Even after posting unexpected success in membership response at the Cook County Y, the naysayers continue to push back.
Tod Sylvester suggested that although over 900 have joined there may be some 4,000 Cook County residents that remain opposed and feel cheated by this community center, but with today’s number at 1047, the opponents are rapidly shrinking.
Tod is right, YMCA Executive Director Emily has done a very good job and it is obvious that the community is in strong support. Yes, it is time to admit that the Y is well on its way to becoming a very important part of our community, a place that will help build a healthier and more active lifestyle for the area’s residents.
Geri Jensen laments that the Y is nothing but a poor substitute for the already existing outdoor recreational opportunities in the Arrowhead, but I ask, because we have one can we not also have and enjoy the other?
My wife and I have been outdoor enthusiasts all our lives, biking, skiing, hiking, canoeing and just enjoying the incredible outdoor environment of this region. That is a major reason we moved here. But we welcome the Y’s presence and its additional amenities, and we plan on adding several visits every week to our regimen to help us be fit enough to appreciate those other opportunities.
The others we see in the fitness classes are also people who appreciate the facility alongside their other active lifestyles; nobody is substituting one experience for the other.
Geri goes on to suggest that we are just imitating our “inner city friends who live with few outdoor options other than urban streets.”
I challenge that as silly, those “urban streets” offer incredible outdoor opportunities as well, just different than what we have here, and imitating the good benefits they enjoy with community centers seems a smart response to me.
We should send Geri a couple of free passes, the experience might change her life.
Jerry Hiniker
Grand Marais
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