Scout projects promote fitness outdoors

Area residents have two more ways to enjoy the great outdoors in their community thanks to two Boy Scouts.

Left: Boy Scout Robert Lancaster, of Millstone Troop 116, created a half-mile hiking and fishing trail adjacent to Rising Sun Lake in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area to fulfill part of the requirements of attaining Eagle rank. Right: Boy Scout Thomas Banyacski, of Millstone Troop 116, created an outdoor fitness area in Abate Park in Millstone as part of his Eagle Scout project.

Thomas Banyacski Jr. and Robert Lancaster attained the highest rank in scouting after completing numerous requirements, including a service project that would benefit their communities. Both Scouts from Troop 116 decided to enhance local recreation areas to attain Eagle Scout status.

For his Eagle project, Banyacski researched, designed, assembled and installed an outdoor fitness area containing four pieces of fitness equipment in Millstonersquo;s Abate Park. The 24-by-20-foot fitness area is bordered with landscaping ties, and filled with rubberized mulch for the safety of those using the equipment.

Banyacski spent about 77 hours researching equipment and manufacturers, designing the area, planning the project, attending township meetings and working with township officials to ensure the project met safety and construction standards and received necessary approvals. He then led a team of over 20 Scouts, friends, adults and family members in the physical installation of the project for a combined total of about 222 hours on the project.

The Scout obtained funding for the project from the township and donations from community businesses, such as Henning Building Supply, Millhurst Mills Ace Hardware; and family and friends. The fitness equipment will provide the public with a place to do pull-ups, sit-ups, stretches, back extensions, leg lifts, and tricep dips in an outdoor environment.

For Lancasterrsquo;s Eagle project, he designed and created a half-mile fishing and nature trail at Rising Sun Lake in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. The project entailed laying out the trail with multiple access points from the trail to the lake, clearing trees felled by beavers, defining the trail with logs and trail markers, and designing and building a foot bridge to provide trail access over a small culvert.

Lancaster spent 32 hours planning the trail and trail structures and working with Assunpink officials to get approvals for the project. He then led a team of 16 volunteers consisting of fellow boys in the troop, friends and adults who spent a total of 102 work hours creating the trail. The trail provides safe access for people of the surrounding communities to fish at the lake or hike through the woods.

Lancaster joined Boy Scouts in first grade as a Tiger Scout and has been continuously involved in Scouting for 12 years. As a Cub Scout, he earned the Arrow of Light Award, the highest rank in Cub Scouting. As a Boy Scout, he served Troop 116 as patrol leader, assistant patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, venture crew patrol leader, troop guide and sea base trek crew chief.

A member of Venture Scuba Crew 19-1 in Howell, he has served as an instructor at patrol leader training. He earned the Triple Crown Award by attending High Adventure Treks to Northern Tier Boundary Waters Wilderness and canoeing into the Quetico Provincial Park of Ontario, Canada; Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico; and Sea Base in the Bahamas. He was inducted into the Ordeal level of the Scoutsrsquo; National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow. He is a certified EMT-B who serves his community as a cadet on the local first aid squad, and is looking forward to a career involved in either medical science or marine biology where he can use his Scouting experiences to continue to help serve both his community and the environment.

Banyacski joined Boy Scouts in the fifth grade and has been active in Scouting for eight years. He has served his troop in many capacities over the years, including troop patrol leader, Order of the Arrow representative, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader. He has achieved various honors and awards, including the Troop Honor Scout Award and Master Archer and Emergency Preparedness Award.

Banyacski attended National Youth Leader Training where he led his patrol to achieve honor patrol. He was inducted into the level of Brotherhood in Scoutingrsquo;s National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow. Within this society, he has served as both an active member and chairman of the Ceremonies Team.

One of his favorite experiences in Scouting was serving as crew chief of Philmont High Venture Trek in New Mexico, where he led his crew to complete an 80- mile trek.

Banyacski is preparing for college, and hopes to be commissioned as an officer in the military, where he can use the leadership skills he has achieved in Scouts. After the military, he is looking forward to a career in one of our nationrsquo;s national security agencies.

The Scouts would like to thank all of the people and businesses that supported them with their Eagle Scout projects. They were both honored during an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony, held at St. Josephrsquo;s hall in Millstone, where they received awards from the dignitaries present as well as letters of accommodation from those who were not able to attend.

Eagle is the highest rank in Scouting. The requirements for the Eagle rank are earning 21 merit badges, serving actively in a troop leadership position for a period of six months after becoming Life Scout, carrying out a service project and proving to a board of review that live up to the Scout oath and law.

Only four out of 100 Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle.

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West Knoxville fitness club wont reopen

KNOXVILLE, Tenn (WVLT) -- A West Knoxville fitness club closed in December after a bank foreclosed on the property will not reopen.

180 Sports and Fitness co-owner David Johnson confirmed those new details to WVLT Volunteer TV"s Alan Williams by e-mail Friday afternoon.

"Unfortunately we feel that too much time has passed, during which many of our members and prospective members are joining other clubs," Johnson said in his statement. "Due to the economic climate and the many competitors in this marketplace, we have decided not (to) pursue reopening."

180 Sports and Fitness was located behind the Holiday Inn on Kirby Road in West Knoxville.

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YMCA offers family fitness class

Items for the Community Calendar should be e-mailed to . Please include all pertinent information, along with a day time phone number of a contact person. This service is for non-profit groups only. The items run on a space available basis. Beginning Saturday, Jan. 16, the South Oakland YMCA presents Family Fitness First, a new fitness class from noon to 1 p.m. that will be running every Saturday. The class is free and designed so that families can exercise together. For more information, call (248) 547-0030. The Hearts Flowers Craft Show will be from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Royal Oak Farmer"s Market. It will feature unique crafts from local artists. Free admission. For more information, call (248) 246-3276. An Owl Hoot will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Tenhave Woods. Participants will walk into Tenhave Woods and attempt to lure in or have great horned owls answer tape recordings of their calls. Park and meet at the Lexington/Marais lot. All nature walks and speaker programs are free and open to everyone. For more information on the Royal Oak Nature Society and its programs, call (248) 246-3380, or e-mail Southfield and Lathrup Village veterans are encouraged to joining others in learning about available medical benefit during the regular monthly meeting of the Southfield American Legion Post #328 at 9 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Southfield Beech Woods Recreation Center on Beech Road, just south of Nine Mile Road. For more information, call Don at (248) 552-8030 or Greg at (248) 443-0662. The Royal Oak Musicale presents The Adventure Club Cello Quartet at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Campbell Road at Gardenia). The program is free and open to the public with refreshments following the program. January"s program is underwritten by Alice Watch in memory of Dr. Earl Watch (former Royal Oak resident).

Umar Akmal faces fitness problems

HOBART: Young Pakistani middle order promising batsman Umar Akmal has come to fitness problems due to muscle pull amid practice session here in Hobart on Sunday evening, Geo news reported.

He was a due inclusion in third cricket Test match against Australia to be played here from 14 January due to his constant performance in all forms of cricket.
It may be mentioned during his short Test cricket career, the stylish and brave Umar has struck 1 brilliant century and 4 half centuries, averaging in 60s.

Canadian fitness levels have plummeted since 1981

Updated: Wed Jan. 13 2010 08:13:42

CTV. ca News Staff

Canadians were far less fit in 2009 than they were in 1981, according to a sweeping new Statistics Canada survey, which found that obesity rates have sky-rocketed in both teenagers and adults.

The Canadian Health Measures Survey, which Statistics Canada calls the most comprehensive fitness study every conducted in the country, compiled data by taking direct physical measurements of subjects, including body measurements, cardio-respiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness and blood pressure.

The survey found decreases in fitness levels to be most pronounced among adults between the ages of 20 and 39. According to the data, the percentage of adults in this age group with a waist circumference that put them at high risk for health problems more than quadrupled, from five per cent to 21 per cent among men and from six per cent to 31 per cent among women.

In the 60 to 69 age group, 65 per cent of women and 52 per cent of men were considered to be at high risk for health problems based on their waist circumference.

The data for youth was just as alarming. The proportion of both teenaged boys and girls who are at risk for health problems based on their waist circumference more than tripled between 1981 and 2009.

The number of teen boys aged 15 to 19 classified as overweight or obese rose from 14 per cent to 31 per cent between 1981 and 2009, while the number of overweight or obese teenaged girls rose from 14 per cent to 25 per cent.

Dr. David Lau, president of Obesity Canada, said the findings have grave implications, particularly for teens.

"We"re seeing more and more teenage boys, overweight boys, with all the adult problems such as high blood pressure, high blood fat and cholesterol," Lau told CTV"s Canada AM on Wednesday morning. "So it"s not at all surprising to predict that their life expectancy will be shorter than their parents.

And I think that"s a huge wake-up call for all Canadians to perhaps focus on trimming our weight down and become more fit. "

The survey contains the most accurate information available to date about the fitness levels of Canadians. For the past two decades, fitness-level assessments have been based on body mass index (BMI), which is an easily calculated number based on height and weight.

BMI statistics have shown that Canadians have become heavier over the past 25 years, Statistics Canada says.

However, other measurements provide a more well-rounded, and therefore accurate, picture of fitness levels and the resulting potential health risks, such as high blood pressure.

According to the survey, three per cent of the adult population had undiagnosed high blood pressure in 2009.

There are likely a number of reasons for the dramatic drop in fitness among Canadians, experts say.

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff of the Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa says declining physical activity is only part of the answer.

In 1981, when the study began, the Internet did not exist, cable television had far fewer channels than it does now, and video games were in their infancy, Freedhoff said. And fast-food choices, as well as prepared and other convenience foods, are only growing in popularity.

"The best thing that I think Canadians can do to start trying to turn this around, quite frankly, is learn how to cook," Freedhoff said. "And to stay at home for meals and to start participating in fitness events and things to do with your family that aren"t just sitting around and watching television, but getting up and going outside. "

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