Inn Pool Closure Leaves Swim Group High & Dry
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A pod of mermaids is seeking new waters to dive in after being evicted from their swimming hole.The group of both men and women has been using the pool at the Holiday Inn for two years as place for therapeutic exercise. But the hotel pool and its exercise room have been closed for renovations and, once the work's completed, are no longer expected to be open for public use.
That's disappointed the dozen or so group members who've grown to depend on the pool for their health.
"The only way I could get exercise was in the pool because the buoyancy of the water allows me to do things I couldn't do otherwise," said Cathy Groves of Savoy, whose doctor recommended water exercise. She suffers from arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure. "Everything about the Holiday Inn pool fit my needs."
Maryanne Kufs began the group — affectionately dubbed "Mermaids" by the original women members — in October 2007 at the encouragement of Tony Demarco, then the Holiday Health Club manager. The hotel's offered membership in its health club for years.
Kufs started doing water therapy for herself in June 2007 after a double hip-replacement surgery. When she started swimming at the Holiday Inn, Kufs walked with the aid of two canes, and told Demarco that she planned to dance at her son's wedding that August.
Demarco was very skeptical, said Kufs, but she was determined and, having done water therapy since her first hip replacement in 1987, knew its benefits. She was right — she danced at her son's wedding.In October, when another woman showed up at the Holiday Inn after knee surgery planning to work on the machines, a now-convinced Demarco sent her to Kufs for pool therapy and the Mermaids were born. In February 2008, Patricia Peck joined and Mermaids grew over time to include about a dozen women and men. The group met every weekday at the pool for water aerobics.
"I joined the group after having hip-replacement surgery and hearing from physical therapists that water therapy was the best," said Peck. "And it is true, I can do so much more than when on land and I don't stiffen up as much."
Jane Diaz joined this past April when her son bought her a Holiday Inn fitness membership to help alleviate her herniated disc and severe arthritis. "It was great. You could do exercises in the pool without it hurting you," she said. "The group of people there had such a nice attitude and people all seemed to have something replaced. The socialization while exercising was fantastic."
The water fun wasn't limited to the Mermaids, said Kufs.
"When we were doing our water aerobics, we invited anyone else who came to the pool to join us or we made room for them to do laps or whatever they were there to do," she said. "Even children staying with their parents at the Holiday Inn joined us when they were in the pool."
Kufs said they really appreciated the hotel, which was perfect for their group because of its location in downtown North Adams; its accessibility from the parking lot into the pool; and the affordability of the membership because members could pay a monthly fee just for the pool. The group had members from all over Northern Berkshire joining in for an hour or two daily or for less frequently, but who all saw the benefits.
The hotel changed hands in July and plans to revamp the 25-year-old structure began moving forward. When the pool closed for renovations in October, the Mermaids and others who had pool membership expected to return when the work was completed, which they thought at the time would be two months. But in late November, rumors circulated that the pool wouldn't reopen for them.
Kufs said they tried to stay optimistic, but heard from others who got letters about their membership. In early December, Charles Guiliano informed iBerkshires that he'd received a letter from Linette Searcy, general manager of the Holiday Inn-Berkshires, stating "The pool and fitness area at the Holiday Inn will not be opening up to the general public when renovations are complete."
Guiliano also had availed himself of the pool for exercise and was disappointed, saying in a letter to Mayor-elect Richard Alcombright, that it "was a focal point for the community, particularly seniors and those undergoing rehab programs."
Peck went to the Holiday Inn a little over two weeks ago and was told that there would no longer be pool memberships for the community. Kufs sent an e-mail to owners John and Marilyn Larkin telling them how much her group had appreciated the use of the pool and how important it was to the health of its members.
The response she received from Michael Sheeran, area manager for Larkin Hospitality, confirmed that the health club would be closed during the "extensive renovations on the property during the next year."He asked for patience during the "renovation and evaluation process of the Holiday Inn," and held out a glimmer of hope: "We are not leaving out the possibility of offering pool memberships once the renovations are completed, however, at this time, the Health Club portion of the Holiday Inn will remain closed."
The Mermaids are looking for other options but are currently fish out of water. Members have already found that not having their regular water therapy has already affected their health: "It hurts!" said Peck.
Cathy Lively, who has participated for about two years, said her severe degenerative arthritis and disc problems sent her to seek water therapy.
"My husband has arthritis in his knee; when it acted up he walked in the pool also," said Lively. "It is so helpful for people with physical problems. It really saddens everyone who depended on it."
Deb Parrot Gigliotti suffers from multiple sclerosis and noticed the flexibility in her legs as significanlty decreased.
"Today I went to my doctor for my three-month check up and he noticed the decline and suggested I find somewhere else for water therapy."
