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Jun 14

David Blondin, owner of Prime Fitness & Nutrition in Oxford, appeals around $6,000 in fines after refusing to – MassLive.com

Fitness Comments Off on David Blondin, owner of Prime Fitness & Nutrition in Oxford, appeals around $6,000 in fines after refusing to – MassLive.com

A Massachusetts gym owner told news outlets he is willing to go to jail after keeping his business open in defiance of Gov. Charlie Bakers phased coronavirus reopening plan, accruing thousands of dollars worth of fines in doing so.

Im willing to take this as far as I have to, David Blondin, owner of Prime Fitness & Nutrition in Oxford, told The Boston Globe. Im willing to go to jail.

The Central Massachusetts gym owner was ordered to close his business last week by Worcester Superior Court Judge Susan Sullivan after opening his doors in May. The judge ruled he must stop operating his gym until Baker issues an executive order allowing him to do so, according to court records.

In a best-case scenario, fitness centers in the commonwealth will be allowed to reopen on June 29. Some gym owners, like Blondin, have expressed frustration, though, over the later reopening date and opted to disobey the governors four-part reopening plan, which put gyms in the third phase.

After reopening his business on May 18, Blondin received a verbal warning from the town, followed by a written one and then a slew of fines. In a Facebook post Thursday, the gym owner noted he was receiving fines up to $1,000 daily.

WCVB reported he has racked up 18 citations. Blondin told the news outlet he has not paid any of the fines, which have amount to roughly $6,000 in total. The gym owner noted that he appealed all the citations and was due in court at 3 p.m. on Friday.

MassLive could not immediately reach Blondin on Friday.

Everyone has been great so far. Honestly, I really couldnt ask for any better members, said in a video posted to Facebook at the end of May. So lets keep this going as we continue to move forward, bringing everything back to normal, and by normal, I do not mean the new normal, because there is no new normal.

A GoFundMe page was set up a day after Blondin reopened his gym to help the business owner pay off all fines issued by the town. Any remaining money is expected to be donated to mental health organizations, Blondin said. To date, the fundraiser has received $10,846 in donations.

Blondin as well as the creator of the GoFundMe page, Prime Fitness member Courtney Cotnoir, encouraged owners of gyms and other businesses across Massachusetts to reopen, despite restrictions issued by the state.

The two framed the issue as one of mental health, arguing that people need to exercise and that gyms should be deemed essential because they help keep individuals both physically and mentally healthy.

All small businesses need to take a stand and open their doors," the gym owner told MassLive in May. "This is impacting our businesses and our families.

Oxfords board of health sued Blondin on May 28 and filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to halt Prime Fitnesss operations, which Sullivan later granted, court records showed.

Town officials wrote in a statement they received angry calls and emails from residents, calling on authorities to shutter the gym immediately. Thomas Purcell, Oxford Board of Health agent, noted, We all have a role to play in making this as safe of a re-opening as possible.

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David Blondin, owner of Prime Fitness & Nutrition in Oxford, appeals around $6,000 in fines after refusing to - MassLive.com

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