The SPTA will hold Junior Team Tennis for ages 8 to 14 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturdays from May 12 to June 16 at Barry Playground, 18th and Johnston streets. Cost is $50. Program will feature a free trial 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 7 and 9 at same location. Call 215-528-0196 or e-mail TheSPTA@hotmail.com.
Barry Playground, 18th and Johnston streets, will hold tennis instruction, team and individual match play competition, life skills and mentorship activities 9 a.m. to noon for beginners and 1 to 4 p.m. for intermediate and advanced players June 25 to Aug. 9 for ages 7 to 17. Cost is $35 per participant. Contact Greg Williams at greg.williams@ashetennis.org or 215-487-3477, or ashetennis.org to register or for more information.
By Jess Fuerst
Joe Gariffo grew up at Seventh and Bigler streets. In June, he’ll shoot his third feature film in his childhood home.
The idea of a renaissance man seems lost in the 21st century, especially among the younger generation. But for Travis Goffredo, the 14th century European term is alive and still breathing.
A man attacked an elderly dry cleaner worker and robbed the business.
OPINION > VIEW FINDER: PHOTO OF THE WEEK
By Greg Bezanis
Many South Philadelphians are enjoying this week’s heat wave by partaking in forgotten outdoor festivities like dining al fresco or taking the kids and the pooch to the park. Along the 2700 block of South Broad Street Tuesday, a few skateboarders rediscovered their spring pastime by breaking out some tricks in Marconi Plaza.
Carl Arrigale dubs himself “a very competitive guy,” and 324 fallen foes can vouch for that description’s truthfulness. In 13 seasons, the resident of the 2900 block of South 15th Street has transformed the boys’ basketball team at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., into a juggernaut, with his success garnering him the top high school coach award.
A 47-year education veteran, Dr. Gail Avicolli always desires to determine how she can improve children’s lives. The youths at the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, 2600 S. Broad St., have been sampling her sincerity since 2005 and have become the latest batch of learners to gain from the leader’s tutelage.
When thinking about grabbing an iced coffee on the go before work, the likes of a Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts might be the stop of choice to satisfy that caffeine addiction. But this is South Philly, an area that specializes in quaint and friendly establishments.
Starting out in a small South Philly neighborhood grocery store, it took PrimoHoagies 20 years to grow into what is now an 80-plus location franchise, expanding beyond the tristate area.
For locals, dining at Scannicchio’s Italian Restaurant, 2500 S. Broad St., is like dining at home. Well, at home with the whole family.
Diners do not often yield teachable moments, but Melissa Bressi and the Penrose Diner, 2016 Penrose Ave., are hoping to transform an unpleasant experience into an exercise on appreciating differences.
»COMMUNITY PROFILE
Boundaries: Marconi: Broad to 20th streets, Snyder to Packer avenues; Stella Maris: Broad to Seventh streets, Oregon Avenue to I-76.
Origin of Name: Designated, however informally, for the neighborhood’s centerpiece, Marconi Plaza, and to the east for Stella Maris Parish.
Brief History: Marconi was once a rural community, with farms occupying the land where houses and businesses now stand. In the 1960s and ’70s, Fairmount Park Rangers, in gray uniforms and white caps, were regular sights at Marconi Plaza, which flanks the 2800 block of South Broad. The west-side park also had a helicopter landing area until just a few years ago. Today, Marconi and Stella Maris are close to the sports complex.
Famous Residents: Former Mayor Frank Rizzo spent a few years of his childhood living on the 2300 block of South Rosewood Street, which residents informally renamed “Rizzo Street;” former Maryland's Mount St. Mary's college basketball coach Jim Phelan is a native of 1700 block of Ritner Street, James Darren and Fabian hail from the east side of the community.
Major Landmarks: Marconi Plaza, Oregon Avenue to Bigler Street, from 13th to 15th streets; supersite, 10th and Bigler streets
Architecture: Brick- and stucco-finished rowhomes, with some of the biggest on the 2900 block of South Broad.
U.S. Congressional District: 2nd, Chaka Fattah (D)
U.S. Senators: Bob Casey (D); Pat Toomey (R)
Pennsylvania Governor: Tom Corbett (R)
State Senate District 1st, Lawrence M. Farnese Jr. (D)
State House District: 184th, William F. Keller (D); 185th, Maria Donatucci (D)
City Council District: 2nd, Council President Anna Verna (D), for Marconi; 1st, Frank DiCicco (D), for Stella Maris.
Ward: 26th for Marconi; 39th for Stella Maris.
Police District: 1st (west of Broad), Capt. Louis Campione and Community Relations Officer Paul Bryson; 3rd (east of Broad), Capt. Michael Ryan and Community Relations Officers Ace Delgado and Gary Harkins
Civic Groups: Broad Street West Civic Association; Marconi Area Residents Civic Organization; South Broad Street Neighborhood Association; South Philadelphia Communities Civic Association; Sports Complex Special Services District
Libraries: Donatucci, 1935 Shunk St., in Girard Estate; Fumo Family Branch, 2437 S. Broad St., in Lower Moyamensing
Schools: F. Amedee Bregy School, 17th and Bigler streets; D. Newlin Fell School, Ninth and Oregon; Fifth Stone Music School, 2829 S. 18th St.; Mastery Charter Thomas Campus, 927 Johnston St.; Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, 2600 S. Broad; St. Monica Junior School, 17th and Ritner streets, and Senior School, 16th and Porter streets; St. Richard, 1826 Pollock St.
Places Of Worship: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1401 W. Moyamensing Ave.; Lighthouse Baptist Church, 2400 S. Broad St.; Stella Maris, 814 Bigler St.; St. Richard of Chichester, 18th and Pollock streets;
Rec Centers: Barry Playground, 18th and Johnston streets; Fels South Philadelphia Community Center, 2407 S. Broad, in Lower Moyamensing; Guerin Rec Center, 16th and Jackson, in Newbold
Parks: Marconi Plaza, Oregon to Bigler Street, from 13th to 15th streets.
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