 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Kids club lays off six workers
By RYAN DAVIS, Times Staff Writer To save its summer programs, the Boys and Girls Club of Pasco County has laid off six of its 16 part-time workers, officials said Thursday. Five more might lose their jobs before the end of the month, said director Susan Stackpole-Kelley, one of the club's four full-time workers. But despite the cuts late last month, the Shady Hills club will be closed for four weeks this summer when it is typically open. Up to 40 children frequent the club at 15840 Green Glen Lane. "This is very sad," Stackpole-Kelley said. "It's hurting the kids." The club will be closed the weeks of May 27, June 3, July 22 and July 29. For the six weeks between those closings, the county parks and recreation unit will run its summer program at the club. As usual, the club will be closed the week before school opens in August. It will reopen when school starts, Stackpole-Kelley said. Even if it has to lay off more people, the summer programs will remain at the Lacoochee and Port Richey clubs. The Lacoochee club is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the summer, and it costs children $1 a month to attend. The Port Richey club is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer program, which costs $45 a week, Stackpole-Kelley said. The laid-off workers averaged about 20 to 30 hours a week, Stackpole-Kelley said. One worked at the club's teen center in Port Richey; three worked at the youth center in Port Richey; one worked in Shady Hills; and one worked in Lacoochee. "If it means (the director) is going to have to be inside there teaching a class, well, she's going to," said Steve Luikart, the president of the club's local board of directors. The club is supported by donations, program fees and government grants, Luikart said. "We knew there was a crunch; we just didn't know how bad the crunch was going to be," Luikart said. "I guess we didn't do a real good job on planning three months ago." -- Ryan Davis covers social services in Pasco County. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6245 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6245. His e-mail address is rdavis@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From today's Pasco Times Accusation of abandonment is just not true If Finn wants respect, he should show some |
