This committed group of volunteers spent many hours talking to local teens to determine what they needed and wanted in an after-school facility. Over the course of several years, input from the teens was collected, and the wheels were set in motion by those residents to look for a location for such a building.

Through an inordinate amount of hard work, a location was pieced together and a long list of volunteers was enlisted to provide the many services needed for constructing, servicing and staffing such a facility. We now know this place as "The Outhouse" or "A Place for Teens," located behind Los Gatos High School.

Approximately 90 percent of the monies raised for The Outhouse came from fundraising and private donations; another 5 percent came from grants; and another 2 to 5 percent came from the town of Los Gatos.

It is my understanding that the town initially said they would give $75,000 only toward the shell of the building. However, of that amount the town kept approximately $20,000 for fees associated with the construction and permits needed for the site. At no time did the town hire a consultant to help with the location, design or building of the facility.

Currently, local teens play a very important role in the ongoing job of running The Outhouse. They spend more hours than they should fundraising, since most of the monies used to maintain and staff The Outhouse come from private donations. The town gives approximately $2,000-$5,000 per year to The Outhouse as a donation toward the $100,000 budget needed to run its programs, hire its staff, maintain the building and supply its necessities. It is also my understanding that The Outhouse, which is a nonprofit organization, donated the building to the town, which now owns it, although it is totally run by volunteers and concerned residents.

Now let's jump ahead to the year 2002. A group of concerned residents is expressing a need for a skatepark in Los Gatos. I propose that these residents organize themselves into a cohesive unit, talk at length to the local skateboarders, come up with a plan for a park and help find a suitable site to make this facility come to fruition.

The concerned residents may spend many hours fundraising and lining up volunteers to provide support, construction and staff services. This is work that the residents should undertake themselves, and the payoff will be immeasurable. Just ask any of the volunteers that continue to work so hard to make The Outhouse a reality.

All the hard work the residents put into this project will result in a much deeper vested interest in the facility and an incredible sense of accomplishment for the teens that are involved. Already the town has spent monies on consultants and town staff time for this skatepark project. This is work that the residents should undertake themselves. If people want to make something happen, they should take ownership and not ask the town council to come up with a solution for them.

At the same time, though, the town should reward the efforts of these causes and the hard work of committed volunteers (both youth and adults) by generously earmarking funds for causes that support our youth. The challenge is for both the residents to play a strong leading role in the creation of a skatepark and the Los Gatos Town Council to financially aid The Outhouse, the skatepark and other youth organizations equally.

Kyle Lanza is a resident of Monte Sereno.