• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Old Enough? Rancho Agrees to Senior Center Age Restrictions

Posted on: Wednesday, 5 April 2006, 00:00 CDT

By Wendy Leung, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif.

Apr. 4--RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- The city's seniors might have to wait until they turn 60 to start getting fit.

After months of discussion of crowded conditions at the senior center fitness room, the senior advisory committee has made a recommendation to limit participants to Rancho Cucamonga residents aged 60 and above.

There had been no restrictions of age or residence to the James L. Brulte Senior Center's fitness room, or Wellness Pass, in the past.

Last December, a petition was presented to the City Council signed by 115 seniors who thought the exercise room was too crowded and that the center should consider expanding the program to underutilized rooms.

"The senior advisory committee wanted to first give priority to programs that are for what we traditionally define as senior citizens, and secondly, that the priority is given to residents of Rancho Cucamonga," said Ryan Samples, community services supervisor.

Samples said the committee also didn't want to move equipment to other rooms, fearing any negative impact to other programs.

The new rules will not go into effect until May 1 or later, said Samples.

The new stipulations would rule out seniors such as Joann Curasi, 52.

Curasi, who has been exercising daily at the fitness room since the center opened last May, said it was unfair for the center to suddenly not consider her a senior citizen.

"The government says I'm a senior, the restaurants say I'm a senior. I get senior discounts. Everywhere I go I fit in the senior category," said Curasi.

She added that in the morning, many of the seniors who exercise along with Curasi are over 60 so the new rules will not ease the problem.

According to Samples, 25 percent of those who use the fitness room are between the ages of 50 to 59 and 5 percent are non-Rancho Cucamonga residents.

At a February meeting, seniors told center staff that the wait to use the machines which include treadmills, stationary bikes and weight equipment have grown too long and that some have stopped going.

The advisory committee, which is appointed by the mayor and City Council, said seniors under 60 are still welcomed to fitness classes including aerobics, dance and yoga.

But Sandy Macy, 57, remains skeptical.

"If that gets crowded, then are they going to kick me out?" said Macy. "I'm scared to take anything else."

She said the new rules seem especially inappropriate considering the center had been promoting a Fit After Fifty program.

A federal grant received from the Administration of Aging had been used for classes and workshops that are part of the Fit After Fifty program. The grant helped pay for a part-time fitness trainer but equipment costs for the room came from fundraising efforts by the senior advisory committee.

"Do you know what it feels like? It feels like being invited to dinner and then told, 'I'm not going to feed you." It's age discrimination."

Community Services Department Superintendent Dave Moore said the age limitation is aimed for older seniors who have a fixed income and may not be able to afford membership at other gyms.

"We don't think it's age discrimination when we're serving a part of the population that needs it most not those who have memberships to Bally's or 24 Hour Fitness," said Moore.

A meeting is scheduled on April 12 to discuss the new rules.

-----

To see more of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailybulletin.com

Copyright (c) 2006, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

More News in this Category