Our board of directors gathered for an excellent meeting at Double Play Community Center in Lowville, complete with a tour of the facility led by Founder and Executive Director Dan Myers, as well as an insightful ‘State of the County’ rundown from Lewis County Manager Tim Hunt.
More than just a fitness center, Double Play is all about community. From toddlers taking their first steps in sports to seniors staying active and connected, they offer programs for every age and stage of life, and if they don’t currently have the means to offer programming at their location, they find a way to make it work like partnering with local schools to offer weekly swimming lessons.
The location off Utica Boulevard even serves as a congregate meal site where seniors can share a meal, engage in social time, and get a haircut if they need it! Membership has skyrocketed in the new location, just under a year old, with many memberships subsidized by the county as part of a healthy workforce initiative.
Dan also shared some plans for increased outdoor recreation and concession options in the future, as well as programming geared toward still underserved local populations, adding more opportunities for healthy and active lifestyles. We are so grateful to Dan for allowing us to host our meeting in the wonderful new facility and for sharing his vision for the future, as well as for his continued support of the Renee Beyer Fund!
Renee, a former Double Play board member, is remembered by all who knew her as someone who put her all into each and every project she was involved with, dedicated to improving the quality of life for local residents and helping to develop the North Country. Her legacy of service and community lives on through those who knew and worked with her and will endure for generations to come.
Another huge thanks goes to Tim Hunt for joining us to talk through community needs and how United Way may be able to help fill in the gaps. He noted that the area is experiencing the loss of young professionals who leave the area to live and work elsewhere and believes the answer lies in finding the right balance of offering services and opportunities locally to encourage people to stay, and one potential way to do that would be to look into more remote work options and training for those roles.
Tim points to community resilience as a key strength of the area. “When there are challenges, people come together to meet them – that’s the beauty of the North Country.”
While there are certainly challenges that need to be addressed in Lewis County, as with any other, Tim also made sure to note some great positive aspects and hope for the future of the county, including internet access and leveraging the area’s natural beauty to boost tourism, which he said has started to become a main driver, especially in the winter months.
He also noted that the conversion of the former Glenfield Elementary School and construction of an adjacent building will create 60+ new low-income housing units in an effort to address the issue of housing in the area.
Our board meeting was a meaningful reminder of the strength and resilience found in Lewis County. From Dan’s inspiring tour of a facility that’s so much more than a gym, to Tim’s candid yet hopeful look at the county’s challenges and opportunities, the evening was filled with valuable insights and a shared sense of purpose.
We left with a deeper appreciation for the collaborative spirit that drives local progress, whether it’s creating inclusive programs for all ages, honoring the legacy of community champions like Renee Beyer, or exploring new ways to retain and attract young professionals. As we continue our work in the region, we remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen our communities, uplift individuals, and build a brighter, more connected future for the North Country.
