By Mary O’KEEFE

After gallons of paint and hours of volunteer help the Fire House is ready for its grand opening.

The Fire House, a new youth center, is the stone building at Rosemont Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church owns the property. In the 1930s it had been fire station 19. That changed when Foothill Boulevard was widened and the station moved down the boulevard.

St. Luke’s and St. George’s Episcopal churches have partnered with the Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition in opening the center.

“My hope is that it will become a place where all the youth of the community, whether they are members of our church or another church or no church at all, will attend,” said Rev. Bryan Jones, St. Luke’s vicar.

The Fire House committee, comprised of members from the community, the churches and the coalition as well as teenagers from Clark Magnet High School and CV High School, have been holding meetings and dedicating weekends in preparation of the grand opening.

At first the Fire House will be opened to high school aged teens on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  There will be adult supervision and counseling. There is a game room with a pool table, foosball and a pinball machine. There is another room where kids can come to listen to music, talk and join in planned theme nights.  One night may be a movie night, another dedicated to local musicians. There is another room for counseling and discussion groups that will also serve as a homework/tutoring area.

“We are starting with one night but our goal is to have it expand to other times during the week and to extend to middle school kids,” Jones said.

At the grand opening teens will be asked to suggest rules for the Fire House and activities. There will be food served and those in attendance will take a tour of the facility.

The grand opening is on Tuesday, Oct. 26 beginning at 6 p.m.

  Bryan Jones, Fire House