This file part of www.watertownhistory.org website

Activities planned at local ROC

321 S. Water St

213 N Third St [2009]

Former Empire Globe property

The Watertown Recreation and Outreach Center (ROC) for Youth, 321 S. Water St., is for high school teenagers and offers a wide variety of activities and events.

The center offers safe, free fun, is well supervised and organized, allowing for much free time when it is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 3 to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 3 to 10 p.m. Offered are pool, ping pong, foosball, cable TV, board/card games, video/computer gaming and Internet surfing using the supervised and protected computers. Experienced biblical counseling or guidance is also available if desired.

High school teens as well as seventh- and eighth-graders are invited to the ROC. Homework tutoring is available anytime. Organized board game time is available anytime.

1999

Planning for the ROC began in 1999 when the four Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran churches in the city - St. John's, St. Luke's, St. Mark's and Trinity - saw the need for such a youth center. The site for the ROC was originally planned for Main Street, but that was changed when the former A to Z Farm Center building on South Water Street was offered rent free. That building was transformed into the ROC and opened in December 2003.

2009

12 22 ROC offer to purchase Carew Heating bldg at 213 N Third. The ROC was forced to move out of its former home on South Water Street in October of this year because of the proposed construction of a 54-unit senior citizen complex on the same site. The ROC headquarters was razed in late October. Because the ROC was unable to secure a permanent home at that time, the center temporarily moved into the basement of St. Mark's Parish Hall on Jones Street. WDT

2010

06 28 The new location of the Watertown Recreation and Outreach Center (ROC) was formally opened with an open house event Saturday. The extensively remodeled space at 213 N. Third St. offers area teens a place to gather and converse as well as an opportunity to play games and have access to Internet-equipped computers. The center also offers after school activities and mentoring programs. The project is the result of many hours of volunteer work and material contributions from area residents and the center's youths. WDT