3
T HE C OAST NEWS - I NLAND E DITION
AUG. 14, 2015
Mural commemorates Cecil the lion By Ellen Wright
The Tri-City Healthcare District board says it will form a committee to try to revive the Nifty After Fifty senior wellness programs. Courtesy photo
Tri-City forms committee to bring back senior wellness program By Aaron Burgin
REGION — Unable to halt the July 31 closure of two popular senior fitness centers, the Tri-City Healthcare District board said it would form a committee to try to revive the centers in a scaled-back form. The board made the decision in front of a packed boardroom at the July 30 directors meeting, during which more than a dozen speakers implored the board to stave off the imminent closure of the Nifty After Fifty locations in Oceanside and Vista. The board had voted in June to close the sites after they had been hemorrhaging money over the past year, despite hospital officials’ efforts to boost membership through two separate marketing campaigns. “I think we owe it to the people to take a look at this, rather than a knee-jerk respond of ‘let’s close this because we are losing money,’” Board chairman Larry Schallock said. “If we can get a group together to come up with another plan, that would be ideal.” The North County hospital announced on July 9 that it would close the Nifty After Fifty locations on July 31. Nifty After Fifty, a fitness center chain that specializes in senior wellness, has 39 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Virginia. The hospital district originally said it would offer seniors displaced by the closures six months free membership at the district’s Wellness Center in Carlsbad, and would offer discounted memberships after the six months. It opened its locations in North County in early 2014, but hospital officials cited an inability to increase membership — despite what it called “extensive marketing efforts” — as the reason for the decision to shut down operations. Hospital officials anticipated the program would pay for itself after early losses through three services: the fitness component, a physical therapy component, and other ancillary services, with the physical therapy expected to generate the bulk of the revenue. The physical therapy business, however, never took off because many of the area doctors had contracts to refer patients to other local
centers, district spokesman David Bennett said. As a result, Bennett said, the district attempted to reach out to area doctors to refer seniors for the fitness component, but the campaign didn’t increase membership by much. “Our membership revenue is less than $7,500 for both locations and we continue to lose at both locations in excess of $50,000 per month where the rent at both locations is $10,300 per month and the management fee is $10,000 per month, respectively,” Bennett said. “The decision was made that we couldn’t continue to operate the centers with these types of losses.” Seniors who attended the board meeting, many of whom espoused the benefits of the facilities, were skeptical of the district’s marketing efforts. Several said their primary care doctors were unaware of the existence of the facilities. “Closing these facilities does not demonstrate a commitment to your community,” said Kim Stone, a local resident who has spearheaded the effort to keep Nifty After Fifty open. “This action alienates a large population of the community you serve.” Board member RoseMarie Reno joined the residents in protest of the decision, which she said was made hastily. “We’ve got the Rady’s building that we purchased there sitting vacant for three years, which is money down the tube,” Reno said, referring to an office building the district purchased in 2012. “But we are talking about closing a facility that is providing a valuable service to the residents of our community.” The group of residents asked if the district could take action to reverse or suspend the closure to give the district time to put together an alternative plan of operation, but the board said its hands were tied because the agenda item was not an action item. Additionally, district CEO Tim Moran said it would be unfeasible to stop the closure on the eve of the shutdown as both locations had already laid off staff and signage and fitness equipment were scheduled to be removed the next day. Schallock said the group would work swiftly to bring about a resolution.
CARLSBAD — When speaking to restaurateur Mayur Pavagadhi about seeing wild animals in his birth country of Kenya, his eyes light up. “If you really have seen a lion in the wild, it’s so magnificent,” he said. “It’s like seeing a polar bear.” His passion for animals is infectious and when he heard about Cecil the lion having been killed in Zimbabwe by a dentist from Minnesota last month, he was crushed. The lion’s death has since sparked an international outcry against big game hunting. Pavagadhi had been planning a mural to paint on the side of his restaurant, 83 Degrees, for some time and after hearing about Cecil, he knew he wanted a tribute to the lion. Studio 2 artists Ron Juncal and Phyllis Swanson painted the mural commemorating the lion on the western wall of the restaurant. The mural took about five days to complete and 30 man-hours. Juncal said the type of mural was new to him. “We haven’t done anything that was a tribute in the past, but it was special and unique,” Juncal said. He said conservation of the species was important to everyone involved. The majority of the feedback has been positive.
83 Degrees in Carlsbad Village unveils a mural to commemorate a Zimbabwean lion named Cecil that was killed by an American big game hunter. Courtesy photo
Juncal said they were finishing the mural during Art in the Village, which draws thousands of art enthusiasts to Carlsbad Village once a year. He said the experience was one-ofa-kind. “There was lots of people looking at it, cheering us on and giving us encouragement and telling us how nice it looked,” Juncal said. “It was one of the easiest and most pleasant pieces we’ve done and at the same time probably one of the most poignant pieces because of
its meaning.” Not all have been supportive of the mural, according to Juncal and 83 Degree Manager Nick Wheeler. Some have criticized it because they believe there are more serious issues plaguing the world. “People are saying, ‘why would you choose a lion when there’s military personnel and tragedies overseas’ but it’s just kind of one those things where TURN TO MURAL ON 14
Blasting operations mark start of condo development By Aaron Burgin
SAN MARCOS — Don’t be alarmed if you hear the sounds of air horns and explosives going off in central San Marcos over the next few weeks. The cacophony signals the start of construction on a 92-unit condominium complex built on a hillside north of Mission Road and just east of the San Marcos City Hall. “Mission 316” as the project is dubbed, was approved in July 2014, as the City Council voted to convert the hillside area, which originally was slated for
commercial development, into a residential-zoned parcel. It is one of two major market-rate housing developments occurring within San Marcos’ so-called “Heart of the City” specific plan area. City officials issued a notification that the blasting operations started the week of Aug. 4 and will continue for at least the next four weeks, possibly as long as six weeks. The city sent written notification to residents who live within 600 feet of the blasting area. Five minutes prior and one minute prior
to any blasting, a set of air horns will sound, signaling the impending explosion. After the blasting is finished, one long horn sound will serve as an “all clear.” Structures within 300 feet of the blast zone will receive pre- and post-blast inspections to ensure the structures have not been damaged. Crews will only bring enough explosive to complete each daily blast and no explosives will be left overnight as to ensure public safety. As an additional public safety measure, traffic will
be stopped in both directions on Mission Road as well as pedestrian traffic on the northside sidewalk during the blasting period. While traffic control measures will be in place, motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes to avoid delays during blasting times. This work will kick start construction on a 7-acre residential project and is expected to be completed in winter 2016. “Mission 316,” will bring 92 for-sale condos to the north side of East Mission Avenue between Woodward Street and Mulberry Drive.