Martin Luther King Recreation Center gets updated Fitness Center

NEW EQUIPMENT — Martin Luther King Recreational Center has new, commercial-grade exercise equipment — and added a two hour “seniors only” workout slot weekdays from 8-10 a.m. for anyone aged 60 and over. Celebrating the grand reopening were, from left, Mingo Junction Mayor Judy Ruckman, Jefferson Health District Director Andrew Henry, Mayor Jerry Barilla, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf, City Manager Jim Mavromatis, and Councilmen Royal Mayo and Dave Albaugh. — Linda Harris

STEUBENVILLE — City officials gathered at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center to look over its recently updated Fitness Center.

Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf said she pulled about $22,000 from the Parks and Recreation Department’s capital fund. The other $43,000 was a grant, awarded by the Jefferson Health District. While anybody can use the equipment, two hours a week

“This equipment is for everybody,” Fetherolf said. “But we want to make sure that we get seniors in here, so starting tomorrow we will be opening from 8-10 a.m. every morning, Monday through Friday, specifically for seniors.”

The seniors-only hours are meant to give the 60-and-older crowd a welcoming environment to “work out and have fun.”

“We’re looking also to add some stuff, like a monthly blood pressure check or a monthly donut and coffee event, things like that,” she said, adding seniors also could take advantage of other attractions, like pickleball. “So the whole center will be open for seniors to come and do whatever they’d like.”

So what’s new? Pretty much everything, Fetherolf said.

“We got almost all new equipment in here,” she said. “We got all-new cardio bikes, treadmills, climbers and ellipticals. (We also) got some new weight equipment, dumbbells and kettle bells, some new free weights and new weight machines.”

Health District Director Andrew Henry said the department received just over $300,000 in grant money for various projects, “and had an opportunity to help the city of Steubenville” as they closed in on the end of the grant period.

“So we reached to see if they had any needs,” Henry said “You know, the MLK Center is an untapped resource and they really want to grow the facility, so they took this opportunity to purchase this great fitness equipment here for the gym.”

City Manager Jim Mavromatis said it was “a great partnership.”

“If it wasn’t for their money and ours it couldn’t have happened,” he said. “Exercise is (important) and I encourage all people, especially the senior citizens, to take advantage of it.”

Councilman Royal Mayo, who advocated for the project, said, “It took a while but we finally got some commercial quality equipment in here. Now we can get some programs (started) and help improve lives and help the people of the community.”