Also this issue: Flame On! A monument to Revolutionary War heroes extinguished for years will burn again. -Deborah Bolling Gale Warning No Love In Bloom -Daryl Gale Meet The New Boss Inky looking for better days under Amanda Bennett. -Deborah Bolling Mob Queen Latin Kings As a former Mafia mistress pursues her old flame, lawmen turn their attention to Latin gangs. -Brendan McGarvey Cheesy | Barring None? | This and That -Mary F. Patel

June 5-11, 2003

the bell curve

City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

Southwest Philly woman charged with using duct tape to quiet her crying baby. "Trust me," she says, "this was part of the war on terror." Minus 1

Larry Brown claims he didn’t have complete control when he managed the Sixers. Turns out he was being blackmailed by the bricklayers union, which explains why he kept a roster full of them. Minus 3

Philadelphia-based Boy Scout council votes unanimously to expand its nondiscrimination policy to include homosexuals. Girls, however, still have cooties. Plus 4

Larry Robinson says he didn’t see Allen Iverson or the gunman when he got shot in Old City in April. Iverson’s alibi is still pretty tight; had he done the shooting, there’s just a 39-percent chance he’d have hit. Even

Councilman Darrell Clarke wants Philadelphia to secede from SEPTA and create its own transit company. Also wants local women to start wearing hoop skirts and referring to him as "General Clarke." Plus 1

Amanda Bennett named editor of Inquirer, first female editor in the paper’s history. If form holds, the job will be open for the second female editor in three months. Plus 3

Sam Katz rides a skateboard, says Love Park should be handed back over to the skaters. Sk8er Boi Republicans replace Log Cabin Republicans as oddest political group. Plus 1

Two months after the city reopened Chestnut Street in front of Independence Hall, the Dept. of the Interior says it should be closed. Recent chatter suggests terrorists really don’t care. Minus 2

Murders are up this year. Mayor Street argues that he can only tackle one issue at a time -- and we're no longer the fattest city, now are we? Minus 4

Total pluses: 9

Total minuses: 10

Score for the week: -1

Last week’s score: 7

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