Members of the Crescenta-Caņada and the Verdugo Hills YMCAs have been noticing facility improvements and increased program offerings to better serve them.

Starting at the "top" of the Crescenta-Caņada YMCA, 50 percent of the facility's roof was replaced.

"When it rained in the past, you had to wear a raincoat in certain spots of the YMCA, but not any more," said Larry Hall, chief executive officer.

The 7,000 square-foot gymnasium floor was replaced with quality maple wood, at a cost of $90,000. (This is the same type of material National Basketball Assn. floors are made of.)

"We were able to put back the true bounce in the floor, as oppose to the dead spots," Hall said.

Although the games have begun on the new floor, in September a ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with a free-throw competition will be held, with the community invited. The new cycle room (with a tile floor and new lighting) and yoga room construction has been completed. "These are two of our most popular classes, so we made the rooms more accommodating," Hall said.

Eight new cardiovascular machines were added to the Haaga Wellness Center, and the free-weight room received additional equipment and a make over.

"The recent purchase of a Life Scan machine is an example of our community partnership and service," he said. "It allows us to conduct criminal checks on our employees and adult volunteers, getting the results within 24 to 72 hours, and is available to other community agencies. In the last month, over 60 checks were conducted by our community partners. The machine cost $14,000 and we were very fortunate to receive the funding from the Glendale Community Foundation."

Extensive remodeling occurred at the Verdugo Hills YMCA, including a new Wellness Center, which helped increase the membership by 1,100 in just nine months. It also has drawn more teens to use the facility, resulting in the 17-and-under age membership to more than double. The after-school child program has also become more popular. Last December, the Verdugo Hills YMCA, held it's first Winter Carnival, providing free photos with Santa, a petting zoo, games, prizes and food. More than 500 parents and children attended. Plans are already underway for the second annual Winter Carnival to again be held in December.

"There is a lot going on at both sites," Hall said. "However, we are not done yet. Through our strategic planning, we have many more goals identified and are still growing. With the help of Heather Haaga, we are trying to provide more services and events for seniors, including the development of a resource center. It would be a type of clearinghouse, where seniors and caregivers could go to obtain information on a variety of subjects and services. We are hoping to staff the resource center."

Continuing to prepare for the future, Kay Linden chaired a task force last spring that looked at the demographics and the declining enrollments in the Crescenta-Caņada YMCA pre-school, child care and day care programs. As a result, Hall said more tutorial services will be offered in the after-school programs, but it will be a blend between allowing the children's mind to grow, the body to enjoy activities and simply having fun. "Bill Olhasso has been invaluable in our strategic planning," said Hall. "Kim Beattie's assistance has been extremely helpful and Dr. Gregory Yu, our chairman of the board, has been instrumental in leading the change we accomplished. Our strong partnerships with the city and the Roger Barkley Community Center, as well as our dedicated staff and volunteers, have collectively helped us reach our goals."

The future looks equally bright in the coming year, as he shared plans are underway to put televisions in the Crescenta-Canada YMCA Haaga Wellness Center.

Hall said he does not use the YMCA's facilities, as he prefers not to take a machine away from a member. Instead, he uses the track and often walks to and from work for his exercise.