey.

"There is sometimes a fine line between quitting and getting fired," Keel says. "She may have resigned just steps ahead of the firing squad, but I'm not privy to that information."

Keel says that after a meeting with city Managing Director Estelle Richman, Young-Vignola's fate was sealed.

"As I told you before, we had definite problems with Mrs. Vignola," Keel continues. "There were bad feelings here about not only the website, but her style of management. After the meeting, she felt it was best to move on, and we agreed."

Young-Vignola hadn't returned calls for comment at press time, but the website looks a lot different these days. Now, when you go to www.fortmifflin.org, you get information about the fort, hours of operation, admission prices and school discount offers, exactly what you'd expect from a website about a proud piece of American history. In a way it's too bad. Some of the Osama bin Laden cartoons were really funny.