Landmark A.B. Graham Center celebrates 20 years BY LAURA WILLIS Civitas Media Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year is the A.B. Graham Memorial Center at 8025 E. State Route 36, Conover. Formerly the Miami East Junior High, the Memorial Center continues to promote education, agriculture, 4-H, community and more as a museum and recreation center. During the last 20 years, the center became a landmark for the community and is making progress continually. A piece of that progress includes the fitness center, which facilitates a variety of equipment for anyone to use. “The fitness center is open to anyone, township resident or not,” said Emalie Carson, certified trainer and manager of the Fitness Zone. Carson, manager since the beginning of the year, hopes to help facilitate fresh ideas for the center. In the plans are more classes, promoting exercise and fitness for all ages. “The center mostly serves senior citizens right now,” said Carson, who hopes to increase membership to include a variety of ages. One way the center would reach out to more age groups is through some new classes and leagues that will begin this summer. “We will also start some aerobic classes and sporting leagues this summer,” Carson said. Currently the center only offers a running class, but will begin to offer a dance aerobics class called “Booty
Beat,” beginners gymnastics, and yoga. “We are excited for these classes,” she said. “And we are always on the lookout for new aerobics teachers.” Carson said one of the biggest changes and accomplishments made this year for the fitness center was the rearranging of the equipment. “The equipment was recently rearranged,” she said. “It makes the gym more user-friendly, effective and time efficient.” “Another big addition is our wiffle ball league that we are hoping to start this summer,” Carson said. “We are looking for volunteers to help with that.” But wiffle ball won’t be the only thing volunteers are needed for, the A.B. Graham Center also is looking to start new programs that would be of interest to the community. “We hope to start sewing classes or book clubs,” Carson said. Community Adult Student Theatre (C.A.S.T.), a production group, also has begun at A.B. Graham Center in the last year and plans for a summer performance. “The museum has history to offer,” Carson said. “There’s an agricultural room, alumni room, community room, and 4-H room.” The museum categorizes materials from papers to equipment and even includes the first “electrified lamp to make it to our area.” According to the A.B. Graham Memorial Center’s Facebook Page, which was recently created to promote archiving photos and displaying information, “the
STAFF PHOTO/MIKE ULLERY
A.B. Graham Center in Conover serves as a community center, featuring a fitness center, senior center and 4-H museum, as well as several other events throughout the year. family who originally bought the lamp didn’t even have electric lines in their house yet.” A.B. Graham Memorial Center can be rented out for events and more. The museum is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Sundays only from 2-5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.
Hours for the Fitness Zone are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 2-7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday. For more information on rates and hours, the fitness zone can be reached at 3683700; and the Memorial Center at 368-2330.
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Troy Daily News and Piqua Daily Call • June 2013 Community Guide • 67