A “chill” East Sac teen space Teens can be teens at The Silver Orange By Laura I. Winn Photos by Stephen Crowley stephen@valcomnews.com
The new teen center in East Sacramento, The Silver Orange, is a place where teens can be teens and parents don’t have to worry about what that means. Open for ages 11 to 17, The Silver Orange (922 57th St.) is a “chill space” for teens to hang out, play video games, shoot pool, sing Karaoke, jam with the band, create some art or play any number of board games. As an affiliate of AxIS (Applied Integrated Services), certified behavior analysts Will Morris, Emily Weller and Christina Huggett own and run The Silver Orange with a mostly hands-off approach. Tuesday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 or 11 p.m., they open their doors to the teens, but it’s up to the teens to take responsibility for themselves once inside. Morris’ own teens were the inspiration for the center. At ages 13 and 15, they love to play in their band, Wise Anna, and shoot pool, but finding
teen-friendly music venues, as well as billiards tables outside of bars was a challenge. The Silver Orange was the solution. “We saw a niche in the market that wasn’t being filled,” explained Weller, 26, a former special education teacher. In addition to serving as an alternative to an after school program, the center has a special focus on the arts. Every fourth Friday is open to the public for Open Mic, and every public Second Saturday concert showcases a local artist’s work for sale. On Saturday, April 8, The Silver Orange will host the UnderRage Music Fest after party. Performance nights gives teens and pre-teens like 11-year-old Mak a chance to step on stage in a welcoming environment. Watching other youth go first during March’s Open Mic night gave a nervous Mak the confidence to take the first step in fulfilling her dream to be the next Taylor Swift by singing Pink’s “Who Knew.” New to the center, Mak was footing the bill for herself and her two older brothers to hang out on a Tuesday,
the center’s slowest day. Some days see as few as five kids while busier days range from 15 to 30 teens spread across the center’s art, computer and game rooms. The brothers enjoyed kicking back on the rec room’s couch to play video games. The room also features air hockey, ping pong, Foosball, and of course, pool. For the guys, the “cheap snacks” which
range from $0.25 to $2, was one of the best perks. “We know some teens are paying their own way, so we keep the prices low,” explained Morris, 41. Teens can come on a $7 day pass or receive a deep discount by buying a month, three-month or year pass, See Silver Orange, page 3
www.valcomnews.com Publisher: David Herburger Editor: Monica Stark Contributing Writers: Susan Roberts, Bitsy Kemper, Carmel Mooney Art Director: John Ochoa Graphic Designer: Annin Greenhalgh Advertising: Melissa Andrews, Linda Pohl - 916-429-9901 Cover art by Annin Greenhalgh California Kids! is published monthly and distributed to more than 1,000 locations in the Sacramento Valley, including all of Sacramento County, and portions of Yolo (Davis and Woodland), Placer (Rocklin and Roseville), El Dorado (Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Placerville) counties. Subscriptions are available for $30/year. Mail prepaid check or money order to California Kids!, 2709 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818. Make sure to specify the person and address to which you wish issues to be mailed. Deadlines for advertising and calendar listings are the 25th of the month prior to publication. Calendar listings should be mailed to 2709 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818, faxed to (916) 429-9906, or e-mailed to editor@valcomnews.com. Copyright 2017 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. 2709 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818. Phone: (916) 429-9901. Fax: (916) 429-9906. E-mail:calkids@valcomnews.com. ©2017 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
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K O H L’ S B U C K L E U P T O G R O W U P
Safety is Best! Wear your vest, every time you swim. A properly fitting life jacket will help your kids float safety through the summer. For more information, call 916-734-9798.
b u c k l e u p . u c d a v i s . e d u • w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / b u c k l e u p 2 g r o w u p CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • MAY 2017