The Den’s first year
Anchored by music, gaming and fun times
By KRIS HILL
Covington Reporter News
Feb 26 2009
Music has become a major draw at The Den, Maple Valley’s youth center, which recently celebrated its first birthday. The Den, which is in a 3,600 square foot modular building next door to the Greater Maple Valley Community Center, opened in January 2008 after more than a decade of planning.
Shelly Mitchell, a member of the Senior Youth Council at the community center, pointed to the annual Battle of the Bands as one of the highlights of The Den’s first year. “It’s fun for everyone,” Mitchell said. “A bunch of people come. They just listen to music and eat food and hang out and it’s really fun.”
Concerts are another big draw, according to Thomas Petit, who also serves on the Youth Council and has been a part of the planning for The Den since he was in seventh grade. “The big accomplishments have been things like the fundraising concerts we’ve had here,” Petit said. “There was the Darfur concert where they raised money for children in Darfur.”
It used to be a struggle for community center staff to offer youth-oriented programs because they shared the original building with seniors as well as family programming. Such activities have long been offered at the community center, but the growth of Maple Valley has far surpassed what staff could do in the original building. “It’s nice to have a dedicated building now,” Petit said. “It was really kind of a stress having to share the other building.”
Another thing he expects to entice kids to check out The Den will be the new recording studio. Work was complete on that in January and local bands will be able to come in lay down tracks. “That will be a big draw,” Petit said. “I wouldn’t mind getting together with my friends and putting together some songs.” Mitchell said the Youth Council would like to host even more concerts because kids like them so much because it’s “people playing that are our age.”
Kristiane Byers, a youth program coordinator for The Den, said “the past year has been awesome” and that the concerts are drawing anywhere from 70 to 120 kids. “I’m getting requests all the time for new concerts,” Byers said. “That’s really exciting.”
The staff also has tried out ideas for things like murder mystery nights, as well as offering gaming nights for popular titles like Halo, and recently they began offering Open Mic Night as a high school only event. The Den is open to students in sixth through 12th grade. “Guitar Hero and all of (the video games), everybody loves to come play,” Byers said. “The computer lab is also a huge draw. We try to reach out to different populations.”
Byers said staff go out to the middle schools and try to spread the word by playing games with students at lunch time. Members of the Youth Council also promote events at The Den by posting flyers, talking to their friends and some schools even include activities in their daily announcements. “We’ve got a great Web site now,” she said. “It’s updated daily with all of our events. We do the best that we can.” Bands who play concerts at The Den are also encouraged to help promote the shows and raise awareness of the youth center.
Staff have spent some time reflecting on the first year and are busy planning events for the rest of 2009 to make it a better place for kids to go. One activity both the Youth Council and staff are excited about is the Maple Valley Amazing Race slated for May 2 which is being planned in partnership with Maple Valley Communities That Care.
Petit said that he believes The Den is doing what its planners and benefactors — the city of Maple Valley, King County, the United Way among others — had in mind when it was in the planning stages. “I do know some people who have come here and hang out here who made a lot better choices than if they were out behind QFC,” he said. “It’s a controlled environment where you can’t make extremely bad choices but it’s still a free enough environment where you can still have fun.”
Mitchell is proud of The Den. “It’s had a positive impact because it’s a way for people to not be in a drug or alcohol environment,” she said. “We’re open for anyone to come in and it’s a fun alternative.”
Covington Reporter News Kris Hill can be reached at khill@reporternewspapers.com or (425) 432-1209, ext. 5054.
For additional information about The Den Youth Center at Greater Maple Valley Community Center, please contact Kristiane or Kimberly or call 425-432-1272.
Dinner dance exceeds 100 sweethearts
February 23, 2009 - Voice of the Valley By D’Ann Tedford
They dined and danced – a little jitterbug, some Western swing. It was the best $3 deal in town. More than 100 guests packed Maple Valley Community Center for the Janet McKim Senior Sweetheart Valentine Dinner Dance. There were sweethearts and singles, the sexy and suave. And, all over age 50. Music by a five-piece band, The Pardners, was easy listening and totally danceable at the dinnerdance. Cindy Gregory with her Cedar Grill staff (from Wilderness Village) prepared a pork roast dinner, like mom’s, complete with applesauce.
It was served with savvy
by teens Rachelle Floyd, Lisa
Harrington, Kaila Wilkinson, Nick
Castagna, and their advisor,
Carol Soldano, from Tahoma
High School’s National Honor
Society. The meal was topped off 
with brownie ice cream sundaes
prepared by Lorrie Gommi, cook
at MVCC.
Raffle tickets gleaned $400,
“which goes a long way towards
insuring next year’s dinner,” said
AARP president, Rich Taylor. Up
for raffle was a handmade quilt.
Pauline Taylor and Gayle Hanford
have donated their obviously
coveted creations for the last five
years. Peggy Baus was the lucky
quilt raffle winner.
Valentine’s Dinner Dance
began six years ago when AARP
member, Janet McKim, offered
to finance the fun. Similar events
had been held many years ago
by Maple Valley Lions, a fraternal
organization that has since
disbanded.
This year’s Valentine gala was sponsored by Greater Maple Valley Community Center and Maple Valley AARP Chapter 5351. Décor and details were provided via the outgoing AARP board, along with GMVCC Senior Activities staff, Linda Worley and Allison Scott. Even though the AARP Chapter 5351 officially dissolves at the end of this week, Lynn Roberts, GMVCC director, has committed to continue the event as long as funding is available. “We should have enough left in the fund that Janet left us to go at least one more year, maybe two,” Taylor said.
For additional information about GMVCC 50+ Senior Programs at Greater Maple Valley Community Center, please contact Allison or Linda or call 425-432-1272.
Wii bit o' fun
January 16, 2009 - Covington/Maple Valley Reporter
Seniors can try their hand at Wii Sports games three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) at 9 a.m. at Greater Maple Valley Community Center. Electronic Versions of bowling, boxing, golf or tennis are offered.
Allison Scott (left) takes a break from her duties as director of senior services at the community center. Fred Englehardt and Linda Worley, a senior program specialist, watch Harry Engelhardt play the Wii bowling game.
For additional information about GMVCC 50+ Senior Programs at Greater Maple Valley Community Center, please contact Allison or Linda or call 425-432-1272.
Ryan Eley Memorial at The Den Youth Center
December 8 , 2008 - Voice of the Valley/ Maple Valley, WA
Ryan Eley was a 2005 graduate of Tahoma High School who was killed in an auto accident earlier this year. He loved computer games. To honor his memory, donations to The Den Youth Center made by family and friends have been used to purchase computer games which other “gamers” are already enjoying. A memorial plaque in the youth center game room commemorates Ryan and these generous donations. The plaque reads “In memory of Ryan Eley, a gamer at heart”.
The Greater Maple Valley Community Center invites the youth in our community to The Den Youth Center to enjoy one of the many games made possible by these kind gifts in memory of Ryan. For additional information about GMVCC Youth Programs at The Den Youth Center, please contact Lynn Roberts through the Community Center website www.maplevalleycc.org or call 425-432-1272.
2008 Trick or Trucks
October 31, 2008
Sirens blared, lights flashed, horns honked, dumpsters dumped, and even the sun shined as over 300 “truck-or-treaters” attended the 2nd annual Trick or Trucks extravaganza at the Maple Valley Community Center on Friday, October 31. Just imagine being four years old again and pretending you are driving a real size dump truck! And to make it even more exciting, the actual dump truck driver gives you candy! What could be better?
Offered to the community as a family fun and safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating, the event drew celebrities such as the Incredibles, Hannah Montana, Skippyjon Jones, Snow White, Scooby Doo, Spiderman, Batman, Barbie, Tigger, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and a host of other fairies and princesses. As costumed children went from one big rig truck to the next with their trick-or-treat bags and buckets, one excited parent noted, “Where else can you see all these trucks, sit in them, “drive” them and honk the horn?” Browse our Photo Gallery for pictures.
GMVCC would like to recognize and thank the following organizations and volunteers who made the evening so very special by giving out candy and allowing kids and parents alike to explore their big rigs:
Firemen Michael Johnson, Todd Merry, and Monte Wolfskill of Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety for bringing their big red fire and rescue truck and handing out glow sticks and candy; Dan & Sally Nicholas and the Maple Valley Historical Society for allowing the kids to sit in their beautiful antique fire truck; Lee Kessler and his very cool historic Kenworth truck; Johnny Reid of Stoneway Concrete who brought the popular “clown” concrete mixer; Tish Sayler, Don Johnson, and Heather Watrous of Iddings Sand and Gravel for bringing their big orange dumpster and demonstrating all that it can do; Officer CS Hooper from the Maple Valley Police who brought a police car and let us hear its very loud siren; Tina McDonough and Brenda Pitzen of One 7, Inc. for bringing their very popular pink street sweeper; Brett Saliveros (aka Sumo Wrestler) for bringing the biggest tow truck we’ve ever seen from Motorplex Pro Tow; milkman Jaireme Barrow of Smith Brothers Farms for giving out free chocolate milk from his “cow” delivery truck; Jamie Houston and Ailini Suka for letting the all of little future Tahoma School Districtstudents explore a real school bus from the Transportation Department; Patrick Murphy and Mike Fingerson from Waste Management for showing the kids how a real garbage truck works; Jim Flynn of Flynn Development for bringing a bull dozer and backhoe for the kids to sit on; Ellen Dagley for the scary Headless Horseman horse trailer and Jim Dagley for his excellent work photographing the event; and finally, the generous following volunteers from St. George Episcopal Church who cooked and served a delicious spaghetti dinner for hungry trick-or-treaters and their families: Lois Smith, Joe Mikel, Sharon Turner, Jack Gannon, Lois Gannon, Ruth Hester, Seigi Sched, Margarete Sched, Gunther, and Jay Holeberman.
Sponsored by GMVCC Children & Family Programs, all proceeds go to support children’s programming at the Community Center. In expressing her thanks, Program Coordinator Brandy Rowland noted that GMVCC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and it is volunteers who make it possible for the small staff of the Community Center to offer the wide variety of programs and services it does. “Over 160 hours were volunteered to make this year’s Trick or Trucks event happen. We deeply appreciate the enthusiastic efforts and response of the Maple Valley community. We would like to do even more community events such as this and we encourage members of the community to contact us though our website with their suggestions.”
La Attempts wins Battle of the Bands
October 25, 2008
An audience of 164 local youth rocked out at the Greater Maple Valley Community Center on Saturday night, October 25, 2008 at the 8th annual Battle of the Bands.
Sponsored by Maple Valley Youth Council, the event was an opportunity to showcase up-and-coming talent from our local area. Bands performed a wide range of musical genres from hardcore metal, to ska, alternative rock, and punk. Eight bands were judged on crowd response, stage presence, flow, and originality. The band La Attempts took first place, winning recording time at The Den Youth Center Music Studio and 75 promotional buttons. Duplicity took a close second place, winning 75 promotional buttons, and We Move Mountains received the third place prize of 50 promotional buttons. Other participating bands included Touch It, Se7en Car Pile Up, Run It Red, Talk Jonny and Glass Castle.
Maple Valley Youth Council wants to thank this year's judges, Kimberly Walker and Andrew Phillips, and each of the 30 very hardworking Youth Council members for all of their efforts in staging this annual event. Watch for more Teen Concerts at The Den Youth Center featuring these and other local artists.
Handed-down clothes have good second life
Maple Valley Reporter - October 4, 2008
Reduce, reuse, recycle. We often hear that mantra, but did you ever think of it in terms of clothes?
Handed-down clothing is one of the oldest forms of recycling. Kids so often outgrow their clothes before they wear them out, if we all passed around our children’s clothes, we’d put the retailers out of business.
On Sept. 20, the third Baby and Kids Clothing Exchange was held at the Greater Maple Valley Community Center. The concept was simple: Bring in the clothes that your kids have outgrown and take home some in the size you need. Families donated children’s clothes and other baby items, such as toys and baby monitors. Maternity and nursing clothes were accepted as well.
The first hour and a half was dedicated to those donating and/or trading clothes, and the last half hour was open to those families in need of free clothing.
Organizer Kim Chan got the idea from a newspaper article about a group of women in Seattle who did a kid’s clothing exchange in an attempt to reduce consumption.
“I read the article and thought, ‘What a great idea,’” Chan said. “Most of us don’t have a lot of extra money to buy our kids new clothes every six months. Plus, it’s a great way to recycle.”
Many local businesses stepped up to help. The Fred Meyer store in Covington lent clothing racks to hang the clothes, and the Wilderness Village QFC donated paper bags. Several teens from Tahoma High School volunteered and earned community service credits. Frankie’s Pizza of Maple Valley donated pizzas to feed the many volunteers who showed up to help. Local businesses posted flyers, including Spanish-language flyers.
Others helped, as well. Becca Bowen, school counselor at Lake Wilderness Elementary School, contacted women’s shelters, Vine Maple Place and other organizations to make sure that families who might be in need were notified. Brandy Rowland, family services specialist at the community center, helped coordinate and worked at the event.
“We had more people at the end that needed free clothes than ever before,” Rowland noted. “There were tons of good quality clothes, even new clothes with tags. There were also a lot of maternity clothes this time.”
Each family in need has, in the previous exchanges, been allowed one paper bag of clothes per family. This time there was an abundance of clothes, and families could take as much as they needed. After everyone had their pick, any leftover clothes were then donated to charity.
“It’s about moms helping other moms. It brings everyone together,” Chan said.
She plans to organize another exchange in 2009. The date will be posted on the community center’s website at mvcc.org once it is scheduled.
Mary Sturgeon, who has volunteered at each of the exchanges, said, “It’s a great community event. That’s my favorite thing about it. The way the community and local businesses all work together is fantastic.”
Tiffany Doerr Guerzon, a homemaker and freelance writer, lives in Maple Valley. She can be reached at homespun@reporternewspapers.com.
United Way Day of Caring
Microsoft employees make a difference at GMVCC
Exchanging computers for shovels and chain saws, a volunteer crew of 12 Microsoft employees area chopped and dug their way through the overgrown foliage at the Greater Maple Valley Community Center as part of the 2008 United Way Day of Caring on September 12th. Pictured is the team led by Microsoft employee and GMVCC Board Member Sean Stewart.
Thank you to Ryan Light, Basu Nagarahalli, Shawn Vita, Lynsey Compton-Drake, Shelley Wells-Frank, Daniel Burleigh, Roslyn Mainz, Dean Jaegerman, Shyamala Kuppusamy, Shelley Way, Jeffrey Snelling and Sean Stewart.
The crew first gathered with GMVCC Facilities Coordinator Kelly Travis and Executive Director Lynn Roberts for a kick-off breakfast meeting in the Community Center Hall before breaking into groups to clear 28 rhododendrons that had been flagged for removal by the Lake Wilderness Arboretum. Once the work was finished, the crew used hoes, rakes and brooms to clear the site of debris. It was uplifting to see how much brighter, accessible and welcoming the Community Center could be.
In expressing her thanks, Executive Director Lynn Roberts noted that GMVCC is a non-proft organization and it is volunteers who make it possible for the small staff of the Community Center to offer the wide variety of programs and services it does. "The Community Center does not have a budget for grounds maintenance that would allow us to perform this type of work. We deeply appreciate the efforts of Sean Stewart and his team of community volunteers from Microsoft."
United Way's Day of Caring is the largest single day activation of volunteers in King County. To learn how you can volunteer at GMVCC email Kelly or call 425-432-1272.
Community Connections Advertising
Where you tell the story
We hope you have seen some of our ads in Maple Valley's very own local newspaper, the Voice of the Valley. In May of 2007, GMVCC published the first in our popular series of Community Connections ads that feature real GMVCC participants. Not only has participation increased as a result of this campaign, there is also a waiting list of people who want us to use their picture in the paper!
GMVCC wants to thank Donna Hayes and the staff at the Voice of the Valley for their on-going support of the Community Center and also offer our appreciation to the many GMVCC participants who have so graciously allowed us to feature them in our advertising.
We invite you to browse our advertising archives.