COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION, AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, April 15, 1998 11:08 a.m. - - - BILL NO. 970794 - An ordinance naming the playground currently designated as the Whitehall Commons Playground, located at 1900 Wakeling Street and bounded by 4700 Jackson Street, 4700 Ditman Street, and 1900 Margaret Street as the Billy Gambrell Playground. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER, Chair COUNCILWOMAN JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILWOMAN HAPPY FERNANDEZ COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO COUNCILMAN RICHARD T. MARIANO COUNCILMAN W. THACHER LONGSTRETH COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 I N D E X Y.C. Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Frankford Community Member Johnnie Mae Parker . . . . . . . . . . 7 Frankford Community Member Fortunato Perri, Jr. . . . . . . . . . 9 Former Frankford Community Member 3 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning. The public hearing of the City Council Special Committee on Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs is now in session. In attendance for the purpose of a quorum are Councilwoman Marian Tasco, Council Frank Rizzo, Councilwoman Happy Fernandez, and Councilman Rick Mariano. Will the clerk please read title of the bill.
An ordinance naming the playground currently designated as the Whitehall Commons Playground, located at 1900 Wakeling Street and bounded by 4700 Jackson Street, 4700 Ditman Street, and 1900 Margaret Street as the Billy Gambrell Playground.
Okay, thank you. Also in attendance is Council Joan Krajewski and Councilman Jim Kenney. We have a full house. Is there anyone here to testify for or against this bill? If so, please come up to the table, one at a time or two at a time, identify 4 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 yourself for the record, state your name and organization or any other identifying information you choose to give us, and speak into the microphone. (Y.C. Allen comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Y.C. Allen. I live at 4637 Lesher Street. I am the block captain of Lesher Street and a community member of Frankford.
Okay, yes. First of all, I would like to make the correction of the name. It's William Gambrell.
Well, his -- on his birth certificate is William Gambrell -- well, Willie -- William -- Billy Gambrell, in fact, would be in order.
Because that is how the 5 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 neighborhood and the young children know him as.
He's a very dedicated man of the community. He's been in Frankford, working in Frankford, in the community, for 35 years. He has been working with children the Frankford Chargers for 32 years. He is a well-respected man of the community. He goes all out for the namesake of the children. Where children wouldn't be able to have certain challenges to be able to go and enjoy sports or recreation, William Gambrell, he's for every child, whether they can afford it or not or are able to participate in all the sports and activities of the center. I highly recommend that the building of Whitehall bear the name of William Billy Gambrell. .
Stay right there. Is there any Committee Member that has a question for this witness?
I do. I just want 6 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 to clarify what are we naming this center. Are we renaming it "Billy Gambrell" or are we going to name it "Willy Gambrell"?
Councilwoman, we're going to name it "Billy Gambrell."
We were trying to rename it "Mr. Billy," but we don't think, you know, that would be right. But everyone knows him as "Mr. Billy." I didn't know his name was Billy Gambrell till I knew him ten years. It was "Mr. Billy."
All right. Is there anything else you wish to add, Mr. Allen?
And thank you. 7 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794
Is there anyone wishing to testify for or against this bill? (Johnnie Mae Parker comes forward.)
Please state your name and any other identifying information you'd like to give us, and speak directly into the mike.
My name is Johnnie Mae Parker, and I'm also from the community of Frankford and I'm a block captain, also. And it's not too much that I could add to what the fellow had said because I've been knowing Billy Gambrell for over 27 years. My son, who's 35 years old, also was one of the Frankford Chargers many years ago. And when I came to know him, I saw how instrumental he was in getting all the young kids to play football. I mean, that was his heart. And any one of the kids who couldn't afford it, he made sure that they played. He looked all over for grants. I remember when the little boys, they didn't even have uniforms. They were just little raggedy -- they didn't have enough money to buy uniforms but he went around and tried to make sure 8 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 outfitted and made sure that they played ball. He is just that kind of guy. And he also works a lot with the senior citizens. We have -- a new senior-citizen building has been built there in Frankford. And he's always up there talking to the seniors about anything, if they need anything or anything he could do for them, he's there. He's just that kind of guy. And I think that it would be a great thing to have that building dedicated in his honor. That's all I have to say.
Okay. Stay seated. Does any member have questions of this witness? (No questions.)
None? Thank you. Is there anyone else that wants to testify for or against the bill? For the record, we'd like to make note 9 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 that Councilman Thacher Longstreth is also in attendance. (Fortunato Perri Jr. comes forward.)
Please state your name and any other identifying information for the record, and speak into the mike.
Good morning. My name is Fortunato Perri, Jr. And I just want to, before I say anything, that I'm honored to be here this morning in Council chambers. This is my first opportunity I've ever had to be here, and I'm honored. I'd like to speak on behalf of William Gambrell. He is known in our neighborhood as "Mr. Bill." When I say "our neighborhood," I was born and raised in the Frankford community. My mother and father still live there. Bill Gambrell is someone who I've known for about years. He went to school, both 21 junior high school and high school with my father, 22 as a matter of fact. 23 Bill Gambrell has spent his entire 24 adult like trying to better the Frankford 25 community generally by working with the youth of 10 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 the community. He has worked tirelessly in the Frankford Chargers organization in this building that we're talking about this morning, along with the play ground that sits in the shadows of Whitehall Projects. And it's through his efforts that this organization has been able to maintain itself through the last or 30 years, when he started 10 it in the late sixties. 11 His goals are seeing that young 12 children have a place to play, a place to go, a 13 place to keep them off the streets, and he is 14 completely dedicated to that end. 15 He has made it possible for many young 16 boys, for the most part, from the community 17 through the Chargers organization, to receive 18 athletic scholarships, a college education. 19 And some of those individuals have 20 played professional sports. I can just name Ralph 21 Louis, Blair Thomas, two of the guys come to find. 22 So I'm here this morning proudly 23 stating to the Members of Council that I think I 24 can speak on behalf of the entire Frankford 25 community that Mr. Gambrell is well-deserving of 11 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 this building being dedicated in his name.
Thank you. Do any committee members have any questions for this witness? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
I just want to say something for the record. I introduced this bill, along with Councilman Kenney. And I know Mr. Gambrell. 12 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 And just a little bit of little quick history about the Whitehall section of Frankford. The Whitehall section of Frankford is the oldest African-American section in the City of Philadelphia. Campbell A.M.E. Church, which is two blocks from the Whitehall Commons that we're talking about was a stop on the underground railroad. So in a neighborhood that's been going through some changes, and the projects have been there as long as I can remember. I don't ever remember a time the projects weren't there; as long as I can remember, the projects were there. Billy has been a positive reinforcement on all these -- not just young men, and it hasn't always been football. He has a -- there's -- he has leadership classes that -- he's just amazing. I mean, I love to go to Frankford Chargers to listen to the boys and girls because they're so well-behaved because Billy -- there's dance classes in there, and Billy makes sure everybody's behaved. And he's definitely a person who has had effect on more people's life than anyone could ever hope to. 13 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 So I'm proud to cosponsor this bill, and I think it's definitely a good sign for young people in any community to know a person like Billy Gambrell. Thank you, Madame Chairwoman.
Okay, thank you, Councilman Mariano for your comments. This concludes the public hearing on Bill No. 970794. - - -
We will now move into the public meeting. The Chair will recognize Councilman Mariano for a motion.
I'd like to make a motion that Bill No. 970794 be voted out of committee with a favorable recommendation. (Duly seconded.)
Okay. It has been properly moved and seconded that Bill No. 22 970794 be voted out of this committee with a favorable recommendation. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Those opposed? 14 COMM. ON PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS - 970794 The motion is carried. Bill No. 970794 is approved. This concludes the public meeting. We want to thank you and thank everyone for coming, especially the Committee Members. Thank you. (Adjourned at 11:20 a.m.) - - - 15 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Wednesday, April 15, 1998, were reported and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PARKS, RECREATION, AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS BILL NO. 970794 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, RPR