MCSOpens Fitness Center To Public

MASSENA - Ever wanted to take a leisurely bike ride without the hassle of vehicle traffic?

Now's your opportunity, thanks to new fitness machines available at the Massena Central School District's fitness center in the high school.

More than 25 stations are set up in the fitness center and among them are state-of-the-art bicycle machines that allow riders to pedal just about any type of terrain depending on their fitness level.

It could be a nice leisurely ride through a park with other animated riders pedaling side-by-side, or a climb up and down rugged terrain - and every part of the landscape from the trail to the trees on the side of the path and other riders are live and in color on a monitor in front of the rider.

The fitness center also offers state-of-the-art treadmills, weight equipment and even a Wii game console that allows participants to exercise in a not so rigid exercise environment.

It's all part of the district's CASP-E-R program, which stands for Community and School Programs-Education-Recreation. Program Coordinator Cynthia M. Yager said the fitness center was part of a capital project and opened just over a year ago.

Now that they've implemented CASP-E-R, she said they want community members to come in and take advantage of the school's facilities. They also currently have a free hall walking program that runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday.

There is a $25 a month membership fee to use the fitness center, which is open from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Group rates are also available.

Ms. Yager said the money they receive for that and other programs they'll be offering will go toward offsetting tax increases. "We're looking to rent the facilities," she said.

They are also renting a school cafeteria for dance classes that are open to the public, and other classes will be coming in the months ahead.

In addition, a local Tae Kwon Do instructor teaches classes two nights a week at the Madison Elementary cafeteria, and they also plan to offer line dancing, Jazzercise, aerobics and educational programs offered by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

"I'm working with the hospital to put something together there. I met with them last week. One of their doctors came in. I contacted a couple of local businesses too," Ms. Yager said.

"We're looking at a whole host of things. We'll start slow. We didn't want to reinvent the wheel," she said.