San Dimas : After-School Program OKd

The City Council on Tuesday allocated up to $10,000 for an after-school program at Pioneer Park in the wake of a drive-by shooting near the park last week.

“We need to exert a positive influence in these neighborhoods,” said Mayor Terry L. Dipple, who requested the funds for a free, five-days-a-week program. It will be the fifth of its kind operated by the city’s Human Services Department, department secretary Sharon Crauder said. The city expects to serve 30 to 40 youngsters ages 7 to 12 in the program, which will begin in September, Assistant City Manager Gabrielle Pryor said.

In addition, the local substation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has pledged more visibility around the park, where 16-year-old Elmer Cardenas was shot in the leg Friday night, Pryor said. Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Smith described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there are no organized gangs in the city.