MORAN — It’s been open less than a year, but the success of 54 Fitness — Moran’s new exercise emporium — has already exceeded most everyone’s expectations.
Membership is at 90, more than twice the number organizers had hoped for when they pursued a place for local residents to increase their physical activity.
The center’s appeal is widespread, noted Larry Manes, a Moran PRIDE Committee member.
He recalled seeing a truck driver recently park outside the center, use his key fob to enter the fitness center and begin a 30-minute workout.
Manes approached the out-of-towner.
He’s from Iowa, Manes said, and makes it to Moran on a nearly daily basis, in order to switch loads with another driver from western Kansas.
“He has about an hour to kill while he waits, so he comes in here to get a workout,” Manes said.
After his workout the driver typically dines at Chancy’s next door for lunch, Manes added.
The anecdote was one of several shared Thursday at the Allen County Together meeting, where representatives from several communities in the county gather to discuss activities geared to making their towns healthier, more vibrant places to live.
54 Fitness is one of several Moran residents have in the fire, noted Manes and other PRIDE members.
The new Midpoint Baptist Church has afforded the city a new home for its library (the old church building at the intersection of Randolph and Spruce streets).
Crews are remodeling the building now, and determining how the shelves should be arranged.
In the not-so-distant future, PRIDE hopes to solicit the help of volunteers — perhaps high-schoolers — to help transport books to the new site.
Meanwhile, Marmaton Market backers continue to raise funding to purchase Stub’s Market, the only grocery store in the eastern half of Allen County. If successful, the endeavor will be a food cooperative, with residents sharing ownership and profits of the grocery store.
“I feel bad about going to (county) meetings, because they see me and know what I’m going to talk about,” Maness said, referring to the grocery store. “We’re still trying to make that happen. We have several interesting opportunities, and we’re hoping a couple will come through for us.”
Manes said he will pitch the cooperative again before the county’s new economic development committee at its next meeting on Feb. 7. The cooperative has requested $100,000 to help it become a stand-alone entity.
OTHER communities spoke about recent developments as well.
