26 -— Friday, May 8, 1992 — North Shore Mews THE PLACE is so new it still smells like paint and the turf grass rolls outside haven’t grown together yet. But the Seymour Youth Centre is finally open for business — make that pleasure. Last Saturday the 3,600 sq. ft. centre opened its doors. ‘‘I only told two kids by werd of mouth and 40 or 50 people came,’’ says Teresa Campbell who, as youth service coordinator for the area, maintains the centre. Campbell takes me on a tour of the new facility which is nestled in a wooded setting below Ror An- drews Recreation Centre. The building is hot as blazes. Seems there was a_ thermostat problem overnight which set-off all the alarms and brought the se- curity forces. GAMES ROOM By Barbara Black ZAP! WRITER council hope to hold coffee houses where local bands will play and there’ll be refreshments. GYM “The kids have been really in- volved in the whole place,’’ says Campbell. ‘‘The architect sat down with about 25 kids to design the place.”” They wanted a gym, they got one. About the size of a long classroom, it has a cement floor ‘and is large enough for volleyball A pretty basic room right off the: main office‘ which has two - video games, a foosball game and a .decent-looking. pool table, ail donated by the community. and other net games of hockey. It echoes a lot.even when we are talking, so it will be interesting to hear what it’s iike when there’s a game going on! Campbell says eel ‘Id like to see a coffee house happening there. Davices are sort of a lost cause because ea GES nobody da. any more, but coffee houses would be good. 99 — Margot Brennan, age 17, Windsor Secondary LOUNGE With the essential Coke machine in the corner, this room is for serious lounging. There’s a huge television (cable coming soon) and, Campbell hopes, scon : a VCR (donations please!) as well as two huge, well-broken-in couches and tvio easy chairs. The walls. are white-painted cement with blue trim — basic, but_functional. This is where Campbell hopes to have educational programs such as peer counselling, suicide prevention and medical and legal _ nights where kids can ask all sorts of questions in an informal, non- threatening environment. She hopes to have educational pro- grams for parents, tdo. KITCHEN A modern-looking kitchen with white cupboards and all the ame- nities for a pizza or popcorn and video night, Campbeil points out. She. and members of the youth LAST WEEK we asked you about tree-spiking. Is it ‘ wrong? I think that it’s sad what is . happening to our forests these they still need balls and some gym equipment. Someone donated a basketball hoop which they plan to put outside. UPSTAIRS You wouldn’t know it from the outside, but the upstairs of the building is still unfinished. We trudge up the bare plank stairs to look. It’s even hotter up here, but the view’s good, a pro- fusion of green. ‘We plan to have a room like a consultation room in here, and offices,”’ Campbell explains as she waves her arm. They have applied to a trust fund for the funding, but haven’t had confirmation yet. , It seems there are applications all over the place for funding for staff and programs, but none have been firmed up. PLANS Campbell doesn’t see the centre as replacing the work she does in the Seymour area, the ‘‘street days, but I don’t agree with these tree spikers, because what’s the point in putting nails in trees when it could potentially harm someone? These loggers kave absulutely no say in the matter and are just trying to do their jobs and trying to support themselves and their families. I think it’s very bad when environmentalists stoop to tac- tics that could hurt people and it doesn’t make them very believable to people who are interested in saving the old trees. And it just makes it more like 2 war when everyone should be trying to come up with a solution, not wrecking the trees. ‘and. Thursdays 3:30-5:30, 7-10; This week's question: WHAT IS your reaction to the riots and looting in L.A. and now also in Toronto? How can we prevent these things from happen- ing? 980-KIE 44 It’s in its own little neighborhood in the woods. You can go there after the rec centre closes and hang out. JP — Jason Leeson, age 19, Lucas Cenire mandate’’ as she calls it. She sees it as a neutral place where youths can go to socialize and plan their own activities or jiearn about issues in a relaxed environment. “The feeling 'm getting from the kids now is they’re reaily glad they have this, that the communi- ty gave it to them.”’ She says all of the area merchants were very supportive of the idea from the Start. The centre was a joint project of the Mount Seymour Lions Club, Seymour Area Youth Ser- vices Society, the District of North Vancouver and North Vancouver Recreation Centre. It was built at a hefty cost of $300,060, much of the money raised by the local Seymour Lions Club. “This is the only real free- standing youth centre on the North Shore, and the kids will be involved in what goes on here, ” Campbell said. youtH SERVICES Coordinator for 1 the: Seymour area, . “Teresa Campbell (centre) will be part of the ‘‘fixtures” in the. new. Seymour Youth Centre.. Lending 2 hand on moving day are (left L. Jason Leeson and Ben Kramer. The centre is open Tuesdays Fridays 3:30-5:30, 7-11; and Saturday 7-11. The whole store isthe - FREE frame section EO when prescription filled Single Vision Regular Plastic Lenses with Scratch Resistant Coating $65 .00 Complete (Sphere +/- 4.00 D. to Cyl. -2.00D.) Extras Excluded Monostep 25 Bifocal Plastic Lenses with Scratch Resistant Coating $7 5.06 Complete ( Sphere +/- 4.00 D. to Cyl. -2.00D.) Extras Excluded Opticana Vancouver. .Bumaby, Bihanond. ‘SSGambeSteet —spscopeees 4640. 3Road 10541 King Geoge ghey 685-1031 «433-1132 276-2432 $85-3383 Vancouver 877 West Broadway 872-2544