News

Refurbished center a hit with Beverly youths

By Paul Leighton
Staff writer
Published: May 15, 2008

BEVERLY — The assembled officials all gave the renovated McPherson Youth Center high marks yesterday afternoon. More importantly, the kids did, too.

The city and the YMCA held a ceremony to rededicate the youth center, which has undergone a $300,000 renovation. With about 20 kids skating on the new skate park behind them, officials including Mayor Bill Scanlon and state Rep. Mary Grant lauded the changes at the center, which opened in 1976.

The youth center is run through a collaboration between the city and the Greater Beverly YMCA. Speakers yesterday credited Grant with securing $300,000 in state money to pay for the improvements.

But how do the kids who actually use the center feel about the changes? Before the ceremony got underway, we asked three of them to grade some of the new features.

The skate park

The park includes a series of ramps, as well as a concrete bench and picnic table, designed to replicate skateboarding on the street.

Wes Chandler, a 17-year-old junior at Beverly High School, said the park is a big improvement over the old one. He particularly liked the bench and picnic table.

"You don't see those anywhere, so those are good," he said.

The ledges could be longer, however, and the miniramps are too close together, he said.

"I'd give it a B, maybe a B-minus," he said.

'Dance Dance Revolution'

That's a music video game in which a player attempts to dance on four pads in response to arrows that appear on a screen and in rhythm with a chosen song.

"I've been to places that have one, like arcades, but I never tried it before," said Sam Mulumba, a 12-year-old sixth-grader at Briscoe Middle School who was wearing a Ray Allen Celtics shirt. "It's cool this place has one."

Mulumba said the game makes you a better dancer, so he gave it an A-plus.

'Top Skater'

"Top Skater" is a Sega indoor skateboard game in which you maneuver a real skateboard to simulate various tricks on the screen in front of you.

David White, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Briscoe, said he prefers real skateboarding outside on the new skate park, which he loves. As for "Top Skater," he gave it a B.

"It's the same thing they have at the mall," he said. "It's fun."

White, who has been coming to the McPherson Youth Center since he was 5 years old, praised the overall improvements at the center. He said you can do everything from play Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (which includes "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band") to fishing in the adjacent Bass River.

Joe Perry, the YMCA's teen director, said the center is also getting a Nintendo Wii.

In perhaps the best tribute to the improvements, White said, "You're not going to be bored here at all."

What's new at the youth center

r Concrete skate park with half-pipes, ramps, benches and other elements

r Basketball court

r Computer lab

r Interactive video games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Top Skater"

r Air hockey, foosball and pool tables

r Homework space

The McPherson Youth Center is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the school year. Summer hours will be Monday through Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is no charge to attend.