By Scott Wong

Three months on the job and Lindsay Brown is hard at work trying to bring Los Altos teens together in a safe environment.

The Los Altos Recreation Department hired Brown as the new Teen Program coordinator in August. She was formerly employed by the Newark Unified School District as a site director for after-school programs.

“I think that teens here need something to do, and having programs brings them to the recreation department in a safe environment,” Brown said.

A recent graduate of California State University at Hayward, Brown said that at 22, she’s more open to teens’ ideas.

“I’ve been working with teens for the last four to five years,” she said. “I can still relate to them and they can still relate to me.”

In September, Brown organized a Hawaiian Luau for approximately 100 students from schools like Egan Junior High and Blach Intermediate.

Last week, students attended a Halloween party at The Underground, the department’s drop-in teen center which derives its name from its location in the basement of the Garden House at Shoup Park.

The center provides entertainment, including a big screen TV, a Nintendo X-box, foosball and air hockey tables, as well as computers for students to work on homework.

Future events scheduled include a Christmas shopping trip to San Francisco Nov. 30, a Superbowl party in January and a Casino Night in February, where teens can trade in “gambling” chips for prizes.

Brown said the center serves 7th- to 12th-graders looking for something to do on the weekends after the downtown area closes at five.

“Teens will definitely benefit at a place where they can hang out and parents know they are safe,” Brown said.

The Underground is open 3:30-8 p.m., Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m., Saturdays.