The Lake Norman YMCA, at 21300 Davidson Street in Cornelius, will hold an open house Saturday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m.

For those who haven’t already seen it, guests on Saturday can tour the Y’s newly renovated fitness facility that opened last month.

The interior of the wellness center, complete with new equipment and better lighting. (YMCA photo)

The center features:

• Larger, brighter and more open workout space
• New and improved Life Fitness strength equipment
• Panoramic views of Lake Cornelius
• Precor TRM 885 Cardio Equipment, including top-of-the-line commercial treadmills, private viewing screens, touch screen consoles, heart rate monitors, integrated Footplant Technology and Ground Effects impact control
• Stay Healthy fitness tracking technology available with all equipment

Open house visitors will be able to try the new fitness equipment, participate in group exercise demonstrations, meet staff members and familiarize themselves with the other facilities and services offered at the Lake Norman YMCA.

All community members are invited to attend.

The interior of the wellness center, complete with new equipment and better lighting. (YMCA photo)

Lake Norman YMCA members last week got a first glimpse of the Y’s newly renovated fitness center at a grand opening reception Wednesday, Dec. 21. The center opens just in time for those New Years resolutions.

The entrance to the wellness center. (YMCA photo)

Named for Robert and Louise Cashion, the center was about 15 years old before the upgrades, that took about 3 months to complete. The center features:

• Larger, brighter and more open workout space
• New and improved Life Fitness strength equipment
• Panoramic views of Lake Cornelius
• Precor TRM 885 Cardio Equipment, including top-of-the-line commercial treadmills, private viewing screens, touch screen consoles, heart rate monitors, integrated Footplant Technology and Ground Effects impact control
• Stay Healthy fitness tracking technology available with all equipment

See more photos of the wellness center below. Read the full story

Rising 7th grader and Secchi Dip-In participant Alex Lambert takes measurements in the Catawba River. (Catawba Riverkeeper photo)

You can help with the tests of water quality and clarity. Info below on how to get a “Secchi Disk” test kit

SOURCE: Catawba Riverkeeper
Everyone wants to see their feet when they go for a swim in the lake, and the fish like to see what they are about to eat. The Catawba Riverkeeper wants to know, too, and this month an army of volunteers will be out testing the waters from boats, docks and piers. They’ll be dropping black-and-white weighted disks on a ropes into the water to assess water clarity.

The volunteers began tests June 25 and they’ll continue through July 17 at sites throughout the Catawba River Chain of Lakes. Read the full story