Fitness Room Opens at Rochester Senior Center

It was a long time coming, said Rochester Council on Aging Director Sharon Lally to the Rochester Board of Selectmen on September 28, but the new fitness room at the Rochester Senior Center is now open for business.

For nearly a year, two smaller rooms have undergone remodeling to create one larger room, the new home for a fitness center for members to join for a $20 a month fee.

Lally said already 13 members have signed up for the service, all of which are assisted by the fitness center’s overseer, Tammy McKane, a certified group exercise instructor and gymnastics teacher.

There are 12 pieces of exercise equipment – cardio and resistance training for muscle strength – that the senior center purchased pre-owned by a Curves exercise facility. The equipment is in very good condition, said Lally.

The COA surveyed town seniors looking for input on preferred business hours for the fitness center, eventually coming up with a schedule of Monday and Wednesday from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, and Friday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Hours could increase, Lally said, as new members sign up.

New members are required to fill out four different informational forms, including a health form for a doctor to complete, which will need to be resubmitted on an annual basis. The Town has worked closely with Lally to limit its liability in the case of member injury.

“I think that we have done everything that we can to make sure that we have crossed our ‘t’s and dotted our ‘i’s,” Lally told the board, with Town Counsel Blair Bailey present and in agreement. “It’s a ‘go’ and we hope to hit the ground running and I’m very excited about it,” Lally said.

In other business, the board accepted Police Chief Paul Magee’s appointment of two new full-time police officers.

Alexander Malo and Dylan Hicks were both welcomed to the force, with several fellow officers present to support Magee’s choice of candidates.

Malo’s employment will be effective October 1, and his full-time position is one that was approved by Town Meeting in the fiscal year 2016 budget. Hicks’ employment is effective October 21, and Hicks will be replacing an officer who has transferred to the Massachusetts State Police. Both men are subject to the contingencies that they complete full-time police academy, pass a medical physical examination, and pass the state written test.

In other matters, the board approved a new policy and procedures for health insurance under the Federal Affordable Care Act.

Municipalities are required to report the health insurance status of their employees to the federal government and must adopt a specified “look-back” period for determining eligibility for all employees.

Also during the meeting, Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon told the board about a Rochester Open Spaces and Recreation community forum on Monday, October 5 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Memorial School cafetorium to present the data collected from a town-wide survey. This will also give residents the opportunity to provide input on priorities and goals. The guest speaker will be Bill Napolitano of SRPEDD.

The meeting room at the Town Hall was recently remodeled with new drywall to replace the old paneling, new ceiling, a fresh coat of paint, and a new table skirt for the conference table.

Town Administrator Michael McCue announced a Special Town Meeting set for November 30 at the Rochester Memorial School cafetorium at 7:00 pm.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for October 5 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

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