Climb on! The Rock Dump indoor rock climbing gym is now a non-profit.
The gym’s previous owner Matthew Cecil stepped away from the business this summer and a new non-profit, Juneau Climbing and Recreation, took over the gym.
Cecil established The Rock Dump gym in 2001.
“He kind of built the place,” Jesse Palomino operations manager said.
Cecil’s decision to sell the gym and a switch in ownership of the building housing the gym cast doubt about the Rock Dump’s future.
“We are not closing,” Palomino said. “We will be open … for a good while. In the immediate future we will be here and keep on trucking.”
The current lease will get indoor climbers at least through the winter months.
“We’ll have a better idea at the end of April,” Palomino said.
Palomino said past and current gym managers and concerned gym users established the climbing and recreation non-profit in August.
According to the state of Alaska corporate website, members of the non-profit are Demian Schane, director, secretary and incorporator; Eran Hood, director, president and incorporator and Tyler Gress, director, treasurer, vice president and incorporator.
“Originally we were trying to figure out what would need to happen to purchase the gym,” Palomino said. Buying the gym as a group was an original idea. The group found that incorporating as a non-profit allowed the group to get grants and support from those who wanted to offer help, he said.
“It is all pretty recent history,” Palomino said. “It has been pretty exciting couple months. Makes it a little nerve wracking.”
Membership dues and daily rates at the gym will stay the same for the time being, Palomino said.
Folks who haven’t visited the gym in a while will find new additions to the climbing walls and a four-inch thick foam floor, Palomino said. The gym installed the foam in 2010, he said.
“Before that we had pea gravel, which worked pretty well in dispersing force, Palomino said, “but it was gravel, so it wasn’t that soft.”
The new floor is made up of three inches of soft open cell foam and another inch of closed cell foam, Palomino said. The combination disperses impact over a larger area. The new floor is more comfortable and keeps down the dust, he said.
Locals can stop by the gym, show support and keep the doors open, Palomino said. “It is an asset to a community where there is 200 days of rain a year,” Palomino said.
The Rock Dump is hosting the Real Rock Tour, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. The tour is a compilation film festival, seven different short films with topics from mountaineering to sport climbing.
“A wide range of what is going on in the climbing world,” Palomino said.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (26)
Add commentGet in line .....
Sure, why not get into the hand-out line - everyone else is doing it. With a little better PR and finesse, this group will easily get in on the CBJ pork subsidies each year.
At least this one has better appeal than most of the non-profit dependents and it comes into the world admitting it requires permanent public assistance.
And alas, it's just a matter of time before they request CBJ purchase the building from the bus company and pay whatever the asking price may be.
GJsmith,
non-profit organizations are not getting handouts. The employees still pay income tax. The organization itself is required to pay tax on any profits they make or give to charities. If the rock dump does not make a profit, they don't pay taxes, the service is still available for Juneauites, and everyone walks away a winner.
Non-profits are not getting handouts though. They still create jobs and any profit made, whether just the employees or the organization itself, must be subject to federal tax.
Are you right there with mitt when he says 47% of Americans are dependents? Because if that were true, we'd have a 47% unemployment rate... and it's pretty hard to have faith in America if you believe half the population is worthless... wouldn't you say?
Not exactly a presidential quality believing half the people around you should be shipped off to antarctica.
"Dependents"
There is nothing wrong with nonprofit companies and if that's what it takes to keep open a fun (indoor) activity open then more power to them!
cheesypoof: Funny thing about the word "dependents" ... since, according to insurance companies and the like, it includes children up to the age of 23 or so? As most of those people are going to school and not seeking employment, they are not part of the unemployment statistic. MR is using sneaky terms to justify whatever statistics look the most newsworthy.
Silly me to think
Hours of operation, contact number and the cost to go there might have been a nice addition to the article.
Do what?
The Tax Assessor's database says Cecil sold this property to the Alaska Transportation Company, based in Washington, not to a nonprofit. So is it still a climbing gym or not?
GJSmith
"And of course, it's just a matter of time before they request CBJ purchase their building."
If you'd bother to check before posting negative comments, they don't own the building. It was sold by Mr. Cecil last month. They are leasing the space.
Actually, I see nothing in your comment that has any basis in fact.
Good for them!
Apparently folks like GJSmith are against any business that didn't start with a $2million loan from mom and dad. Sheesh.
For the record, the climbing gym is a great rainy day activity for families, kids, pre-teens, etc. Mom and dad don't even have to climb, they can just belay the kids! I believe you have to be 14 to belay someone, but trust me - climbing is a good workout!
If they're now non-profit...
....does that mean I can go for free?
Thanks for the support
Thanks for supporting our efforts to keep the climbing gym open. Some articles turn political regardless of content, but the real point here is to appreciate that, despite the change in ownership, the recreational facility will remain open.
The non-profit did not buy the building; a bus company did, and it is going to convert parts of the building (for example, there is a 2-bedroom apt. attached to it) into office space.
However, at this point in time, the bus company generously agreed not to tear down the climbing walls and further agreed to rent out the space to the newly formed Juneau Recreation & Climbing through March 2013.
We hope to continue using the space for climbers of all ages, birthday parties and climbing courses, and we hope to expand its uses to other, related recreational activities for kids and adults. So, keep your eyes out for bulletins as we progress, but in the meantime, come out to the facility and climb, burn energy, get fit and strong, improve your balance, . . .
@cheesepuff - are you sure
@cheesepuff - are you sure about all your statements regarding non profits? I'm not.
Is the Rock Dump a non profit like Bartlett Hospital is a non profit?
Nice spin on Romney's comments too. Romney was speaking strictly about voting groups during campaigns and how the 47% of Americans who pay no income tax will not likely be voting for him. Can you argue with that?
And now we're all curious about what Romney said after that comment because Mother Jones is having a hard time explaining the missing 2 minutes. No doubt Jimma Carter's grandson is busy in the basement searching for it!
Let's talk about BO's love of "redistribution". That's much more interesting and insightful.
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oh, calypso....
You mean like those freeloading Seniors, or young adults going to school and working part time, or kids with their first job? I started work at age 14, and paid payroll taxes for probably 6 years on my weekend jobs while I was in high school/college before I made enough money to pay income tax. Yeah, I sure was a 'victim' not taking 'responsibility for my life'.
The US federal government runs off two kinds of taxes: payroll taxes, which fund benefits such as Social Security, and income taxes, which largely fund the rest of the federal budget.
In 2011, the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan group, studied the tax liability of US households:
• 53.6% paid income taxes, 46.4% did not
• 28.3% paid payroll taxes but not income taxes
• 10.3% were elderly and retired and were not taxed on Social Security benefits
• 6.9% did not pay any tax with household incomes of less than $20,000 (£12,300)
The majority of those who pay payroll but not income tax do so because of tax benefits for the elderly, families with children and low-income earners. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19637631
In fact, a Tax Foundation map highlighting the 10 states with the highest percentages of "non-payers" shows most are Republican territories:
— Alabama
— Arkansas
— Florida
— Georgia
— Idaho
— Louisiana
— Mississippi
— New Mexico
— South Carolina
— Texas
http://taxfoundation.org:81/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/UserFiles/Imag...
calypso,
I'm not sure what you mean by your question about Bartlett Hospital. Are you asking if both are non-profits? The answer is yes. Are you asking if the Rock Dump will provide the same services? Probably not. Although Bartlett Hospital can't boast an indoor climbing wall for healthy physical activity like the Rock Dump can.
Romney quote:
"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it -- that that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. ... These are people who pay no income tax. ... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
Maybe in the next two minutes of his speech he recanted on his previous statement. That's the only way it can be viewed positively and that's the only way the "missing two minutes" can provide him a life-ring. He's dismissing nearly half the voting population due to his assumed philosophical disagreement with them. The rest of his speech wasn't bad, however. He indicated he doesn't honestly expect his legislation to be more productive than Obama's. That's realistic. He does expect a more productive economy to jumpstart due to his election, though. He feels his qualifications as a businessman will provide more faith in the US economy and therefore encourage more investment. Might be true there.
I can't ignore his whopper of a notion that half the American voters are victims. I'm guessing that's why Obama is beating him pretty hard in the polls.
So Romney's right, what's
So Romney's right, what's your point? The liberal mind lives upon the victim mentality, that some people are not successful because other people are, and those successful people should give the fruits of their success to those that are not successful. He's right not to point his campaign toward convincing them to vote for him, they won't, they are hard core ideologues bent on being pampered through the largess of the government. Obama has made it very clear that he is fully supportive of the redistribution of wealth. If that's what you want, then by all means vote for Obama, he's your man. But if you want to see a society that prepares people to support themselves without constantly turning to the government, and creates an environment where people can become individually successful, vote for Romney. Does anyone really, truly think that Obama will create a thriving economy? Does anyone really, truly, think that 4 more years of Obama will create an improved environment for success of business and personal improvement? Delude yourselves all you want, an Obama win will eventually destroy the liberal movement, as there will be no more excuses for the continuing failure of the economy.
I wonder, Jim, did you create
I wonder, Jim, did you create the bubble you live in yourself, or were you born in it?
Is Romney a climber?
The weird thing is that Romney isn't right that the 47% don't vote republican, though he turned some of them off with his statement.
The 47% change over time and I am a classic. I voted for Reagan when I was 18 and 22. Through that time I worked construction half the year and attended public university the remainder. I never made enough to pay taxes and I relied upon student loans and grants to attend public university. I didn't get loans because I was a victim. I got loans because the Reagan administration was smart enough to support nation's future. During my twenties I also took time off to go on a mission for the Mormon Church, just like Mitt did. It's volunteer time. No taxes paid during that time of my life even though it's a lot of work. Mitt didn't make money for his mission either. After college I took entry level jobs that didn't make enough to pay taxes. I didn't pay taxes until I was 30 years old. I never felt like a victim because I wasn't one. I worked my way up but I didn't do it alone. It's the American way.
Accusing liberals or anybody else that doesn't pay taxes is sad and pathetic.
I am upper middle class and pay lots of taxes now. Romney claims he wants to sway the middle independents and that's me. Yet, he doesn't win my vote by claiming that I was a layabout, non-taxpayer until I was 30. As far as I see it, Romney wants to gut the system that made America great. Every last one of us at some point relied upon some sort of government program, including Mitt. I went to public schools, got student loans and grants, lived in communities with police and fire departments, and drove on public roads. Build the road and do it with public funds.
The notion that anybody is completely self made is pure bollocks. We all need a belayer from time to time.
More germane to this discussion, is Romney a climber?
Full disclosure: I am not a Mormon any more.
wow...
akjim,
"The liberal mind lives upon the victim mentality, that some people are not successful because other people are, and those successful people should give the fruits of their success to those that are not successful."
So, do you know how crazy you sound? Read what you write. Think it over. Then hit the 'save comment' button. You're shooting first, aiming later.
The liberal mind lives upon the victim mentality? For one, this is just a poorly constructed sentence. Two, and more importantly, the liberal mind is not determined by selfishness, and in fact, it's the opposite. Liberalism is not marked by the redistribution of wealth as your childish post indicates. It's obvious you're arguing at a third grade level here considering you misrepresent the only topic you try to discuss: liberals.
As far as your Obama critiques go, even Romney himself admitted he did not believe he could do any better. In his now infamous speech, he told his audience that his best quality would be the boost of confidence in the government. He told his audience that he was unsure whether his action as president would be any more productive than Obama's. Apparently you have more confidence in Romney than Romney himself.
Knock akjim and/or Romney all
Knock akjim and/or Romney all you want, but I think Romney's statement is pretty spot on when looked at in the context of an election. There are a number of people who would never vote for Romney exactly because of the reasons mentioned. I don't think there is any denying that the dems tend to rely on getting the vote of people who want their entitlement program to continue, and Romney trying to campaign to that crowd is a waste of time. You've got a party that is willing to tell people that the other party wants to kill your wife and starve your children. Trying to convince the people who are drinking that coolaid isn't a wise use of Romney's campaign funds.
should people who work for non-profits be paid?
that is the question I ask myself over and over.
if so, could officers of non-profits pay themselves and their employees enough money so that the organization does not make a profit - and thus call themselves a nonprofit? Does anyone do this?
While I think employees who work for non profits are subject to payroll taxes and income taxes (?) why should the organization get other breaks based on being designated as a non-profit when they set their own salaries and pay?
Just saying...
Romney's speech...
The really damning part of it, besides almost all of it, is this: "[M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
This, to me, is the heart of the problem with modern Republicans. They think that they do not have to work for the entire Nation, just the people/corporations who give them money. They equate their donor's interests with the National Interest.
re the presidential election
we will get what we deserve...based on how we vote...based on what we believe the role of government should be in our lives...based on whether we want a representative government, mob rule, or a government that has no respect for the separation of powers...and based on how much freedom we want to give up for security...and that includes freedom of speech and the right to declare where we want our tax dollars to go or not go without fear of retribution, punishment, or bullying.
I think I will convert my
I think I will convert my business to a non-profit. That way I can avoid federal and local property and sales taxes and could simple adjust my “expenses” i.e salary to ensure I never make a profit. (Note: IRS rules simply state that nonprofit CEOs should receive ‘reasonable compensation.’ see my next post )
Hey maybe the non-profits are really good because since they pay less taxes then eventually that will lead to less government and less government programs! Ok…I have changed my position on non-profits..they are great.
Here is some additional info.
Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax code exempts qualified nonprofit organizations from federal taxes. A nonprofit organization is an organization that engages in activities for both public and private interest without pursuing the goal of commercial or monetary profit. To be exempted from federal taxes, nonprofit organizations have to meet certain rules. Some of these rules include:
Being organized and operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, religious or public safety purposes.
Collecting income and turning over entire amount less expenses to organizations or individuals who are lawfully recognized as legitimate charities.
If a nonprofit organization engages in activities that are unrelated to their basic purpose, they are required to pay income taxes on that money. For example, if nonprofit organization ABC was formed to provide shelter for the homeless and it makes some money selling bicycles, that income may be eligible for income tax purposes.
Nonprofits are also exempt from paying sales and property taxes. While the income of a nonprofit organization may not be subject to federal taxes, nonprofit organizations do pay employee taxes (Social Security and Medicare) just like any for-profit company. To learn more about tax issues for nonprofit organizations, go to the IRS website. (Learn more about nonprofit financial statements
http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/nonprofit-tax.asp#ixzz26yUVOXlY
Top 10 executive compensation
Top 10 executive compensation packages at big non-profits in 2008:
Partners HealthCare System James Mongan, CEO $3,421,870
Museum of Modern Art Glenn Lowry, director $2,710,607
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Steven Altschuler, CEO $2,371,282
New York University John Sexton, president $1,385,339
Columbia University Lee Bollinger, president $1,380,035
University of Pennsylvania Amy Gutmann, president $1,279,819
Yale University Richard Levin, president $1,200,583
Johns Hopkins University William Brody, president $1,198,964
University of Southern Calif. Steven Sample, president $1,161,721
Metropolitan Opera Assoc. Peter Gelb, GM $1,158,296
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Highest Paid non-profit employees
Yale University David Swensen, chief investment officer $4,389,727
University of Southern Calif. Pete Carroll, head coach, football $4,386,652
Columbia University David Silvers, clinical professor of dermatology $3,738,419
Duke University Mike Krzyzewski, head coach, men's basketball $3,705,909
Cornell University Zev Rosenwaks, professor obstetrics and gynecology $3,392,417
University of Chicago James Madara, vice president medical affairs $2,870,997
New York University James Grifo, professor obstetrics and gynecology $2,867,596
University of Pennsylvania Ralph Muller, CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System $2,518,232
Stanford University John Powers, president Stanford Management Co. $2,429,757
Princeton University Andrew Golden, president, Princeton University Investment $2,091,425
GJSmith
So now you've edited your post to reflect the fact that a bus company owns the building, and you don't have the cojones to acknowledge the fact that you were wrong. My posted quote from you is what you wrote originally. All you've done is make your argument even more tenuous. Why would the new non-profit organization want the city to buy that building? How would they benefit from that?
I wonder if JE will actually
I wonder if JE will actually enforce their ToS and start moderating topics that have no relation to the article .... Heck, recruit some volunteers ....
why
Why to we have do many complainer in Juneau