Inqlings: There'll be doctors in the house

Mayor Nutter

is a man of degrees.

Two weeks after getting an honorary doctor of laws degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, the 1979 Wharton grad will get an honorary doctor of public service from Drexel U. at Saturday's commencement, where he'll address the College of Engineering and School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.

Author/Inquirer columnist

Lisa Scottoline

, getting a doctor of humane letters, will address grads of Drexel's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, College of Information Science and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences.

Also Saturday,

Mary Caraccioli

, who hosts CN8's

Money Matters Today

, will get an MBA (one she studied for) from Drexel's LeBow College of Business.

Manayunk has moved a step closer to getting a "riverwalk" of storefronts and restaurants along the towpath that follows the canal behind Main Street, which would add life to the rear of the commercial strip. A City Council committee yesterday sent a bill to the full Council to allow an elevated outdoor deck behind Bourbon Blue restaurant at 2 Rector St. The Historical Commission and Licenses & Inspections also have to approve.

Such an idea had been floated 20 years ago by developer

Dan Neducsin

and Manayunk Development Corp.'s

Kay Sykora

, but it was new Councilman

Curtis Jones Jr.

- who calls the towpath an "underutilized treasure" - who got the project rolling. Part of the challenge was determining the value of "air rights" to the land out back, which is owned by the Fairmount Park Commission. Under the current plan, Bourbon Blue's

Sean Coyle

and

Brendan McGrew

would pay $20 per square foot a year for a 410-square-foot deck that would overhang half the towpath. (No music, cooking or "visual clutter" would be allowed outside.) Bourbon Blue would be the first of possibly 25 retailers and restaurateurs to develop along the towpath, which draws walkers across the Schuylkill from Lower Merion over the Green Lane Bridge.

Such riverwalks exist in San Antonio, Texas; Wilmington, N.C.; and New Orleans.

CBS3's

Larry Mendte

cleaned up in the local Society of Professional Journalists TV awards. The anchor, off the air pending an FBI probe, took first place in six of nine categories (public service, documentary, opinion/commentary/ review, feature, health/science and investigative journalism). WHYY-TV12 won the others: news, live event and arts/culture reporting. Banquet will be June 19.

MTV, developing a reality show about the fashion industry, is partnering with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania for a casting call for high school girls with skills in fashion design, art, graphic design, marketing and selling skills. The call will be 4 to 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Scouts' center in Valley Forge, but registration is a must:

» READ MORE: http://go.philly.com/mtvscout

.

MTV cameras will be at G Lounge on 17th Street near Chestnut on Saturday to tape founder/general manager

Mark Marek

in his element for a special called MTV's

Hottest Celebrity Clubs

.

Ben Daniels'

documentary

This Is My Cheesesteak

will screen Saturday night at the New York City Food Film Festival in Queens. Tony Luke's cheesesteaks will be served by

Tony Luke III

; his dad is now shooting

The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone

in Philly. Info:

» READ MORE: www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com

.

Comcast SportsNet's

Michael Barkann

will report from Torrey Pines on the U.S. Open for the Golf Channel beginning today. It's the first time he's covered the U.S. Open for golf, though he's done the Open for tennis for 17 years. He'll also report for SportsNet's

SportsNite

.