Though most Utah County teens no longer think the valley is a "drag," that doesn't mean they're still not bored during summers or weekends.
Despite the presence of the Wasatch Mountains in the background, teens say they're hardpressed to find summertime and weekend activities that meet their parents' approval."On weekends, there's nothing to do, and the town just dries up," said Luke Hansen, 15, Springville. "It's even worse if you don't have a (driver's) license. Then you're stranded, basically.
"Those with licenses can go to Provo or Salt Lake if they want to," Hansen said. "There's just a lot more to do there."
Peggy Bosley, 17, Pleasant Grove, agrees. "We usually go to Provo or UVCC when we want to do something. There's just so little to do in town."
For summertime weekend activities and socializing, many Utah County teens say the valley might as well be a desert with ghost towns aplenty. They say they're looking for someplace cheap to meet other teens, like a dance club - anywhere in the county.
The Palace, located near the BYU campus, is currently the sole dance club in the valley. Club owners have suspended the popular high school night until April. The Ivy Tower, a former dance club in Provo, has now become a parochial school; the proposed Studio Seven - located in Orem's Ventura Studios - has been turned down by the Orem City Council; and the intriguingly named Echo Head Asylum in Provo has yet to open its doors.
"Dances are the best places to meet people," Bosley said. "You can go with your friends, but there are a lot of other, newer, people there, too. I think that a dance club would really help out a lot, especially on Saturday nights."
The teens say things have gotten so bad, even the tried-and-true method of amusement, cruising main thoroughfares in Provo, American Fork and Spanish Fork, has gone the way of the dinosaurs.
"(Cruising) used to be really popular," said Rachel Arbon, 17, Lindon. "But now it's like, `I don't think so.' It's just not very fun to do anymore, and it's definitely not cool."
In Spanish Fork, officials say their Main Street may have been second only to Salt Lake City and St. George during spring break just five years ago. They're not sure whether the decline is due to lack of interest or stricter enforcement.
"It's not the problem it used to be," said Spanish Fork police Chief Dee Rosenbaum. "It's still a concern, though - something we'll continue to address. A few years ago, it was really something, but we put in ordinances against parking and loitering in parking lots, and that's cured some of the problem."
Under the loitering ordinance, stores allow only customers on the premises. Those found violating the restrictions can be cited for trespassing. But it (and similar ordinances around the county) may have inadvertently created a new monster - the "teen hangout."
Provo and Orem teens use the University Mall as their hangout. In other areas, though, convenience stores - like 7-Elevens, Mr. G's Gas and Goodies and Hart's - and fast-food restaurants are the most frequent targets. Teens head for the establishments on school lunch breaks and after school, buying and eating just enough to be considered customers.
"It's a place where you can hang out with people your own age," said Riley Bird, 15, Springville. "It's where everybody goes."
Some teens are flocking to all-hours restaurants like Denny's and Village Inn, where they drink coffee and some smoke cigarettes.
"It's like having a coffee house where teenagers can just hang," said Bryan Coons, 16, Pleasant Grove. "They turn to the smoking or worse things because they're bored and because they can get away with it there."
Amanda Chappell, 15, Springville, agrees.
"Really, kids are getting in trouble because we need more fun activities when there's nothing else to do," Chappell said.
A recent report by the Carnegie Corp. suggests the two teens aren't far from the truth. The report, titled "A Matter of Time: Risk and Opportunities in the Nonschool Hours," estimates nearly half the 20 million U.S. adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15 are at risk because communities do not provide them with healthy activities.
The report, commissioned by the Carnegie Corp.'s Council on Adolescent Development, recommends schools and community service organizations work together with local government leaders to put more money into afterschool programs for children.
Already, all the major Utah County cities have recreational programs for both adults and children, including city-sponsored basketball, baseball, softball and football activites. Many also have swimming pools, rodeo grounds and tennis court facilities. In addition, many LDS Church wards and stakes sponsor basketball, softball and volleyball leagues.
But many of those programs are filled to the brim. In Orem, recreation director Jerry Ortiz estimates nearly half of the 400,000 patron visits to the city's recreational center are by teens.
"There's a very significant demand by teens on our recreational programs," Ortiz said. "We've seen our numbers increase like crazy."
For example, he said the girls' softball leagues served 200 teens in 1991. But in 1992, that amount more than doubled, to 480.
"We haven't had to turn any people away from our programs, but things are close to the saturation point," Ortiz said.
In other areas of the county, city officials seem to be getting the picture. American Fork is building a rec center, and Pleasant Grove is creating a recreational park. A master plan survey conducted by Springville officials also indicates that many in the community think such an investment in their young might be a good idea.