Articles by Timothy Edward Merrick

Growing up in South Philadelphia, Larry Del Spechio spent a lot of time around bocce courts. He hardly played, though. “When we were young, we couldn’t play because the old guys didn’t want you to,”

Jason Helmer’s passion for martial arts came from an unusual place. “I was in high school working and one of the mailmen in the neighborhood mentioned karate,” Helmer said. “I was a big Steven Seagal

Election day is huge for Philadelphia. With more than one million registered voters in the city, one of the crucial tasks for the City Commissioners office is finding locations for the polling places. Finding sites

Joe Messina loves the art of pitching. Involved in baseball in South Philadelphia for the past quarter-century, Messina has been an assistant coach for the Neumann-Goretti High School baseball team for the past 11 years.

Anthony Spadaccini spent countless hours as a kid at Barry Playground. Whether it was playing basketball, baseball or football, Barry was a second home for Spadaccini. That still holds true today, as Spadaccini, 46, is