Pirates Den, Teen Center opens in Green River in time for back to school

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There’s a new spot to hang out in Green River. The Pirates Den recently opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony and an open house where the town’s people came to check out the new center.
The center has been in the works for a few months and has been made possible with many generous donations and volunteer labor.
Organizer Kathy Brady said the teen center will have an afterschool program Monday through Thursdays from 3-5 p.m.
They will offer a TnT program which is teens and teachers. Teachers will volunteer their time to help youth with their homework from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday. This is being held later in the day to accommodate anyone with practice after school for sports.
The Teen Center features computers for homework and research and a ping pong table, foosball table, air hockey, darts and a Playstation 3 for video games which are appropriate for all ages.
Monies for the teen center have come from alcohol grants, tobacco grants and a safe passage to schools grant. Discounts on supplies for the center have been given by PD Ace Hardware and Lowes.
Brady said, “I hope kids will take advantage of our new center. It’s for junior high and high school age children. The afterschool program is great. We have civic projects, educational and homework programs. The kids will learn how to cook and we also have physical exercise and activities. We will let the kids have a lot of say in the activities we do. That way it will be things they want to do.
“We are here for the youth. We are creating a safe place without alcohol and drugs. We hope kids will take advantage of it. We are open Monday-Thursday from 3-5 p.m. and stay open until 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Arrangements can also be made for parties and to be open for activities on the weekends. We have great volunteers. There will be two adults here at all time and adequate supervision. The kids can play games, watch movies, do homework, do research and just relax.
“We’ve had a lot of volunteer help to get this center ready. We have painted, finished the ceiling, new bathrooms, new plumbing and new electrical wiring. We still need a refrigerator if anyone has an extra one. We are very excited about the center. We want the community to use it. We’re here to help our community. We still need to decorate and its a work in progress, but we’ve made some great strides. We will accept any donations, if you have desks, or anything you think we could use. We have long tables for homework and for banquets.
“We’ve been involved in service projects for the community. We painted the curbs up at the high school. We pulled weeds at the medical center so the helicopter could land.
“For some of our after school projects we made inflatable architecture. We also made a newspaper in our after school program. We have had many teachers help us. We have had archery, ultimate frisbee, weight training, bochee ball. We also made duck calls. We made pens and sent to the military and did many other woodwork projects.
“We are excited for the kids to have a place to come and be with their friends.
“Emery County Recreation donated the ping pong table. We really appreciate that. We received a grant from the Southeastern Utah Health Department that could be used for building improvements.
“River Canyon Wireless gave us a good deal on internet. They were really good to help us out,” said Brady.
Many partners have been involved in giving the teen center a good start; the Department of Workforce Services, Communities that Care, Southeastern Utah Health Department, Green River public works, EpiCenter, Lowes, Brady Creative, Ace Hardware, Four Corners, Emery County Recreation District, Green River City, Green River High School and Key Electric. Contact grcheer@gmail.com for more information.