August 1- 7, 2002	[2002 issue index]
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Craig LaBan, Local Man of Mystery With just a few words, the Inquirer critic can make or break a restaurant. No wonder spotting him has become a high-stakes game. By Marc Kravitz Photographs By Michael T. Regan

news

West Philly Stops Live-Stop Lot: Incensed gardeners Weedwack city plans to park confiscated autos in Cedar Hill.—Deborah Bolling

Tax Questions, Frank Answers: Councilman DiCicco pays 15 percent of the property taxes his neighbors pay. He says it’s just timing.—Daniel Brook

Trouble Hmong Us: A new wave of Asian gang crime worries cops.—Brendan McGarvey

Heinous Treatment, Haney says—Frank Lewis

The Bell Curve: City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

columns:

Guvwatch:ACORN Goes Fishin'—Daryl Gale

Political Notebook:The Summer Wind—Mary F. Patel

opinion

Pretzel Logic by Howard Altman
Home Court Advantage

Loose Canon by Bruce Schimmel
Top Public Spaces

Slant by Ted Mann
Cadaver Envy

Letters to the Editor: by the readers

arts

Dancing in the Rain: Leah Stein faced downpours and language barriers to teach improvisational dance in Poland.—Anastacia Wilde

Customs Design—Susan Hagen

Artsbeat—Debra Auspitz

artspicks

Viva Variety—Ashlea Halpern

Chaos, Theories

Take Two—Deborah Bolling

Miller Time—Alex Richmond

movies

Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign: In M. Night Shyamalan's latest, aliens keep touching our crop.—Cindy Fuchs

The Punk Moms' Club: Starving artists hit their 30s in Margarita Happy Hour.—Sam Adams

Behind the Screens: The soft touch of My Wife Is an Actress trumps Full Frontal’s crudity.—Sam Adams

Screen Picks

music

Goaled Star: Juliana Hatfield’s got a table for one, but her plate is full.—M.J. Fine

Summer Monster: The package tour -- something wicked this way comes.—Patrick Rapa

DJ Nights—Sean O'Neal

Beat Box—Ain� Ardron-Doley

musicpicks

Golden—Paul Burress

S.O.M. Festival—Joel Oliphint

Less Than Jake—Andrew Parks

Elk City—A.D. Amorosi

Dälek—Sean O’Neal

The Breeders—Chris Parker

Sara Weaver's Rock-n-Roll Memorial Benefit—Patrick Rapa

naked city

Slave 4 Her: Britney's Dance Beat is an oddly addictive exercise in tedium.—Debra Auspitz

Icepack—A.D. Amorosi

food

Good Directions: Germantown’s North by Northwest is comfort food at its best.—Maxine Keyser

offthemenu—F.L, Frank Lewis and Karen Williams