DIRECTOR BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO REC CENTER.Byline: Dennis McCarthy Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
``The phone is starting to ring again. And that's a good sign.'' - Deanna Montjoy-David Recreation director at Sepulveda Recreation Center People make comebacks. Teams, industries, even nations make comebacks. So, why can't a park? Why can't a slice of recreational real estate in the heart of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. once again become the hub of its community - the neighborhood hangout hang·out n. Slang A frequently visited place. Noun 1. hangout - a frequently visited place haunt, stamping ground, resort, repair where families meet, kids play, and senior citizens gather to wring wring v. wrung , wring·ing, wrings v.tr. 1. To twist, squeeze, or compress, especially so as to extract liquid. Often used with out. 2. every last drop out of life? That's the question That's the Question is an American quiz game show on GSN, hosted by game show veteran and former Entertainment Tonight reporter, Bob Goen, which premiered in October 2006. Deanna Montjoy-David was looking to answer when she took to the streets around the Sepulveda Recreation Center in Panorama City on rainy Saturdays this past winter and spring. Days when the park was empty and there wasn't much for a newly arrived recreation director from South Central L.A. to do but look around and wonder why a park that had once been so successful in the Valley was now being ignored by a large part of the community it was supposed to serve. Another summer was not far away, and she didn't want a repeat of last summer when only five neighborhood kids signed up for the park's summer day camp for older kids. Five kids out of an area where there had to be literally hundreds of older kids who needed adult supervision and programs during the summer while their parents or single moms worked. Sure, the $45 a week cost was prohibitive pro·hib·i·tive also pro·hib·i·to·ry adj. 1. Prohibiting; forbidding: took prohibitive measures. 2. for some. But almost all of them? Five kids. ``That unacceptable,'' Montjoy-David said, taking to the streets to knock on Noun 1. knock on - (rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul) rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball some apartment house doors to introduce herself. This was their rec REC - CONVERT center, their community, she told seniors, young mothers and older children who answered the door. Give me some ideas. What do you think we should do? ``I received a lot of encouragement and advice from those visits,'' Montjoy-David said Monday as she was getting ready for the biggest weekend the Sepulveda Rec Center has seen in a long time. It has been chosen to host the popular WOW program - Wonderful Outdoor World - where urban kids are introduced for the first time to camping and outdoor recreation. Forty-two kids - 21 girls, 21 boys - mostly kids living in low-income families, will come to the center Friday. Kids who mirror the community the Sepulveda Recreation Center mainly serves now. Kids who are a lot like Montjoy-David growing up in midtown mid·town n. A central portion of a city, between uptown and downtown. midtown Noun US & Canad the centre of a town L.A., where the last thing anyone in her neighborhood talked about was nature and camping. That was the kind of stuff kids living out in the affluent suburbs did with their parents, not kids in the inner city. ``I turned 47 Saturday, and only went camping myself for the first time eight years ago,'' Montjoy-David says. ``Inner city kids just don't get the opportunity to learn about camping, and how much fun you can have while learning some very important lessons about life. ``That's why this weekend is so important for them,'' she says. And, for the comeback of Sepulveda Rec Center as a major player in the community. Parents who may not have much interaction out on the streets of this neighborhood will be gathering at the rec center hall for opening and closing ceremonies for the overnight WOW program. They'll be meeting each other - picking up their kids on Saturday, and hearing all about how you set up a campsite and prepare meals. All about backpacking backpacking Sport of hiking while carrying clothing, food, and camping equipment in a pack on the back. In the early 20th century backpacking was primarily a means of getting to wilderness areas inaccessible by car or by day hike. , stargazing star·gaze intr.v. star·gazed, star·gaz·ing, star·gaz·es 1. To gaze at the stars. 2. To daydream. Noun 1. , survival skills and conservation. All things learned at their neighborhood park. ``If they do it here first, they won't be afraid to try it for real next time,'' Montjoy-David says. ``It spills over into other aspects of their life, like overcoming fear of the unknown. ``Some people, especially kids, are afraid of change and afraid of doing something new in front of their friends because they think it's not cool to fail and make mistakes. ``But in recreation, we want children to feel safe to fail, whether it's a new sport or activity. We want to teach them it's OK not to be cool while you're learning something new.'' Montjoy-David excuses herself to answer a telephone call from a parent inquiring about the summer day camp program at her park. The phone is starting to ring again at the Sepulveda Rec Center. And that's a good sign. CAPTION(S): PHOTO PHOTO The new team at Sepulveda Recreation Center: from left, Gary Hart, Jasmine jasmine (jăs`mĭn, jăz–) or jessamine (jĕs`əmĭn), any plant of the genus Jasminum of the family Oleaceae (olive family). Wesley, Natalie Foster, Deanna Montjoy-David and DaJuan Nelson. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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