It's obvious after reading posts like Marisa's ode to Philly Water Ice that the treat is a well-deserved one after a long, hot day in the city.

But should we be using it - along with pizza and candy - to bribe Philly youth?

In West Philly's 19th District, police will begin an initiative called "positive ticketing," in which they will award prizes (see: candy and junk food) to kids they see doing "good deeds" like helping elderly citizens across the street, or cleaning up a neighborhood block. So far, local businesses like 7-Eleven, Applebee's, Lucky Pizza, and Rita's Water Ice have donated food or gift certificates to the program.

It's important to encourage kids to do good deeds. But there are several problems I see with this method.

When I was a young kid, my family lived in Los Angeles. However, every summer, my mom would pack my sister and me up and we'd head for Philadelphia. We'd spend weeks living with my grandparents, five people in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment (the same apartment I live in now). My dad would stay in LA to work and take care of the dog.

It was a time towards which everyone looked forward. My mom enjoyed the opportunity to get away from smoggy Southern California (although humid Philly wasn't exactly a good trade), my dad liked having the house to himself for a while, my grandparents loved having us within hugging distance and my sister and I, well, we looked forward to the treats. Particularly the water ice.

There was nothing like Philadelphia water ice back home. You could get Sno-cones or shaved ice, but water ice was smooth and fruity and perfect to cool you down on those muggy days. The only problem was that my grandfather was a cancer researcher who had done a lot of work studying food coloring. When he was around, we weren't allowed to get any red flavors of water ice, which was torture for two girls who only wanted strawberry or cherry-flavored frozen treats.

When I moved to Philly after college, I didn't have anyone monitoring my water ice consumption and for that first summer, I ate mango and passionfruit water ice nearly every day (the flavor assortment has grown considerably over the years), often in place of dinner. These days, I try to hold off and save it as a special treat, one to savor and turn to on those hot summer days. I haven't had any yet this year, but it's going to be another hot day today. It might just be the perfect day for my first cup of smooth, fruity, wonderful water ice.