Staff writer
The Marion Youth Center could be open as early as Sept. 10, the date of the first home football game, Economic Development Director Doug Kjellin said.
Five large tasks must be completed before opening: tinning the roof, painting the floor and walls, putting up lights, and moving in furniture.
Volunteers have three weekends to get the job done. Tinning the roof will require the most expertise. Volunteers will need to fit tin inside the galvanized bay of the roof. Kjellin said a set of experienced volunteers could be working on the roof in one section of the center while another set of volunteers paints in the other.
“It would be chaotic, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work,” Kjellin said.
The youth center, in its final incarnation, will include a kitchen area in the east wing with a snack bar and a living room set up in the west wing. There will be two plasma television sets, one with an X-Box 360 gaming system. There will also be multiple computers with Internet access, a 7-foot pool table, and a rollaway pingpong table.
The youth center will be available to USD 408 students free of charge on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Eventually a curfew system will be in place for different age groups.
“Anybody until 6 p.m. Then junior high and high school (students) until 10. Then high school until curfew. It will never stay open past the city-mandated curfew. Something like that,” Kjellin said.
USD 408 students will be able to invite students from other schools.
“Everybody in the county is invited but you have to come as a guest of a USD 408 student,” Kjellin said.