Alex Melamed

Free use of laundry machines in College Houses lets students save money when they wash their clothes. And with new online alerts that track the status of washers and dryers, students will be able to conserve their time as well. The new service, called Laundry Alert, lets residents check the status of laundry machines in their building.

As of this week, a cab ride to Center City will cost a little bit less. The 50-cent gas surcharge taxis began charging in June was recently nixed in response to dropping gas prices. The Philadelphia Parking Authority's board voted to drop the extra charge - which raised the base fare from $2.

Center City may be getting brighter - but not everyone is happy about it. Some groups in the city anticipate negative effects of Commercial Entertainment District zoning, which lifts some parking constraints and allows for rooftop, revolving, electronic or flashing signs.

College senior Abigail Seldin - who co-curated an exhibit at the Penn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology - was among the 32 American students awarded a Rhodes Scholarship yesterday. Seldin plans to study anthropology at Oxford University. "I'm really happy that this will bring more attention to my work with the Penn Museum," Seldin said.

By ALEX MELAMED Staff Writer amelamed@dailypennsylvanian.com Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program, which uses art to improve local communities and collaborates with Penn's Fine Arts Department, will lose $500,000 in funding with the city's recent budget cuts.

Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program, which uses art to improve local communities and collaborates with Penn's Fine Arts Department, will lose $500,000 in funding with the city's recent budget cuts. The cuts will have an immediate impact on MAP, which plans to turn to philanthropists and other organizations in order to continue projects affected by the cuts.

It could soon take just the swipe of a card to ride the subway. SEPTA took the first steps toward revamping its fare-collection system by requesting proposals for an electronic "smart card" payment system last week. The new system, which officials say could be completed within two years, will allow SEPTA passengers to wave a pre-loaded "smart card" to ride the subway.

The record for the largest pinata in the world was broken in Philadelphia yesterday. But the pinata itself, to the dismay of the hundreds gathered for the event, stayed intact. A large crowd formed at Washington Avenue and South Broad Street yesterday afternoon to see the breaking of a six-story pinata filled with 8,000 pounds of candy, but many left disappointed after safety concerns caused the breaking to be postponed.

A Penn education can really pay off. Just ask College seniors Brett Muhlada and Nancy Duan, who came from behind to win the first-ever Robbins Diamond Dash - and a $20,000 Hearts on Fire diamond ring. Hosted by local jeweler Robbins Diamonds, the 550-person scavenger hunt spanned more than two hours last Saturday, kicking off at Philadelphia's Thomas Paine Plaza and concluding at Love Park.

A prettier Clark Park may be in the near future. With a local architect at the helm and newly unveiled designs, proposed renovations of Clark Park may begin as early as late spring. The park's pathways, lighting and center plaza will all get overhauls as part of a plan to revitalize the aging park.