SAN MARCOS: Center offers young people fun alternatives to street life

Recording studio at Panorama Teen and Family Resource Center is a major draw

By ANDREA MOSS - Staff Writer | Saturday, August 9, 2008 5:09 PM PDT ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- Alberto Vazquez was a 16-year-old gang member who couldn't see much of a future for himself before he visited the Panorama Teen and Family Resource Center.

Quickly picking up on the young man's love of music, a staff member invited Vazquez to check out the San Marcos center's professional-level music studio.

The $10,000 of equipment lets kids record their own music tracks and beats, add lyrics or raps, and walk out with professional-quality demo tapes or CDs.

A few trial runs helped the young man realize he had options other than a life on the streets.

"To me, music has been a big part of my life," Vazquez, now 20, said Wednesday. "I was involved heavily with gangs before. But coming here showed me what I could do."

Now the center's music director, Vazquez is a good example of Panorama's value to the community.

For most teens, though, Panorama is just a fun place to hang out. On Wednesday, they were playing pool or foosball or lounging and chatting in the center's big back room, while dance music blasted out of a portable stereo.

"Sometimes there's people that ... they're a little quieter," said Anthony Bazan, 20, a member since the center opened in 2000. "When they come here, we make them talk. Well, we don't make them talk, but they want to talk. And they want to do all kinds of activities."

Run by teens for teens

Based in a city-owned building at 131 Richmar Ave., the private, nonprofit center got its start when former San Marcos Youth Commissioner Enrique Perez got the Palomar Pomerado Health hospital district to provide a one-time grant for the creation of a teen center.

Panorama has an annual budget of about $120,000, with most of the money coming from donations and fundraising events, such as an annual dinner to be held Sept. 20 at the San Marcos Senior Center.

Panorama pays the city $1 a year for its 5,000-square-foot building, which is between the senior center and a fire station.

The site is within walking distance of the Richmar neighborhood, which has a history of gangs, drugs and other problems.

City and law enforcement efforts to clean up the area and court injunctions against two gangs have improved the situation in recent years.

Strict policies ---- including admission interviews for prospective members, a ban on all gang talk and signs, and a requirement that visitors check in at the front desk ---- help ensure that there is no trouble at Panorama, which is overseen by a board of directors.

A core group of members on the center's governance council makes most of the decisions about its programs. The offerings change from year to year, depending on the interests or requests of Panorama members.

"We try to mentor them. We try to teach them how to be good leaders," board member Steve Kildoo said. "Sometimes they go in one direction, some years they go back in the other direction. But we don't really care about that. As long as we felt there was value to it, we were OK with that."

Built with donated equipment and money, the recording studio is one of the center's most popular attractions, drawing an estimated 30 to 35 kids a week. Those youths include Jesus Hernandez and Reynaldo Flores, both 15, who created a recording of Reynaldo rapping Wednesday.

"It's fun because you can express yourself," Reynaldo said. "It's better being here recording then being on the street."

Young but capable staff

Other programs on Panorama's schedule include art and graphic design classes, computer labs, tutoring sessions, indoor sports, and Friday-night movies and video games.

The center also offers field trips and community service opportunities, adult education and GED preparation classes and support groups for recovering alcoholics and addicts.

The youthfulness of the center's staffers helps attract members. Ruthie Segura, 21, said she began coming to Panorama when she was 15 or 16, became one of its biggest volunteers and eventually got hired.

A petite woman who looks younger than she is, Segura now manages the center. She and Vazquez work part time and are the center's only paid employees; they get help from volunteers and college interns.

On Wednesday, Segura and Vazquez easily juggled explanations of Panorama's operations as they greeted incoming visitors, answered the phone and monitored activities in a nearby computer room.

"When I was growing up, I saw people that I knew who took the wrong path," Segura said.

Panorama is designed to offer a positive atmosphere, she said.

"We inspire them to help out the community," the young manager said. "We show them skills like art, music. We teach them how to be more than on the streets and on the computer."

Vazquez, whose leadership skills were apparent when he broke off a conversation to order teens who had just closed the computer room door to reopen it, said his gang experience helps him on the job.

"There may be a lot of kids that are coming here now that may be in the same situation as I was," he said. "So I see something going on and I can say, 'Hey, I can relate to that.' And music, a lot of them are interested in that."

The center is open from 2 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call (760) 471-9449.

Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.

PANORAMA TEEN AND FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER

131 Richmar Ave., San Marcos

-- Center is open from 2 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

-- Membership is free.

-- Teen programs include music studio, art and graphic design classes, a computer lab, tutoring sessions, community service, indoor sports, and movie and video game days.

-- Adult offerings include education classes, GED preparation, Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups.

-- "Panorama Nights" fundraising dinner will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 20 at the San Marcos Senior Center; cost is $30 per person, $50 per couple, or $300 per table of eight.

-- For information, call (760) 471-9449.