Morgan Hill Centennial Recreation Center hosts many activities
for South Valley residents
The subtle earth tones of the masonry walls and tall glass windows affording views of both the eastern foothills and El Toro Mountain to the west – the symbol of Morgan Hill – can take your breath away. Indeed, it’s hard to be “ho-hum” about a building that lunges at you from the street.
The vaulted framework of the natatorium, which houses an indoor pool and waterslide, seems to greet visitors who are showing up by the car-full to explore the dynamic interior of what’s become the talk of the town – the new $28 million Centennial Recreation Center on Edmundson Avenue in south Morgan Hill.
The building is as hip to explore as it is to behold, offering something for everyone, with more than 50 classes and activities for young and old. It caters to parents and youngsters with an active “Kid Zone” and includes wings for seniors and teens. The center’s been a hit both financially and in the eyes of the community, selling more memberships than expected while streamlining expenses. So far, the center has sold about 1,800 membership packages, about 200 more than expected by late February. About 80 percent of those packages – accounting for more than 3,600 members – belong to Morgan Hill residents.
Furthermore, the 52,000-square-foot facility is an example of the kind of public partnerships city officials see as the wave of the future, in this case combining the Morgan Hill Recreation and Community Services Department with the fitness expertise and popularity of the YMCA.
“There’s so many moving parts,” said Steve Rymer, director of the Morgan Hill Recreation and Community Services Department. “It’s a building that brings so many people together. I think the community was waiting for this to happen.”
Redevelopment’s role
The center opened in October and completes the city’s six-year effort to build three recreational facilities funded by the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency. The first two buildings were the Community and Cultural Center in 2002 and the outdoor Aquatics Center in 2004. While the community had expressed interest in adding recreation opportunities after budget cuts in the early 1990s all but eliminated the city’s recreational offerings, some residents questioned how prudent it was to construct the expensive facilities. But the arrival of the CRC is stirring positive vibes as residents discover its rich amenities.
“It makes me want to support my city,” said Morgan Hill resident Patti Stenn, standing amid the fervent workout room on a Sunday afternoon. She first visited the (CRC) in early February, coming away impressed by the computerized machines that recognize members’ pre-programmed fitness goals at the punch of a code. “I see a lot of family activities here,” Stenn added. “There just something for everyone.”
Eye on the future
The city hopes its investment pays off as more South County residents embrace the CRC as not only a fitness club, but also a safe place to hang out. The facility offers a teen center with Internet-equipped computers, large screen television, pool and ping-pong tables, couches and work stations for – yuck! – even homework. Down the hall, a senior center hosts a county-funded nutrition program on weekdays from 8:30am to 2pm. Even the building’s lobby includes a flat-screen television, comfy chairs and tables and free wireless Internet. Parents who want to burn calories – or enjoy a Saturday night out on the town – can take advantage of scheduled activities in the Kid Zone for youngsters ages six weeks to 12.
“When I first came in, I was totally blown away,” said Lulu Gutierrez, a 61-year-old Morgan Hill resident who enjoys cardio workouts and Yoga classes at the center. “The vibe is great … it’s a lovely facility for a wide range of people. And it’s a place where children and teens can actually have fun.”
The city hopes to grow that membership base as residents continue to discover the CRC.
“The first impression when you walk in here is it’s clean, it’s spacious and it’s open,” said Morgan Hill resident Bill Van Aken, visiting the building for the first time Feb. 25 with his wife Vicki. “It’s nice to be able to see the pool from the entrance with all the fountains and slides on it. It makes you want to see more.”
Regional Draw
The center is also reaching out to Gilroy, San Martin and south San Jose residents with mailers promoting daily passes at the CRC. Additionally, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce has pledged a partnership with the city to host an annual wellness fair at the CRC each spring. Rymer said the goal is to make the center a hub for the community and boost the city’s recreation department to a place of prominence after years of uncertainty.
“The CRC has given us the exposure,” Rymer said. “It’s our responsibility to ride the coattails of that.”
The city has a strong ally in the Mt. Madonna YMCA, which last year signed an agreement to jointly operate the facility with the recreation department.
“With the partnership with the YMCA and the city, we get to pull on the strings of both organizations to really make it work well,” said Chris Ghione, the center’s director.
The YMCA runs the center’s fitness portion, providing trainers and instructors for workout activities. The city runs the gym and the pool, drawing on its experience from preexisting programs. The city is also responsible for the teen center, maintenance and overhead costs. It’s Ghione’s task to make sure everything works cohesively, and so far the experience has been a positive one, he said.
“Everyday I’m happy to work in a facility like this,” he said. “It’s more than just a fitness facility. It’s a community resource.”
When to go
CRC’s Hours Of Operation: 5am to 10pm, Monday through Friday; 6:30am to 8pm, Saturday; 8am to 6pm, Sunday.
Teen Center Hours: 3 to 8pm, Monday through Thursday; 3 to 10pm Friday; 2:30 to 8pm, Saturday.
Kid Zone Hours: 8:30am to 1pm, 4 to 9pm, Monday through Friday; 8:30am to 12pm, Saturday.
Senior Center Hours: 8am to 2pm, Monday through Friday. Senior lunch program every weekday at noon.
Location: 171 West Edmundson, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Info: 782-2128; www.mhcrc.com.
Centennial center at a glance
What’s There: The 52,000-square-foot facility offers a fitness center with strength and cardio equipment, group exercise studio that includes aerobics, yoga, pilates and group cycling, gym with youth and adult drop-in hours and leagues, children’s area (childcare while you work out), indoor pool with slide and water features, senior center, teen center, computer lab, locker rooms and meeting rooms.
Fitness Center: Offers Cybex strength equipment, cardiovascular equipment including treadmills, elliptical machines, cross trainers, recumbent bikes and free weights.
FitLinxx: An interactive computerized fitness network designed to give you instant feedback while you exercise on the Cybex equipment and for you fitness coach to monitor your progress and help you reach your fitness goals.
Kids Devour Cooking Class
Eyes wide open, the children eagerly mix corn flour with water, roll the mush into balls and squash the end result with an authentic Mexican tortilla presser.
Their lively chirps fill the room as the budding culinary stars, ages 4 to 12, file into the kitchen with their parents to toss the dough into a cast-iron grill. Soon the homemade tortillas are ready for guacamole, refried beans, onions and cheese and the most delicious step begins – eating.
“Children love to cook,” said Andrea Nicolette, the warm-hearted Kid Zone coordinator at the Centennial Recreation Center, who watched over the buoyant group of about 30 parents and kids making quesadillas. “They love spending quality time with their parents and getting to see something through from start to finish. They also get to learn a tradition.”
Nicolette started the “Cooking With Kids” class about two months ago. The hour-long class meets every other Friday at 2:30pm in the center’s tidy multipurpose room and kitchen and so far its been a smash hit. Parents are encouraged to participate to help smaller children, and the cost is $5 per child.
The kids like the hands-on aspects of cooking, Nicolette said, plus they get a yummy snack at the end.
“It’s really a popular trend right now,” Nicolette said.
The class even allows some parents to be the “instructor,” such as Gilroy resident Teresa Flynn, a mom with three kids who led the day’s tortilla lesson.
“I wanted them to learn how to make their own quesadillas from scratch,” said the effervescent Flynn, who was born and raised in California but has parents of Mexican descent. “Creating these corn tortillas is a tradition I want to pass on to my kids.”
It was easy to tell Flynn got a kick out of leading the culinary project. Her face lit up as children piled onions and guacamole on the warm tortillas.
“It’s just such a fun, social thing,” she said.
Flynn’s next class is at 2:30pm today at the center.
