by Hannah Taylor ·
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Local businesses in Harvard and surrounding towns are slowly reopening their doors to visitors as Phase 3 of Massachusetts’ reopening begins this week. Starting on Monday, several types of businesses, including gyms, museums, movie theaters, and bowling alleys were allowed to reopen to in-person customers as long as strict health and safety guidelines are followed.
On Monday, Koko Fit Club in Harvard, Anytime Fitness in Devens, and Nashoba Valley Fitness Center in Ayer welcomed back clients. Bodylines Pilates in Harvard also started holding public classes in the studio. Kim Casto, the founder and owner of Bodylines, spoke to the Press about the studio’s plan for reopening. Casto said that Bodylines will now offer one or two classes each day and limit class sizes to five participants. She explained that the studio immediately began offering online sessions after closing temporarily in March and will continue to do so as in-person classes are limited and the feedback for online lessons has been positive.
In order to follow state guidelines and prevent the spread of COVID-19, Bodylines has made many changes, Casto explained. For instance, she said face masks and a social distance of at least 14 feet are required, and clients will have their temperature checked and must sign a waiver before entering. Bodylines will also replace cloth equipment with vinyl for easier disinfection, install a new HVAC system and HEPA filtration system with UV light and leave doors open for better air filtration and flow, and require disinfection and fogging sterilization to clean the studio and its equipment. “My number one concern is the safety of our clients … There’s no way I want anyone walking away from Bodylines’ studio thinking they could have gotten the virus,” Casto said.
She added that 80% of Bodylines classes will still be held online and explained what those online sessions look like. The studio is offering online pilates, training, barre, and pound classes, along with shorter half-hour classes such as weight training, cardio blast, and mobility. Casto explained that participants received therabands from the studio when it closed and members received a “deluxe pack” containing a few extra pieces of equipment so they could continue their workouts through the online programs. Members also have access to past recordings of online sessions, she said.
According to the Anytime Fitness website, the Devens location is now open with reserved time slots for clients and the gym will be implementing similar methods of disinfection and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. For instance, social distancing of at least 6 feet is required and the number of clients allowed into the gym at a time is limited. Anytime Fitness will also prohibit the sharing of equipment, require equipment to be disinfected between uses, and post signs and floor markings for social distancing throughout the space, according to the website.
According to the Nashoba Valley Fitness Center website, the gym will remain open 24/7, but reserved one-hour time slots are required. Nashoba Valley Fitness Center will also require face masks and the disinfection of equipment between uses. Moreover, the fitness center has been greatly renovated, according to a website update from the owner, Dan Loring. Not only were the locker rooms and lighting redone and an equipment area with mirrors added, but the gym has also added touchless faucets, soap dispensers, and hand dryers to the locker rooms and a plexiglass screen to the front desk to avoid the spread of germs. The showers and saunas, however, will remain closed until Phase 4 of the state’s reopening.
Swymfit in Boxborough has yet to reopen its facilities, but plans to do so soon, according to an update from owner Steve Victorson on the Swymfit Facebook page. Victorson wrote that the pool and exercise room, as well as deep water exercise and water aerobics classes will be open through reservation. Also, Swymfit’s youth Swordfish swim team restarted last week. As for the gym’s new format to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Swymfit has not yet released this information. “The system that we ultimately choose will be based on the number of people who are planning on returning,” Victorson wrote on the Facebook page, encouraging members to contact Swymfit about whether or not they plan on using the facilities.
While the Fruitlands Museum buildings remain closed for the time being, the grounds at Fruitlands and other Trustees of Reservations sites throughout the state are open to visitors with reserved passes, according to the Fruitlands website. The museum has also been offering a wide selection of links to free online tours, talks, games, and even meditations to keep the community involved.
Fivesparks, Harvard’s arts and culture collaborative, is not yet reopening for in-person visitors as the space at the old library cannot accommodate current social distancing guidelines, according to board president Mark Mikitarian. However, Mikitarian wrote to the Press, Fivesparks will continue to offer many classes both online and outdoors at a social distance. Current outdoor programs include a weekly Plein Air artists’ group and an upcoming Family Fairy Gardens workshop on August 1, for instance. Mikitarian also highlighted a few of the online programs that are being offered. “These include online wine tasting videos, author interviews, livestream music performances, an online pastels exhibit, and a revival of Harvard's longtime tradition of storytelling with a full day of live (streaming) events,” he wrote.
When state regulations allow Fivesparks to reopen in the future, Mikitarian explained that several factors will go into deciding how and when to reopen, including finances and the safety of the community and volunteers. “For now,” he wrote, “we are actively exploring ways to fulfill our mission to bring arts and culture to the community, despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
The Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton plans to reopen July 17 and introduce new exhibits. The museum has reinstalled its permanent collection and has two new exhibits titled “The Long Way From Home: A Photographic Journey with Gordon Lankton” and “Tradition & Opulence: Easter in Imperial Russia,” according to a press release. Artifacts and photographs taken by Gordon Lankton, the museum founder, will be on display in the photo exhibit, and porcelain Easter eggs and other artifacts will be on display in the Easter exhibit.
Furthermore, the Museum of Russian Icons will be implementing health and safety procedures to prevent the spread of the virus. According to the press release, face masks and social distancing of 6 to 8 feet will be required, as will a limit on the number of visitors. Only 20 visitors, with reservations, will be allowed to enter the museum at a time and can stay only for an hour and a half. The museum staff will also disinfect surfaces and, as supplies allow, provide face masks to those who don’t have one. When the Museum of Russian Icons reopens, its hours will be Friday through Sunday from 11a.m. to 5p.m.
Although movie theaters and bowling alleys are allowed to reopen in Massachusetts as of Monday, many local locations have yet to do so. Entertainment Cinemas at the Mall at Whitney Field, O’Neil Cinemas in Littleton, and the Strand Theater in Clinton all remain closed for now until further notice.
Regal Cinemas at Solomon Pond Mall, however, plans to reopen July 31. According to the website, the theater will be implementing strict policies to adhere to state health guidelines. For instance, face masks will be required unless visitors are seated in the theater and eating, and social distancing will be required and enforced by closing every other register and requiring two empty seats between each group in the theater, reducing the seating capacity to 50%. The concession stand will also be limited, according to the website, by limiting the menu and closing self-service stands and refills, for instance. Regal Cinemas will also disinfect surfaces and the auditoriums with ULV foggers.
Furthermore, the Fine Arts Theater Place in Maynard is planning to reopen sometime next week. Until the theater reopens, customers can rent select movies online in order to watch from home, according to the website.
As for local bowling alleys, the Acton Bowladrome will reopen July 13, but Harvard Bowling Lanes remains closed until further notice.