GLENDALE : Boxing Program Temporarily Closes

The Glendale Youth Boxing program has taken a blow after organizers temporarily shut down this week to allow time for city officials to purchase and install new equipment in a gym.

Sponsored by Glendale police and the city parks department, the program has attracted an average of 10 to 12 teen-agers per session since its debut June 7, Police Officer Rod Brooks said.

Five officers and a firefighter have been volunteering to conduct workout and training sessions with the youths in a gymnasium at Glendale Presbyterian Church, 125 S. Louise St. The last session was held Wednesday. Brooks hopes to start again by Aug. 16.

Meanwhile, city officials are buying $10,000 worth of equipment, including a boxing ring, six pairs of gloves, three head guards and various kinds of punching bags. Because the money is a grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, officials said they had to seek bids for the project. The bids are due Aug. 6, said a city spokesman.

“I think when the ring and all the other equipment are in place, their (the teen-agers’) enthusiasm will increase for the sport,” Brooks said. “We should have a pretty good competitive program.”

The program mainly reaches out to 13- to 17-year-olds within the Glendale Unified School District and is usually held between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.