Monday, October 11, 2010

Keep the Momentum

Thank you to everyone who has followed the blog so far. 

Since it has been almost six months since the lawsuite was filed, I wanted to bring everyone's attention to it again, and for those who are new to it, bring them up to speed.  Here is a link to the newstory about it.  Please take the time to read the posted comments, many of which are in support of the Y and in a similar vein as the points I and others have made. 

A quote from the article is "The Charlottesville-Area Fitness Club Operators Assocation (CAFCOA) says they've filed lawsuits against the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County over a proposed YMCA in McIntire Park. ACAC is involved in the lawsuit and says the legal move is their last attempt to stop the YMCA's construction."

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/93629894.html?storySection=story


The next link below is to my original letter to the Editor of the Daily Progress.  (The text follows.)
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2010/jul/22/3/shame-blockers-ymca-ar-348068/

As a long-term resident of Albemarle County, I am very proud of the greater Charlottesville community, its distinction as a very desirable place to live and its outreach efforts to people of all socio-economic levels and backgrounds through public and non-profit efforts.

However, I am outraged and embarrassed at the latest attempt to block the building of a full facility YMCA. A YMCA facility is a cornerstone of most communities. It provides affordable, family-friendly programs and activities structured to encourage healthy lifestyles in a wholesome and safe environment. America’s grave concerns about the obesity epidemic should urge all of us to support this type of facility and the programs it offer more than ever.

However, a group of affluent private health-club owners have recently tried to block this. What about the many families who cannot afford the high cost of the memberships at these private clubs, and will never be able to participate? What about the many children who will never be able to participate in the many programs that the Y offers?

Despite the challenge of not having a facility, the YMCA has grown over the years through its volunteers and fundraising to provide programs for more than 4,000 youth in our community and financial assistance to families who could not otherwise afford the full cost. This makes me proud. This shows that the community needs a facility to continue these services and reach more families in need.

A facility should not detract from the membership of the other private clubs. It should only enhance the community through making it a more desirable place to live, thus increasing the potential number of members for all facilities. Business owners who are confident and understand their niche should understand that despite the competition an additional facility may cause, it will make everyone in the community, including them, better for it.

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