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New Keyhole Center welcomes area youth
After months of hard work and dedication, several local volunteers unveiled the newly restored Keyhole youth center last week.
The facility, which opened in 1992 as a recreational center for area teenagers, is now under the direction of two Fort Scott residents, Amanda Brown and Laurie Uhler. Other local residents who have helped to repaint the entire facility include Fort Scott Police Department Lt. Travis Shelton and his wife, Alisa, Tim and Susan Jackson, and members of the Fort Scott High School Key Club, Brown said.
The center opened last Thursday following a pep rally for the FSHS football team.
"They (the Sheltons) were instrumental in getting the painting finished," Brown said. "They graciously donated many hours to the project and did an outstanding job."
The center's grand opening last week was not hindered by an act of vandalism on the west side of the building (the rear entrance to the facility) that apparently occurred the previous evening. Using spray paint, vandals inscribed the letters "CKNY" in large black and white bubble letters on one exterior wall, and sprayed the letters "N" and "W" in lower case black letters on the building's rear entrance.
Other unreadable markings were present on the building's outer walls at the rear of the facility.
Keyhole Board of Directors member Joy O'Neal noticed the vandalism and notified the Fort Scott Police Department, who filed a report on the crime, O'Neal said. No other information was available and no arrests have been made in connection with the crime as of press time.
"It's just sad," O'Neal said Thursday evening.
Painting wasn't the only improvement made to the facility to prepare it for the incoming rush of area youth -- about 150 a week -- who are anticipated to spend many free-time hours there this school year.
"We have also added many extra touches," Brown said. "We wanted the Keyhole to feel warm and inviting to young people -- like a home away from home."
New additions inside the facility include lamps, pictures and carpet that help create a safe and comfortable environment for youth to interact in, she said. The center also offers a variety of entertainment options, including a pool table, a ping pong table, an entertainment center with a large screen television and digital video disc player, an informational center, and computers with filtered Internet access, Brown said.
Keyhole staff members have created a separate seating area for youth to enjoy the Xbox, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 video game consoles and a variety of games on separate televisions, she said. The center also offers a food and refreshment bar.
"The Keyhole has a variety of activities to offer young people," Brown said.
More fun events are planned for the center in the coming months, depending on the type of feedback received from area youth who visit the center, she said.
"We have thought about holding a three-on-three basketball tournament out back, where there is a basketball goal," Brown said. "Another idea is to use a video projector to show a football game that is being aired that evening on a large screen. There has also been some discussion about having a video game tournament. We feel like the more activities we offer youth, the greater the likelihood they will come in on a regular basis."
Brown and Uhler also plan to re-form the Keyhole youth advisory board to help them and the center's board of directors to develop future improvements for the center.
Brown, who teaches in the Frontenac school district, said before she took the job as director of the Keyhole she helped fill in there about two years ago under the center's previous directors.
"I enjoyed the atmosphere and the premise of what the Keyhole was designed to offer young people," she said. "I was not sure I wanted another full-time job. I was told Laurie (Uhler) was interested but also didn't want to take the position on by herself. The board of directors thought we might be interested in sharing the job, which is where we are today."
The center's goal is to provide a safe haven and recreational area for local teenagers, an alternative to activities that might lead down a path of crime or drug use. Adults will be on hand to help supervise young people who visit the center, which is important to the community, Brown said.
"I feel the Keyhole is a great place for young people to come in and spend time hanging out with friends in a good, clean environment," Brown said. "I think they need a place where they have independence, but they are also supervised and directed to be good citizens. I think Laurie and I want those who come into the Keyhole to know that we care about them and want them to succeed. Most of all, we want them to enjoy themselves."