MEXICO – Town Manager Joseph Derouche plans to meet with the director of the Wellness Center and the town’s Recreation Committee as a first step in the possible merging of the two.

He said at a special meeting Wednesday afternoon that the original idea was for the Wellness Center to be self-supporting after a year or so when it moved into the Mexico Recreation Center two years ago.

Although the town doesn’t lay out cash in support of the center, it does provide some assistance with utilities and other non-cash benefits.

The goal at that time was to eventually combine the two.

The growth in usage of the Recreation Center and the Wellness Center prompted the town to buy a parcel of land near Park Street and turn it into additional parking.

The Wellness Center offers exercise and cardiovascular workouts. It originally was part of the services offered at Rumford Hospital. When the hospital made cutbacks, one of them was the Wellness Center. The hospital helped support the newly relocated Wellness Center by donating a variety of exercise equipment and providing some money for the renovation of a portion of the Recreation Center for its new use.

Patients are still referred there for therapy. Others, such as MeadWestvaco Corp. employees and individuals, also use the expertise offered by its one full-time and two part-time employees.

Derouche said he will meet with department heads, then get back to selectmen with a proposal for a merger.

The merger, he said, would benefit both the Wellness Center and the municipally run Recreation Center.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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