Teen Room welcomes students

The Teen Room in the Moorcroft Town Center (MTC) has officially opened the doors for area youths. The Squirrel Brigade, under the auspices of advisor Andrea Wood, has been working diligently for over a year to see this enterprise benefitting local teenagers become a reality.

The Teen Room is intended to give kids a safe, chaperoned environment in which they can play games, visit, watch television, read and eat popcorn.

The Squirrels hosted an open house Thursday evening to thank their beneficiaries as well as introduce the public to the space and concept. The rooms soon filled as guests entered through the muraled stairwell before stepping into the first of two rooms.

This first room is the game room, with a pool table and other accruements for fun. The second room has been designed for a quieter ambiance with an electric fireplace, comfortable chairs and a small stage for more literary pursuits in the future.

“It’s been a lot of work,” said Wood. “We’ve had tremendous support from the community and we are really grateful for that because we didn’t have any funding. The school wasn’t able to help us and so without community support, we would not be able to have done any of this. Pinnacle Bank allowed us to be beneficiaries of their holiday basket program for two years in a row and that was huge for us because it kind of gave us the seed money to start.”

The winter landscape that opens as one climbs the stairs under a star filled sky was designed and painted by about 20 students within three days with logistical assistance from JB King and Casey Stroud. The medium is simple interior latex paint. Jessica Trigg and Mandy Otto created the mural on the kitchen wall.

This establishment is not for babysitting and is open for community teenagers only.

Grades 7-12 are welcome to hang out at the New Secret Squirrel Brigade Teen Room. They can enjoy their choice of movies, games (including Xbox and Playstation, Pool and Board Games), study space or just come to chill. An adult Teen Room attendant will always be available for assistance.

Hours are: 4 -7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon - 5 p.m. on Fridays