The ballots poured in and the readers have selected their favorites in 40 categories ranging from wings to cannolis and from happy hour to tradition. The votes have been tallied, so here are the best of South Philly in 2011:
3rd District Community Relations Officer Juan "Ace" Delgado is proud to win the readers' secure vote for best police officer.
Listening to and addressing residents’ safety concerns east of Broad Street day in and day out may seem like a tedious task, but Officer Juan “Ace” Delgado absolutely enjoys working in South Philly. Its residents returned the love by naming Delgado top police officer .
“The readers voted for me? That is so cool,” he said upon learning of the award.
The 47-year-old has worked in South Philly’s 3rd District, which runs Lombard to I-95 east of Broad, during his entire tenure in the department. His 17-year career started on South Street before moving to 11th and Wharton streets where he has remained in the role of community relations officer for the past 12 years.
“I think a lot of times it’s how you communicate with people,” Delgado, a father of three, who has been married to wife Mirta for 11 years, said. “Service — not just that I give them, but the service the district gives them, I think they’re happy with how the service with the police department is.”
Delgado was formerly a jeweler, but prior to joining the force in 1994, he and some buddies decided took the test to become an officer. He was the only one to pass.
“That was the funny part,” Delgado said. “They all wanted the job. I had my jewelry job.”
As the community relations officer, he is a 3rd District point of contact — a job he now shares with Officer Gary Harkins, who previously served in the role for the 4th District prior to a merge a year ago — handling resident’s concerns and complaints, as well as working with area civics and schools to solve any problems. He and Harkins, who primarily deals with the south side while Delgado sticks with his familiar grounds north of Tasker Street, organize the district’s annual Christmas party, children’s finger printing events and summer movie nights.
While he’s had the option to transfer out many times before, the Northeast resident wouldn’t trade the South Philly residents or his 3rd District colleagues.
“They keep me smiling, so I think that’s always a good thing,” he said.
1st District Officer Michael Baker and 3rd District Officer Owen McGuire tied for secondary honors.
As anyone in the Delaware Valley knows, the Mummers Parade is synonymous with not only New Year’s Day, but Philadelphia, so it’s no wonder the readers awarded it as best South Philadelphia tradition .
What started more than 100 years ago and is now one of the longest-running parades in the country, the Mummers’ performances each year embody everything Philadelphia.
“We’re all Philadelphia at heart,” Bob Shannon Jr., New Years Shooters and Mummers Association president, said. “We have a good time together and always go the extra mile to be part of South Philadelphia.”
Impacting generations, several clubs have been taking their acts on the road and across continents for years, Shannon said. This year alone, Quaker City String Band will travel to Spain, Woodland to Ireland and Fralinger to Asia.
“We do a lot of jobs throughout the country and the world and are pleased to take the sound of Philadelphia all over,” the former Quaker City String band captain and member of the board of directors said.
No matter where they travel, Shannon said, the welcoming audience is eager to learn more about their different cultures and styles. Dressed from head to toe, the five divisions, consisting of thousands of Mummers, practice hard for months to put on a unique performance each year. The unrivaled form of entertainment ushering in the New Year — that spans the length of South Broad Street and the inside of the Convention Center — is one facet children and adults alike always remember.
“We work hard on it and are really pleased that everyone feels that way,” he said about the honor. “That’s great, that’s absolutely super.”
The ballots poured in and the readers have selected their favorites in 40 categories ranging from wings to cannolis and from happy hour to tradition. The votes have been tallied, so here are the best of South Philly in 2011:
The ballots poured in and the readers have selected their favorites in 40 categories ranging from wings to cannolis and from happy hour to tradition. The votes have been tallied, so here are the best of South Philly in 2011:
The ballots poured in and the readers have selected their favorites in 40 categories ranging from wings to cannolis and from happy hour to tradition. The votes have been tallied, so here are the best of South Philly in 2011:
The ballots poured in and the readers have selected their favorites in 40 categories ranging from wings to cannolis and from happy hour to tradition. The votes have been tallied, so here are the best of South Philly in 2011:
The ballots poured in and the readers have selected their favorites in 40 categories ranging from wings to cannolis and from happy hour to tradition. The votes have been tallied, so here are the best of South Philly in 2011:
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