Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Club Edge to offer a drop-in center for middle-school kids

Registration will begin in late July

By Michelle Alaimo

Starting in September, parents of children too old for babysitters and too young to stay home by themselves will have an alternative with Club Edge in Los Gatos, an after-school drop-in center designed especially for middle-school-age students.

Scheduled to open Sept. 2 at Calvary Church in Los Gatos, the center will begin registration at the end of July. Although Calvary Church is providing its gym and several other rooms for Club Edge, the drop-in center is not a church function.

"We will be giving the kids a place to go and hang out," Club Edge director Kathi West says, adding that the club will be open from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

"This has been something the community has really wanted," adds Mike McKay, director of student ministries. "It's a great partnership with the community."

West says she also sees the club as a partnership with the parents. "I'm very open to working with the parents and meeting their needs," she says.

Costs for Club Edge include a one-time registration fee of $35. Parents have the option of paying for a monthly, unlimited package at $125, a 10-day package for $75 or a fee of $10 per day. For their money, parents will have the security of knowing their children are safe, West says. "We can't force your child to stay here but will let you know when they've left," she says.

A variety of activities will be offered at the center, including a skate park, roller hockey, a climbing wall, an art center, a music room, a beauty spa, a game room, a computer lab, sports and a daily snack. Additionally, members can buy other snacks at a Snack Shack. West said she hopes to have occasional field trips, movie days and Friday night activities.

West said a lot of children, especially from nearby Fisher Middle School, came out to play games and use the skate ramps during a one-week trial of the club held at the end of May. She hopes that Club Edge will continue to be as successful.

West anticipates the skate park will be one of the more popular features because many of the youths need somewhere to skate where they are not bothering downtown merchant owners.

Los Gatos High School Principal Ted Simonson said at a recent meeting of Community Against Substance Abuse (CASA) that Club Edge will be a good way for students to utilize their hours because they wouldn't "be adrift or hanging around town with nothing to do."

For more information about registration, contact Kathi West at 356-5126.

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