Oak View gains new P.A.L.s
by Lenny Roberts

The Oak View Chapter of the Police Activities League has been revamped, and now boasts enrollment of upwards of 50 kids a day - many of whom have no place to go after school.
Senior Deputy, Ojai-based, Sheriff's Detective Joe Evans, joined the P.A.L team in mid-May as an advisor. He credits volunteers, Sunset School principal Larry Hardesty, the Ventura Unified School District and the Oak View parks governing board with helping to create a new interest in the after-school program designed to give Ojai Valley latchkey children an opportunity to finish homework and participate in activities to which they would not otherwise be exposed.
"The fact is that they allow us to provide a great service to the valley's children. They truly do care about the youth of the Ojai Valley having some place to go and something to do," Evans said.
The P.A.L. program, based at Oak View Community Center began about five years ago to reach out to at-risk youths in Ojai Valley. After moderate success and the initial problems were ironed out, the average daily attendance numbers were, nonetheless, on the decline. Evans was brought in with a "fresh pair of eyes to look at things with a different perspective," he said.
Earlier this year, P.A.L.'s homework program consisted of kids coming to the center and sitting on couches with a couple of volunteers trying to complete homework assigned that day. And the main rule at P.A.L. is that homework must be completed before kids can partake in activities.
But a problem developed, whereby some kids actually didn't have homework assignments that day, and some who did said they didn't. Evans, realizing that working with kids on their homework on a couch setting was the best environment for learning, contacted Hardesty, and proposed an idea that the Sunset School teacher sold to VUSD.
In June, Hardesty was asked to determine the feasibility of a collaboration between his school and P.A.L. whereby the VUSD would provide an after-school homework assistant on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
"Larry Hardesty got the after-school program authorized. P.A.L. would provide an adult mentor to help the kids, and the school would provide an environment conducive to learning," Evans explained.
"The first day of the experimental program was the hardest, but Larry was the key player, providing a trained teacher and the classroom for the first month of the trial period. On that first day, six kids showed up, and I was actually pretty excited. At the end of trial period three weeks later, we were averaging 18 to 20 kids a day. I thought this is great, reaching 20 kids that we weren't reaching before."
When trial period was over, Hardesty agreed to start up again after the summer break. Currently, there are as many as 55 kids and two teachers in the program each day.
"The school district said they are very pleased with results, and I'm almost beside myself," Evans said, adding that a big advantage to the homework program is that parents say it relieves a lot of stress at home.
"They parents say they're not battling with their kids because their homework is done before going home. That's truly part of the goal."
Once out of their homework obligation, the kids can go to the Community Center for P.A.L. activities. Under the direction of Deputy Kim Larson, P.A.L. coordinator, Jason Sanger and John Martinez run the daily programs of flag football, basketball, cheerleading, Tae Bo, girl's volleyball, BMX motocross, off-road motorcycling and P.A.L.'s newest program, boxing, taught by Senior Deputy Lisa Panza.
Martinez is P.A.L.'s new basketball coach, hired to work with kids who either don't know how to play or just want to improve their skills. Through his experience and knowledge of the game, Evans says Martinez provides training to kids who may opt to go into Ojai's Park and Recreation leagues with better ability and an improved understanding of the game.
"There was a large number of kids who turned out to play on the P.A.L. basketball team, which became a successful club team, and Martinez is doing the same thing with flag football, readying them for league play," Evans noted.
Sanger, an ex-BMX racer, was brought into the program in May. because a bunch of kids riding in the parking lot area and were not part of P.A.L.
"They were being told that they couldn't ride in area unsupervised, and this was unacceptable. We weren't welcoming them into the program. Sanger brings the ability to teach kids to ride in dirt in a safe manner. Also, he's one of those guys who when he tells a kid how to do a jump, he's not just talking. He gets on his bike and does it with them. We now reach out to kids who we were unable to in the past.
"What we're trying to do is put P.A.L. back in position to give kids the help that they need in being exposed to a sport that they do not normally play, especially kids from families that have both parents working and there just isn't time for kids to learn a new sport."
Larson began P.A.L.'s off-road motorcycle training program for kids 8 through 16 who have an interest in riding, but don't have a motorcycle or anyone to teach them how to ride. Those who enroll in the program are taken to a private off-road park facility in Hungry Valley. There they are instructed by as many as six deputies trained in off-road motorcycle instruction.
"By the end of the second day, they're going out on trail rides with a deputy. It's a once-a-month program, and every trip has been completely full. Kim put this together, and it's really cool. Honda Corporation donates the motorcycles, and we have enough for six instructors and 10 kids each trip."
P.A.L. welcomes any Ojai Valley child to join by filling out a $10 annual registration form available at the Oak View Community Center at 18 Valley Road, and adult volunteers are needed for the various programs. Those interested should contact Evans at the Ojai Police Department, 646-1414, during normal business hours.
Upcoming P.A.L. events include the annual winter dance to be held Dec. 28 at 7 p.m.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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