Recently, Philly's green spirit has been making a comeback. After increasing to 7 percent last year, the city's recycling rate has gone up again, and will stand at about 8 percent at the end of 2008.

Sixteen years ago, the 71-year-old Newlin, unable to carry the 50-pound bags of kitty litter she had purchased from the grocery store, decided something had to be done about her fitness.

The City of Philadelphia's decision in 2004 to become the nation's first wireless city was met with excitement and anticipation. But since then, excitement has dwindled and been replaced by frustration, anger and ambivalence toward a system that doesn't seem to work as well as it should. If it works at all.