Friday roundup: Prevacation edition

Will be on the road for a couple weeks, so this will be the last update until late in the month...

• City concourse gets a breath of fresh air -- Center City District folks subcontracting to clean under Suburban Station and its maze of tunnels.
  
  
• Parking meter rates are rising in Center City -- popular areas being, um, punished.
  
  
• SEPTA granted transfer delay -- another week before the case will be decided.
  
  
• City's nonunion workers get raise -- part of the regular budget, a 4% boost.
  
  
• Clout | OK, so not mayor. How 'bout Sen. Knox? -- is that the Dems' best option to catch Specter? [Note that there are other short political bits at this link too.]
  
  
• Editorial | Mentally Ill and Homeless -- Inky recommends a "tough love" approach.
  
  
• Opinion: ARE SRC, DISTRICT READY FOR SCHOOL?
  
  
• Metro: District looks at new location options for West Philadelphia High
  
  
• YPP: Drafting the Rules for [Philadelphia] Radicals: What the hell are we organizing for anyway, and how are we trying to do it? -- intriguing suggestion that linking existing organizations is better than trying to work in parallel or around them, and long interesting discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches.
  
  
• TIME did a photo gallery of Philadelphia murals that gives our local gem a little national exposure...

Have a good August and stay cool!