YMCA health club to close after struggling to remain financially viable.

YMCA health club will close its doors at the end of the month after struggling to remain financially viable.
Club members expressed anger after receiving the news last week in a letter from club manager Lissa McIldowney, while Hepburn Shire has promised to investigate new options for a heath club.Ballarat YMCA chief executive Malcolm Healey said the Smith Street facility was not financially viable in its current location in the grounds of Daylesford Secondary College and would close on June 30. “We have explored several alternatives for the health club’s continuation, but unfortunately we have not been able to achieve a positive outcome,” Mr Healey said.He said the site’s location and limited day-time access, as well as issues of amenity, had restricted the health club’s ability to attract sustainable membership.Patrons with term memberships or membership passes will have the balance of their payments refunded. Mr Healey said the six casual YMCA staff affected by the closure would be supported to find alternative employment. Club member Kathleen Murray said Daylesford was being “geographically discriminated against” by the closure. “.This is a sudden and hugely disappointing announcement which leaves the local residents without any access to a gymnasium before and after work.”It also makes it incredibly difficult for locals to try and keep fit during the colder months,” Mrs Murray said. She said many members were angry and the decision to close the gym made the promotion of health and wellbeing in the area laughable.Daylesford Secondary College acting principal Tiffany Holt said the decision by the YMCA came as a shock to the school.”The college has been in ongoing lengthy discussions with the shire regarding ways to maximise the use and availability of the health club, and we will continue to nvestigate ways to maintain this great facility for the benefit of both our school community and the wider community,” she said.Hepburn Shire mayor Rod May said the decision was regrettable but unavoidable.”According to the YMCA, the ongoing operation of the club was clearly not financially sustainable and they were left with no other choice.”Council is committed to working with both the YMCA and the Daylesford Secondary College to explore other options so our community can continue to enjoy the benefits such a club and facility provides,” he said.Club members who contacted The Advocate paid tribute to Ms McIldowney for her leadership of the club and expressed sadness they would no longer be able to exercise together at the facility.
http://www.hepburnadvocate.com
The Advocate

YMCA health club to close after struggling to remain financially viable.

YMCA health club will close its doors at the end of the month after struggling to remain financially viable.
Club members expressed anger after receiving the news last week in a letter from club manager Lissa McIldowney, while Hepburn Shire has promised to investigate new options for a heath club.Ballarat YMCA chief executive Malcolm Healey said the Smith Street facility was not financially viable in its current location in the grounds of Daylesford Secondary College and would close on June 30. “We have explored several alternatives for the health club’s continuation, but unfortunately we have not been able to achieve a positive outcome,” Mr Healey said.He said the site’s location and limited day-time access, as well as issues of amenity, had restricted the health club’s ability to attract sustainable membership.Patrons with term memberships or membership passes will have the balance of their payments refunded. Mr Healey said the six casual YMCA staff affected by the closure would be supported to find alternative employment. Club member Kathleen Murray said Daylesford was being “geographically discriminated against” by the closure. “.This is a sudden and hugely disappointing announcement which leaves the local residents without any access to a gymnasium before and after work.”It also makes it incredibly difficult for locals to try and keep fit during the colder months,” Mrs Murray said. She said many members were angry and the decision to close the gym made the promotion of health and wellbeing in the area laughable.Daylesford Secondary College acting principal Tiffany Holt said the decision by the YMCA came as a shock to the school.”The college has been in ongoing lengthy discussions with the shire regarding ways to maximise the use and availability of the health club, and we will continue to nvestigate ways to maintain this great facility for the benefit of both our school community and the wider community,” she said.Hepburn Shire mayor Rod May said the decision was regrettable but unavoidable.”According to the YMCA, the ongoing operation of the club was clearly not financially sustainable and they were left with no other choice.”Council is committed to working with both the YMCA and the Daylesford Secondary College to explore other options so our community can continue to enjoy the benefits such a club and facility provides,” he said.Club members who contacted The Advocate paid tribute to Ms McIldowney for her leadership of the club and expressed sadness they would no longer be able to exercise together at the facility.
http://www.hepburnadvocate.com
The Advocate

International Health Club News…… Ruling to free health club members from long contracts

Anyone tied into a gym contract of more than a year should be able to cancel it more easily and without cost, following a landmark ruling last month. Working up a sweat: The ruling could mean that other gyms will not be able to tie customers into contracts for more than 12 months. In May, the Office of Fair Trading won a ruling at the High Court against Ashbourne Management Services, which draws up contracts and collects payments from independent gyms. This Friday the High Court is set to make an enforcement order on the ruling which could mean that anyone who is signed up to a gym contract that is longer than 12 months will be able to cancel it for free. During the case the judge looked at 13 Ashbourne contracts, ruling that in 10 of them the lengthy minimum membership periods (usually 12, 24 or 36 months) were unfair when Ashbourne knew that many consumers stop attending the gym after two or three months. He also ruled that three other contracts were still unfair because they tied members in for more than 12 months. The ruling, although not yet legally binding, could see other gyms follow suit. Current contracts for 12 months or longer do not need to be cancelled, but gyms will not be able to enforce penalties or insist that members pay for the whole amount outstanding if members decide to leave.It also means that gym-goers can cancel their memberships without cost, even if it is within 12 months, if they raise genuine issues about the quality of the gym. The OFT said that the ruling should give other businesses in the sector which use similar terms an ‘understanding of how a court would rule’ if its terms or contracts were unfair.Jason Freeman, Director in the OFT Goods and Consumer Group, said: ‘Unfair terms that unreasonably bind consumers into long contracts they cannot leave, and heavy-handed collection techniques, have no place in businesses’ dealings with consumers. ‘This ruling should help traders to understand where the boundaries lie, and sends a warning that if they cross the line, the OFT and local trading standards services can take action.’

International Health Club News…… Ruling to free health club members from long contracts

Anyone tied into a gym contract of more than a year should be able to cancel it more easily and without cost, following a landmark ruling last month. Working up a sweat: The ruling could mean that other gyms will not be able to tie customers into contracts for more than 12 months. In May, the Office of Fair Trading won a ruling at the High Court against Ashbourne Management Services, which draws up contracts and collects payments from independent gyms. This Friday the High Court is set to make an enforcement order on the ruling which could mean that anyone who is signed up to a gym contract that is longer than 12 months will be able to cancel it for free. During the case the judge looked at 13 Ashbourne contracts, ruling that in 10 of them the lengthy minimum membership periods (usually 12, 24 or 36 months) were unfair when Ashbourne knew that many consumers stop attending the gym after two or three months. He also ruled that three other contracts were still unfair because they tied members in for more than 12 months. The ruling, although not yet legally binding, could see other gyms follow suit. Current contracts for 12 months or longer do not need to be cancelled, but gyms will not be able to enforce penalties or insist that members pay for the whole amount outstanding if members decide to leave.It also means that gym-goers can cancel their memberships without cost, even if it is within 12 months, if they raise genuine issues about the quality of the gym. The OFT said that the ruling should give other businesses in the sector which use similar terms an ‘understanding of how a court would rule’ if its terms or contracts were unfair.Jason Freeman, Director in the OFT Goods and Consumer Group, said: ‘Unfair terms that unreasonably bind consumers into long contracts they cannot leave, and heavy-handed collection techniques, have no place in businesses’ dealings with consumers. ‘This ruling should help traders to understand where the boundaries lie, and sends a warning that if they cross the line, the OFT and local trading standards services can take action.’

World Gym Shuts Doors After Dispute Between Owner, Landlord

World Gym Shuts Doors After Dispute Between Owner, Landlord
Sign in window calls closure ‘temporary’ but at least one member is not so sure.

By Karen Sorensen
http://plainfield.patch.com

World Gym members in Plainfield are learning the hard way their workout facility has “temporarily” closed — when they are greeted by a sign on the front window telling them to use the World Gym in Montgomery.The fitness center shut its doors late last week, the result of a dispute between the building owner and the owner of the Plainfield World Gym franchise, said Esther Colima, a staff member for the Montgomery World Gym.Colima said she did not know the nature of the dispute or if the gym, at 12337 S. Route 59, would reopen. In the meantime, she said, they’re seeing as many as a dozen Plainfield members using their facility daily because of the closure.At least one member said in an e-mail Tuesday that he feared that gym may be closed permanently, and that people who had paid in advance would not be reimbursed.”I know people, me included, prepaid for the summer and others have an automatic debit [for] which we will probably never see a refund,” Kurt Corrigan wrote. “All everyone wants is their money back and to move on, but it does not seem they are going to honor that.”The owner of the gym could not be reached for comment. Building owner Joe Ardovich, whose strip mall includes several other businesses, including Limestone Brewing Company, did not return phone calls.Calls to the World Gym corporate offices in Downers Grove also were not returned.If the Plainfield facility does not reopen, it would follow on the heels of the World Gym in Elgin, which is owned by the same franchise holder and shut its doors in May. Customers there, too, are being told to use their memberships at the Montgomery facility or file a claim for a reimbursement.According to the World Gym Web site, annual memberships cost $29.99 and members pay for each month in advance. For singles, that amount is $23.85, for couples it’s $33.85 and for families it’s $43.85 ($25 additional for every family member beyond the first three).So far, the village has not received any complaints about the fitness center’s closure, said village spokeswoman Amy De Boni.

World Gym Shuts Doors After Dispute Between Owner, Landlord

World Gym Shuts Doors After Dispute Between Owner, Landlord
Sign in window calls closure ‘temporary’ but at least one member is not so sure.

By Karen Sorensen
http://plainfield.patch.com

World Gym members in Plainfield are learning the hard way their workout facility has “temporarily” closed — when they are greeted by a sign on the front window telling them to use the World Gym in Montgomery.The fitness center shut its doors late last week, the result of a dispute between the building owner and the owner of the Plainfield World Gym franchise, said Esther Colima, a staff member for the Montgomery World Gym.Colima said she did not know the nature of the dispute or if the gym, at 12337 S. Route 59, would reopen. In the meantime, she said, they’re seeing as many as a dozen Plainfield members using their facility daily because of the closure.At least one member said in an e-mail Tuesday that he feared that gym may be closed permanently, and that people who had paid in advance would not be reimbursed.”I know people, me included, prepaid for the summer and others have an automatic debit [for] which we will probably never see a refund,” Kurt Corrigan wrote. “All everyone wants is their money back and to move on, but it does not seem they are going to honor that.”The owner of the gym could not be reached for comment. Building owner Joe Ardovich, whose strip mall includes several other businesses, including Limestone Brewing Company, did not return phone calls.Calls to the World Gym corporate offices in Downers Grove also were not returned.If the Plainfield facility does not reopen, it would follow on the heels of the World Gym in Elgin, which is owned by the same franchise holder and shut its doors in May. Customers there, too, are being told to use their memberships at the Montgomery facility or file a claim for a reimbursement.According to the World Gym Web site, annual memberships cost $29.99 and members pay for each month in advance. For singles, that amount is $23.85, for couples it’s $33.85 and for families it’s $43.85 ($25 additional for every family member beyond the first three).So far, the village has not received any complaints about the fitness center’s closure, said village spokeswoman Amy De Boni.

Health Club News?????…Why Rooster from True Grit didn’t worry about the gym

By Nuala McKeever
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
I watched True Grit last week. That’s True Grit, the remake, with Jeff Bridges as the hard drinkin’, big hearted but tough bounty hunter, Rooster Cogburn.
I had only seen the original film with John Wayne in the role, a couple of weeks before that. Much as I never really liked John Wayne and much as I love the work of Jeff Bridges, I ended up preferring the original movie. Anyway, so what, that’s not really the point here. The point is that I now keep asking myself, in moments of indecision: “What would Rooster Cogburn do?” There was a time when I’d ask myself, in moments of moral dilemma: “What would Jesus Christ do?” Not to sound too pious, but I still think there’s usually a clear way to approach things, we just don’t want to take the consequences sometimes, preferring to indulge in justification and ‘whataboutery’ instead. I mean, would Jesus Christ, faced with the customer-before-him having left their change in the self-service checkout and walked away without realising, say to himself “Ach sure, that’s their look out. I don’t know who it belongs to. If I hand it in, it’ll probably just go to boost the already huge profits of this supermarket, therefore my taking it would actually be a victory for the little guy?” Yes, that did happen to me and I did hand it in. And yes it quite possibly has gone to boost the store’s profits by £5.18, but, hey, I can sleep easy in my bed at night. Or rather, I can’t. That’s the problem. See now I’ve got things to lie awake and worry about that the likes of Jesus Christ and Rooster Cogburn never had to concern themselves with. The latest is exercise and weight loss. As I joined a new gym last week I laughed to myself imagining Rooster suckin’ on a bottle of blue coloured energy drink and announcing to his riding companions that he’d managed to lose four pounds the week before and half-an-inch off his waist, while showing them his before and after photos, laminated and attached to his ‘World’s Best Bounty Hunter’ heart-shaped key fob.And as I woke up the other morning to discover my mobile phone battery had died overnight despite being fully charged the evening before, I realised that the reason people in Rooster’s day didn’t need to join gyms was because in order to communicate with others, they actually had to move physically either to talk, ride, write and post or run after the person in question. And if they had a few extra pounds on, nobody cared anyway, cos they weren’t gonna have to show it off in skimpy outfits the minute the sun came out.
They had occasional baths, no phones and shorter life expectancy. We have daily showers, the pressure of always being contactable and longer life expectancy.
But, because we live longer, we now have to work longer and pay more and get back less to live on.
Our beds are more comfortable and we don’t have to worry about snakes, but still we lie awake at night anyway ‘cos the serpent of progress keeps biting us on the ass.
Oh for the days when all y’had to worry about was ridin’ out for weeks on end, sleepin’ rough, not washin’, eatin’ beans, trackin’ down a known criminal and possibly losing your life in the process.

Simple.

Health Club News?????…Why Rooster from True Grit didn’t worry about the gym

By Nuala McKeever
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
I watched True Grit last week. That’s True Grit, the remake, with Jeff Bridges as the hard drinkin’, big hearted but tough bounty hunter, Rooster Cogburn.
I had only seen the original film with John Wayne in the role, a couple of weeks before that. Much as I never really liked John Wayne and much as I love the work of Jeff Bridges, I ended up preferring the original movie. Anyway, so what, that’s not really the point here. The point is that I now keep asking myself, in moments of indecision: “What would Rooster Cogburn do?” There was a time when I’d ask myself, in moments of moral dilemma: “What would Jesus Christ do?” Not to sound too pious, but I still think there’s usually a clear way to approach things, we just don’t want to take the consequences sometimes, preferring to indulge in justification and ‘whataboutery’ instead. I mean, would Jesus Christ, faced with the customer-before-him having left their change in the self-service checkout and walked away without realising, say to himself “Ach sure, that’s their look out. I don’t know who it belongs to. If I hand it in, it’ll probably just go to boost the already huge profits of this supermarket, therefore my taking it would actually be a victory for the little guy?” Yes, that did happen to me and I did hand it in. And yes it quite possibly has gone to boost the store’s profits by £5.18, but, hey, I can sleep easy in my bed at night. Or rather, I can’t. That’s the problem. See now I’ve got things to lie awake and worry about that the likes of Jesus Christ and Rooster Cogburn never had to concern themselves with. The latest is exercise and weight loss. As I joined a new gym last week I laughed to myself imagining Rooster suckin’ on a bottle of blue coloured energy drink and announcing to his riding companions that he’d managed to lose four pounds the week before and half-an-inch off his waist, while showing them his before and after photos, laminated and attached to his ‘World’s Best Bounty Hunter’ heart-shaped key fob.And as I woke up the other morning to discover my mobile phone battery had died overnight despite being fully charged the evening before, I realised that the reason people in Rooster’s day didn’t need to join gyms was because in order to communicate with others, they actually had to move physically either to talk, ride, write and post or run after the person in question. And if they had a few extra pounds on, nobody cared anyway, cos they weren’t gonna have to show it off in skimpy outfits the minute the sun came out.
They had occasional baths, no phones and shorter life expectancy. We have daily showers, the pressure of always being contactable and longer life expectancy.
But, because we live longer, we now have to work longer and pay more and get back less to live on.
Our beds are more comfortable and we don’t have to worry about snakes, but still we lie awake at night anyway ‘cos the serpent of progress keeps biting us on the ass.
Oh for the days when all y’had to worry about was ridin’ out for weeks on end, sleepin’ rough, not washin’, eatin’ beans, trackin’ down a known criminal and possibly losing your life in the process.

Simple.

Silverstein Properties and Clay Health Club and Spa Announce New Partnership

Silverstein Properties is pleased to announce a new partnership with Clay Health Club and Spa at Silver Towers, a residential complex on West 42nd Street. Clay will operate the luxury rental towers’ fitness and wellness facility, Club 7 by Clay, which includes a fitness center, salon, spa, indoor pool and roof deck. Industry veteran Steve Light will be the on-site manager for the new facility.

Clay is a luxury boutique health club brand based in Union Square, NYC, and is known for its commitment to helping clients achieve their personal wellness goals through customized fitness plans. Clay was determined to be an ideal operator for Silver Towers’ Club 7 facility due to the firm’s dedication to personalized, client-centric service. This philosophy suits the needs of Silver Towers’ tenants, who currently enjoy the building’s concierge-level of service and amenities.

Clay will offer Silver Towers’ residents:

An attentive, experienced staff
Full spa and salon services
Knowledgeable personal trainers
A new group exercise and Pilates reformer program
A new café and juice bar and enhanced locker room amenities
New guest pass options and increased evening roof deck access
“Clay’s ‘client-first’ philosophy is completely in sync with Silver Towers’ highly-serviced, resort lifestyle,” said Lisa Silverstein, Project Director of Silver Towers. “Our residents are accustomed to the best, and the new Club 7 by Clay facility allows tenants to experience a new level of personalized attention, top-notch exercise equipment and programs, as well as a friendly and knowledgeable staff.”

Located at 610-620 W. 42nd Street, Silver Towers has elevated the design standard for today’s rental buildings. The illuminated pinnacles of the project’s 60-story towers are an iconic presence on the West Side of Manhattan. Its 1,254 residences offer spacious, well designed floor plans, and often, stunning views of the city and the Hudson River. Additionally, Silver Towers has helped spur development along the West 42nd Street corridor, an area now well on its way toward becoming a world-class residential neighborhood.

Silverstein Properties and Clay Health Club and Spa Announce New Partnership

Silverstein Properties is pleased to announce a new partnership with Clay Health Club and Spa at Silver Towers, a residential complex on West 42nd Street. Clay will operate the luxury rental towers’ fitness and wellness facility, Club 7 by Clay, which includes a fitness center, salon, spa, indoor pool and roof deck. Industry veteran Steve Light will be the on-site manager for the new facility.

Clay is a luxury boutique health club brand based in Union Square, NYC, and is known for its commitment to helping clients achieve their personal wellness goals through customized fitness plans. Clay was determined to be an ideal operator for Silver Towers’ Club 7 facility due to the firm’s dedication to personalized, client-centric service. This philosophy suits the needs of Silver Towers’ tenants, who currently enjoy the building’s concierge-level of service and amenities.

Clay will offer Silver Towers’ residents:

An attentive, experienced staff
Full spa and salon services
Knowledgeable personal trainers
A new group exercise and Pilates reformer program
A new café and juice bar and enhanced locker room amenities
New guest pass options and increased evening roof deck access
“Clay’s ‘client-first’ philosophy is completely in sync with Silver Towers’ highly-serviced, resort lifestyle,” said Lisa Silverstein, Project Director of Silver Towers. “Our residents are accustomed to the best, and the new Club 7 by Clay facility allows tenants to experience a new level of personalized attention, top-notch exercise equipment and programs, as well as a friendly and knowledgeable staff.”

Located at 610-620 W. 42nd Street, Silver Towers has elevated the design standard for today’s rental buildings. The illuminated pinnacles of the project’s 60-story towers are an iconic presence on the West Side of Manhattan. Its 1,254 residences offer spacious, well designed floor plans, and often, stunning views of the city and the Hudson River. Additionally, Silver Towers has helped spur development along the West 42nd Street corridor, an area now well on its way toward becoming a world-class residential neighborhood.

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