So it's kind of insult to even suggest that, you know. And many of us were dragged through that process, and I had to ask the mayor and I had to ask Mr. Cohen at the time how much more they want from us. And we still don't feel the administration and City Council have given these issues priority. And when we lose just one kid to the streets, whether it's through random violence, drugs, for whatever reason, that to me is a tragedy. But to continue to allow children to be slaughtered day-to-day and not do everything we possibly can do to stop it, that to me is unconscionable and mind-boggling to me. As adults, as community leader, as politicians, we 102 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 all have to accept responsibility for this until the youth homicide rate is reduced down to zero, and we will all have to carry a part of that burden. Whether we like it or not, it is our cross to bear. (Applause.)
In conclusion, I just wanted to add that I think it really is time to consider all of these issues before making the final determination on this the Department's operating budget, not just for coming years but for many years to come. We didn't get this way in one year and we're not going to get to where we want to be in one year.
Strictly from a value standpoint -- and this is something that really, you know, rings home with me, and I look at it every day. When you look at the budget, you know, I come to testify here every year for the budget. I look at the City's cost for the Recreation Department delivering the services, and it's only about $1.38 per person per day. And I don't think there's anywhere, I repeat, anywhere in the City's 103 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 operating budget where we as taxpayers get that kind of value for our dollar. This is not rocket science, it's just common sense. People always talk about building new prisons -- how about some investment in good old-fashioned prevention? It's not a hard concept for me seems to me. Mr. Mariano said just now said we don't want to raise the taxes. I'm not talking about raising taxes. The City just spent $38 million on the Convention Center, $58 on the SEPTA subsidy. We're only talking about a couple million dollars a year here, so why not move some of the money and putting a priority on our kids to get to where we need to be. (Applause.)
We're at an impasse here and we're tired of being nice about it. We're being as productive as we can. And as far as volunteering my time all over the City, we do our part on our end of this partnership, and it is supposed to be a partnership, but I feel that, from the administration's point of view, they haven't held up their end. I'm only dealing with this administration. 104 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
I appreciate both your testimony and your sense of frustration. On our side, we're not mean, evil, uncaring people. We share many of the same frustrations. That's one of the reasons that we wanted to have today's hearing outside of the normal budgetary process. There's no way in the world we could have this much discussion about recreation next March, I can assure you that.
Thank you. Leroy Simmons, Central Germantown Council; John Sorello, Friends of Vernon Park; And John Lafley, Executive Director of the YMCA on Green Street. 105 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 If you have written testimony, can you just give it to us so if you'll just condense your testimony, we will enter your entire testimony, written testimony, into the record. (Leroy Simmons comes forward.)
Please proceed with your testimony and identify yourself for the testimony.
Leroy Simmons, S-I-M-M-O-N-S, Central Germantown Council. And we're blessed to be in a building that's in the park. Vernon Park is in the center of Germantown. And Councilwoman Miller and committee members, I'd like to thank you and Council for your continued interest, your support, and your having these hearing for the Rec Department. I love what is happening now in the park, Vernon Park. I have some materials that were prepared earlier and you can look at 'em. That gives you some history of what Central Germantown Council is and what Vernon Park is. One of the best testimonies I can give for Vernon Park is a trio like this together in Germantown, which is an area with diverse 106 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 opportunities, diverse groups of people, diverse ideas, diverse community groups, but they can center on one thought and that thought that we have centered on right now is the work that is being done in Vernon Park, and we want to come here in support of the Rec Department and that work. Some of our personal testimony in Germantown and in Vernon Park includes work that has been done through a grant that was given to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society that was to aid nine parks. We were one of them. And through all of that work, the park has been turned around and it has been turned into a facility that now has the laughter of children, folks coming out, having lunch, sitting in the park, and working together. To overcome all of the other obstacles you mentioned, the fence that is going up in front of the park, Friends of Vernon Park raised funds to do some things, and we were able to get some cooperation from the Rec Department working in a departmental way with the Water Department and your office, Councilwomen Miller, and we were able 107 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 to solve a chronic drainage sewer problem, and that's been a problem that plagued us. When the Germantown Council finally overcame this problem and when they finally dug it up, they said the problem may have existed for 50, 60 years, and it's never been fully resolved. But with the work together of the Rec Department and the Water Department and your coordination of it, we were able to finally solve that problem, and it freed up some money so that we can do some other work in the park. It was great. While commending the Rec Department for that work, that cooperation, I'd like to add that we'd like to see more of this interaction -- interdepartmental reactions to situations. I think it saves a lot of money, it gets things resolved, things that the Rec Department didn't have, things that the Water Department didn't have, the Rec Department had and was able to solve that problem. It was great. Another thing I wanted to mention. For the first time in 15 years, we now have a person working part-time in the park, a seasonal person provided for us, which is great. He's someone who 108 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 was a resident of the YMCA, and he is an example of this workforce development, this welfare-to-work idea. He ought to be commended by this Council for the work he's doing in the park. I'm excited about him, and we've able to raise some other funds to help support him. We think that what is happening, one of the central pieces is that we have been able to overcome ideological difference and just community differences to work together and to build this hub which sits in the middle of the business district and pulls everyone together in that community, which is an eight-acre park. And if we can get some more money to put a fuel on a fire that's already burning, I think you'll get more bang for your buck working with folks in the park who are raising funds. With a little more money, you can get a lot more work done. Well, I'm not going to hog all the time so I'm just going to let John take his turn now. (John Lafley comes forward.)
John, excuse me. 109 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 State your name for the record.
I'm into this, as you can tell. When I get excited, I get excited about what might go down. My name is John Lafley.
Would you spell your last name for the stenographer.
L-A-F-L-E-Y. The parks are the eyes of Philadelphia. If you have bushy eyebrows, bloodshot eyes, it tells visitors, tells our visitors that we don't care about the parks. The Recreation Department, the Friends of Parks groups that take many different shapes and sizes and whatever else and nonprofits have formed a partnership. There are examples in the country that show that that's working. A little bit of money here and a little bit of work there and a little bit of dedication there fires up a tremendous community. I heard today at a Black Achievers Program in downtown some of the sponsors giving a special scholarship. What he said is what he liked about Philadelphia, when he was given this 110 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 particular scholarship was our strong communities. He said that strong communities build strong businesses. You've already heard Mr. Simmons say that Germantown's Vernon Park is the hub of the business district. If we let the hub go without, what does that tell us about the business district? I believe that strong, well-maintained parks lead to strong, diversified businesses in a strong community. This leads to better tourism. Where have I heard that before? This also leads to better security -- you've heard about the bike patrols and others. And it's not a small project, it's a major project, but it starts with small steps. The Recreation Department develops strong community support, it's within their mission. I was so glad to grill the Commissioner. I'll tell you what, he came out well, he came out with dedication. And I think we need to continue to help him solicit financial support. Remember, partnerships build a strong community which leads to strong, diversified businesses, which help the City to help itself by 111 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 increasing the budget.
And after that. Not much more needs to be said. My name is John Sorello, I'm the Chairman of the Friends of Vernon Park. I would like to point out that private funders in the last five years felt that they could contribute over $150,000 to Vernon. Park so they must have thought it was worth something, that there was something there to be had. Vernon Park not a frill, it's an absolute necessity. Cleanliness and safety of the park are paramount. I cannot thank the Department of Recreation enough and the Horticultural Society and the CGC, the YMCA and the cooperation that the Friends of Vernon Park got from all of its neighbors. It's absolutely amazing and my position is almost superfluous. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm the only committee member at the table for the moment, and I don't have any questions. Thank you if for your testimony. 112 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
Curtis McAllister, Jim Helman, President Grays Ferry Youth Access Center. Is John Boyce here? (Mr. Boyce not present.) (Mr. McAllister comes forward.)
Okay, you can proceed. State your name for the record.
Good afternoon, Councilmembers, Madame Chairperson. My name is Curtis McAllister. And the last name is M-C-A-L-L-I-S-T-E-R. I'm the President of the Stenton Park Advisory Council, and I'm here today to testify on behalf of the residents and the board members in support of the Department of Recreation capital budget and for more funds for Stenton Park Recreation Center. The Stenton Park Advisory Council dates back to 1960 when the Logan and Nicetown community was surrounded by a dynamic industrial community and a commercial district, where there was an abundance of work in our community. Most of the residents and their families worked at the Midville Steel Mill, Bud's Auto Plant, the Burpee Seed Factory, and most of the recreational events 113 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 took place at the Stenton Park Recreation Center. During that time, as a youth myself in the sixties, there was numerous organized sports teams, senior citizen cooking classes, chess tournament groups, and inter-league basketball at Stenton Park. The Advisory Council, during that time in the sixties, sponsored many fund-raising events whereby they were able to support and maintain sports activities. But when there was a need for repairs to be done to the building structures and the upkeep of the park, there was no problems of getting funding from the City of Philadelphia. Unfortunately, during the eighties, the Nicetown and Logan community had met an untimely demise with the sinking homes in our community and with the moving of the industrial businesses to the sun-belt states. It's where recreational activities in Stenton Park suffered immensely from that might blow and the disorganization. Over the last five years, the Stenton Park Advisory Council became involved with renewal programs set forth by the Department of Recreation, and we felt the need to be 114 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 participants in this process of, quote, coordinating and implementing recreational programs and activities, also to seek and promote the spiritual cooperation and to build self-esteem and to encourage a healthy competitiveness and develop lifelong recreational interest among all. Lately, we've felt the bond between us and the Department of Recreation is growing apart. This is based on our request to get maintenance repair done at Stenton Park without having patch work done, to attain financial support for our youth after-school homework club, our tennis program, our anti-drug and violence program, our GED program, our arts and crafts workshops, and also requesting for more recreational staff. Our fund-raising events that we have sponsored gained little revenue, and what we do with the little that we do receive, we give it back to the center. It's not that we're not trying to raise funds, but it is hard to get the support of residents who fear to come out to the park during the evenings or during the day because of the high crime rate in our community. 115 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Today, the future of Nicetown and Logan and Stenton Park Recreation Center will be determined by the success or the failures and planning -- impending plans that the City of Philadelphia has in store for our community. To accomplish these seemingly insurmountable tasks, we need continuous funds and additional funds from the Department of Recreation. Nevertheless, along with the deterioration of our historic park, which is Stenton Park, which also has the Stenton Mansion inside of it, we, the citizens and the organizations of Nicetown and the Logan community, with supports that make up the Stenton Park Advisory Council, have bonded together to work diligently to neutralize the negative and enhance the positive image for the presentation and the revitalization of the historic Stenton Park. We will, indeed, bring our community of Stenton Park back to the status that it has held in the past. Thank you, Council Chairperson.
Now the Grays 116 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Ferry Group.
My name is James Helman, H-E-L-M-A-N. I am a resident of Grays Ferry and President of the Grays Ferry Youth Access Center. The Grays Ferry Youth Access Center (or "YAC") is the only three-facility YAC in the city. Our YAC includes our A facility, Vare Recreation Center, at 26th and Morris street; and our two B facilities, Lanier Playground, at 30th and Tasker Streets, and Donald Finnegan Playground, at 30th and Morton Streets. Grays Ferry YAC has two swimming pools -- the pool at Vare, and the pool at Stinger Square, which is located at 31st and Dickinson Streets. Stinger Square is an unstaffed park. In the last year and a half or so, the Department of Recreation has been making a positive difference in Grays Ferry through recreation programs and the use of our facilities; a difference, I might add, that many other government and private agencies have failed to make over the years. 117 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 In just the last months, we have seen programs like gymnastics, tumbling, soccer, touch football, drama, modern jazz and ethnic dance, basketball, baseball, drawing, arts and crafts, hockey, an after-school program at all three facilities, tot recreation, track and field, and we are finalizing plans for children's ceramics. In addition, we just completed a very successful summer program with 6 day camps and 197 enrollment without incident, injury, or major problems. Some of our programs, such as tumbling, soccer, baseball, and track and field will be participating in citywide activities. These new and dynamic programs came about because of the creation of YAC because of initiative and support from the Department, the commitment of our local recreation staff, and support from the community through our Advisory Council, which seeks to advance recreation and make our programs and our facilities open, fair, and inclusive. But it all began with the Department of 118 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Recreation, which saw the potential that recreation would have to help improve our community and benefit the children and youth of Grays Ferry. Grays Ferry supports the work of this committee. We believe the Department of Recreation is underfunded, and this underfunding prevents the Department from realizing its full potential. In our community, our facilities are aged and need proper maintenance attention. It takes an unusually long time for the Department to respond to our maintenance requests. This delay is not because the Department doesn't care or isn't interested in the proper upkeep of our facilities. Clearly, delays are caused by lack of proper funding, which translates into insufficient staffing to handle all of the maintenance problems that occur throughout the recreation system. At one time, we had Department maintenance staff at Vare ready to plaster a stairwell without the ability to obtain plaster for the job. It is obvious to us that our communities would benefit from an increase in 119 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 maintenance funding, which the Department could then pass on to our local facilities. Staffing is also a problem. Our A facility has authorized two recreation leaders, an assistant recreation leader, and a full-time caretaker. One of our B facilities has authorized one recreation leader and an assistant recreation leader. Our other B facility has authorized one recreation leader. Now, I probably do not have to point out that our Grays Ferry community has had difficult problems. We have not been able to coalesce as a community the way many other communities have. Consequently, our recreation staff must take the initiative to create, operate, and supervise our programs. If our staff doesn't do it, it doesn't get done. " Had our staff not created the program, there would be no 22 drama program. Gymnastics is very hot in Grays Ferry.
One assistant recreation leader and an RSI assistant handles 61 children in the program. If 120 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 they weren't willing to do it, there would be no 3 gymnastics program. Communities such as ours rely heavily on our local staff. Our ability to do recreation is limited by the quantity and quality of our staff. Some day, this may change. But for now, Grays Ferry would benefit from additional funding for the Department, which could be passed to communities in the form of additional staffing. Another example of inadequate staffing is with our tot recreation program, which has 11 children, ages to 5, with children on the waiting list. Tot rec has only one instructor, with no money to hire a second and expand the program. A final example are lifeguards at our swimming pools. 25 per hour after they pay $60 to take the certification course. Once certified, lifeguards have their choice of where to work. 25 when they could work at a private pool for 12 or $13 an hour? Why should a lifeguard work in Grays Ferry where discipline could be a problem, when, for the same wage, they 121 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 could work in a community where discipline is not nearly as big of a problem. Last summer, we had only two lifeguards for each of our swimming pools. That is the minimum number of lifeguards required to open a pool. And even with tow lifeguards, we could only admit 50 children into our pools in order to stay within the guideline of children per lifeguard. 10 We saw the faces of our children on a hot, muggy 11 summer day when they realized that they were 12 number 51 or number 52 and they would have to sit 13 around and wait for a spot to open in our pool. 14 This doesn't happen because the 15 Department doesn't know or doesn't care about the 16 situation. This happens because the Department is 17 in no position to do anything about it because of 18 a lack of adequate funding. In Grays Ferry, we 19 feel that lack of adequate funding. 20
Are you saying 21 that you only had money to hire two lifeguard- 22 funded positions at that pool? 23
We could only get two 24 lifeguards last summer, yes, at both of our 25 pools. 122 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
Can someone from the Department. . . (Commissioner Rice comes forward.) COMMISSIONER RICE: Councilwoman Miller, it was not that they only had funding to hire two; it was a recruitment problem.
We can't hear you. COMMISSIONER RICE: It was a recruitment problem as opposed to money for it. There was money there for the lifeguards.
But they just couldn't find any. COMMISSIONER RICE: They couldn't find sufficient, but we wanted to make sure the pool was opened, so we went with a staff of two.
I could spend the rest of the afternoon reciting examples of how an increase in Department funding would benefit our community. I won't because I realize that other communities want a chance to testify and because I think I've made the point. We want this committee and our elected 123 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 officials to know that Grays Ferry supports a substantial increase in funding for the Department of Recreation. We are persuaded that such an increase would benefit our community and other communities throughout the city and would allow the Department of Recreation to serve the recreation needs of all of our children and youths more effectively and more efficiently. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Fulton? (Harold Fulton comes forward.)
Yes, I'd just like to say good afternoon. My name is Harold Fulton. That's F-U-L-T-O-N. I'm a volunteer at Lonnie Young Rec Center, which is located at Chelten and Ardleigh and East Germantown. Up at Lonnie Young, I wear many hats. I'm a boxing coach, I'm also President of the Advisory Council. I started at Lonnie Young when it was named "East Germantown." I am also the father of Lonnie Young, which had lost his life in Poland in March of '80, in which 86 other persons perished in that plane crash. 124 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 I began my volunteering many years at Eighth Brown in North Philly. That's when the city was going to sell off that playground to the Yellow Cab, back in the sixties. I've been a volunteer for almost maybe 36 or 38 years, given the two locations, Lonnie Young and Eight and Parrish or Eighth and Brown. I'm here this afternoon to raise the conscious of the committee to allocate more money for all community rec centers. I'm hoping that we can seek to increase funds for recreation in the city budget, but we also want the city to increase contributions from private sectors and grant funds. We would ask the committee to support grant applications, private fund as the Fairmount Park have done with the beautiful building that they have on East River Drive of this year. We see that in the last 12 years under, I feel, a poor administration, that they allow these buildings to crumble, and now we're at a point where that, fortunately enough, hopefully with the help of Councilwoman Miller and State Representative John Meyers, that Lonnie Young will be entitled to a building. I'm hoping to see that 125 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 before I, uh --
Before I leave this earth. I know money seems to get mixed around, and we went through that road many, many times. I hope that this do not happen in this particular incidents. Preventing maintenance is one of the key issues to any community. As I stated before, if you continue to look at ugly buildings, you're only going to get no more than people performing you ugliness on buildings. The more that you try, which, in turn, the Department of Rec tries to say that as soon as someone marked a building, take it right off. Well, that works sometimes, but the main thing is that we need to upkeep of maintenance to keep those buildings going. I'm glad to know that this committee asked Mike McCrea to give them a figure. I hope Mike will do a lot of brainstorming with other people that are dealing with the Department of Rec Center to come up with a figure that would be adequate to our needs because 'cause we definitely need more money in this budget to maintain our 126 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 community center. I would also like to emphasize that the mayor said last year that Hawthorne and Fox Chase has an upgrade to a A facility. I would like the committee to take a ride in the different sections of Philadelphia and see these little buildings that they call a rec center, and I would love for them to do maybe the same thing that they have done for Fox Chase. Lonnie Young is not looking for that type of building, but nevertheless, in order to have rec for the youth, those little buildings only serve children 8 to 13 years old. We lose them after our community football is up to 13. After the next year, you see them on the corner, trying to deal drugs and whatnot. We need centers that are going to be A center staffed, where that, hopefully, that we can do the same thing that we're doing at Lonnie Young. I'm going to say this, and I hope that nothing happens during the period over the next year that Lonnie Young fly into the newspaper, but we took the opportunity to buy a pool table, to maintain the kids 15, 16, 17 years old. It's 127 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 working out real well. We bought two ping-pong tables, which, in turn, we are asking different people. My philosophy is, as far as being President of the Advisory Council, I grew up in North Philly, I know how it is, worked for the Department as a lifeguard. And once I went to any place, whether it was Queen Lane or Francisville, or whatever, I always try to find out the person that have the most clout. And I automatically make him the lifeguard, I make him a junior lifeguard. This is what we did up at Lonnie Young this year. We made -- we knew the different people that are something like a leader. I bought T-shirts saying "Junior Lifeguard." And fortunately enough, we didn't have any problem up at Lonnie Young like we had the year before last. So all I'm saying is that we got to go back to basics. A lot of us know what we need. We allow things to get out of hand. We have to try to put it back in perspective. The kids that are out there that are 18, 20, or something like, it's going to be hard 128 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 to get them. But with this after-school program, we can justify making sure that those kids have a proper way of dealing in the rec center with respect of not throwing papers on the floor or doing things that we have as grown-ups have allowed kids to get away with. We still need a lot as far as maintenance is concerned. I would love to see all those little buildings that are B or C centers be incorporated, like I say, into Fox Chase. We don't need another Eddie Pollack for something to bring that about. I thank you.
And I've been to the Fox Chase Gym, I've been to that new Eddie Pollack Gym, and it's really nice. We all have a wish list as it relates to recreation centers, and we're just promising we'll do the best we can. Thank you for your testimony, all three gentlemen.
Thank you. 129 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
Bob Turino, President of the Roxborough Civic Association; Gloria Johnson, President of Friends of Parkside-Evans Playground. Is Stephanie Andrews here? (Stephanie Andrews raises her hand.)
Okay, good. Director of Friends of Philadelphia Parks. (Above-named panel members come forward.)
And I'll tell you who we're going to have next so that you can get ready we're going to have Kathleen Paulmier, Sally Kennedy, Greg Paulmier, Obia Adams, and Cleo Prince, the Greater Germantown Recreation Network, and Waterview Recreation Center. (Gloria Johnson comes forward.)
Yes, thank you. Hi. Good afternoon. I am Gloria Johnson and today I come before you wearing many hats. First I'd like to thank you for the 130 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 opportunity -- nice to see you, Mike -- and we're very happy that this committee brought forth us so that we can share what we know. As I said, I wear many hats. The first is President of Friends of Parkside-Evans, which, as the other gentleman said, were blessed to be in the park located at 53rd and Parkside. In that facility, we run about programs. And the "we" 10 that I'm talking about are the friends of Parkside 11 Evans, which is an all-volunteer group. 12 The blessing, again, is that we have a 13 three-pronged relationship; and that is with the 14 City, the Fairmount Park, and with the Friends. 15 Exactly how the funding streams through 16 the Department of Recreation, I don't know. All I 17 know is usually, when we have a problem, if it's a 18 big problem, we talk directly to Fairmount Park. 19 And if it's even a bigger problem, we go to Mike 20 Nutter, our Councilman, and we find that it gets 21 resolved. 22 The problems that I would like to first 23 bring forth is that as a recreationalist born, 24 bred, and raised in Philadelphia, I too grew up in 25 the golden age of recreation. We ran track, we 131 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 had cheerleaders, dance, music, All City Dance Club, All City Choir. I mean, we were busy. And as a result of that, I grew up to be a very dedicated volunteer. I remember my first certificate was given to me at Haddington Recreation Center. And at that time, I was a swing guide, so I sold, it was hook and sink that I would do this kind of thing once I became an adult. Also what I remember at Haddington was an opportunity when Martin Luther King came, and my brother at that time was on the football team. I was 7 years old or 9 years old, and my brother was the start on the football team, and we also had cheerleaders. So, as you can see, between the schools and the recreation centers, as well as very dedicated volunteers, we grew up to understand, recognize, and love recreation, the arts, and education being done at those kind of facility. Hence, for the last 17 years, we have been dedicated volunteers at Parkside-Evans. And I'm proudly to say that we are very proud of that facility. 132 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 We are primarily an outdoor facility. The building itself has a capacity of 65 people. However, we consider ourselves staunch supporters of open green spaces and environmental issues and concerns. However, just as all of these other others who have here to present, we do have our issues and we do have our concerns. I believe in recreation for everybody. We're talking about from the littlest person to the adult of 101. And as a staunch recreationalist, we also believe the facilities for real for real should be open hours, and 14 that really is our aim. 15 Today the society that we're in, with 16 part-time workers, seasonal workers, 17 under-workers, under-employed, unemployed, and all 18 of those other kinds of categories that we find 19 ourselves and our society in, we must push for 20 more recreational hours. The bottom line in all 21 of it is, we know that the most healthy 22 communities, whether they're in our country or 23 other countries, are those that have positive, 24 strong recreational, educational, and cultural program. 133 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 So as an advocate of recreation, the parks, open green spaces, and people in general, we must have an increased budget for recreation. I do have a question, and perhaps I'll save that a little bit for later, but I'll tell you to be specific. Because I represent the Friends of Parkside-Evans, I'm also Vice President of Parkside Association. I'm also District Representative of Fairmount Park Advisory Council District 1, which is West Park.
And my last but very important position I hold is Director of Youth Programming, Seniors, Recreation Education and Culture. And today I come before you to say that we attempt to, as volunteers, to meet that. We consider ourselves the eyes and ears of the park and our facility, so we are on our job 24/7, we never have a break. As soon as graffiti get up on the wall, we're there as soon as it's there. And, thank God, due to Fairmount Park and our relationship with them, in areas that we can't reach, they get, and they get it off as soon as possible. So that's the kind of relationship that we enjoy. 134 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 However, as well as we're enjoying those, there are some other areas that we know are most important to the West Philadelphia community. Number one, the pool located at 39th and Olive Street, we must have that pool open. We certainly enjoy the wonderful area at Kelly's Pool. However, if you attend every summer, because the pool at 39th and Olive Street has not been open, we have an overabundance, and we usually every summer have problems with overpopulation at Kelly's. So we're very interested in exploring the idea as to why that pool is not open and when, in fact, it can be.
Miss Johnson, let me just ask you a question, and I want to make sure the record 'cause you know I love your advocacy for Parkside-Evans, but some may not be familiar. Parkside-Evans Recreation Center is actually not under the jurisdiction of the Philadelphia Recreation Department; it's under the Recreation Division of the Fairmount Park Commission. And 39th and Olive, albeit in West Philadelphia, is not in the part of West 135 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Philadelphia that I represent. Do you know who's responsibility for that pool? Is that a --
Mm-hmm, it's a rec center. I guess that would be Councilwoman Blackwell?
But the Commissioner is here and we'll try to get an answer to you.
'Cause it's very, very important. As you know, that area has a high concentration of young people. And every time --
Every summer that that pool's not open, we have a lot of problems. Kelly Pool, we love that pool, we consider that the best pool in the entire city, 136 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 and so does many others. Our biggest problem right now is the cover over Kelly Pool. With the recent hand-down from the corporate office of the YMCA, we are no longer -- the public is no longer able to walk off the street, go to the Y at 52nd and Chestnut and pay to go swimming. You must be a member of the Y. Hence, the whole north side of West Philly in our area, Councilman Nutter, we have no indoor swimming pool. I was shocked, devastated and wondering what in the heck are these people telling young people. Now, I'm an old time recreationalist, and I'm still upset it, so we need Kelly Pool, you know, and us making that push for the new pool. We talked about a cover. So we are still interested in making that happen and anything that we can do to assist in that, we would be most happy to do.
Miss Johnson, maybe I'm thinking about something else. Is there a pool in Memorial Hall also? Or am I thinking about the basketball court?
It used to be three. 137 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
And, as you know, future Olympians can't learn to swim if we don't have an indoor pool.
I understand. Let me inquire of Director Mifflin as to the status of the Memorial Hall indoor pools.
Open-door policy. I know that initially, when I read this bill, Councilman Nutter, I was very happy to come because I've also loved recreation. And the open-door policy that has been mentioned by others who have sat here must be reinstated. Any of us, when you ride by recreation centers and they appear to look like prisons, and that has to stop. The way that the open-door policy happens is similar to what we have. We don't have to be a rocket scientist to know. Have the community come in, participate not only as 138 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 volunteers but employees as well. Yes, I want an increase in the Department's budget. However, those people who are hired should come directly from the community where that facility is located. The importance of that is we have ownership. We've been the eyes and ears the entire time that the facility is there. Stop looking outside of the community because the community itself is the answer to wholesome activity. So, please, if we get increased funds, and please, if more staff are hired, please look directly to the community because it is the community where that facility is located that will save it, will make it or either make it break. Variable programs. Again, you know, programs should emanate from the people. Our facility, we vote there, we've had funeral receptions there, we've had birthdays there, we have the Ghandanian Women's group who meet there, we have the NA, which meets there twice a week. And as a result of that, which is one of the things we're very proud of, it used to be crack smokers behind our back door. As soon as we 139 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 brought in the Narcotics Anonymous, it no longer exists. So our communities, the people surrounding the facility know exactly what we want. We need open, friendly, honest people who are not just waiting to retire to put programs in our communities. The last part that I really want to emphasize is sustainable programs. Volunteers -- and, as you can see, I brought my Fairmount Park volunteer bag. Volunteers need to be sustained. I'll give you an example. The lunch program, which has been running forever, and any of us who serve children, we do it every summer. The funds that come from the lunch program are important to little organizations like ours. We've not received payment yet for a program that ended August the 15th. It's extremely important because those of us who run volunteer programs are in our pockets, and we need little funds like that that doesn't make that much difference to the City employees, makes a heck of a difference to organizations like ours. So ironing out something that ended 140 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 three months ago and then get paid three months later is not really giving the proper respect for those of us who keep programs running. (Applause.)
I guess I pretty much have covered almost everything that I could mention right here. And, again, Councilman Nutter, I do thank you for the opportunity.
And if there's going to be some seasonal part-time, full-time jobs available, please make sure that they come from the people who are there. Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Okay. My name is Bob 141 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Turino. That's spelled T-U-R-I-N-O. I'm President of Upper Roxborough Civic Association. And today I'm also representing Andorra Homes Civic Association President Donald M. Whalen. Last name's spelled W-H-A-L-E-N. I first would like to read a short statement that Mr. Whalen gave me, and then made a very brief statement on my part, very brief.
Thank you for your statement. It's been a pleasure hearing from you. (Laughter.)
I knew I was going to get in trouble. As a community leader and concerned citizen, I, Donald Whalen, would like to testify on behalf of Andorra Homes Civic Association. Houston Playground has been in existence for nearly three decades, and in that time, our community has grown with the addition of many new homes such as Thomas Mill Heights, which has over one hundred homes. 142 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Throughout the years, Andorra Homes Civic Association has provided funding for various types of items that the Recreation Department could not fit into their budget. Also, I may add, we were happy to do so. Because of the many groups and sports activities that continue to use this facility, we are requesting funding for a full-time custodian. The position was recently vacated due to retirement, and we were told that no plans were being made to hire another person to fill that position. One major request the community has is to increase the size of the existing building. Many civic and sports organizations need a place to hold meetings. Classes are also held such as ceramics, dance, and numerous others. Scheduling these various activities has been a problem because there is only one room. Mr. Tom Harbery (ph.), who is the facility director, has expressed a dire need for more storage space. I have enclosed the proposed plan to add additional rooms to the existing structure. Please keep in mind that any additions would be 143 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 greatly appreciated. In closing, I would like to thank you for everything that has been done to improve our playground in the past. That's Mr. Whalen's statement.
It's my understanding that the plans for expansion are that you would like it to be something about half the size of the Convention Center; is that my understanding? (Laughter.)
Okay, I understand, right. Well, yeah, there's a parking problem in the Ward. 17
Okay, my statement from 18 Roxborough. Speaking on behalf of Upper 19 Roxborough Civic Association, we share the Houston 20 Center with Andorra residents. The building is 30 21 years old. And with the growth in our area, we are in need of a larger building. Other than the Houston Playground and Al Perleman Ballfield, there are no rec centers in Upper Roxborough or Andorra. There are no pools, 144 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 indoor or outdoor. The expansion of the Houston building would at least be a start. In the winter, there's only the main room for meetings and activities. A Brownie troop and a civic meeting don't blend well together. Houston is the only building that serves the needs of residents. As far as the Al Perleman Field, that is for football and baseball league playing only. So we would request that you take this under advisement and that we could possibly have an expansion to our facility so that we might use it.
Yes. Thank you very much for your statement, Mr. Turino.
Thank you for coming down. You're starting to make regular appearances here at City Council. I think you 145 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 were here Tuesday on a different matter.
We'll work on that high compensation that you're receiving for your volunteer work. Yes, Miss Andrews?
Good afternoon. I'm Stephanie Andrews, A-N-D-R-E-W-S, and I am the Director of Friends of Philadelphia Parks. On behalf of board of the Friends, I want to extend our appreciation to the Department of Recreation for their commitment to what we call passive or community parks within their jurisdiction. The new seasonal workers and the efforts to improve trash collection at the park sites have made a big difference. The Friends spent a lot of time this past summer going into neighborhood across the city where these passive parks are located, which is really every part of Philadelphia. We talked to caregivers and near neighbors, asking about the 146 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 history of their park and what kinds of problems they've faced. Not surprisingly, the litany included the violations of community and person we've all become far to familiar with -- drugs, shootings, crime, prostitution, vandalism, graffiti, and littering. Despite the problems, however, there's a remarkable sense of determination on the part of many people. They want to take back their open space and they want to return the parks to the people of the community, the ones for whom they were originally intended. Under Commissioner DiBerardinis's leadership, the Department of Recreation is working as it has never worked before to help the dreams of these communities come true. The success stories of Gorgus, Carroll, Fairhill, Malcolm X, Norris Square, and others are becoming legends to those of us in the green community. And with more funding, the Department of Recreation can do more. Improved and additional equipment will help with maintenance and lawn care. 147 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 We are all realists. We know that city dollars are finite. And that realism, together with the willingness to take on enormous projects, is one of the reasons why Philadelphia boasts more volunteers for parks and open spaces than any city in America. However, although sweat equity goes a long way, there are still many times when we need the help of our City agencies. In closing, I use that every considering be given to increasing the funding of the Department of Recreation so they can continue and expand the excellent work they're doing. With more funds, they will be able to better help Philadelphians reclaim their community center. Parks help people reach across age, gender, and racial lines as they work for a common cause. And they provide a wonderful opportunity to teach our youngsters about stewardship and responsibility. Many of us belief that the lessons learned by working and caring for things that matter -- and this was what Gloria was talking about -- are lessons that will last a lifetime. 148 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 And parks and open spaces are high on the list of the very few things which will last well beyond our lifetimes. They're our gift to the future. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you to all of you for testimony. And thank you for hanging there in with us. Kathleen Paulmieri, Sally Kennedy, Obia Adams, Cleo Prince and, I believe, Bill McCoy was -- UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: He had to leave.
And -- I'm sorry, and Greg Paulmieri. UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: And Obia Adams had to leave also.
Good afternoon. My name is Kathleen P-A-U-L-M-I-E-R. I'm the co-clerk of the Greater Germantown Recreation Network. I grew up in the (unintelligible) neighborhood in Germantown, and I'd like to read a statement from the Germantown Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society Friends, otherwise known as "Quakers," who 149 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 is helping to sponsor this Greater Germantown Recreation Network. The Germantown Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends ("Quakers") has a grave concern for the recreation centers in District 3 and 4, which have antiquated physical plants, inadequate maintenance or housekeeping staff, and bare-bonus programs, if any, which are run by burned-out volunteers. And much of what I am saying has been said already today, so I'll try to edit as I go.
That's what happens in the three- to four-hour hearings.
Not only do our neighborhood children suffer under these conditions, but we all suffer when children must fend for themselves and find their own, often destructive and sometimes violent pasttimes. We have a peace testimony as Friends, which state that we not only object to violence in 150 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 any form work, but that we must work on the root causes of violence. We are spiritually led to work to improve conditions in our recreation centers so that our children may have safe, clean environments in positive surprised programs when they are not in school. In order to create such an environment, maintenance issues must be at the top of the priority list. Individual centers in Districts and will testify as to their immediate maintenance needs. Unless our centers are clean, safe, and warm in winter, with adequate equipment and adequate bathroom facilities, we cannot expect our children to attend even the best of programs. I just want to paint a picture of a couple of nights ago. Twenty of us gathered at the Pleasant Playground. I don't know if any of you have been out to that building, but it's quite small, they had no heat, and two of their windows would not close, so we were well-chilled after about two hours, but I do want to say that those twenty people came out and showed their support and their concern. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee 151 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 of our Quaker Meeting is already looking for positive programming models, which address directly the issue of peace. Conflict resolution 5 programs already exist, I understand, as do self-esteem-building, drama, dance and martial arts programs. A program of particular interest to Friends is the American Friends Service Committee's Help Increase the Peace (or "HIP" Program), which has been tremendously successful in other cities. 's Cardoza High School for its success in teaching student conflicts-resolution skills. They role-played situations that they must deal with on a regular basis and then use those skills in real-life encounters with police or harassment in their schools. I'd like to quote the editor of one of their papers. He says that prevention of violence is a wise investment; otherwise, we will be reacting constantly to the symptoms of a violent culture. We can no longer tolerate and communities as places where young people and 152 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 adults live amid fear, anger, and the threat of violence actions. When understanding and well-chose words replace bullets and pain as a means to resolving our disputes, we will have gone a long way in transforming a culture of violence into a culture of peace. 38 per day to have a child at one of the recreation centers; that's according to Mike McCrea. Whereas the cost of keeping person in a youth study center is $90 per day. 38 versus $90. The direct savings to the City is obvious, but it is the indirect benefits which should tip the balance. Proactive investment in recreation is positive and nurturing to the human spirit; whereas reactive spending on the criminal justice system ignores the root causes of crime and ensures its perpetuation. If there are fears among you or the administration that the money would be wasted on disorganized centers, rest assured that the 30 members of the Greater Germantown Recreation Network I have been involved with for the last 153 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 year and a half are diligent conscientious, punctual, reliable, articulate and well-organized. There are concerned people working towards solutions, who are ready to give value to dollars spent. Increasing the funding for recreation will not only improve the physical plants, it will give die-hard volunteers the recognition and support that they deserve. Volunteers are not only paying their City taxes, but they are giving of their time as well.
The City benefits from their 600,000 hours of volunteer help each year. 5 million annually. We ask that this time and effort be acknowledged by matching at least half of this savings in the fiscal year 1999 and 2,000 year city budget for the Recreation Department. If the City could hire one additional full-time person to each A and B center and one part-time person to each C and D center to provide volunteer outreach, supervision, and training in 154 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 areas such as fund-raising, the centers would ultimately become more self-sufficient and self-sustaining. Decentralization of authority in the Recreation Department would allow individual centers more autonomy in terms of managing their funds and hiring local help if jobs are not completed in a timely manner. The work order system, as it is currently set up, is not meeting the needs of individual centers. Perhaps more staff needs to be added to the various maintenance teams so as to be able to both the emergency situations as well as the monumental maintenance and housekeeping tasks which have accumulated. Unless each of the specialty teams is enlarged, the centers may continue to deteriorate faster than they can be improved. As a survivor of violent crime myself, and one who has not fled the City, I am committed to making Germantown a safer place for kids and adults alike. Improving the rec centers is a positive, tangible step towards enhancing the quality of life for all of us. I believe strongly that dollars spent 155 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 on recreation to help make them welcoming, hygienic, safe, nurturing and educational will give our children a place not only to play but to develop into the citizens we would like to see running our city in the future. And I have attached our mission statement and some of our goals. And I did want to say that I had some students with me who were very interested in this process. One who was able to get out of his American class but not his basketball practice, so he had to go back.
We understand. There are priorities and then there are priorities.
Thank you very much for taking the time in setting up these hearings.
Sure, thank you, thank you for your testimony. (Applause.) (Tom Grabe comes forward.)
Don't be shy. 156 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
My name is Tom Grabe, G-R-A-B-E, and I'm an attender at Germantown Monthly Meeting, and I'm a member of the Germantown Recreation Network. Bill McCoy, one of our members, has asked me to comment on some of the points he wishes to make. Bill is the -- he's the President of the Advisory Council at Morris Estate, Morris Estate Recreation Center, located at 16th and Chelten Avenues in West Oak Lane. He goes on to say that there are a total of programs at the center. His wish list 14 includes piano lessons, Boy and Girl Scouts, adult 15 literacy classes, and a girls softball teams. We 16 have young women, young men, and young mothers 17 spending over 86 hours per week, volunteering 18 their services to the center. 19 He's commenting about the existence of fees for services, where people are requested to pay for it. Why are we here? he further asks. He wishes not to criticize or argue or to point his finger, but we all share concern for the youngsters of our neighborhoods and their development, and there's a question as to how many 157 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 children get excluded when fees for services are placed for participation in programs. We need your help. Our rest rooms -- there's -- there were new rest rooms put in, and apparently, the one rest room doesn't work any longer. And the question is raised -- and I have to interject a personal feeling, not to be -- not to be -- not to hide the issue that we're dealing with but, I think Mr. DiBerardinis needs a tremendous amount of praise and support from the people of Philadelphia but I think City Council has to address some of the inefficiencies in the system. And my involvement with the various Recreation centers, as is pinpointed by Bill 17 McCoy, in doing work to the bathrooms, and it's not completed, it's a problem that needs to be addressed. People are being hired that are not responsible, they're not being held accountable, and I think that the system needs to be reviewed by City Council and things tightened up tremendously. There's another instance that Mr. McCoy relates in terms of their basketball court being 158 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 resurfaced; a fine job, but then no back boards are being put -- and I'm saying no back boards for three or four months. It's only common sense that says that not only does recreation need more support, but what is already being spent needs to be supervised, and I think that City Council can set the parameters much better than have been set before. He would like to see 2 more part-time staff people 20 hours per week. He comments about the heating systems. There should be preventive maintenance on heating systems so that they don't break down. Again, he addresses the concept of contractors. Why hire contractors that do shoddy work? And if this is the situation, why hire them again, implying that they are regular choices for doing this kind of work. Okay. And I thank you very much. Oh, I'd like to make one more comment. I just pigeonholed Mike, our commissioner, and I asked him how much -- people have made a comment of how much money in terms of increase could the 159 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Recreation Department absorb, and there's the number of 1.2 million, 2.5 million, whatever. I would like to see -- Mike accepted the amount, with his honesty and integrity along with it, of $6 million. I think that we should shoot for -- we should look at how that money should be spent. And I wish to close with a comment that if we could get that in place, we might the summer of '99 being a renaissance summer in Philadelphia.
Councilman Nutter, Councilwoman Miller, perhaps I should say "good evening" now.
Absolutely. Please identify yourself for the record and bring the microphone closer.
My name is Sally Kennedy, K-E-N-N-E-D-Y. No relationship to the former president. And I am a participant in the Greater Germantown Recreation Network, which is 160 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 cosponsored by the Germantown Monthly Meeting, which you well know by now. We are grateful for the aggressive leadership being provided by Councilman Michael Nutter to focus attention on the importance of the recreation system in the lives of our children in the City of Philadelphia. I wish to commend the City Council as a whole for scheduling these meetings, and I hope they're all listening in their different offices since I've seen testify the one or two people when I came in here. However, this testimony is also intended for the mayor and future mayoral candidate in addition to the Members of City Council. According to a report prepared by the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth providing statistics for years 1995 through '97, we are failing a large number of our children. While 8,000 students graduate from high school each year, 7,000 drop out. More than 5,350 juveniles were part of the juvenile justice system, as of June 1997, 145,000 children qualified for welfare, and an additional 31,000 were helped with food stamps. 161 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 I have been told that 80 percent of the student body our public school system lives below the poverty line. This must mean that in some neighborhoods schools. The figure could reach close to a 100 percent. With 1,100 calls coming into the Department of Human Services monthly to report an abused or neglected child, the situation appears pretty dismal. How can these children be given a fighting chance? School reform, of course, is important, but what happens to the children when they are not in school? School lets out at 3 o'clock. What then? especially if parents are working if there is no or insufficient guidance at home, what alternatives are there to hanging out street corners, being exposed to and participating in aggressive drug activity or fooling around with a friend of the opposite sex or getting into a variety of mishaps and misdemeanors. In addition to recreation centers and playgrounds, libraries have programs, some churches and agencies have programs, even schools have programs after school. But altogether, they do not begin to meet the needs, nor do they 162 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 attract the kids in greatest need. We are here to talk about the potential of the public recreation centers, playgrounds, and parks. Thanks to the commitment of a number of dedicated community volunteers and a very small recreation staff, quite a few constructive activities and programs are carried out in these centers and playgrounds, but for limited hours, not on holidays, and not involving nearly the number of children needing attention. Yesterday, the children were out of school; I don't know what they did all day, but this was not a concern of the Recreation Department, for the recreation too centers were closed, had the day off. Now, does that make any sense? The average voter does not know how underfunded, understaffed, and undermaintained the public recreation centers are. In the eighties, the Department of Recreation had a staff of 1,200; in the nineties, a staff of 540 serve 160 facilities, and playgrounds without facilities apparently have no program staff at all. Do we really believe that children should be hanging 163 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 around playgrounds without proper supervision, bullying each other and getting into mischief? The resolution calling for today's hearings is very comprehensive to the point that it correctly recognizes the accomplishments of the Commissioner given the limitations of what he gets to carry out his assignment. We applaud his efforts and we applaud the efforts of many of the Recreation Department staff.
However, I would like to describe the following concerns that have come to my attention during the past year that I have been getting involved in the public recreation system. To consider a large A center to be fully staffed with two and one half people is a joke, especially if one of those staff members has a rotating assignment to a number of other centers, and one of the positions is vacant for half the year. When there is a vacancy in the center for maintenance staff, the downtown office has no 23 funds to keep on staff people to substitute, so so-called "seasonal people" are hired part-time for no longer than six months at less than a 164 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 living wage to pinch-hit. The constant turnover of not very committed staff does not help overall morale in the center. Central supervision of the maintenance staff -- I am talking about the specialized maintenance personnel -- and limited or non-participation of the center's supervisor and staff selection undercuts the authority of the supervisor to coordinate effectively what needs to be accomplished. I recommend that you assess how extensive the morale problem there might be because of the lack of resources and support, and to what degree talented recreational staff, therefore, stop caring and function at less than their full potential and, therefore, serve fewer children. Consider the impact that poor maintenance translated as ugly, poor security, poor coordination, uneven programming has in attracting the children. Different sections of the Department need to coordinate more closely. For example, if you refinish the basketball court, which was just mentioned, and 165 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 then wait indefinitely for back boards to be installed, what have you accomplished? I also want to mention that center that we were in the other night. There was one bathroom that said "For Staff Only," and you had to go out of doors to go to. It is not very helpful for the participation of children and volunteers. Adequate equipment and supplies are important to keep staff and volunteers from burning out. Last year, for Martin Luther King Day, Waterview had 160 volunteers line up, plenty of paint, and three paint brushes. ) Foundation, much was accomplished. What will happen this year? I have not heard that the Recreation Department funding for supplies has been increased. I hear that there are limited supplies in the after-school program supplies, and $335 per center does not provide much. 50 an hour for one person to run the program will attract the level of dedication and competence needed to have an effective program? 166 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 In the summer, for those centers with swimming pools, additional security staff needs to be hired so that the lifeguards will feel safe. There needs to be more adult supervision and instruction present at the swimming pools. The problems seem greater in the less affluent sections of the city. I do not believe in conspiracies. But, at the same, time, you may wish to look at the racist impact this benign neglect has had, coincidental or not. As neighborhoods have changed and middle class, frequently white residents have been replaced by poor minorities, public funding has disappeared from the Recreation Department. We think we have more important things to pay for than children's play. Isn't that ridiculous? Beefing up the Recreation Department in the right way, with extended hours, more long-term staff, adequate pay would provide jobs for some of those people that society wants to get off of welfare. If we can find the money to build more jails for the mothers, don't tell me that we can't find the money to care for the children left 167 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 behind.
Society foolishly has been turning away from affirmative action programs that opened the doors for historically disenfranchised members of society. That is all right, if something is done early on to help level the playing field. People do not have a problem in recognizing the important contribution of Head Start to the children in economically- and educationally-disadvantaged communities; why should this support be withdrawn when the child turns 5? The job is not done by then. A properly-developed recreation system would be an ideal way to continue what Head Start has begun and it will help build a community across ethnic, religious, and economic lines. We know that there is little chance this year for really adequate funding -- that is, millions of dollars, but we need to start working in that direction. The first priority is maintenance and maintenance immediately. The Greater Germantown Recreation Network has been calling for $500,000 to be reallocated to the 1997-'98 budget to 168 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 increase the maintenance staff right away to carry out preventive maintenance, and I understand that would increase probably around people. Of 5 course, this would increase the baseline for the 6 1998-'99 funding. m. , or overnight, including 11 holidays and weekends, along with equipment and 12 supplies. This should promote increased 13 volunteering and allow for senior citizen 14 activities and social service support. 15 The third priority should be specifically for the after-school program. 50, and to provide increased supplies. These after-school coordinators should relate to the children's schools and parents, to be informed of the homework assignments, be ready to create additional assignments when necessary. 169 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Schools should be encouraged to give weekend homework. Rich kids get more homework on the weekends, not less. Ideally, in addition to offering tutoring and homework help and enrichment activities, the centers should have a quiet place where students could study at any time if their homes are not conducive to serious academic pursuits. To summarize, that is $500,000 added to this year's budget, and $2,500 above the current budget for next year. We are talking about public money. In addition, it is appropriate for citizen groups, private enterprise, and recreation policy advisory councils to raise more and expand further the activities of the different centers. Badly needed capital funding is a whole separate topic, which I will leave to others. The mission of the Greater Germantown Recreation Network is to promote peace and eliminate violence in the greater Germantown area by advocating for the children and recreation centers and playgrounds of Greater Germantown. We 170 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 have sort of assigned that the Recreation Districts 3 and 4. And in collaboration with other civic groups and government entities, by working to develop an effective citywide recreation system. The intent is to provide children with supervision, nurturance, and opportunities for growth and socialization in a safe, supervised and attractive environment during times when they are not at home or in school. It is intended that centers and playground become inclusive community centers that serve and empower children through age 18, and families, including senior citizens, regardless of racial, ethnic, or religious affiliation. While individuals in the network may have political ambitions, involvement in the network is restricted to carrying out the stated mission. We will recognize and publicize all who support in action our mission, regardless of political party or political candidacy. We will avoid being used by individual candidates. The organization does not intend to endorse individual candidates or be involved in political campaigns 171 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No.
980687 beyond supporting nonpartisan registration drives. Our intent is to avoid competition and confrontation; rather, to promote and collaboration among the citizens, unions, the Recreation Department, politicians, and the private economic sector for the sake of our children in the communities in which they live. I make a point of this because, in some corners, we have been viewed with suspicion, and some individuals have felt threatened that if they participate in our endeavors, their centers will lose what little extra funding they receive. We are seeking partners in our endeavors and are encouraged by this hearing. It is important for the Mayor, City Council representatives, and other public officials to recognize that the recreation system must become a serious priority in the struggle to eliminate violence and crime in the streets. In addition to helping many youngsters get ahead, strengthening the recreation system will be cost-effective, diminishing the need for more expensive and less effective institutions of 172 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 incarceration. It makes good sense to allocate more cents. Thank you for your attention.
Do you have any centers that belong to the network that are not in the 8th Councilmatic District?
Oh, yes. We have a couple from Councilman Nutter's district.
Oh, okay. MS, KENNEDY: Districts and go up into Chestnut Hill, into a little bit of Roxborough. I can't remember them, I'm going to try to visit all of them.
Okay, I was just trying to figure out who was intimidating them, me or Nutter. (Laughter.)
No one could be intimidated by me. 173 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
Oh, okay. Just for information purposes. Can I ask one question before you go, Greg. Are there any other groups that we don't have your name, you're here to testify and we may not have your name? 'Cause we have -- we have friends of the Dell East and we have. . .
Right. Charmain Sudler, Haddington Council Health Project.
And we have Fred Meyers. And what about Vivien Hansbury?
She left, okay. Okay, Greg. Thank you. (Greg Paulmieri comes forward.) 174 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
Greg Paulmier, Democratic Ward Leader, in Germantown. Thank you. Good evening, Councilman Nutter, Councilwoman Miller. I will read my testimony. I've been working with the rec centers and the playgrounds in my ward and in my area, helping them with staffing problems, equipment problems, working with them to see the problems succeed. I also have a very long involvement with the Wissahickon Boys and Girls Club, of which I am President. Recently, I've been involved with the Germantown Recreation Network. I've learned a great deal about the problems which these kind of services providing organizations face. More than that, I've learned how valuable, how really essential the work is that they do. Let me make a few points about the work which they do. First, they are all of the education system of the City. The schools and education are the number-one issue now with the people, and I think that it should be. And I just want to say that the Recreation Department is a vital, primary part of public education in this city. 175 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Kids learn at these centers. They learn important social interaction skills at an early age, which they will have -- which they will have when they attend school. They participate in organized group activities, they learn discipline and how to pay attention and how to be respectful of their peers and adults, and how to enjoy a cooperative group activity. Without learning these things, a child cannot sit still and learn in school. Wholesome, healthy play is a necessity for kids; it is not a luxury. It is a basic part of their development. All educators know this, and that is why so many good schools require participation in extracurricular activities. To be complete individuals, adults need the opportunity to work, and children need the opportunity to play. It is not something which we can afford to neglect. Second, money provided to rec centers and recreation programs is an excellent bargain for the City because so many of the people working at these places are volunteers. Volunteers at rec centers do a tremendous amount of work for the 176 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 City at nothing more than the cost of support and management. If the city provides adequate maintenance, equipment and supplies to these people, they will donate a valuable amount of labor. Again, if the City hires adequate, competent, paid staff, then those staff people can attract and coordinate a number of volunteers. On the other hand, if the City fails to provide maintenance, equipment, and basic support for the volunteers, they will be unable to function, they will be discouraged, they will give up and stay home. The City will have lost the opportunity to get an excellent value for its money. Rec centers will go to hell and other children will pay the price of our foolish economy. Third, that recreational programs and resources reduce crime is an established fact. That is why the Police Athletic League exists. Certainly teenagers and young adults with recreational outlets are far less likely to be involved in crime and antisocial activities. But also, younger children benefit from 177 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 recreation, do better in school, and are less likely to fall into antisocial behavior later, which is an intelligent, proactive, cost-effective way to reduce crime in the City. There you have it, the three biggest concerns for the residents of the City of Philadelphia: crime, high taxes, and education. Strongly funding recreation programs addresses all three. It improves education, it reduces crime, it saves the City money both by supporting volunteerism and by early intervention into costly social programs. Here is what I have to say about the current level of operations of the recreation centers in and around my ward: It is a disgrace.
The Happy Hollow Recreation Center, the oldest center in the City of Philadelphia, on Wayne Avenue, has broken windows, has many other problems. It's had broken windows, just the windows alone have been broken for three and a half years. I work with Happy Hollow Advisory Committee. We have submitted work request after work request after work request; nothing happens. 178 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 It is just one example. Others persist throughout the facility. And I'm just talking about the physical building, let alone the programs run there. And similar things are true at other centers -- Lonnie Young, Wissahickon, Waterview, Wister, the list go on. What the damage and the neglect does to the community studio is big to calculate. It's a disaster. I know that you are going to tell me that money is or has been budgeted to address some of these place, and the Recreation Department has been working to improved the centers, but the fact remains that at my end, at the places I visit and the people I talk to and deal with, the situation is terrible, unjustifiably terrible. I ask the Special Committee on Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs and the City Council to give to the rec centers the highest priority, which they need, which they must have. I ask you to devote both money, organization, and political will, which is required to make them serve the vital needs of the children and families of our neighborhoods. 179 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 On behalf of Obia Adams and the Waterview Recreation Center, and Obia Adams was unable to stay, and he also was a strong participant in the Germantown Recreation Network, as was I. The Waterview Recreation Center is in need of many, many repairs. Some, just some of those repairs include: the tiles on the floor are coming up. The floor is not difficult to walk with tiles coming up. The maintenance staff presently is injured; there is no maintenance staff person. Light bulbs -- I mean, this a volunteer asking for some things in order that they be able to correct some of these problems. Light bulbs are unavailable. You know, without proper support, the volunteers at Waterview are going to be unable to do what they need to do to run the programs they need to run.
Greg, let me ask you a question, only in the essence of time. Is there a relatively comprehensive list from Mr. Obia Adams of the outstanding maintenance or more operating budget items that need to be taken care of at that center?
If he has done it, and I 180 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 can't answer that for Obia, but if they have done what we have done at Lonnie Young, at Happy Hollow, at Wister, at Wissahickon, if the rec centers in my ward, if they have done that, which is to fill out the work orders, those work orders should be available through the Department of Recreation.
And I would think that it would behoove us to examine those work orders so that we're not sitting here next year complaining about the same problems again.
Hold on for a second. Commissioner, you'll have the appropriate personnel develop a workup on -- (Commissioner DiBerardinis responds off-mike -- inaudible at first.) COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: . . . but there is a $2.8 million major renovation headed there. It's been a long time coming. It's more than enough money, and that's a major accomplishment for every goal. Waterview has been under intensive 181 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 (inaudible). . . it was bad. We've been working there since that time (inaudible). I would contend there's been major improvements in that facility over the last eight months. People may disagree with me about that but (inaudible).
Okay. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: Are we completed? No. There's about a quarter million dollars scheduled to come in. If do this right within six months to a year, the place should be where it needs to be.
Okay. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: (Inaudible) other places need work.
All right. If you can, as I know you do, and we get the periodic reports, if you could -- whoever the appropriate neighborhood contacts are, if someone could keep them up to date on, you know, whatever phase of the project things are at that those location -- it's in design, it's moving out to bid, it's -- work start-date, whatever. COMMISSIONER DIBERARDINIS: We'll share the whole (inaudible) facilities that are 182 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 mentioned and any others that the Coalition needs, we'd be more than happy to provide.
If the work orders are filled out and sent downtown, and things don't happen per that work, that the staff does and the volunteers do, in essence, it would be better not to have the work orders filled out at all. Because, in essence, what we're sending is a message to the staff that we're telling you to do something, and then we're not following through and completing it. So I guess there has to be a decision here at some point. If the City can't afford to fulfill their obligation and maintain these centers, they should not request that volunteers and the center operators --
-- do the work that they are doing. And, in essence, you know, it's backfiring, and it's having them get disillusioned even that much more.
So I mean, either they 183 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 shouldn't be filled out at all or they should be followed through with; it shouldn't be done the way it's done.
I do need to respond a little bit on the subject of Waterview. The collection is out of date now because it was about six months ago, I think, that Commissioner DiBerardinis did give us the pile of work orders. What we haven't properly done is find the time to find out which ones were responded to and which ones weren't, and so I feel badly that he went through the effort and we didn't follow through. Also to acknowledge there have been major improvements in Waterview.
You are guilty of neglect, and you are sentenced to three and a half to five years -- no. 25 (Laughter.) 184 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
But there still is a great deal more that needs to be done. And by the time those floors are fixed, we need to paint the thing over again.
It's a constant process. Why don't we make this the last comment from this panel.
Yeah, at Happy Hollow Recreation Center, we recently lost one of the full-time workers there. We had two full-time workers there. This is the first center in the City of Philadelphia, Happy Hollow. It's a mess, we've lost staffing in the last couple years -- one full-time staff person, which is a lot of staffing -- and the place is a wreck. We filled out all of the work orders. It serves a tremendous population in my ward, and it needs -- you know, we need to make the City more accountable to it. 185 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 It's just not acceptable to us.
Okay, we understand, and certainly the appropriate people have heard you here today on both sides of the rail. Thank you. Thanks for coming in.
Doris Gwaltney and Bertha Parker from Carroll Park. (Ms. Gwaltney and Ms. Parker come forward.) (Applause.)
And is there a Fred Meyers here or something? UNIDENTIFIED AUDIENCE MEMBER: Fred Maurer.
Good evening. I'm Doris Gwaltney, from Carroll Park. I chair the Carroll Park Neighbors Steering Committee.
Please spell your name for the record. 186 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
First, the Carroll Park Neighbors would like to thank Councilman Nutter, who has supporting us from the very beginning of our efforts in Carroll Park. And also the Commissioner DiBerardinis and Tom Fox, we know these gentlemen on a first-name basis because they do respond to us and they come out to us whenever we ask them to. So we really are very grateful for all the services they provide to us. But I think the one issue here, that Stephanie Andrews pointed out, that the important of these neighborhood parks, they are vitally important, they are the backbone of our neighborhoods. We need clean, open space for people to come to. We have senior citizens in our area, and when you have a clean, safe place for them to come, these house-bond seniors can walk maybe one or two blocks and spend an hour or so out in the open with children, listening to children's laughter as they're playing on our equipment out in Carroll Park. So that's vitally important. 187 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 And also, the City is always -- which we heard before at the testimony. The City sort of emphasizes the platinum cardholders who come to visit the City. And we in the neighborhoods were on the carrying card board -- and I was -- we are there, and we will always be there. And our concern mainly is to keep what we have, to maintain what we have. Because we're going to be there forever. We didn't visit; we live there, we're going to stay there.
And we need all the help that we can get from anybody anywhere.
You're welcome. We will continue to support you. Thank you.
My name is Bertha Parker, P-A-R-K-E-R, and I am Secretary of the Friends of Carroll Park. And I just want to say thank you to Councilman Nutter and to the Recreation Department for all that they've done for us and, I'm sure, all that they are planning to do for us. 188 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687
And you'll see more. Thank you. Thank you for staying, I appreciate it.
Okay, we will enter that into the record as if it was read. You can maybe make it --
Well, I'd like to read it since I'm here. I'm your last guest.
Actually, you're not the last guest. I'm going to ask while you're testifying -- I have a general listing of the Family of the Dell East, Yvonne Downey and Joan Henry -- there may be others. So why don't you come up to the table. So for whenever Mr. Maurer 189 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 is complete, and Mr. Maurer, go ahead.
Okay, my name is Fred Maurer. It's spelled M-A-U-R-E-R. And I use recreation facilities in the Northeast, mostly Olney, Tarkin, Lawncrest, and Zeiler. I also do volunteer work in my community. And I want to advise the Council on problems I have experienced in the past year while using Department playgrounds. First, I feel offended that we have used play facilities for commercial advertising to generate operating funds. I do not want to see commercial messages while I am inside to use City facilities. Our playgrounds should be a respite from commercialism. We should not take away the qualities of what we are trying to instill or reduce the satisfaction from recreational values. Even benign commercials like a local pizza shop is contradictory to our recreation mission. Why must we impose an annoyance on our patrons with unwanted commercial activities that are not essential to our program. Do we want our patrons to enjoy our 190 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 playground experience or are we trying to influence them to go out next to places for cigarettes and beer or where to hang out. The logical extension of an advertising program allows other commercial advertising rights, and our City zoning laws cannot stand when any business owner demands their equal right of free speech. Our new program for creating income for advertising is foolish behavior. Our tax dollars should go to create places of home life environment, with no external commercial activities. Many of our centers have irregular hours, and some centers are considered as unattended. I have gone to a center and found it locked and with lights ablaze inside, and I even heard voices but when I rang the bell, there was no answer. I went to one center where there was no 21 doorbell, and I had to pound on a steel plate to find out if anyone was inside. I have gone to centers for deliveries and found there is no mail slot or deposit box or for any letter that I want to do deliver. 191 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 Going to a locked center is an unfriendly welcome. Proper signage is needed. All centers should include signs displaying regular hours and alternative messages for locked doors, and especially in the emergency numbers. My experiences with City employees have shown they are friendly but not communicative or led to an appropriate response. The tree crew was very hard to get. After getting them, they made promises and never did any work as requested. After talking to the supervisor and the manager, it still do not work. It is apparent that they want to give the impression of being cooperative but they are allowed to ignore work problems. I have sent two letters to the Commissioner about this. I do not have any hope. Cleaning outside at the Olney Rec Center is needed. I have collected trash there and left it for the next weekly pick up. It was never picked up, even when I called the supervisor and got two promises. Six weeks later and a confrontational threat to get that pile removed, that is an unreasonable amount of time, and it shows negligence. It proves that they are not 192 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 working from work reports or accepting work initiated from volunteers. I think that center needs at least a weekly supervisory inspection, and maintenance should be scheduled whenever problems are found. Just a drive through the park is not acceptable. One time, I met a work crew and asked them to take away some trash that I piled up at the Civil War monument. " Well tomorrow never came, it's still there. The amount of broken glass here is horrendous. Our volunteers broom-swept the driveway this season, but more glass came later. Last month, one of our volunteers got a flat tire from broken glass, and he will not return for more harm. We need to mechanically sweep all driveways and parking services regularly.
Every shopping center mall uses power-sweeping and dirt collection to keep their tarmac clean. Our recreational centers must be kept clean. We have no less responsibility than every home owner or business to keep our promises and premises clean 193 PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - Res. No. 980687 and in good repair. The success of the Department is only a little bit better than problems that had existed before the present commissioner took office. I appreciate their friendliness, but I'd rather value performance. It still shows there was a need for appropriate funding to operate our current commitments and to give tender loving care in our centers. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Maurer. (Family of Dell East panel members come forward.)
And to my -- I believe, last but not least, to my friends in the green name tags.