Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA -- You can tell by the high-tops that this crowd is serious. As they stride onto the smooth, swept pavement, the trademarks flash like dog tags: Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Converse, Fila. As more and more players arrive, rap spills from a living-room speaker set next to an '80 Riviera parked courtside, announcing that the evening's action is about to commence. Sides are chosen, and soon the basketball is in play.The Moylan Recreation Center at 25th and Diamond is a proving ground, one of several playgrounds where Philadelphia's best players have always come to learn the game, to test themselves, to put their skills on display.

Following up a campaign pledge, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell has launched plans for a Spoleto-like international festival of the arts to be held annually in Philadelphia, but the details -- such as when, how long, how big, exactly what -- are still to be worked out."We're still in the planning stages -- intensive planning, but planning," Mr. Rendell says.Current planning aims at September-October 1995 as the date for the first festival, but Mr. Rendell cautions that the festival might have to be delayed until the following year, depending mostly on how much money is available.

PHILADELPHIA -- This city is jealous.The mayor wants his own Oriole Park at Camden Yards. So does the Phillies owner. So does virtually every fan.Turn on WIP, the city's all-sports radio station, and you'd swear you were in Baltimore. Talk-show callers rave about the Orioles' new home, at the expense of outdated Veterans Stadium.We're lucky, folks.Luckier than we even imagine."So many people dislike the Vet, all they needed was a reason to vent their spleen," WIP morning drive-time host Angelo Cataldi said yesterday.

PHILADELPHIA -- Jeff Rutledge didn't know what happened to his thumb, only that it was blood red and distended and three times the size it used to be. He didn't know if he had smashed it against a lineman's helmet or had it crushed into the artificial turf like an old cigarette butt. He didn't even know whether the thumb was sprained or broken.All he knew was that, although it hurt like hell and it stuck out like, well, a sore thumb, the pain in his hand was not the worst of it.What really hurt was that the heart-warming story was over.

After assurances by Mayor Edward Rendell of Philadelphia that the city would consider new ideas to fight corruption in the Police Department, two civil rights organizations and 10 other plaintiffs have agreed to delay filing a federal lawsuit seeking reforms to combat police corruption and abuse.Stefan Presser, the legal director for the Philadelphia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the lawsuit was to have been filed yesterday.But after meeting on Tuesday with the mayor, Police Commissioner Richard Neal and city legal advisers, the plaintiffs said they were willing to wait while city officials considered recommendations for change in the Police Department.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. workers were to leave today for Philadelphia to help restore power to thousands of homes and businesses that lost service in yesterday's storm, which left up to 10 inches of wet, heavy snow in the Pensylvania city. Brenda Pettigrew, a BGE spokeswoman, said the workers will assist Philadelphia Electric Co. crews. Pettigrew said 35 BGE repair trucks with two-man crews and about 20 support and supervisory personnel will gather today at 6:30 a.m. at Maryland House Restaurant on Interstate 95 in Aberdeen and form a convoy to Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA -- Chicago 1968 equals Philadelphia 2000? Probably not. But while Philadelphia most likely will not erupt in chaos and anarchy in the streets during the Republican Convention beginning July 31, the city will be awash in protesters. Organizations promoting a melting pot of social causes ranging from pro-choice, gun control, labor, environmental issues, gay rights, women's groups, supporters of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, and advocates for the homeless and the poor are likely to descend upon the city.

PHILADELPHIA -- During rush hour on Philadelphia's Schuylkill Expressway, traffic is as knotted as the soft pretzels this city is famous for.So it was hard to tell by driving this snarling path last Thursday whether this city's week-old transit strike, affecting 450,000 daily riders, had brought city traffic to a standstill.I was in Philadelphia to see how a major metropolitan area functions without a key portion of its public transportation.As Baltimore area officials grind out a long-range transportation plan, they could learn something from Philadelphia.

In its long and storied history, Philadelphia has been everything from the nation's capital to nearly broke. It's seen incredible prosperity and agonizing racial strife, urban decay and a startling renaissance of late. Sounds like Baltimore in a lot of ways, doesn't it? Especially the renaissance part. With our own reputation as a must-see city growing, it's easy to forget that our nearby neighbor is also a major tourist attraction. One of the nation's most historic cities (think William Penn, Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell)

PHILADELPHIA -- If there is an angel of bad luck, surely it has found a home in Philadelphia.Consider:* The major New York bond-rating houses last month declared the nation's fifth-largest city an issuer of "junk" bonds. As a result, Philadelphia was unable to float a short-term loan to keep the city solvent until tax revenues arrive in February. If no solutions appear, the city will be bankrupt by December.* Two weeks ago, a brand-new police trailer was repossessed by the dealer for delinquent payment.