Seven Council Members –
Make a Decision
October 14, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
Certain issues before City Council focus and bring to light the very depth of a council member’s strength of character and dignity. The illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow is one of those issues.
My two testimonies last week underlined Councilmember Barbara Warwick’s accountability in supporting the skatepark as the public face, voice, and leader of the skateboarders. I will reiterate what I said to her then, “You do not have the strong moral character required to be a council member. Time to resign.”
The council member has jogged numerous times through Panther Hollow in the early morning hours before the skateboarders arrive. She is therefore completely aware of the quiet, and peaceful atmosphere of our Italian neighborhood that my parents’ generation fought to protect and preserve. However, that idyllic serenity is shattered by the piercing noises of the skateboarders as soon as they arrive in the illegal skatepark.
Barbara Warwick, who does not represent Panther Hollow, dishonors my parents’ generation with her shameful public advocacy of the illegal skatepark. She has passed her shame on to all members of this City Council, except for Councilmember Anthony Coghill, who has demonstrated the courage to support our community.
Now, the other seven councilmembers will have to make their own decisions.
Councilmembers Theresa Kail-Smith, Deb Gross, and Erika Strassburger, I ask each of you to imagine if your own parents experienced the skateboarders’ piercing noises penetrating their home and neighborhood, forcing them to shut all their windows and doors. What if they had asked you to shut down the illegal skatepark? Would you continue to take no action?
Councilmembers R. Daniel Lavelle, Bobby Wilson, Khari Mosley, and Bob Charland, I ask each of you to imagine that same scenario. What if your parents had asked you to shut down the skatepark? Would you continue to ignore them?
I now ask all seven of you to now take a clear, firm position. If you would accept that kind of experience for your own parents, then simply send me an email stating, “I support the skatepark in Panther Hollow.”
However, if you would not accept that kind of experience for your parents, then simply send me an email stating, “I support shutting down the skatepark in Panther Hollow.”
Please respond by the end of the day. A nonresponse will be understood as support for shutting down the illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow.
Carlino Giampolo
Seven Council Members Decisions
October 15, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
I began yesterday’s testimony by saying that certain issues before City Council focus and bring to light the very depth of a councilmember’s strength of character and dignity. The illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow is one of those issues.
Later, I asked the councilmembers, except for Barbara Warwick and Anthony Coghill, who have already made their decisions clear, to imagine if the skateboarders’ piercing noises were penetrating into the homes and neighborhoods of their parents, and their parents had asked them to shut down the skatepark. Would they continue to ignore their parents and take no action?
I then said, “If you would accept that kind of experience for your own parents, then simply send me an email, stating, ‘I support the skatepark in Panther Hollow.’ However, if you would not accept that kind of experience for your parents, then simply send me an email stating, ‘I support shutting down the skatepark in Panther Hollow.’ Please respond by the end of the day. A nonresponse will be understood as support for shutting down the illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow.”
A nonresponse will be understood as support for shutting down the illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow.
Here are the results of that call for a firm decision:
Theresa Kail-Smith – Nonresponse
Deb Gross – Nonresponse
Erika Strassburger – Nonresponse
R. Daniel Lavell – Nonresponse
Bobby Wilson – Nonresponse
Khari Mosley – Nonresponse
Bob Charland – Nonresponse
The final result for the nine council members:
In support of the skatepark in Panther Hollow: One Member
In support to shutdown the skatepark in Panther Hollow: Eight Members
Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your honesty.
There is much more to be said about this issue in the future.
Carlino Giampolo
Barbara Warwick’s Betrayal
Time to Resign
October 8, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
My testimony yesterday, underlining Barbara Warwick’s accountability, ended with this statement: “You have brought shame to this entire City Council, and there is more to be said about that shame. You do not have the strong moral character required to be a council member. Time to resign.” Let’s continue.
Prior to the illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow, I was never harassed nor did I ever have to call 911. In a little over one month, I have visited the police station nine times to file incidents of harassment, and separately called 911 seventeen times.
You are the face, voice, and leader of the skateboarders. You have made no effort to reach out to them to stop the illegal activities. Your lack of strong moral character has brought shame to this entire City Council. Time to resign.
The skateboarders have been emboldened and feel entitled to do whatever they want, including illegal activities, because they have your full support. Your lack of strong moral character has brought shame to this entire City Council. Time to resign.
You were dishonest with Councilmember Bob Charland at a June 16, 2025, Standing Committee meeting for the flawed and disgraceful naming of our playground. You told him you were not sure if you represented Panther Hollow, with full awareness that was untrue. Your dishonesty has brought shame to this entire City Council. Time to resign.
You were dishonest with me on October 2, 2025, when the front of my home was vandalized in the incident I described in yesterday’s testimony. You dishonestly told me that numerous residents in Panther Hollow support the illegal skatepark, and yet you could not produce any of their names. Your dishonesty has brought shame to this entire City Council. Time to resign.
You are a betrayer. When the now called Mon-Oakland Connector project was made known, I initially led the fight to end that roadway, protecting both Panther Hollow and your neighborhood of The Run. That triumph helped you get elected. You then betrayed me and the longtime residents of Panther Hollow. Your betrayal has brought shame to this entire City Council. Time to resign.
I will end today’s testimony as I did yesterday: “You have brought shame to this entire City Council, and there is more to be said about that shame. You do not have the strong moral character required to be a council member. Time to resign.”
Carlino Giampolo
Barbara Warwick’s
Shame Upon City Council
Time to Resign
October 7, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
Barbara Warwick – You do not have the strong moral character required to be a council member. Time to resign.
You do not represent Panther Hollow, but your shameful, strong public support for the outrageously illegal skatepark has brought harm to our community. Time to resign.
Last week, the curb in front of my home was painted yellow, because of vehicles blocking driveway access. Someone deliberately stepped into the wet paint and walked onto the sidewalk and street in front of my home.
As I was scraping off the yellow footprints, you shamefully remarked that I deserved that indignity because of speaking out against the injustice of the illegal skatepark. No one deserves to be harmed for any reason. No one. Time to resign.
Your shameful comment only affirmed that lack of strong moral character that every council member should possess. Time to resign.
The Pittsburgh Police tell residents that if you see something, say something to help fight crime in our city. Your shameful message that individuals who do so deserve retribution undercuts that message. Time to resign.
Your shameful message also undercuts parents who teach their children to live a life with harm to none. Time to resign.
Our prisons are filled with individuals who did not respect the dignity of others. However, prison is not the only place with such individuals. Time to resign.
You shamefully spearheaded the official naming of our playground without notice to any resident. A name that doesn’t even include “Panther Hollow.” Time to resign.
Both KDKA and WPXI shared this issue, and your shameful message to all viewers was that the skatepark is a success story. How can anything be characterized a success when the means to the end was outrageously illegal, and the end brings harm to others? Time to resign.
Last week, I spoke about dignity and the many components from which dignity flows, which are on the website: PantherHollowPlayground.com. Those words were meaningless to you. Time to resign.
You have brought shame to this entire City Council, and there is more to be said about that shame. You do not have the strong moral character required to be a council member. Time to resign.
Carlino Giampolo
Awaken Your Dignity
Break the Silence
September 30, 2025
By Carlino Giampolo
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
My remarks today about the illegal sktepark in Panther Hollow are directed to all councilmembers except Anthony Coghill. He is the only councilmember to date who has the courage to support our community.
I have come before this council on seven previous occasions to talk about this issue, and my theme remains the same: Awaken your dignity.
The illegal skatepark has brought pain and suffering to the longtime residents, disrupted their quality of life, and threatened their Italian heritage that generations fought to protect and preserve.
Each of you have your own views on dignity. Let me share mine and how it relates to the illegal skatepark.
Dignity is that which is noble and worthy within you. It flows from these seven components.
1) Valued Self. This consists of self-awareness, self-esteem, self-love, self-confidence, self respect, self realization and self-worth. Why is the worth of the residents in our community any less that yours when none of you would want an illegal skatepark right next to your homes, either?
2) Intensity. This involves being focused, patient and wise, and seeing both the current picture and the bigger picture. Your own dignity is a part of the bigger picture of this illegal skatepark.
3) Strength of Character. This involves your ideals and principles. What principles are you holding onto and what messages are you giving young skateboarders? Are they to: Have fun even if it brings harm to others? Have fun but don’t take responsibility? Have fun because the self-serving end justifies the means?
4) Consciousness. This word encapsulates that which you use to create your reality, namely: beliefs and attitudes, thoughts and feelings, choices and decisions, as well as desire, imagination, and expectation. What is it within your own consciousness that justifies inflicting harm on others?
5 and 6) Spirituality. This involves the depth of your relationship with two components combined: your soul and your spirit. What messages might you be hearing that justify the pain and suffering for the residents of our community?
7) Freedom. This component is that force inside of you that challenges you to become more of who you are. It involves courage. Summon your courage to end this injustice.
Awaken your dignity and break your silence.
Italian American Civil Rights League
66-85 73rd Place
Middle Village, New York 11379
Council Member Bob Charland
Pittsburgh City Council
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Re: Immediate Action Required – Illegal “Oakland DIY Skate Park” in Panther Hollow
Dear Council Member Charland,
This letter follows my correspondence of September 2, 2025, in which I urged you—on behalf o f the Panther Hollow community—to take immediate action against the unlawful occupation and construction occurring in what is now being called the “Oakland DIY Skate Park.” At that time, I proposed reasonable alternatives to resolve the matter without litigation.
Since then, the violations have escalated. Over ten yards of concrete have been poured into the park in direct contravention of City law. Specifically:
– No permits were obtained, as required the Pittsburgh Code.
– No inspections were conducted, as mandated under City building and safety regulations.
– No notice was provided to residents, a violation of due process obligations when altering public space.
– No authorization was granted by City Council beyond the limited Resolution 2025-1807, which permitted a symbolic renaming only. That resolution conveyed no legal rights to engage in construction or exclusive occupation of public land.
The result is that a small, self-appointed group has effectively seized public property and converted it to their private use. This i s not an “informal community project.” It is an illegal construction site operating without permits, licenses, or legal authority.
As a Council Member, you are obligated to enforce the City’s zoning and permitting laws. If the City fails to act, it will not merely be turning a blind eye to unlawful conduct—it will be complicit in it. The failure to enforce City code and related provisions exposes the City to potential litigation and liability, including claims for unequal enforcement of the law and deprivation of community use rights.
If you do not act, the residents of Panther Hollow will be forced to pursue judicial remedies. That process will compel disclosure of city records, correspondence, and internal communications regarding this unlawful construction. It will also drain City resources—resources that could instead be directed toward lawful improvements that serve the entire community, such as a renovated playground, bocce courts, and multi-use recreation areas.
The choice before you is clear: uphold the law, protect the rights of your constituents, and restore fairness to Panther Hollow—or allow an illegal takeover to stand and accept the legal, political, and financial consequences.
We remain willing to work with you toward a constructive solution that respects both the law and the community. I can be reached at my Office – (619) 236-1704; Cell – (619) 889-8467; or Email – anthonycolombolegal@gmail.com.
Respectfully,
Anthony E. Colombo, Jr., Esq.
Board Member
Italian American Civil Rights League
Respect the Dignity
of Our Host Community
September 3, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
I have come before City Council six times since July 15 to raise the issue of the outrageously illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow. I trust that you have given those words your most serious thought and consideration.
My theme throughout my testimonies has simply been for councilmembers to awaken your dignity, because when dignity is fully awake, this issue becomes easy to resolve.
The devaluation of dignity was the origin of this ill-conceived skatepark when no notice was given, thereby not respecting the dignity of the Panther Hollow residents and our Italian heritage.
To have Councilmember Barbara Warwick justify this devaluation of dignity by saying the playground was not in use shows a lack of respect for her own dignity.
Panther Hollow residents were never asked: What do you want in your playground? That would have been respecting the dignity of the host community.
Two days ago, I forwarded to councilmembers an email from the grandfather of a skateboarder who challenged me to a fight. That wasn’t the first email that I received of that kind. Certainly, that is not coming from someone whose dignity is fully awake.
On the same day, a property in our neighborhood was tagged with graffiti. That also is not from someone whose dignity is fully awake.
Some residents are now concerned that if they come before you to speak, they would be retaliated against and their homes vandalized.
The official naming of our playground as Oakland DIY Skatepark on June 17 is symbolic of the wrongdoing surrounding this skatepark. Again, neither I nor others received any notice about the naming.
Councilmember Warwick knows how to reach me, because she sent me an email on April 4 to knock on doors with her and Mayor Ed Gainey in the primary election. Yet two months later, she never sent me an email that the playground, that has been in our neighborhood for nearly 60 years, would not even have “Panther Hollow” in its name.
Skateboarders and Councilmember Warwick, in their own lack of dignity, are now telling Panther Hollow residents that we should simply live with the continuous noise of skateboards crashing onto the ground within the sanctuary of our own homes for the rest of our lives.
Shut down the playground, remove the illegal skatepark, and build two bocce courts and a playground area that would be in better harmony with our neighborhood and Italian heritage.
Carlino Giampolo
Join Our Rally to End the Injustice
Against Our Italian Heritage
Wednesday, September 3
9AM -10AM
Fronting the City-County Building
414 Grant Street
Defend Panther Hollow,
one of Pittsburgh’s first Italian neighborhoods
settled by Italian immigrants
beginning in the 1880s.
To Label, Then Love
Or Hate the Label
August 26, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
In my testimony on August 22, I mentioned that we are forming an alliance with local and national Italian organizations that protect and preserve Italian heritage, as well as individuals who understand the wrongfulness of the outrageously illegal skatepark in the Panther Hollow playground.
An invitation to join our rally to end the injustice against our Italian heritage is on our website: PantherHollowPlayground.com
The rally will take place next week on Wednesday, September 3, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. fronting this City-County building at 414 Grant Street.
I mentioned in my August 22 testimony that the consciousness surrounding our Panther Hollow rights movement to protect the dignity of our residents and our Italian heritage has a common thread with the 1960s people of color civil rights, the 1970s domestic violence victims rights, and the LGBTQ rights movements.
The common thread working against all of these rights movements consists of:
1) Devaluing dignity.
2) Giving low priority to the injustices.
3) Individuals making baseless objections to keeping the status quo.
4) Initially not being considered tragic enough to be of interest to those in authority who are entrusted to protect the rights of citizens experiencing injustice.
In addition to that common thread, some individuals hold a belief system that perpetuates those injustices. That system claims it is justified to label and then to love or hate the label.
These individuals do not look beyond that label or deeper into the dignity and value of others, nor do they look deeper into the wrongfulness of issues. Their belief system causes untold pain and suffering for far too many.
I mention this because there may be a few councilmembers who love the label of Councilmember Barbara Warwick being a friend and fellow councilmember, and therefore refuse to look deeper into her wrongful actions in supporting the skatepark and the shameful naming of our Panther Hollow playground.
Past testimony has made it abundantly clear that there is no justification for what Councilmember Warwick has done to our neighborhood. She does not even represent Panther Hollow. What makes her actions more egregious is that she refuses to acknowledge her wrongfulness.
Once your dignity is fully awake and you put into action your values, ideals, and principles, as well as your own spirituality, then this issue becomes easier to resolve.
Awaken your dignity, shut down the playground, and remove the skatepark. Then, let us begin to move forward with two bocce courts and a playground area for children that will be in harmony with the dignity of our residents, and our Italian heritage.
Carlino Giampolo
Rally for Our Dignity and Heritage
August 22, 2025
(The following is testimony presented at Pittsburgh City Council.)
This is my fifth consecutive testimony about the outrageously illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow. This ill-conceived skatepark project is similar to the morally corrupt and disgraced Mon-Oakland Connector project in that it began with no notice to the residents of Panther Hollow and threatened the identity of our proud Italian heritage.
Panther Hollow residents allied with another neighborhood and, together, we triumphed over the Mon-Oakland Connector project.
Panther Hollow residents will triumph again as we defend our neighborhood’s dignity and heritage.
This time, we are forming an alliance with local and national Italian organizations that protect and preserve Italian heritage, as well as individuals who understand the wrongfulness of this skatepark project.
On our website, we also have an invitation to join our rally to end the injustice against our Italian heritage.
Please visit: PantherHollowPlayground.com
The rally will take place on Wednesday, September 3, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. fronting this City-County building at 414 Grant Street.
The consciousness surrounding our Panther Hollow rights movement to protect the dignity of our residents and our Italian heritage has a common thread with the 1960s people of color civil rights, the 1970s domestic violence victims rights, and the LGBTQ rights movements.
The common thread working against all of these rights movements are:
1) Devaluing dignity.
2) Giving low priority to the injustices.
3) Individuals making baseless objections to keeping the status quo.
4) Initially not being considered tragic enough to be of interest to those in authority who are entrusted to protect the rights of citizens experiencing injustice.
Learn from the past and awaken your dignity to the present.
As mentioned before, the action of Councilmember Barbara Warwick in naming our playground was shameful. She betrayed each of you, and that shame is now a part of the entire City Council.
On August 9, 2025, an individual spray-painted the words “Oakland DIY” on the front wall of the playground. Incredibly, he was granted permission by a Pitt student who oversees the construction of the skatepark.
This is further shame for City Council as skateboarders have taken total control of the playground and have taken any actions they wanted, while you sit here and allow it by doing nothing.
Our rally is Wednesday, September 3. Once again, we ask you to awaken your dignity, end the shame, and shut down the playground.
Carlino Giampolo
End the Injustice of the
Illegal Skatepark
Pittsburgh City Council has been asked to take these three actions:
1) Remove the illegal skatepark from the Panther Hollow playground.
2) Shut down the Panther Hollow playground to end the skateboarding activity.
3) Have Councilmember Bob Charland, the councilmember for Panther Hollow, conduct an in-depth investigation of the building of the illegal skatepark from its inception to the present.
Below are testimonies presented at Pittsburgh City Council meetings, followed by photos of the illegal skatepark, and a link to the Italian history of Panther Hollow.
Testimonies at Pittsburgh City Council
Awaken Your Dignity –
Remove the Illegal Skatepark
July 15, 2025
I am here today because of a grave injustice against the longtime residents of the iconic Italian neighborhood of Panther Hollow.
A massive illegal skatepark, spearheaded by Councilmember Barb Warwick, who doesn’t represent Panther Hollow, was constructed inside the Panther Hollow playground.
I ask Pittsburgh City Council to take these three actions: 1) Remove the illegal skatepark from the Panther Hollow playground; 2) shut down the Panther Hollow playground to end the skateboarding activity; and 3) have Councilmember Bob Charland conduct an in-depth investigation of the building of the illegal skatepark from its inception to the present.
Here are a few key reasons:
1) Totally Illegal
The Sunshine Law was broken as no longtime resident of Panther Hollow was informed before the massive construction of the skatepark, not even the owner of the home abutting our Panther Hollow playground.
Councilmember Bob Charland must follow the truth of this illegal skatepark to wherever it leads, even if that may lead to the city’s legal department or the district attorney’s office.
2) No Permits Issued for the Building of the Skatepark
I am unaware of any plans submitted to the city, or permits issued to the young skateboarders who built this skatepark. I am also unaware that any city supervisor oversaw the construction of this massive skatepark.
3) Extreme Liability Exposure
Skateboarders in this illegal skatepark could sustain massive injuries resulting in lawsuits in the tens of millions of dollars, for which city councilmembers and taxpayers would be responsible. On June 16, Councilmember Warwick and I witnessed a horrific fall of a skateboarder there which could have quickly led to that.
4) Disrespectful Naming of the Panther Hollow Playground
The very next day, on June 17, and again without any notification to any resident of Panther Hollow, Councilmember Warwick persuaded her fellow councilmembers to name our playground “Oakland DIY Skatepark.”
Panther Hollow residents have fought gallantly for decades to protect and preserve their historic neighborhood and identity, and that name does not even reflect the official name of their very own playground.
5) Diminished Quality of Life
The illegal skatepark has greatly diminished the quality of life for Panther Hollow residents who never needed or wanted a skatepark. The sounds of the skateboards crashing onto the concrete from morning to night permeate their once peaceful and quiet neighborhood.
Finally, I want to remind any councilmember who stonewalls or opposes these suggestions not to repeat the past mistakes of the failed Mon-Oakland Connector project. Do not underestimate the power and depth of the caring Panther Hollow residents have for their neighborhood.
Awaken your dignity and end this injustice.
Carlino Giampolo
End the Shame of the Illegal Skatepark
July 22, 2025
Last Tuesday, I spoke about the illegal skatepark constructed in the Panther Hollow playground. That testimony is on YouTube on City Channel Pittsburgh, July 15 video, time stamp at 44 minutes, 10 seconds.
To respect the dignity of another requires respect for one’s own personal dignity.
Councilmember Barbara Warwick didn’t respect her own dignity and therefore didn’t respect the dignity of Panther Hollow residents.
What right does she have to come into our neighborhood she doesn’t represent and build a massive skatepark without notice or permits, as if the residents there don’t exist? The Sunshine Law exists to protect the dignity of residents. She broke the law.
The construction of the illegal skatepark was not done by skilled union city workers, but was spearheaded by AJ Haddon, a student at Pitt with no degree. Incredibly, no plans were submitted to the city and no permits issued. Instead, Councilmember Warwick gave him permission to build whatever he wanted.
If any councilmember supports this illegal skatepark because of their own lack of dignity, then this shame will continue to grow.
Further exemplifying the lack of dignity and shamefulness of this project, on July 8, I asked AJ Haddon why he installed a sign inside our playground that reads “Boundary St. Park.” He said that was the previous name of the playground as provided to him by the office of Councilmember Warwick.
I asked the city’s archive office to conduct an investigation. The reply to me said in part, “There is no record anywhere in the Municipal Record that formally names it “Boundary Street Playground or park.”
On June 17, and again, without any notification to any Panther Hollow residents, Councilmember Warwick persuaded other councilmembers to “rename” our playground “Oakland DIY Skatepark.”
How can a playground be renamed if it never had an official name? More egregiously, Councilmember Warwick disrespected the dignity of the neighborhood residents by declaring an official name for their own playground without notice.
Resolution No. 351 of 2025 renaming our playground “Oakland DIY Skatepark” is disgraceful, dishonest, shameful, and flawed, and must be rescinded.
For council members whose dignity is fully awake and support our efforts, I urge you to stand tall, stand proud, stand out, and let your voices be heard both inside and outside of council chambers to end the shame of the illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow.
Carlino Giampolo
Take the Path of Tragedy
or Path of Dignity?
July 23, 2025
Change occurs on two pathways: the worn-out Path of Tragedy, or the less-travelled Path of Dignity.
The illegal skatepark in our Panther Hollow playground is on the Path of Tragedy. Councilmember Barbara Warwick broke the Sunshine Law when she spearheaded the initiation of this skatepark, and she must bear the consequences of her action.
The Sunshine Law is rendered meaningless if it is not enforced.
Councilmember Warwick used the excuse that our playground was not in use. That is no reason to justify what she did. Her action is one that is clearly on the Path of Tragedy.
Those councilmembers who support her wrongdoing are also on the Path of Tragedy, whether it’s with their vocal support or complicit silence.
The Path of Dignity for Councilmember Warwick would have been to ask Panther Hollow residents what they wanted in the playground within their own neighborhood.
As a Panther Hollow resident, I would never go into the neighborhood of Brookline and unilaterally dictate what their playground should be, including giving it an official name. That is for Brookline residents like Brandon McGinley to decide.
Some may say, why didn’t the longtime residents of Panther Hollow speak up sooner about the illegal skatepark?
If your family member or friend were experiencing domestic abuse, if you were on the Path of Dignity, you would not ask them why they did not speak up sooner. Instead, you would immediately take action using your power and authority to help end the abuse.
There are multiple reasons why some might not speak up. For instance, Panther Hollow has three longtime residents: a brother and two sisters. The brother is legally blind and the sisters, who are not in good health, lovingly take care of their brother.
In my opinion, their testimony would fall on deaf ears to those who strongly support the illegal actions of Councilmember Warwick. Yet these longtime residents don’t deserve the abuse of having to close their doors and windows of their own homes so as not to hear the sounds of skateboards crashing onto concrete.
It will take courage for council members to uphold their highest level of dignity to end the injustice of this illegal skatepark in Panther Hollow when that may cause chaos and result in personal criticisms and loss of friendships. However, they must do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do.
I strongly urge you to take the Path of Dignity and remove the illegal skatepark, shut down the playground, and conduct an in-depth investigation of this tragic project from its inception to the present.
Your personal dignity should inspire you to do no less.
Carlino Giampolo
Honor Our Legacy, Not Illegal Activity
July 28, 2025
This is my fourth testimony in the past two weeks concerning the illegal skatepark in the Panther Hollow playground. All of these testimonies and additional information about this issue are on the website: www.PantherHollowPlayground.com
I ask anyone interested in protecting Italian heritage, especially those with a legal background, and anyone who understands the injustice of this issue, to contact me by email, which is on the website. I also ask you to share the website with your social media contacts.
Panther Hollow exemplifies the quintessential immigration experience in America. The early settlers, immigrants from the towns of Gamberale and Pizzoferrato in the Abruzzi region in Central Italy, arrived in the 1880s.
To the longtime residents, Panther Hollow is sacred. We deeply honor the legacy of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who enriched our lives and made us all proud to be Italian.
A detailed history of our beloved neighborhood is on the website: www.PantherHollow.us
I have asked City Council to remove the illegal skatepark from the Panther Hollow playground and to shut it down to end the skateboarding activity. Once this is done, two bocce courts, in harmony with our Italian heritage, must be built where the illegal skatepark now exists.
Councilmember Barbara Warwick, who spearheaded the initiation of the illegal skatepark, utterly ignored our heritage. Her actions have also completely altered the peace, tranquility, and quality of life in our neighborhood, which she does not even represent.
Now, we hear the sounds of skateboards crashing onto the ground like the sounds of gunshots. Residents are forced to shut their doors and windows so as not to hear those piercing sounds every day.
Recently, women have reported receiving catcalls from the skateboarders while walking past the skatepark. They purchased extra locks for their homes to feel safe. No one should have to live like that.
Should Councilmember Warwick stonewall or oppose our community’s efforts to end this injustice, she must resign.
If any councilmember supports her because she is their colleague and friend, and ignores the dignity of our residents and our Italian heritage, then that councilmember must also resign.
In my initial testimony of July 15, I ended it by saying, “Awaken your dignity and end the injustice.” It bears repeating here today: “Awaken your dignity and end the injustice.”
Carlino Giampolo
Illegal Skatepark
Panther Hollow Italian History
For information about the Italian history of Panther Hollow, visit: www.PantherHollow.us
