Newsday du lieu suivant : New York, New York • 7

29 5 A Gym for All Finally By Lisa Fried Even before you step inside the newly opened Asphalt Green Aqua Center a (24-million health and fitness complex you realize this is not just another city gym The submarine-shaped five-story Aqua Center which officially opened its doors this week is part of a 5Vfe-acre sporWtrainingarts campus that stretches across York Avenue between 90th and 91st Streets Once the site of an asphalt manufacturing plant the campus currently boasts the only indoor Olympic standard pool a state-of-the-art-fitness center a soon-to-be opened physical and occupational therapy unit an Astro-turf playing field two gymnasiums an indoor and outdoor track basket- ball and volleyball courts a playground artphoto-graphy studios and a 100-eeat theater The core of the campus is the Aqua Center housing a new fitness center as well as the pool and locker rooms which opened in July The fitness center which oilers panoramic views of the East River opened on the top floor of the Aqua TT1 Center last week 1 1 In addition to exercise studios for aerobics mar- nJmM'Jrn tial arts and yoga stair-masters tread mills and bicycles the fitness center also touts several Cybex strengthening machines which can be used by those in wheelchairs 3y the end of the year the center hopes to attract many disabled members when a new physical therapy center is set to open While many heath clubs in the city tend to attract members of a certain gender sex ability race or economic status Asphalt Green sandwiched between the Upper East Side and East Harlem intends to become a wellness mecca for neighborhood hopefuls and world-class athletes the bulging bi-cep-set and those in wheelchairs inner-city youth and senior citizens schools groups and sports leagues want to be a says Janette Ryan executive director of Asphalt Green want to be a center that promotes lifetime One board member even refers to the publicprivate facility as a And Mount Sinai Medical Center is currently waiting to receive a license from the State Department of Health to operate an outpatient physical and occupational therapy unit to be called the Dela-corte Life Center Individuals with major and minor disabilities and injuries will be able to undergo re- habitation and physical therapy at the Life Center i and progress into a lifetime wellness program Dr Kristjan Ragnarsaon director of rehabilitation medicine at Mount Sinai had been searching for almost 20 years for a facility to mainstream disabled and injured patients into a regular health and fitness program health clubs in the city are either not wheelchair accessible lack the proper equipment or send subtle or not so subtle that people with disabilities are not welcome he said goal is to create an environment where both the disabled and the abled can work out side by side unnatural environment is a fitness center The new Asphalt Green Aqua Center offers the city's only indoor Olym pic-size pool chairman and vice chairman Albert and Barrie Zesiger who are frequently spotted jogging around the outdoor track In exchange for the city's financing Asphalt Green must open its facilities to the public for free or for limited fees during 30 percent of the operating hours Already the facility offers public schools Tree use of the swimming pool and playing field and provides sports and arts scholarships to inner city youth Both of these efforts are a boon for public schools plagued with scaled back budgets for physical education and aflerschnol programs Use of the complex is available on a daily drop-in monthly six-month or annual membership basis Rates which are competitive with local health clubs vary depending on the facilities used and the age of the user Albert Zesiger's own physical limitations combined with an engineering background laid the groundwork for the development of Asphalt Green In 1986 Zesiger and other board members of the Brearley School came to view the then newly completed Astro-turf faying field they were considering for their students While visiting the field and the adjoining community center Zesiger noticed two dilapidated tennis courts located nearby- Scanning the crack vials on the ground he quipped to Asphalt founder George Murphy you ever want to build swimming pool give me a Zesiger had been searching for a pool to swim in as a hip iqjuiy had forced him to curtail his running Six months later Murphy called Zesiger an investment banker and the two developed the current concept for the Aqua Center Lina Fried a freelance writer where everybody looks perfect" he said hope that after a while people will not pay attention to the disability but to the person" Ryan shares his view In fact she expects Asphalt Green to have 3000 members by next June At press time 275 had signed up for monthly and annual memberships according to Barrie Zesiger vice chairman of this facility Asphalt 50-meter pool which opened in July is also designed to unite diverse groups The highest ranking swimming teams the Marlins and Gotham Aqua Kings recently joined forces to create the culturally diverse Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics team The team of youths trains here several times a week While their coaches at tempt to mold future Olympians in the same pool local residents swim laps and the disabled senior citizens and schoolchildren learn to swim Through the use of movable bulkheads the main pool with a depth of 7 to 16 feet can be divided to accommodate competitions lap swimming and classes At the shallowest end a 30 60-foot floor is often hydraulically raised to provide easy access for individuals in wheelchairs small children or others taking swimming dosses Located next to the main pool is a smaller warmer water pool with an entire floor that is raised and lowered to facilitate rehabilitation and exercise programs Asphalt barrier-fiee environment convinced the city to donate (4 million towards construction of the complex which sits cm city-owned land The remainder of the (20 million was raised by private individuals and foundations The largest donation (6 million came from the Slain Family Search for Killer Police still suspect that robbery was the motive for the killings canvassed and re-canvassed that neighborhood We're really hoping that the money will attract someone to come said Sgt Carlos Martinez Anyone with information regarding the murders should contact the 42nd Precinct Detective Unit at (718) $3 8 (1000 from the TIPS program It will be given to anyone who gives information that leads to the conviction of the killer or killers they said An additional (5000 is being offered by the union of which the slain woman was a member Hector Llambelis 39 eldest son of the I Jamhalin children said a lot of Puerto Rican Home Attendants Services had taken care of 82-year-old Jose Veve every day for 12 years On March 20 of fast year the two were found dead their throats slashed in Veve's Brook Avenue apartment in the Morrisania section of the Bronx police said Llambelis and Veve who family members described as best friends were buried six days later following a joint By Kevin Barrett staff warren The family of a Bronx woman who was slain along with the patient she cared for is offering a (36000 reward for the capture of her killer Members of Aida family have contributed (25000 for the reward family members said That money has been combined with (10000 from the mayors office and money But that money is useless without my mother The slain woman 56 an employee of wakq pnd funeral tog mufc mftOt nnJT w-sr VlT moo rvE ffinlllf writ (tqt'O fnqfi otN? mtQ fi'ikV riti't.