Parkway

Walkers, runners, and bikers can get a sneak preview of the long-awaited Route 202 Parkway in Bucks and Montgomery Counties at two Sunday morning parties. At the north end of the 8.4-mile parkway, Doylestown Township will offer a Family Fun Bike/Run/Walk from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. A skilled bike ride is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Only 21/2 miles of the two-lane road and 12-foot-wide shared-use path will be accessible, from the New Britain Road trailhead to Bristol Road. There also will be safety lessons, information booths, and food at the trailhead till about noon.

Playing on a tender ankle and against neighborhood friends who had mocked him a week earlier, Amiri Johnson scored a career-high 41 points yesterday to lead Parkway past Olney, 74-65, in a Public League game. Parkway, the ninth-ranked team in The Inquirer's Southeastern Pennsylvania basketball poll, is now 14-3 overall and 5-1 in Public League play. Olney, ranked fifth in the most recent poll, fell to 12-4 and 4-2. A week before, when Parkway suffered a humiliating 59-36 loss against Simon Gratz, a sore left ankle had limited Johnson to 12 points in a little more than a half.

This game will long haunt Parkway. A 12-point lead in the third quarter. A full press that was causing havoc. And the Hoyas looking at their first playoff upset in years after posting just four league wins all season. It all came apart in the fourth quarter, as host Washington rallied for a 72-62 victory in the Public League's Division E boys' basketball tournament. The Eagles (12-4) will likely play University City or Franklin Learning Center on Thursday when the Public League round-of-16 playoffs begin.

Marquita Dobbins might know a little something about basketball. Trying to be a good mother, Marquita has called the basketball coaches at colleges where her son, Demarice, has applied, just to see whether there might be interest. "I didn't really want her to help," Demarice said, laughing. "But if she wants to, I guess I can't stop her. " In future calls, Marquita can add this to her pitch: "My son is pretty darn clutch. " Demarice Dobbins, a 5-11 senior combination guard, yesterday swished a 9-foot, buzzer-beating jumper to lift Parkway over visiting Franklin Learning Center, 49-47, in a Public League game.

Sure, the jugglers and puppeteers and clowns and storytellers and dancers and musicians were a swell attraction. But it took something a little extra to draw the tens of thousands to the Parkway yesterday for an evening at the museums. "It's free," said Karen Razzano, of Narberth, trying to squeeze through the doors of the Franklin Institute as hundreds thronged on the steps around her. "We're here because it's free today," said Yvette McIvor of Frankford, who brought seven children to see the dinosaurs at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

The sidewalks of Logan Square were filled with science fans visiting white experiment-filled tents Saturday for the Science Carnival on the Parkway, an event of the 10-day Philadelphia Science Festival. Mayor Nutter joined Dow president and CEO Jerome Peribere as he announced the company would not only contribute $100,000 for next year's festival, but would double the donation if other sponsors matched it. "All the improvements which are going on right now are thanks to science," said Peribere.

For 13 minutes yesterday, Randy Howell was gone, and Dobbins Tech was having flashbacks. Six weeks ago, the Mustangs were 3-6 and searching desperately for a floor leader, someone to bring discipline and control to their games. Howell, a senior point guard, then filled that role, helping Dobbins recover and finish second in the Public League's Central Division. Early in yesterday's playoff game against Parkway, the Mustangs were searching again. Howell, who had hurt the pinky on his left hand, was on the sidelines while Parkway turned a 13-4 deficit into a 32-27 halftime lead.

New York City plans to sell its Board of Education building. In Philadelphia, the Board of Education headquarters at 22nd Street and the Parkway should be abandoned. The sale would bring millions into a system crying crisis. But where would all these irreplaceable leaders be housed? The JFK Skills Center is the most under-used educational facility in the Western Hemisphere. Drivers on the Schuylkill Expressway around South Street have looked across the river at a monstrous brick structure and said: "What the hell is that?"

There is a 65-acre park in the heart of Center City, but many Philadelphians barely notice it. That's because the swaths of green space along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway offer few attractions to lure people across the multiple lanes of high-speed traffic. At the Academy of Natural Sciences Monday night, political and civic leaders laid out their plan for revamping Philadelphia's grand boulevard into a system of small parks that is more tightly connected to the city and that offer cafes, entertainment, opportunities to exercise, and other amenities.

When it comes to good balance, Parkway's basketball team rivals the Flying Wallendas. Six Hoyas scored yesterday in a 72-53 Public League victory over visiting Roxborough, with all having between nine and 16 points. The leader, 6-1 senior wing guard Wasul Crawford, shot 7-for-11 (two "threes") for 16, a total 1 1/2 points above his average this season and one below his average last season. "Last year," Crawford said, "we had troubles with injuries and players being (academically)