Sharif Street may run in 190th District

His father is out of the mayor's office, but the public-service bug that bit Sharif Street, too, has not faded.

The two-time unsuccessful candidate might very well be trying his luck for a third time.

Street, a 35-year-old lawyer, moved into a new house some months ago. The new place is bigger, but in the same neighborhood, he says.

Oh, and though it's just 200 feet from his old home, it happens to be in an entirely new state House district.

That means Street is now a proud resident of West Philadelphia's 190th District, represented by freshman Rep. Vanessa Brown.

"I'm not ruling it out. I'm looking at it," Street says of a potential run in the 190th next spring. He already has held one fund-raiser and has two more scheduled this summer.

In 2002, Street lost to veteran State Rep. Frank Oliver, then 80 years old. That was in the district where he used to live.

In 2007, he failed to win an at-large City Council seat.

If Street decides to run for the House again, he likely will take on Brown, who ousted former Rep. Thomas Blackwell last year by challenging Blackwell's nominating petitions.

Of course, there's also the possibility that Blackwell - son of late U.S. Rep. Lucien Blackwell and stepson of Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell - will try to get his old job back.

Calling the former lawmaker a friend, Street said: "I need to have more talk with Tommy . . . but I would love to have his support."

- Marcia Gelbart

A fall from grace at City Hall

City Hall's avian mascots, a pair of peregrine falcons and their four offspring, remain an intact family after a fledgling suffered a very public brush with death in the City Hall courtyard.

One of four young falcons, who were born on the south side of City Hall's tower, was flying across the courtyard June 24 when it apparently mistook a bright new window over the north entryway for clear air.

Carmelo Seminara, who works in the City Commissioners' Office on the first floor, was outside at the time and watched the falcon hit the window and drop at least two stories to the ground, in the midst of the Wednesday farmers' market. The bird eventually stood up, but looked seriously injured, Seminara said.

Jerry Czech, a wildlife conservation officer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, showed up, checked out the bird, and determined it was unharmed. Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said Czech returned it to the nest. The fledglings - three female and one male - were banded in May by the Game Commission for tracking. Feaser did not know the gender of the bird involved in the accident.

- Jeff Shields

A little more off the top

Register of Wills Ronald Donatucci got a little flummoxed last month when asked whether he would be collecting the 5 percent cost-of-living raise due to all elected officials June 30.

Mayor Nutter and Controller Alan Butkovitz have said they would give theirs back; City Council members still were making their minds up last week. City Commissioners Marge Tartaglione, Anthony Clark, and Joseph Duda, Sheriff John Green, and Clerk of Quarter Sessions Vivian Miller had not called back with an answer.

Donatucci was a special case. Along with Nutter, Butkovitz, and eight Council members, he already committed in January to giving back 5 percent of his salary as the city crawled out of a budget hole (Nutter is giving back 10 percent). So when Donatucci said he would accept the 5 percent raise, then continue to give back 5 percent, it was noted that he would be making nearly 5 percent more this budget year.

Granted, it takes a little bit of math; officials actually have to accept the raise, because it's written in the law. Then they have to give it back. So the same officials who were giving back 5 percent of their salary from January to June will be returning 10 percent to city coffers from July through next June.

That, Donatucci said, is what he will do.

"I don't want to make any more money," Donatucci said. The city will be glad to help with that.

- Jeff Shields

CURRENTLY SHOWING ON PHILLY.COM