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It is one of America's and Europe's favourite nuts, popular as a snack and rather good in curries. But the cashew is at the centre of a simmering global row amid accusations that western retailers are skimming off fat profits, leaving farmers and processors with a pittance for their crop.
Campaigners are objecting to a warped economic model in which a supermarket earns just over £1 from a bag of cashews sold for £2.50 while the factory worker who sits all day cracking shells with a pernicious toxic residue makes 3p.
Now the EU is showing signs of taking up the case against the industry. Next month, the commissioner for internal markets, Michel Barnier, is to make an announcement on unfair trading practices, amid mounting pressure for proper regulation.
"Farmers and workers across the world are suffering every day because of unfair trading practices by supermarkets," said Liz May, head of policy at the fair trade organisation Traidcraft. "It's time the EU took action and set up a regulator with the power to stop abuses by retailers that result in extremely low pay and appalling working conditions."
The cashew nut, which is really a seed, is a $4bn (£2.5bn) global business that provides jobs for millions, particularly in Africa and India. While half of the world's crop is grown in Africa, more than 60% of the cashews consumed are processed in India.
With its premium price tag, the cashew should be an opportunity for developing economies; instead it points up the kind of jarring it is beset by supply chain anomalies that are seen in industries such as coffee, clothing and sugar.
More than a quarter (27%) of India's processed cashews are sent to Europe, and the majority of these are sold through supermarkets, often having had value added in the west through roasting and salting. Germany, France and the UK account for about 50% of salty snack consumption.
Both brokers and processors bemoan the fact that retailers are driving the market. One producer said: "Twenty years ago, Europe was a booming market and quality was a primary concern, but today it is only about the price … The value of relationships is not appreciated."
E Mohanakumar, project director of Cadre India, an NGO in Tamil Nadu that supports self-help groups for women and raises awareness of health problems among factory workers, has carried out research into working conditions.
"When people are getting 1 rupee [1p] as their wage, they are using 50 paisa [0.5p] for their savings, for the marriage of their children, because here we have a big dowry system" he said. "And 10 paisa they will spend for their food. So there are malnourished children and that means the next generation is in danger. Quality of life means spending for health, especially good food."
Shelling the nuts is labour intensive and is done by hand. They produce a caustic liquid which burns the skin. Many factories provide some form of protection – if the workers are on site – such as alkaline potash to counteract the acid; alternatively, some women bandage their hands.
In some factories, rubber gloves are available, but in many instances workers have to pay for them and not everyone can afford it.
Lalita, a young mother in a small rural community in Tamil Nadu, peels cashews from home. Her husband is not around and she has a young son. She avoids working in the local factories as she dislikes the noxious fumes released during the roasting phase [before de-shelling] used to help loosen the hard outer shell. Even at home, the heat and the smell when she is working make her want to vomit.
Lalita's earnings are half those of the factory workers. To feed herself and her son (a breakfast of tea and rice at noon and in the evening some snacks or tea and occasionally fruit) she takes in tailoring and plastic mat weaving but it does not pay as well.
Whether they work at home or in a factory, labourers' pay is low and their health can be at risk but it is their only realistic option for earning a living.
On this, workers and processors speak as one: they want the work and the business is critical to their welfare. They just want small improvements to their conditions and terms of trade.
"In Kanyakumari district, this is the only factory," said Lalita. "Because of this industry, people have made their lives here, they've invested their money for the education and health of their children.
"They want improvements for their family. So, when they study, their children will go for other work – not to the cashew factory, even if it has helped them to survive."
She added: "What we need is for the Europeans to buy more from us. Then only better things will happen around here."
Unprofitable growth
Vimila Ramil, a cashew farmer in India with just 0.4 hectares (1 acre)
Ramil limps round her plot, pointing out the rainwater tank used to tend her saplings. The biggest chore in this flat, exposed land is keeping the young plants watered. She is not married and, having cared for her mother, she lives with her brother and sister-in-law.
She says cashews are the only viable crop. "Because of the quality of the sand, we cannot cultivate anything else so we will continue to grow only cashew. In December 2011, we had the Thane cyclone. During that time everything fell fallen and all the trees were damaged. So last year there was a great loss; this year it is better. Although we can fry and eat [cashew], because of our difficult situation at home, we sell it."
Baskir Bhaskar, a farmer with four hectares
Baskir Bhaskar seems to have his mobile constantly glued to his ear. He grows cashew but also has paddy fields. Though cashew is a low-maintenance crop, it is still at nature's mercy, along with the farmers who depend on it.
"This year, because we did not get good rain, the yield was not good," said Bhaskar. "We expected around 50 bags but only got 40. If I sell these 40 bags, I will get around two lakhs [about £2,000]. Out of the two lakhs – we have already spent one for cultivating."
Like so many people in the industry, Bhaskar has different aspirations for his child: "He will not come into agriculture. He is a commerce graduate so he will do accounting. My son has decided to go and work in the bank."
Patrick Obeng-Nketiah, Catholic monk in central Ghana
"Cashew has become one of the main cash crops in the Brong Ahafo region. As a community we need to have something to feed ourselves, to be independent, and cashew is a good business. [But] picking the cashew is a lot of work," said Obeng-Nketiah. " We hire young people from the local area to do the picking. We pay them per kilo picked – for every 10 kilos they collect, we give them the value of one kilo."
Yaw Gbogbolo, 56, farmer in Ghana
"During the harvest season, children from the local village come to pick the nuts on the weekends," said Gbogbolo, a native of the village of Samsam in the Greater Accra region, who began growing cashew in 2004 under a government programme to promote production of the crop. "The adults aren't interested in doing it – the money is not attractive enough for them."


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About the Author: Aaron Bruce serves as DipNote's Editorial Assistant.
Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday, a day U.S. citizens observe as a national day of service in honor of Dr. King -- an advocate for tolerance and equality among people of all backgrounds. In India, Ambassador Timothy Roemer remembered Dr. King by paying a visit to the Dalit community in New Delhi and honoring all those who fight for universal values. U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray reflected on how Dr. King's vision is still relevant today. Ambassador Ray wrote, "I too have a dream. I have a dream that the peoples of Africa -- in fact, the peoples of all the developing world -- will someday enjoy the fruits of democracy and open government."
The U.S. Embassy in Bogota posted questions through their Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage Colombian audiences to learn more about the meaning of MLK Day, and the U.S. Consul in Bordeaux, France taught high school students about Dr. King's legacy and the Civil Rights Movement. At U.S. diplomatic posts in Brazil, two poster exhibitions celebrated the work of Dr. King. These exhibits also sought to recognize the International Year of People of African Descent -- declared by the United Nations and the Organization of American States for 2011.
As the middle of the week approached, President Barack Obama welcomed President Hu Jintao of China to Washington, DC for the third State Visit of the Obama Administration. During an interview with CCTV, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "...We are now poised at the beginning of this new century to determine how the United States and China working together can keep the peace not just in Asia, but around the world; can help to grow the economy so that more people have a chance to live very satisfying, comfortable lives; that we tackle problems from health issues to piracy together."
Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton co-hosted a luncheon for President Hu at the State Department, and later Secretary Clinton signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi signed to establish the U.S.-China Governors Forum, which will strengthen U.S.-China relations at the sub-national level. Addressing other efforts to advance our people-to-people relations, First Lady Michelle Obama and Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock discussed the "100,000 Strong" Initiative on the campus of Howard University. This initiative seeks to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad in China.
At the White House, President Obama and President Hu held a joint press conference to discuss the visit. President Obama highlighted the successful meeting, in which the two discussed cooperation in commerce, science and technology, regional stability and security in East Asia, and moving forward with a formal dialogue on human rights. President Obama said, "Cooperation between our countries is...good for the world. Along with our G20 partners, we've moved from the brink of catastrophe to the beginning of global economic recovery. With our Security Council partners, we passed and are enforcing the strongest sanctions to date against Iran over its nuclear program. We've worked together to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. And most recently, we welcomed China's support for the historic referendum in Southern Sudan."
The Southern Sudan referendum polling process successfully concluded, and Secretary Clinton said, ""The completion of a peaceful, orderly Southern Sudan referendum marks a significant achievement for the Sudanese people and a historic step toward full implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The United States commends the millions of Southern Sudanese people who participated in this historic process, and applauds both northern and southern leaders for creating conditions that allowed voters to cast their ballots freely and without fear, intimidation, or coercion."
In other news, Secretary Clinton called Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to express continued support for the people of Tunisia in their path to a more democratic society. Alberto Rodriguez of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad told us that the United States is helping to vaccinate seven million Pakistani children against measles and polio, and Great Lakes Regional Refugee Coordinator Greg Shaw described his journey to evaluate U.S. assistance for refugees in the Republic of Congo.
In international economic news, Assistant Secretary Jose Fernandez informed us $60 billion in remittances flow from the United States to Latin American countries every year and described a new initiative aimed to make use of remittances for infrastructure projects, such as building roads and supporting entrepreneurship.
Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs Robert D. Hormats will be attending the Davos World Economic Forum. Under Secretary Hormats expects -- based on recent conversations he held with business leaders and government officials in the United States and abroad -- that the role of State Owned Enterprises (SOE's) in the global economy will be an important focus of conversation at Davos.
Secretary Clinton will travel to Mexico at the invitation of Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa on Monday, January 24, 2011. Stay tuned to DipNote for more information on the Secretary's trip, as well as for discussion on other foreign policy topics.

subset: commoncrawl


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A downtown fire has destroyed the building which housed "Tommy's," "Carl's," and/or the Silver Dollar! The bar has been known as a long-time Wabash watering hole.
History Professor Rick Warner was the first this morning to note the memories many Wabash men must have of the local pub. Send us an email today with a short story or thought, and we'll put up a blog of the memories throughout the day!
E-mail to: email@example.com


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I'm looking for an understandable book about mathematical proofs.
As an engineer/computer scientist major I'm used to do higher math on a daily base, but whenever I'm asked in an exercise to "show" something I get the "where should I start? and what exactly do they want me to do?" syndrome.


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Traders' Combos are dynamic combinations of Traders, curated by ZuluTrade to maximize your performance.
Investors trade with discounted commissions and pay Traders off their monthly earnings
Meet your new personal assistant! The Automator can watch and notify you when things happen or automatically execute actions you would otherwise do yourself.
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ZuluTrade will detect the change of strategy of any trader in your portfolio at any given point, based on proprietary indicators gathered from over 100,000 trader portfolios. When the red line will pass the blue line, the trader will be removed instantly from your portfolio and all positions will be closed, to further protect your account.
ZuluTrade will then pick another trader to replace the previous one removed, based on the ZuluRank with the same or better ranking in your portfolio!
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Autoprotect your account with the all new ZuluGuard™ service!
Trade from your mobile device. iPhone, iPad, Android or your Windows phone!
Check out our Android, iPhone, iPad and desktop widget apps.


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Gary Allan used to straddle a line between mainstream country and an edgy traditionalist alternative. But as his last few records have steadily incorporated rock and pop iterations into his twang, he's been edging over that line. The result has been less of his West Coast neo-trad sound (represented here by the aching "It Ain't the Whiskey" and the country-rock murmur of "Sand in My Soul"). Allan remains resolutely old-fashioned in another respect, however: In an era of singles, he seems determined to make albums. This one has a thematic movement from a romantic breakup, delineated by the driving "Tough Goodbye" at the outset, to recovery by record's end. In between, there's anger ("Bones"), grief ("Me Without You"), and bitter wisdom ("Hungover Heart") before a new beginning marked by the relaxed sensuality of "Drop" and the closing ballad "Good as New." He may offer less of an alternative than he once did, but that old-school concern and a wider sonic palette keep Allan just this side of the mainstream. (Out Tuesday)
ESSENTIAL "It Ain't the Whiskey"


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Wednesday, April 7, 2010
I really miss him...
(everything thrifted from head to toe except F21 rings)
vintage Michael Jackson tee, vintage B&W striped leopard puff skirt, vintage white tutu slipdress, black Zara sweater cardigan, B&W spectator oxfords, black scrunchy socks and vintage jewelry and Forever 21 rings
Miss me?? I miss you!! Sorry I'm like the worst blogger ever. Too busy trying to be mom of the year I've abandoned my second love. Got this sweet MJ tee and decided to match it up with this AH-MAZING skirt. I love doing trends in vintage. Ummm it's really starting to get hot here in Texas! It was like this crazy pollen thing that turn all the cars lime green. WEIRD!! Now there's brown crap all over the EVERYTHING! Planning a trip to New York maybe go for the summer. I need a break from this town. Visit my bitches in the NYC. I've been but only with the National Cheerleaders Association and for the Michael Jackson concert where I got the tee! And yes I was a cheerleader for like 10 yrs!
Anywho! Gotta say HEEEEEY to all the new followers and THAAAAANKS for the comments. You guys are a true inspiration to me. R.I.P. MJ
xoxo Virgin
Posted by Unknown at 5:44 PM
Labels: Forever 21, Michael Jackson, vintage, VintageVirgin
8 comments:
- Fabiola "Fab" said...
Hello Gorgeous!!! I want everything you have on! nice hair!!!
- April 7, 2010 at 7:14 PM
- sinandstarlight said...
great post! photos and outfit all amazing
- April 7, 2010 at 9:26 PM
- R.Paris said...
- April 8, 2010 at 5:25 AM
- Jenni said...
I'm pretty jealous of that t-shirt, not gonna lie. :D Amazing outfit. Love everything about it.
- April 8, 2010 at 7:39 AM
- Sheyla said...
i miss him too...
lovely outfit. ;)
- April 8, 2010 at 7:35 PM
- princesspolitico said...
that's so cool that you were a cheerleader for so long! i was one too [i even got to go to the orange bowl with NCA :)] your cool cheerleading fact is only second to your amazingly cute MJ tee... i'm COVETING it<3
- April 8, 2010 at 8:15 PM
- Mia said...
I love your style and am so jealous of all your vintage finds <3 I guess I'm just not good at thrifting! I lived in NYC and now am back in the H-town but this weather is annoying, i agree! LOVE THIS BLOG!
- April 10, 2010 at 10:03 AM
- menina raposa said...
great outfit... loved it
- April 16, 2010 at 5:55 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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When you're searching for the perfect Mother's Day gift, there's only one place to go for a selection of the most delightful Mother's Day treats. At Shari's Berries we've been hard at work all year to create an exceptional collection of the freshest, most delicious gifts and desserts to celebrate your special mom. For luxurious and luscious Mother's Day gift ideas that have what it takes to impress, look no further. We offer Mother's Day gifts online ranging from deluxe chocolate selections, cupcake bites, cake assortments, to chocolate, strawberries and cookies. When it comes to gourmet gifts, we serve up the best.
This year, go for something a little unexpected and send your mom a variety of out our premium Shari's Berries cookies. Not only do we offer cookies in a host of tempting classic flavors, we also feature an entire range of beautifully decorated cookies selections for Mother's as well. We know what makes a perfect gift. That's why when you order one of our wonderful gifts, you can expect nothing but the finest, freshly baked cookies made with the highest quality ingredients and unique recipes. Our expect bakers have created a line-up of choices that combine the perfect blend of all-time classic childhood favorites with fun and downright decadent up-to-the-minute must-haves.
What could be better than a moist and chewy chocolate chip cookie, or a comforting oatmeal raisin cookie? Chocolate dipped cookies, of course. We've elevated the humble yet yummy home-style cookie to truly gourmet status with a must-have, delicious collection of chocolate dipped cookies and special Mother's Day dipped cookies for mom. Just check out our homemade dipped cookies and you're sure to find a cookie gift to please any palette.
And be sure to check out our Mother's Day cookie basket delivery to wrap up a cookie gift that is guaranteed to indulge any Mother's Day cookie craving. Alongside our many other delightful pampering gift baskets, farm-fresh fruit baskets, gourmet picnic baskets, chocolate indulgent gift baskets and much more, you'll find the we offer the finest assortment of cookie baskets on the web. We've even enlisted everyone's favorite cookie baker to help us with a few. Shop now and you'll find a great assortment of dipped strawberries for Mother's Day.


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Featured Partners
Choice is key in creating inspiring, informal spaces where people want to work. Steelcase collaborates with forward-thinking companies to provide easy access to a broad range of solutions.
Partners at a Glance
Blu Dot
Blu Dot is a Minneapolis-based designer and maker of modern furnishings, spanning multiple home and office categories. The company was founded in 1997 by three designers, John Christakos, Maurice Blanks and Charlie Lazor, who wanted to bring good design to as many people as possible by creating products that are useful, affordable and desirable.
The full Blu Dot product line is available in the U.S. and Canada..
Extremis, with headquarters and manufacturing in Poperinge, Belgium, specializes in intelligently designed furniture. Their design ethos is derived from a Shaker quote: "don't make anything, unless it is both necessary and useful… and if it is, don't hesitate to make it beautiful."
With that in mind, Extremis makes furniture suited for outdoors and indoors in completely non-standard ways.
A collection of Extremis outdoor furniture is expected to be available in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in late summer 2018.
FLOS is a global leader in lighting design founded in Italy in 1962. Collaborating with the world's foremost designers, they combine beauty and technology with a sense of play to create modern classics that do more than light a room. For more than five decades FLOS has produced lights that transcend their function, adding poetry to illumination.
A collection of FLOS lighting is available throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Microsoft is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Steelcase and Microsoft share a passion for helping people at work. Together, we understand how the integration of place and technology can unlock creativity.
Steelcase and Microsoft are developing technology-enabled workplace solutions built on Microsoft Azure IoT technology. Select Steelcase dealers are authorized to resell Microsoft Surface Hub as a part of the Microsoft partner network.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Started in 2003, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Contract is a division of 28-year-old home furnishings brand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The contract division is a premiere manufacturer of high-quality, comfortable hospitality and commercial furniture. The Taylorsville, North Carolina, USA based company offers short lead times, leads in eco-friendly business practices, and is committed to philanthropic efforts for equality and education.
The company's mission is simple: to provide comfort for all at home and at their home away from home.
SnapCab was founded in 1983 and has an expertise in elevator interiors. Their innovative, outside-the-box mindset eventually led to the development of the SnapCab Pod. These quiet stand-alone offices are simple to install, easy to relocate and can be customized to suit any work environment.
SnapCab Pods are available in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Based in Valencia, Spain, Viccarbe offers contemporary furniture designed by prestigious international designers – useful in homes as well as offices. Designed in the sun, light has a great influence on colors, warmth of material, and attention to detail in every product. A worldwide reference to lounge areas, the Viccarbe Imports Collection is an award-winning portfolio distinguished by great simplicity, innovate elegance and global brand awareness.
Coalesse is the exclusive representation for the Viccarbe Imports Collection in the Contract Market throughout the Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, and the countries of Latin America).
West Elm
Since 2015, West Elm has committed to bringing its residential sensibility to the modern office space and creating contract-grade furnishings for this market. The brand has grown in large part due to its keen understanding of emerging workplace concepts and commitment to three key values that inform its designs: wellbeing, residential inspiration and choice.
Steelcase and West Elm will design, manufacture and distribute a new collection of workplace solutions in West Elm's signature modern aesthetic. This new collection will be available by the end of the year.


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The Kansas Board of Regents is responsible for the administration of the state-funded grants and scholarships for higher education. Student financial aid includes grants, scholarships, and loans. It can be available through the federal and state government, private corporations, and philanthropic organizations.
Kansas is one of the many states involved in implementing the Common Core State Standards for educators and students. This effort represents the first time nearly every state has set common expectations for what students should know and be able to do prior to graduation.
Kansas State Libraries have collaborated to provide a one-stop-shop for student research resources. These resources include, but are not limited to, general knowledge research, historical databases, specified curriculum information, and standardized test preparation.
All Kansas K-12 students have teachers with subject matter knowledge and teaching skills necessary to help all students achieve high academic standards regardless of their individual learning styles or needs. All public elementary or secondary teachers employed to teach core academic subjects should be "highly qualified" prior to the first day of employment.


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In this place, the blessed virgin Mary appeared in October 1917 to 3 children and later thousands witnessed a miracle in the sky above Fatima. Saint Mary communicated many messages through the 3 Shepherd of Fatima, a messages from the holy mother to all human kind, giving us hope while her words guiding us to the truth, she said:
Only I can help you.
My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.
Souvenir from our Lady of Fatima
Thank you


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Ganpati Plaza, M. I. Road, JAIPUR - 302001,
Rajashtan, INDIA
Find Your Favorite Brand
Contact Information
+91 141 4063847
Working Days / Hours:
Mon. to sat. - 10.00 to 8:00PM
Sunday - Closed
Sunday - Closed
Our Categories
About us
Diamond Florist is a largest florist in Rajasthan, India. Since 1965 we have been engaged in fresh flowers and flower arrangement business and have millions of satisfy clients worldwide.
We have launched Android App recently, you can buy flowers, bouquet of flowers, cakes,gifs item for your love one by this app.


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Date:Monday 18th December 2017
Doors Open:19:30
Show Begins:20:30
You're too late to book for this performance as it has ended.
You may only book a maximum of 6 tickets per performance. If you would like to book more then please call our box office on 0131 558 7272
Only members that have paid their annual subscription may access member priced tickets. If you have paid your annual subscription and you cannot select members tickets please call our box office on 0131 558 7272
Our long-running weekly beginner's showcase is regarded as the best open mic night in the UK. Catch up to ten new acts – some treading the boards for the very first time. This is where everyone starts and it's your chance to see the stars of tomorrow today. Watch out for older hands dropping in to try out new material too.
With host Christopher MacArthur-Boyd and headliner Liam Withnail.
Salt 'n' Sauce Promotions Ltd. Trading as 'The Stand Comedy Club'.
5 York Place, EH1 3EB
0131 558 7272
We are a Living Wage Employer, click here to find out more.
Sign up to receive email to be the first to hear about upcoming shows & special offers.


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European Commission - Press release
Fisheries: Commission seeks Italy's compliance with Court ruling on illegal use of drift-nets in the Mediterranean
Brussels, 29 September 2011 - The European Commission calls on Italy to take measures and comply with an October 2009 Court of Justice ruling on Italy's continued illegal use of drift-nets. The Court found that Italy had failed to adequately control and enforce the EU ban on the use of drift-nets. Safeguarding of fish stocks and the eradication of illegal fishing practices are crucial priorities for the EU, and the Commission, in particular Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, deeply regrets Italy's long-standing infringement of the drift-net ban, which dates from 1992. If no satisfactory actions are taken within two months from the receipt of the Commission's letter, the Commission may refer this case to the Court of Justice again, this time asking the Court to impose significant financial penalties on Italy in accordance with the Treaty rules.
Fishing with illegal gear such as drift-nets is highly destructive, as it ruins marine habitats, endangers marine wildlife and threatens sustainable fisheries. Illegal fishing practices ruin the income of honest fishermen and coastal communities - and the future of fisheries altogether. Therefore, in the interest of all, implementation and enforcement of the rules are at the heart of the Commission priorities.
Despite persistent calls on Italy to fulfil its monitoring and enforcement tasks adequately with regard to illegal drift-nets, recent on-site inspections did not show any significant improvements as compared to the situation before the Court's judgement. The Commission's verifications indicate that drift-nets are still used illegally in Italy in large numbers, and that actions taken by national authorities are neither sufficient, nor efficient enough to deter their use.
The origins of this case go back to 1992, when the EU adopted the drift-net ban prohibiting the use of drift-nets of over 2,5 km in length (in response to a 1991 UN General Assembly moratorium on large pelagic drift-nets).
Since then, the EU has constantly toughened its anti-drift-net rules to address growing concerns about this fishing technique, which is highly non-selective (high degree of by-catches of non-targeted species) and therefore poses a threat to the conservation of many fish stocks, and marine mammals. As from January 2002, the EU has completely banned the use of drift-nets, irrespective of their length, intended for the capture of certain fish stocks, such as albacore, bluefin tuna and swordfish.
More information:
EU fisheries policy: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/index_en.htm
Latest information on infringement proceedings concerning all Member States :
For more information on infringement procedures, see MEMO/11/646
Side Bar


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Like every other print magazine in the world, Interview continues to have problems.
Their September relaunch isn't working out and, according to Women's Wear Daily, the owner, Peter Brant is taking time away from running the magazine that Andy Warhol built to deal with his divorce from Stephanie Seymour Brant.
Sounds like someone needs a Michael Jackson tribute issue. They may not have Time and Rolling Stone's deadline excuse, but they're sure to do something creative ("Mm, Bjork's pretty, but I want a massive, multicolored tear falling from one of her eyes.") with his face on the cover


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Jesse Jackson Crowned Prince In Africa
Reverend Jesse Jackson follows footsteps of Michael Jackson -- and is crowned a prince in Ivory Coast.
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Something for the weekend!
What they've said…
'Sometimes I wonder if Verdi actually just didn't like the soprano he was writing it for'
Soprano Renée Fleming reflects on the difficulties of the part of Violetta in La traviata
The CD covers that seemed like a good idea at the time:
In our postbag this week: is Mozart hiding in a locker? We're confused…
On air and screen
If you missed any of this year's Bath Music Festival, there's a chance to catch up in BBC Radio 3's Lunchtime Concert next week. String quartet fans should make sure to tune in on 16 June to hear the Jerusalem Quartet perform two 20th-century classics by Bartók and Debussy. And on 18 June the Pavel Haas Quartet follows suit with Prokofiev, Janácek and Dvorák. Wind instruments get a look in on 17 June when Ensemble 360 performs a programme of Britten, Poulenc, Debussy and Mozart. And to bring the week's broadcasts to a triumphant conclusion, Bath Music Festival director and pianist Joanna MacGregor will perform Musorgsky's colourful Pictures at an Exhibition.
Practice makes purr-fect
A Lithuanian conductor has written a piece for a piano-playing cat. Nora, whose keyboard antics have made her a YouTube star over the past two years, was the inspiration for Mindaugas Piecaitis's Catcerto, which was premiered on 5 June. To hear an extract from the piece, click here. And if you want to find out more about this feline wonder, the multi-talented Nora finds time between practising her scales and arpeggios to keep a blog.
Winning performance
Pianist Haochen Zhang, joint gold medallist at this year's Van Cliburn competition, impresses the jury in the preliminary round with his performance of Beethoven's Sonata in A flat,
Op. 110
- Article Type: | Article |
- Article Category: | World of Music |


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Too often, the fitness and health club industry is viewed strictly by the bottom line or interpreted from company or industrywide trends. But there are plenty of other stories and trends to be found inside the four walls of almost any type of club.
What better way to find those stories than to take a tip from the late John Belushi and the rest of his Delta House brothers and go on a road trip?
The editorial staff of Club Industry traveled by planes, trains and automobiles to visit various clubs from different regions around the country. Occasionally, they got lost along the way or found an empty club waiting for them — and maybe found a toga party or two as well. Those visits — without the toga party stories — will be presented over the next three issues, ripped out of each staff member's own travel log.
This issue, senior editor Pamela Kufahl, starts our journey with her tales from the Southwest.
Ah, the Southwest. Land of mystery. Land of the sun and the desert. Who wouldn't want to visit the Southwest? Los Angeles (okay, more the West Coast than the Southwest, but for this trip's purpose, it was close enough), Las Vegas, Phoenix and Albuquerque. I admit, as I prepare for my trip, I am excited to visit each of these cities, two of which I've never been to before. However, I have some apprehensions. After all, it is the first week in August. It is Vegas and Phoenix where at certain times in the summer you can scramble an egg on a cactus. However, I decide to brave it. Besides, it's dry heat, right?
So, I pack my bags for this big adventure — eight days on the road with a map of each city, a camera, a tape recorder and appointment after appointment booked at various clubs throughout the Southwest. It is all part of my quest for knowledge, trends and a good travel story for the magazine.
Day One
My flight heads out bright and early (too early for me) on this Sunday morning. Even my cat is too tired at 4 a.m. to tell me goodbye — she lazily sleeps at the end of the bed while I lug my bags down the steps and to my car, wondering if their extreme weight indicates that I have overpacked.
The uneventful flight through Dallas, brings me to the City of Angels by 11 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. my time). I am hungry! The airlines fail to see the need to feed their passengers anymore. After getting my rental car and hoofing it to my hotel where I find that I can't get an early check-in, I head to my first appointment, stopping on the way for drive-through (what a way to start the trip!).
12 p.m. — Spectrum Club, El Segundo, CA
The Spectrum Club is a delightful first stop on my tour. Not only are the surroundings visually pleasant, but my hosts are welcoming and open to talking about their club. Carol Mendelsohn, regional marketing director; Sean Dohrmann, regional fitness director; and Stephen Spurgeon, vice president of The Blaze Company, the public relations firm for Spectrum (he prefers to remain in the background, but I can't leave a mention of him out!) show me around the facility, which includes recently renovated, posh locker rooms and a child-care area.
For the first of many times on this trip, I hear about the popularity of mind/body exercise not only at this Spectrum club, but also at the eight others in southern California (the company also has 10 clubs in San Antonio).
"People are getting more into wellness and people are realizing that it's just not about having a healthy body; it is also about having a healthy mind," Mendelsohn says. Because the club is located in the Los Angeles area, the proclivity of Hollywood celebrities to tout their involvement in yoga, Pilates and other mind/body exercises also has influenced Los Angelenos.
Private training also is proving popular at the club, which averages $100,000 a month in personal training revenue, says Dohrmann. The club's members generally excel in their careers, can afford personal training and have the attitude that if they are going to belong to a gym, they are going to get results. The club even has an area dedicated to workouts with a personal trainer.
As we walk into the club's dedicated Spinning room, Mendelsohn remarks that Spinning has remained popular at the club despite her original thought that it would be a fading trend.
"It doesn't seem to be dying down," she says. "We have a dedicated spin studio in every one of our clubs and most of the classes are packed."
The club allows instructors to be creative in leading the Spinning classes. In fact, one of the instructors brought in footage that he and a friend had filmed of them riding on their bikes in different locales. He projected those images on a large screen in the classroom while playing electronic/techno music.
That creativity is also seen in the club's willingness to try out classes such as Hip-Hop Yoga, Mommy and Me and On the Ball, which uses the stability ball.
My visit ends more quickly than I had thought it would, and I say goodbye to the three, snapping a few photos on the way out the door to my next appointment.
2 p.m. — Westchester Family YMCA, Westchester, CA
My next stop, the Westchester Family YMCA, shows me a completely different atmosphere. Instead of the large building, spacious parking lots and open, posh entryway of the Spectrum Club, the Y greets me with a tiny parking lot and a few benches and flowers on the outside entry area to a small interior entry with tan tile floors. Pamphlets about programs and classes stand in racks to the right and left of the doorway. A small check-in desk with a green countertop sits only a few steps from the front doors.
I hear children yelling, whistles blowing and weights dropping as I open the front door to be greeted by Will Nathan, a total nutrition counselor. Nathan grew up going to this YMCA and now works here while attending college. He gives me a tour of the building, showing off the basketball court area, the cardio and weight areas and the group exercise room.
The facility offers 92 group exercise classes each week including yoga, Pilates, Brazilian dance, salsa step, jujitsu and Spinning. The facility offers summer camp for children. Kids programming, such as Iddy Biddy Sports classes (soccer, basketball and tee-ball) and swimming lessons are popular. The Teen Fit program teaches teens about nutrition and how to work out properly.
The facility's family-friendly atmosphere is good for children because they can see their parents and other adults working out, which shows them the importance of exercise, says Jennifer Fusco, another total nutrition counselor at the Y. Fusco also grew up attending this Y and came back to work here after college.
The Y is important to the surrounding community, she says.
"Most YMCAs are family oriented, but ours in particular is really community oriented," she says. "There's a lot of people that come and work out here that live locally. We have everything that any other gym would have, all the equipment and everything, but we have so many different children's programs that we offer. And that is just a completely different kind of gym."
My first day's appointments over, I return to the hotel to check in and take a quick nap, but that quick catnap turns into a two-hour slumber. (Hey, I woke up at 3:30 that morning for my 6 a.m. flight!) So, I spend the evening eating a light dinner and reading a good book that lulls me back to sleep again.
Day Two
9 a.m. — Equinox, West Hollywood, CA
I wake early to beat the rush hour traffic, which I have heard is horrendous, but I don't experience much of it as I drive to West Hollywood to visit the Equinox club, which opened just a month prior to my visit. As I draw closer to the club, the Hollywood Hills loom larger, becoming more impressive even though they are cluttered with condos, houses and huge billboards promoting clothing lines, movies and TV shows. I park on the street outside the Equinox club, which is surrounded by coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques on a neatly manicured section of Sunset Boulevard.
I meet with Dos Condon, regional director of Los Angeles for Equinox. He tells me that the outdoors is important for people in the Los Angeles area. That's why the company built the 32,000-square-foot club with plenty of vistas of the outdoors. The company integrates a total fitness routine for their members so they will use the spa, take a Pilates class and do the strength training instead of just walking on the treadmill day in and day out.
"We encourage people to really look at fitness in terms of a holistic offering," Condon says. The club educates members through periodic seminars about how the body gets fit and how it plateaus.
Condon calls his company a lifestyle company. "We're an extension of people's lifestyles," he says. "So whether it's their homes, their professional life, their leisure life, culture or whatever, when it came to health clubs they had to settle, let's say, for a different product." However, he says that Equinox offers the same level of quality that members have in the rest of their lives.
"It's not just going to a health club," Condon says about Equinox. "It's going to a customer service center more than anything else. It's just not that we have trainers; we have a personal training program. We don't have yoga classes; we have a yoga program."
The club offers 40 kinds of group exercise programs and 78 classes a week with plans to increase that to 90 as membership grows. Classes include Pilates, yoga, Spinning, body sculpt and traditional group fitness. Condon expects the day spa to be popular as well.
"So I think that we address all of the components of strength, cardio, flexibility, mind, body, and wellness in our little 32,000 square feet here," Condon says.
As I leave the club, I spot a coffee shop across the street and realize how hungry I am since I didn't grab breakfast earlier. I run across the street, sheepishly ignoring the stare from the clerk when I order a small banana muffin and water but no specially blended coffee or latte or espresso (I may do calorie- and fat-filled bread items, but I don't do caffeine).
11 a.m. — Sports Club/LA, Los Angeles, CA
My trip takes me next to the Sports Club/LA. Rebecca Harris, who works for the public relations company representing the club, greets me and we soon find Nanette Patee Francini, co-founder and executive vice president of the company, still glistening from the Pilates class she has just taken.
"We always have been focused on five-star service, personalized attention, luxurious environment with a lot of options under one roof," Francini says. "We have highly trained staff in all areas, the top certifications with the private trainers, the most experienced of group exerciser instructors. We are focused on cleanliness and maintenance, a couple of things that a newcomer to fitness might not notice when they join a club, but our members would definitely notice."
It's no wonder Hollywood stars are attracted to the club. The club's Web site mentions some of its "star" members, but I don't see a single one of them while I am there, although Harris assures me that Tom Cruise swims laps in the pool.
Many of the members end up staying all day at the club, which Francini refers to as a luxury sports and fitness complex. What's not to stay for? The 100,000-square-foot club has a full-service restaurant, a cafe, a bar, a Junior Olympic swimming pool, cardio and weight areas, two 2,500 square foot aerobic studios, a cycling studio with 50 cycles, full court basketball and volleyball gymnasium, rock climbing treadwall, rooftop driving range, three racquetball courts, two squash courts, five outdoor paddle tennis courts on the roof, luxurious locker rooms with towels provided, personal training, Michaeljohn hair salon, spa facilities, conference room/banquet facilities, outdoor sundeck, pro shop, shoeshine service, car washing and detailing, and valet parking.
The well-heeled of LA enjoy many of the programs popular throughout the rest of the city: yoga, Pilates, Spinning, dance-type classes and blended classes, such as dance and martial arts or karate and yoga.
"And you've got all the private training, which is huge," Francini says of the profit center. "I mean, something that wasn't even really in the focus five years ago is the whole focus on balance, core, posture, flexibility."
So what's the next step in fitness?
"People always want to know the next big thing, but truthfully it's a little bit of an evolution," Francini says. She sees body/mind, blended classes and core strength sticking around. She also sees clubs tackling the nutrition issue more with members.
I leave the club keeping my eyes peeled for a famous or even just a semi-famous face, but I make it back to the car without a single sighting. But, Malibu lays ahead of me. Perhaps I'll spot J Lo and Ben (this was pre-break up) on the beach or Harrison Ford driving around town with Calista Flockhart.
3:40 p.m. — Malibu Health, Malibu, CA
I find my way to the Pacific Coast Highway and head for Malibu. The drive is scenic and not as busy as I'd feared. I find Malibu Health with little trouble — it's right along PCH (as I soon learn locals call the Pacific Coast Highway).
Situated on the side of a hill with a view of the Pacific Ocean, the Malibu Health building houses parking on the main floor, the health club on the second floor and offices on the third. A breezeway greets me when I exit the elevator onto the second floor. To my right is the office, group exercise room and spa area. To the left is the weight and cardio room. Both areas are fronted by a large expanse of glass with a view to the ocean.
Gordon Michaels, co-owner of the 7,000-square-foot club, is manning the front desk when I arrive so I stand at the counter and ask him questions between phone calls and members popping in the door with friendly greetings and hugs.
The club is associated with the doctors and chiropractors in the rest of the building and includes a spa with massage services. A lot of the members are dealing with injuries.
"It's hard to coordinate your health care and your preventive care," Michaels says. At this facility, members can get a workout program, have a trainer design a program after coordinating with a chiropractor or a massage therapist or one of the medical doctors. They also can get information about nutrition and diet.
"We started out as an integrated concept because there really wasn't anything like it," says Michaels. "And we're not a bodybuilding gym. We're sort of dealing with, you know, a Malibu crowd."
Yoga, Pilates, Body Bar and Body Sculpting are popular with the 600 members. Average class size is six people. Also popular are boxing, weight training and personal training.
Even though the business is successful, Michaels doesn't have plans for expansion or a second club.
"I mean, we could be ambitious and, you know, look to do the corporate thing," he says, "but, you know, we're happy paying attention to this and not being so stressed out."
As I leave the building, my stomach rumbles. Thankfully, dinner at Guido's in Malibu awaits me.
After dinner with one of the magazine's sales reps, Patricia Allen, who lives in Malibu, I make my way back to LA along PCH. I stop at the Santa Monica Pier to take in the site of the sun setting over the ocean and to step barefoot in the sand. On the way back to my car, I spot a homeless man digging through the trash for dinner. Mission successful, he sits down a few yards from the can with a half-eaten sandwich and promptly finishes it.
Day Three
My flight for Vegas leaves at 10:05 a.m., plenty of time to turn in the old rental car and get to the gate. I arrive in Vegas and wait in line to get my new rental car in the loud and busy (I don't know which is louder and busier — the crowd of people or the carpeting) rental car area of the Vegas airport. As I wait, a commotion erupts behind me. A gray and white striped cat, escaped from its tiny cage after a stressful plane ride from somewhere, shoots through the crowd but is recaptured by a man braving clawing and biting. Rental car keys secured, I step out of the airport to be greeted by a breath-stopping heat. Oh brother, I think. How did I get so lucky as to travel to Vegas in August?
While driving to my first appointment, I notice how brown and wide open everything is in the desert. The openness must lead the residents to build these stucco walls around all of their neighborhoods, I think. Maybe building barriers gives them a greater sense of security against the wide-open spaces that surround them.
1:30 p.m. — Henderson Multigenerational Center, Henderson, NV
My first appointment in Las Vegas takes me to the Henderson Multigenerational Center in Henderson, NV, a fast-growing and prosperous suburb of Las Vegas. It sits in a wide open space with two other new-looking buildings: the police department and the library. Inside the rec center, I meet with Annette Mullins, executive director, and Sheri O'Berto, recreation coordinator.
The 84,000-square-foot recreation center, opened in January of this year, serves all the citizens of the community with various programs, including a 3,000-square-foot fitness room, an aerobic room, a jogging track, a swimming pool, a rock climbing wall and a basketball court. A child-care facility is also available. Seniors who participate in the Senior Dimensions program can use the fitness room and pool for free.
The individuals who use the fitness center are generally beginners or those who just want to stay in shape, O'Berto says.
"It definitely is a recreational environment," says O'Berto. "And, you know, you can come work out while the kids are playing in the game room or in their own ballet class or whatever. So it's truly a family atmosphere."
The facility's popular offerings include yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Jazzercise and aquatic exercise classes.
While the lower fees and family recreational atmosphere set the recreation center apart from private facilities in the area, the opportunity to sample a variety of classes also sets the facility apart, O'Berto says.
"That's our goal is to introduce everybody and give them some memories, give them some skills," says O'Berto.
My introduction to this facility over, I say goodbye to Mullins and O'Berto and head next door to the library to catch up on phone calls. I eat a late lunch of tuna salad sandwich, fruit cup and water at the café in the library. The quiet but polite manager of the cafe brings me a small smoothie for free — strawberry and banana, my favorite!
4:30 p.m. — Ladies Workout Express, Henderson, NV
My next stop is at Ladies Workout Express where the co-owner, Sandee Boyd, is open about the challenges of starting up a franchise. She and her husband previously owned a gas station but decided to sell it at the same time that Boyd began looking for a place to work out. Her search for a gym for herself led her to what she thought would be a good business for the two of them. Boyd and her husband opened the facility in November 2003.
Her first summer in business has been difficult, something others in the franchise had warned her about. The residents of Henderson have a tendency to skip town for the summer. Boyd enjoys the support she receives from other Ladies Workout Express franchise owners. She often hears from them or calls them herself to see how business is going.
"It's kind of a really neat network of people," Boyd says. "I've probably met more people from all over the United States in the last nine months than I ever had before."
Boyd prides herself on offering personalized, one-on-one service to her members. She even goes so far as to work with them on problem areas after their circuit is done. She keeps weights, bands and bars at the back of the facility for working on target areas, and she doesn't charge extra for that service. Boyd even lets women stay for an hour instead of the normal 30 minutes. That personal service keeps her female clientele coming back, she says.
"I wanted this to be a really individual, family-oriented thing where these women get to know me and I get to know them," Boyd says.
Boyd has an eye for the future with plans to bring in a yoga class. She already has a mini pro shop of sorts set up at the front of the facility, which is located in a strip mall.
"I am going to start looking for more profit centers because you do need them, you really do," Boyd says.
After thanking Boyd for her time, I drive back to Las Vegas and down the strip to see how the strip has changed since I was here five years ago. It has changed more than I imagined with a new shopping area full of up upscale stores at one end of the strip and a few new casino/hotels spread throughout the rest of the strip.
Day Four
8:30 a.m. — 24 Hour Fitness, Las Vegas, NV
The next morning, I awake early and enjoy the complimentary continental breakfast at my hotel before heading to 24 Hour Fitness. This facility is so new that carpenters are still putting the finishing touches on some of the club. However, there is already a bustle about the building.
My first visit is with Amber Pucci, operations manager, who leads me on a tour of the facility. The general manager, Will Paccione, then fills me in on some of the trends he's seeing at his club. He sees a change in the workout of men and women with more women now entering the weight room and more men daring to do group exercise — that is if the group exercise is group cycling. Spinning is extremely popular at the club, and Paccione predicts it will remain popular for quite some time.
"Everybody who takes that class (Spinning) comes out sweating, panting, and they're saying, 'I want to go back,'" Paccione says. The club has a dedicated group cycling room with black walls and blue lights that allows for an unique atmosphere while class is in session.
"They love that class and building a separate room like that — that alone can sell the gym to some people," he says.
Paccione says that yoga and Pilates are here to stay. Whole body training also is big, says Bus Leach, the fitness manager.
"Health and fitness has taken a new step into the future and it's not just the fundamentals," Leach says, although stating that the fundamentals still need to be there. "We're doing a lot more training that's integrative and based on the foundations of incorporating the whole body so we're integrating a lot of different pieces of apparatus and using the whole body as a system instead of focusing on just bulking the person up. There's so much more to health and fitness than just the muscle, lift and dig."
My early morning visit over here, I head out for my next appointment — yet another facility in Henderson.
11 a.m. — ClubSport Green Valley, Henderson, NV
Kristine Drinovsky, general manager of the club, and Janine Williams, vice president of operations for Leisure Sports Inc. (the parent company of ClubSport), welcome me to this facility, taking me on a tour of their complex, which includes the fitness building surrounded by lush and well-manicured landscaping, a child care building that's under construction, a swimming pool, outdoor tennis courts and two tennis courts in a bubble enclosure.
Inside the main building is another pool, cardio and weight areas, a basketball court, squash and racquetball courts, a Spinning room, a spa and a lounge/bar area.
As at most clubs, personal training is popular at the facility, particularly among women, who make up 70 percent of the personal training clientele. The club has 17 personal trainers on staff and plan to hire an additional five soon.
"The trend is more toward functional, whole-body training rather than just isolated small muscle areas," says Jason Lutz, fitness director.
The club offers group personal training for those not wanting to pay for one-on-one attention or for those not comfortable with one-on-one attention. The small group training also provides social interaction, something that is so important at the club that they've created clubs within the club, such as a cycling club.
For Williams and Drinovsky, the future is all about connection. Group exercise, whether through Spinning or group personal training, allows socialization and interaction between members. That is especially important for women and has even become a trend on the weight floor, says Drinovsky.
"You are seeing a lot more women in weights in small groups start working together. They can meet each other, they can support each other," Drinovsky says. "So there's definitely a trend toward doing more group exercise training on the fitness floor not just in group exercising."
As my visit ends, I take a few pictures of Drinovsky and Williams at the front desk and then say my goodbyes. I stop at a restaurant for a quick and healthy lunch before my next appointment.
2 p.m. — Elite Fitness & Rehab, Henderson, NV
I pull up to Elite Fitness and wonder if I have the right place. The center is located among doctors' and dentists' offices. The facility, which measures 4,000 square feet, isn't busy in the middle of a hot August weekday in Las Vegas.
Lance Hain, wellness director, and Christina Fisher, clinical exercise specialist, greet me and are proud to tell me about their facility, which offers weight and cardio equipment and occasional small group training for its 120 members. The facility offers rehabilitation, too. Many of the rehabilitation clients are referred to the center by doctors.
Members can receive a complete evaluation of their fitness level and a plan for improvement with the help of one of the trainers and a computerized program.
The emphasis at the facility is on core strength and endurance and overall body wellness, says Hain. He sees more people willing to spend more on their fitness if they can get the personalized service that places such as his facility offer. He also sees more people taking their health seriously at a younger age and being proactive about their health.
This club is my last stop in Las Vegas. I pick up my luggage at the hotel and head to the airport, but I arrive two hours earlier than I need to, which means I have to endure two hours of slot machine bells and whistles in the area next to my gate. I ignore them, choosing to retain all my personal cash on this trip, and instead absorb myself in a John Grisham book. The only thing that rouses me from my reading is the sweet smell of a freshly peeled orange being passed from a mother to her child sitting next to me. I so want to ask for a slice, but instead, I eat the bag of peanuts I'd saved from my previous flight (American Airlines was generous enough to hand me two tiny bags full of 10 peanuts on the trip from LA to Vegas.)
When I arrive in Phoenix at 8:15 p.m., I call my cousin, Dennis, from the airport. After going over the directions to his house again, I haul my luggage, which is getting heavier all the time, to the rental agency and get my car. I make it to my cousin's house without getting lost in the dark. After a late dinner with him and his wife, Becky, I detail my route for the next two days with Dennis, who insists that I take his special map book with me. Then, I head to bed, tucked safely in a warm and comfy day bed under a sheet, blanket and comforter — it is more than 100 degrees outside at 11 p.m. at night, but inside the house it feels like 60 degrees!
Day Five
I was smart enough to schedule my first appointment this morning at a later hour, allowing me a little time to sleep in. After I eat a quick breakfast, I head to my first club.
10:30 a.m. — La Camarilla, Scottsdale, AZ
I arrive at the club with expectations of a nice tennis facility. I am not disappointed, but I find that the club offers a lot more than tennis. After a few years of a downturn, La Camarilla is back on its feet under the direction of Roger Furman, general manager.
"When I came here, I felt that the club was really just down and out," says Furman. "So we began refurbishing everything and we're doing it strictly out of revenue. We're not borrowing it or anything else."
The club has been painted inside and outside. Furman upgraded some of the furniture and made cleanliness a top priority, down to making sure each of the seven racquetball courts gets its walls cleaned once a week. All of this is part of a three-year plan to get the facility back in shape.
When Furman joined the club, it was basically a tennis club (it has eight outdoor tennis courts) with a little bit of fitness, but Furman saw the competition growing in the area for the fitness crowd, and he decided to expand the fitness programming at the facility to integrate it more with the tennis.
"Little by little, we turned this into a nice, balanced facility with tennis and fitness," says Furman. "We're getting a lot of cross-training here, and trainers are now beginning to work with our tennis players and make them stronger…This has been a really good marriage, and I'll tell you why — because we've tried to marry our staff together. I think if you go to a lot of clubs, you're going to find that the fitness staff and the tennis staff, they don't work together. We really try to work together."
The staff looks at every member as a potential for every activity rather than boxing them in as a tennis player who won't ever try the weight room or vice versa, he says.
The family-oriented club offers racquetball, a swimming pool, weight and cardio room, a group fitness room and child care. The facility has a room for aerobics and yoga with an occasional ballroom dance, swing or salsa class thrown in for a fee.
Spinning is so popular that the club even converted part of one of the racquetball courts into a Spinning room. Yoga makes up 30 percent of the fitness schedule. The other 70 percent is everything else mixed in, says Furman. Pilates isn't big at the facility mostly because the owner of the building also owns a Pilates studio in the building next door and the club has an agreement not to compete with that business.
I leave the club and drive to my next appointment, stopping for a quick lunch at a "to remain nameless" fast food restaurant.
12:30 p.m. — Gainey Village Health Club, Scottsdale, AZ
One of the things I notice in Phoenix (and Vegas) is that there just isn't any escape from the sun. A person can feel very exposed with the sun beating down. I look around at the brownness and the rock and there's no place to escape to except maybe a straggly tree every now and again. However, the Gainey Village Health Club in this resort community is another story. Tucked amongst an oasis of lush palm trees, green grass, flowering bushes and modern buildings, the club and its surrounding grounds are a welcome relief to my burning eyes and senses.
The three-and-a-half-year-old club is one of the more expensive facilities in the Southwest with a $1,200 initiation fee and a monthly fee that averages $150. The club limits its membership to about 2,400 members. Few of the members have a day job; many are either retired, own businesses or live off their investments, says the general manager, Steve Holzapfel, who seems like a guy who can't believe he's lucked into such a great job at such a luxurious facility. The facility's owners don't care if the 70,000-square-foot club makes money, Holzapfel says. They just want to have the nicest health club around, but their desire to be the nicest health club around has made the club very profitable, he says.
The club offers two squash courts and two racquetball courts, a dedicated cycle room, cafe area, lounge area, posh locker rooms, a pro shop, swimming pool, weight and cardio areas, a basketball court, a Pilates studio, a group exercise studio, a spa, a full service salon, child care and a car wash.
"Our members are very much into the group exercise program," says Faye Stenerson, group exercise director. "Cycling is still very huge. Anything to do with yoga is very popular. And our Pilates department does very well. In studio class we have seen a resurgence of interest in traditional high low impact. Step is still very popular. People who like their choreography, who want to dance, they like the challenge of stringing movement together and trying to remember those moves."
The club also offers basic muscle conditioning classes, total athletic conditioning, and other classes that combine cardio and muscle, which is a time saver for people.
"Another class that's just amazingly attended is the Yogalates," Stenerson says. The class incorporates yoga clusters and Pilates mat techniques.
The athletic conditioning classes are popular with the guys, and Stenerson sees a lot of men in yoga, but not many in the Pilates classes or the high-low impact and step classes.
In Holzapfel's opinion, everything old is new again. He sees the industry going back in time in some ways with the use of medicine balls and the growing popularity of Pilates.
"You see the trainers doing things that we did in high school," says Holzapfel.
I bid farewell to the posh facility and its lush surroundings, heading once again out into the hot sun and traffic to my next appointment.
3:30 p.m. — Bally Total Fitness, Glendale, AZ
Little do I know when I step inside the Bally Total Fitness exactly what I am in for. A group of four greet me at the door, eager to answer my questions, show me their newly remodeled, 45,000-square-foot facility and put me through my paces (toward the end of the visit, I am led through some moves on a Reformer, test my balance on the BOSU, and am stretched and made more pliable on the stretching table).
About 11,400 people belong to the facility, which sees about 1,000 people work out a day, according to Shaun Conley, general manager.
For more than a year, Bally has offered a weight management program, which is basically a 30-day makeover.
"The reason that we did it is there was such a great need to have an all-inclusive, one-stop shop, basically, where someone can come in and, if they just do the routine that reaches them, they're going to pretty much be guaranteed results," says Cindy Teachman, senior area supervisor.
Personal training is a big part of the revenue at the club, which has 10 personal trainers on staff. A new member gets a first workout with a personal trainer for free. The weight and cardio areas are situated around a stage area where personal trainers work with individuals.
"It's all about creating the excitement and taking them (members) to that next level and making the workouts a lot more fun," says Anton Hattar, general manager
Conley says, "The biggest goal with that first session is really just to teach people how to have fun with fitness. And once you learn how to have fun with fitness, it's easy to stick with a program."
Mariam Hughes, group exercise director, says that children's programs will increase as more people focus on the obesity epidemic in that population.
"There is not enough emphasis on it right now," says Hughes. Too many parents don't realize that there are programs out there for children, but once the word gets out, she says more parents will get their children involved.
Currently, the club sees success with its Spinning classes, group exercise classes such as Latin aerobics (mixture of Latin dance and aerobics class) and BOSU classes. Yoga and Pilates, both mat and Allegro classes, also are popular.
"Bally Total Fitness, again, not just here but everywhere, because of the dynamic personal training, the weight management program that we have, our nutritional supplementation, it's something that nobody else has," says Teachman.
Feeling refreshed from my brief workout and stretch, I leave the facility for the day to meet my cousin and his wife for dinner and a visit with their brand new grandchild.
Day Six
9 a.m. — Naturally Women Fitness Center, Gilbert, AZ
This 15,000 square-foot facility is hopping when I arrive on this Friday morning. Cherie Tirpak, general manager, shows me a new class they are offering called Teknek, which was developed by one of the group exercise instructors at the club. The class is packed.
The club offers more traditional group exercise programs, too, including Pilates, yoga, step, kickboxing as well as aqua aerobic classes, such as water Tai Chi and water weight training.
When members join, they get a complimentary session with one of the 23 certified female personal trainers and a half hour with a nutritionist, both of whom can talk to them about setting up a workout and a nutrition program.
"We are guiding our members to do both because without one, it's still not going to work," says Tirpak. "You have to have those together."
The facility offers two weight equipment lines that are more proportional for women. The club will be adding more cardio and weight equipment soon.
"Since we've grown, we need elliptical trainers, since they're so popular," she says.
Tirpak sees Teknek, Pilates, yoga, aqua classes, dance-type classes and personal training as big trends right now in her club. Step is also still popular at the club.
"Pilates, yoga, power yoga — all the things that are just easier on the joints, because all the baby boomers have gotten a little older," says Kathy Kelley, personal training director. "Because they're aging, they're getting into things that are a little more lengthening, core building."
I step out of the facility noting that my visit with the staff nutritionist, Anne Comiskey, has been personally very beneficial. I vow to eat the salad at the Burger King I stop into for lunch — and I do.
1 p.m. — Pure Fitness, Tempe, AZ
My next stop at Pure Fitness, which is a short distance from Arizona State University, proves to be a nice way to finish the day.
The club focuses on retention of members since nationally more than 60 percent of new members in a club are gone within four to six weeks, according to Brian Vaughan, director of education for fitness. They are gone because they don't see results, he says. So the club spends time educating all its trainers and other staff and evaluating new members using software that spits out a 15-page report with specific recommendations in terms of caloric intake and percentage of proteins, carbohydrate and fat for that person. Once people see a difference, they are more likely to continue coming back to the club to work out, he says.
New members get two one-hour workouts with a trainer or a consultant, and then every month for as long as they are members, they get another hour with a trainer. The hour includes getting a reading on body fat, redoing their fitness test and being shown new exercises.
"It's kind of a way of checking in and keeping track of the members beyond when they first joined up," says Vaughan.
The club also offers Saturday seminars free for members. The seminars may focus on nutrition or supplementation or it may teach people how to use certain equipment.
Vaughan and his wife do a segment once a week on a local morning program where they demonstrate exercises or have people call in with questions. They even did a fitness challenge where they picked certain people to get a free trainer and showed their progress over six weeks on the show. He hopes the challenge motivated viewers to get fit.
I leave the club and return to my cousin's house in time to eat a late lunch with him and his wife at PF Chang's. I then pack my bags and head for the airport for the last leg of this long trip.
My flight leaves at 7:50 p.m. and I arrive in Albuquerque at 10 p.m. After a little trouble getting a rental car with proper tags, I persevere through the rain and the dark of night to my friend's house on the outskirts of Albuquerque where there are no street lights and the street signs are very small. After passing Sheryl's house and finding myself in what seems like the loneliest stretch of highway ever (thank goodness for cell phones!), I find my way back to a friendly and familiar face and we stay up late talking.
Day Seven
Morning comes too soon, but I am excited about visiting my first club in Albuquerque and seeing the city in daylight for the first time. The drive to Fifty 'N Fit is a breathtaking one; in the morning light I can see the beautiful mountains that the city backs up to in the distance.
8:30 a.m. — Fifty 'N Fit, Albuquerque, NM
Upon arriving at Fifty 'N Fit, I am greeted by George Fraser, co-owner, standing outside making some quick adjustments to equipment. He leads me inside where I soon find that exercising at this 4,200-square-foot facility for people over 50 is all about cardio, strength, flexibility and balance. The facility, which has 250 members, has several cardio pieces and some free weights as well as stretching mats and balance apparatus. There's also a small room for group exercise.
Fraser spends the initial visit with new members getting medical history, especially as it relates to orthopedic problems. During the first three visits he works with new members one on one to see what their health issues, needs and interests are. He stresses the importance of cross training to the members as he shows them how the equipment works and stretching and balance exercises.
Fraser has noticed improvements in balance, strength and flexibility in many of his members, even those who came in with health issues. Watching those changes and the determination of the members is rewarding for Fraser. And seeing the changes in themselves keeps the members coming back.
"I read an article not too long ago that said at most big gyms, 60 percent of the members will never show up again," says Fraser. "In our case, it is reverse, but even better. I'd say that 75 percent to 80 percent of our members are here regularly."
Not only do they come regularly, but many of them pay their monthly fee before it is due. If they don't, Fraser can often just hand them their invoice as they walk through the door.
While balance, cardio, strength and flexibility exercises hit a nerve with members, yoga has not. Fraser offered a yoga class at one time, but initial interest and curiosity soon tapered off.
"For some reason, they just decided they didn't want to do yoga," Fraser says. "You know, it's more of a disciplinary thing you need to practice at home. They'd rather come in and do a class and leave. And so the aerobic classes work better for them."
Indeed they do. At the end of many of the classes, the seniors break out into applause.
I feel like cheering when I leave the facility, too. I think, I hope places like this are more bountiful when I reach 50.
10:30 a.m. — Health Clubs of America, Albuquerque, NM
My next stop is at the husband and wife-owned Health Clubs of America. Trisha and Steve Phaklides have owned the club for three years. Situated in a strip mall, the 8,400-square-foot, 900-member facility is busy when I arrive.
In an effort to reach the masses, the couple has started televising aerobics classes and fitness information on a show called Fit TV, which runs on a community cable access channel. The couple hopes to take it nationally someday, maybe even creating a fitness channel.
"A lot of people don't want to come in [to a club]," says Trisha. They hope the televised program will get them interested in fitness and that will eventually lead them into the club and maybe personal training.
The couple also offers fitness house calls. If somebody doesn't want to join the club for whatever reason — it's too far or they don't want to be seen in public — Steve will drive to their house to offer personal training, charging a little more to cover his travel expenses.
"This is a great way to expand our service area," Steve says. "Now our service area is probably three zip codes on this side of town. But I can go anywhere in the city with the fitness house call concept."
Inside the club, the couple offers group exercise classes, weight and cardio equipment and child care. Their Yo-Lates class is so popular that the floor is overflowing with people.
Soon, they hope to add massage, a chiropractor, a nutritionist and an acupuncturist in an effort to make the club a wellness center.
My time up at the club, I head back to my friend's house, free of appointments for the rest of the day. We drive to Santa Fe and check out some of the art galleries, stopping on the way back at a great Mexican restaurant where we stay much too late talking.
Day Eight
9 a.m. — New Mexico Sports & Wellness, Albuquerque, NM
The next morning, I get up early and head to my first club, where I find that expansion is great. Just ask Chris Skipp, general manager at New Mexico Sports & Wellness, one of five Wellbridge clubs in town. Skipp manages the 65,000 square-foot facility in northeast Albuquerque. The club recently expanded taking over a former four-screen movie theater to add 25,000 square feet. The expansion made room for a mind/body studio, one of the largest group exercise rooms in the state, a weight room, cardio room and a Spinning studio. In addition, the expansion allowed room for equipment storage in both the group exercise and mind/body studio.
Skipp also plans to expand programming.
"We're really looking to stay on top of it and kind of grow with some of the trends as far as group exercise goes," Skipp says. He plans to dig deeper into the core board and BOSU trends and offer that as part of the programming. He sees opportunity in Pilates with plans to add more equipment to the club's five Reformers and perhaps expanding again physically to offer a dedicated Pilates studio.
The personal training program offers another growth possibility.
"What we're working toward in the very near future is our integration programs for our members because we believe it will help with our retention, as well as help with our referrals for people," says Skipp. "If we can integrate people that join right away into an area of interest that they have, they're going to be happier, they're going to be accomplishing more as opposed to walking in here by themselves. This facility can kind of be a little intimidating for somebody who doesn't know the different pieces of equipment." That means getting them with a personal trainer for an introduction to the equipment.
He also wants the club to expand its programming for multiple generations, including children and seniors.
"We're really trying to grow our senior programs and have them become more proactive instead of reactive in their older age for health reasons," he says.
Spinning classes are so popular, particularly in the winter when the weather gets a bit colder, that members must sign up early for classes. Another popular offering is the free orientation with a personal trainer and a nutritionist that is offered to new members. The orientation gives them a good starting base to understand nutrition, what they should be eating and where they are healthwise.
I leave the facility thinking of my own nutrition and I stop for an early lunch before heading to my next appointment.
11:30 a.m. — Ronald Gardenswartz Jewish Center, Albuquerque, NM
My second visit for the day leads me to the Ronald Gardenswartz Jewish Center. Just as with the YMCA and the Henderson Multigenerational Center, I find that this non-profit club is more family oriented than even the most family-oriented for-proft clubs I have visited. The facility has weight and cardio areas, group exercise rooms, a walking track, basketball court and swimming pool, but it also has a sense of being there for the good of the community.
The facility offers children's programs, including day camp in the summer, and seniors programs.
John Pier, general manager, focuses on building a foundation of core strength, balance, flexibility and functional workouts for members.
"I think that people are starting to figure out that they can't just come upstairs, lift weights and go back downstairs and be done with their workout," says Pier. He is a strong believer in private or semi-private training rather than group personal training.
However, the goal isn't to have a personal training client for three years.
"Our goal is to have that person able to go on their own," Pier says. "If they come back and meet with us on occasion, revamp their program or help them out with some specific issues that they may be having, great. But again, we let our client know, 'I'm not gonna not educate you just so you're stuck with me forever.'"
Each trainer must suggest one new program a month. Pier evaluates the suggestions and implements those he thinks will work. Often, the personal trainer who suggested the selected programs then have the opportunity to be in charge of that program.
The club tries to take advantage of the great weather in the area by putting together outdoor programming.
"Taking them out and teaching them how to recreate outdoors potentially could be bad for business," Pier says. "But I think if we're organizing and leading those kind of things, that's a value to somebody that they're going to get. It doesn't all have to happen in our facility."
After my visit, I step out into the great outdoors and enjoy the weather a bit before heading to my last appointment.
1 p.m. — Defined Fitness, Albuquerque, NM
I arrive at my last club for the day and the trip a little too weary and excited about going home to realize that the tape in my tape recorder has broken and it is not picking up a word spoken in the hour-long meeting and tour with Anndee Wright-Brown, the company's general manager; Pattie Poindexter, the group fitness director; and Jim Lezeau, the personal training director.
The club is one of four in Albuquerque, but the owners plan to expand to another city in the future. My tour includes a visit to the pro shop area, the child care room, the locker rooms, the weight and cardio areas, the swimming pool and the group exercise area, which hosts about 80 classes per week, including step, yoga, cardio kick, hip hop and Pilates. The facility also enjoys a popular cycling program.
The three are proud of the charity events that the club is involved in, including marathons, the AIDs walk, health fairs and toy drives.
Falsely confident that I have everything safely on tape, I head back to Sheryl's house to finish packing. After a quick goodbye, I pile everything in the car and head toward the airport. Unfortunately, I arrive there at the same time as high winds and a wall cloud of dust that promptly finds its way into my eyes, settling between my contact lenses and eyeballs. As I stand in line to get on the rental car bus that would take me from the rental car lot to the airport terminal, I look around the crowd to see a harried bunch of weary travelers just like me, including a man so weary that he wears not just his rumpled business suit but he has placed a travel pillow around his neck. I wonder if he is just so tired from driving that he doesn't realize the pillow is around his neck or whether he was just in such a hurry to pack that, once realizing he'd forgotten to pack the pillow, he decided it was less trouble to wear it than unzip the bag.
The flight out of Albuquerque is delayed by the high winds, but we are on our way by 6:30 p.m. After a quick stop in Dallas (and I mean quick — I literally run through the terminal from gate 20 to gate 4), I am on the flight home to Kansas City seated next to a banker who had been in San Francisco for a baseball game. He regales me with his travel stories — fishing in Alaska, scuba diving in the Caribbean, museum stops in Europe — and we talk about the books we have read. I fill him in on my trip to the clubs, and as I recount my trip to this stranger, I realize that I have seen a lot, talked a lot, heard a lot and it was all worth it. I have grown as an individual and as a reporter in this industry. The story might not win a Pulitzer, but it, and all my future stories, will be better because I went on this trip. And that can only be beneficial for the readers of this magazine. For that, I am grateful (but not as grateful as getting home in the rain and the dark of night to my own warm bed!).
Look for Part 2: Midwest Next


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Ole Miss finished on a 40-15 run over the last 16:42 of the game to rally past Mississippi State 78-66 in the second round of the SEC Tournament Thursday.
Ole Miss was 14-of-25 (56.0 percent from the floor), including 6-of-12 from 3-point range, in the second half, and it carried over to the defensive end, where the Rebels held the Bulldogs to just 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) shooting from the field.
"We have to come out with that sense of urgency that we played with in the last 10 minutes," said head coach Andy Kennedy after the win over Mississippi State. "It was probably the best half we have played offensively in a long time. When you see 56 percent from the floor, we outrebound them. We have a positive assists-to-turnover ratio, Marshall and Jarvis made some shots, and we got contribution from a number of other guys. It's probably the best half we have played offensively in a while."
With the win, Ole Miss advances and continues its Southeastern Conference tournament title against No. 3 seed Georgia in the quarterfinals on Friday night. The Rebels look to avenge a 61-60 earlier this season in Athens, where second team All-SEC selection Charles Mann hit one of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to win the game.
"Oh, yeah, definitely ready to play them again," said senior guard Marshall Henderson, who had a game-high 21 points against Mississippi State. "They got us. What I remember is Gaines had a really good game. He shot the ball well. We had our chances, but we had a couple bonehead mistakes that hurt us in the end. We're excited for the opportunity to play them again."
Georgia finished tied for second in the league standings with a 12-6 mark in the SEC to grab the No. 3 seed in the tournament. Mann and fellow sophomore guard Kenny Gaines lead Georgia averaging 13.4 points per game and are the only two players averaging double figures for the Bulldogs. They combined for 38 of the team's 61 points in their first meeting with Ole Miss.
"It's going to be a rugged game," Kennedy said. "Mark Fox has done a great job of righting that ship and making the necessary adjustments. His team has figured out who they are and they have embraced hard. It's what I'm trying to get my group to do. You got to embrace hard. It's hard to win. I don't care who you're playing or where you're playing, it's hard to win.
"So I think his group embraced hard, and they're really playing. They developed an identity. It was a knock down, drag out. They were up, we get back the lead, couldn't finish it, missed some crucial free throws, and then Charles Mann made a winning play."
Three stats, which have been key to Georgia all season, were key to the Bulldogs in the first meeting: field goal percentage defense, free throws and rebounding. Georgia leads the league in field goal percentage defense (39.5 percent) and held Ole Miss to a season-low 32.2 percent from the floor.
Georgia ranks second in the league behind Kentucky averaging 27.3 free throw attempts per game and went 20-of-28 from the line against Ole Miss, led by Mann, who was 12-of-16, including the go-ahead free throw. The Bulldogs are fifth in rebounding margin (+5.0 rpg) and outrebounded Ole Miss 49-34.
"It's going to be a hard matchup for us," Kennedy said. "There is one advantage. Mississippi State showed early tonight that when you get a win in this building it helps you initially. Did they get a little tired at the end? I think again it was because they weren't making any shots. It's easy to lose your momentum when the ball doesn't go in.
"But I think tomorrow early we should have a little bit of an advantage because we've seen the ball go in the basket for us, most especially in the second half. So hopefully we can take that approach."