Youth center devotees urge community to #BackTheMac

Of the $2.6 million dollars the state gave the City of Merced to renovate McNamara Park, it granted a mere $24,000 for the park's abandoned youth center – one tenth of the sum requested to revive what locals call The Mac. Now youth advocates are pushing the City Council to increase the operating budget for the beloved center, to close budget gaps and pay staff. "If this center were fully funded, we could just focus on our work and serving the community. Instead, we have to worry about paying bills and whether we have enough money to stay open." Coverage of a rally to support The Mac is on We'Ced.