Boys & Girls Club expands to Boulder City

Boulder City may be the closest thing to Mayberry in Southern Nevada.

Yet even in Boulder City, a town with a population of about 14,000, where green parks and safer neighborhoods leave more freedom to romp, Boys & Girls Clubs -- known for its service in urban areas -- sees a need.

Children still get bored -- so bored that some are getting into trouble. Their crimes are mostly petty, such as skateboarding in the downtown area -- which is prohibited -- or throwing rocks and breaking windows, said Cokie Booth a board member of the new Boulder City Boys & Girls Club.

Children like to hang around Arizona Street, the town's main street. But shop owners, who rely on drawing in tourists on their way to the Boulder Dam, don't appreciate groups of kids scaring away customers, she said.

Compared with its bigger neighbors, Boulder City doesn't have real drug or alcohol problems among its teens, Capt. R.J. Jeffries of the Boulder City Police Department said. Aside from a few markings at the schools, there is little graffiti, he added.

Yet the youngsters aren't taking advantage of the baseball fields and tennis courts in the parks. "Kids want to be entertained these days. They don't know how to entertain themselves," he said.

Booth hopes the children will find productive recreational outlets at the new club.

The club, an extension of Henderson Boys & Girls Clubs, opened Jan. 11. Sixty children were signed up for the first week. They are now averaging 45 children a day.

"There has been a huge need for it here in Boulder City," Jim Konst, directer of Boulder City unit, said.

Latchkey and Safekey programs are available for the younger ones, but the only other recreational outlets are the leagues offered by the Parks and Recreation Department.

The city's only movie theater closed in December.

"That's one less thing for the kids to do," Konst said.

The new Boys & Girl's Club provides sports and recreational opportunities as well as academic tutoring for children ages 7 to 17, with the majority being elementary-age students.

Booth said the typical approach with Boys & Girls Clubs is to start out with younger kids, who will often continue to use the club as they grow older.

To interest the town's skateboarders -- who, if not riding the sidewalks downtown, are riding through the school parking lots after dark -- Konst is hoping to be able to shuttle a group to the Henderson club's skateboard park on Saturdays. They are waiting for a van donation. If it does, they should have it as soon as next month, he said.

Eventually, they would like Boulder City to have its own skateboard park, he said. "If the city doesn't do it, we'll do it through the ... club."

A prospective site for the skateboard park would be the Southern Nevada Children's Home, which closed a year ago. The club is also looking at that site as a temporary home until its permanent home at the Fisher Space Museum is complete.

The museum, to be built on the 42-acre-site of the old Boulder City airport, will include an interactive aerospace museum, learning center and planetarium. Club participants will be able to use the facilities.

For now, the children meet from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Martha P. King Elementary School -- one of three elementary schools in town.

Tutors are available to help with homework during the indoor "Power Hour" that begins at 3:30 p.m. Children are encouraged to do their homework before participating in the recreational activities. Those with grade improvements are rewarded.

"Education programs are our main thrust now," Clyde Caldwell, Henderson Boys & Girls Clubs executive director, said. "We strongly encourage the kids to get their homework done."

The fee for the club is $5 a year with additional costs for sports leagues. Waivers are available for those who cannot afford the yearly dues or sports fees.

"Our goal is to get the kids to come in," Booth said. "We have a 'no questions asked' waiver."

The rest of the club's expenses are covered through local fund-raisers, federal grants, United Way funding and contributions from local businesses and foundations.

Konst, who has been with the Boys & Girls Club since the age of 7 in Buffalo, N.Y., sees many advantages for children.

"A lot of kids have working parents. Here, they're getting some attention, having some fun and learning team leadership skills -- doing things they normally don't get to do," he said. "The No. 1 thing heard from the children, parents and principals is that there is not enough to do."

Booth said the city is trying to clean up a lot of its areas. Improving recreational conditions for children is part of that.

"Forty-five percent of Boulder City is the senior community. We just don't think about the kids enough," she said.

The Henderson Boys & Girls began more than 40 years ago as a boys' boxing club. The club eventually expanded to include girls and other recreational activities. It now has five units that serve an average of 4,000 children a year.

The Las Vegas branch has nine units and serves around 10,000 children a year.

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