http://www.townonline.com/cambridge/news/local_regional/cam_newcccurvessidegrms05132004.htm

Local Curves seeks distance from founder

By Deborah Eisner / Chronicle Staff
Thursday, May 13, 2004

For a chain that advertises a safe haven for woman, Curves has had to fend of recent criticisms about founder Gary Heavin's political connections.

A Texas Republican, Heavin has donated $5 million to three "pregnancy crisis centers" that have been verbally endorsed by Operation Save America, a radical pro-life group, published reports indicate.

"There is nothing healthy about abortion," Heavin told Christianity Today, in a recently released profile. "I'm not afraid to tell the truth."

Heavin recently issued a statement saying his charitable donations support "the overall health and wellness of women and their families," but denied ties to radical pro-life groups.

Both Cambridge Curves owners deny any connection to Heavin's political dealings.

"I have no political agenda. My only agenda in this location, and in any location I will open, is to helping women," said Eileen Feldman, owner of the Central Square Curves. "What the founder of the company ... does with his money has nothing to do with my [business]."

Margot Delany, who owns the Mt. Auburn location, agreed, as did several customers asked about the issue.

"Well, I'm pro-choice, so I don't agree with him, but to me it wouldn't matter," said Rachel Cutliffe, 49, of Arlington. She works out at the Central Square branch on her lunch breaks and has lost 15 inches since March 2003. "I can have what I feel is the right [opinion], and he has the same privilege to feel whatever he feels."

None of the customers approached about the issue said they would drop their membership because of the founder's political affiliations. "To each his own," said Pat Bua, 44, of Peabody.

Feldman is hosting a meeting this week of 30 area owners to discuss the recent reports.

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=7384

Chron Admits Errors in Columns About "Curves" by Rosen and Carroll

Posted by the ChronWatch Founder, Jim Sparkman
Thursday, May 13, 2004

      On many occasions ChronWatch has commented on the op-ed columns of Ruth Rosen and Jon Carroll in the San Francisco Chronicle. It would be a gross understatement to say that both have produced more than their share of tiresome liberal harangues.

       Most of the time it is difficult to decide what Jon Carroll is saying. He strives so hard to be more clever than he really is that the reader gets lost in his rambling. Ruthie comes at it from an intellectual elite point of view. Not only does she inundate us with the standard liberal line, but she tries to make us believe she does so because she is so much smarter than the rest of us, in a Marin sort of way.

       Therefore, it is particulary gratifying when this duo gets their comeuppance. You may recall that a previous ChronWatch article noted the attack on the fitness chain, Curves, in columns by both Carroll and Ruthie. In coverage of the Rosen column by Fox News, the owner of Curves stated that the column was inaccurate, and that he was considering legal action. Rosen promised Fox that she was doing a followup piece on Curves. That column never appeared. Instead the Chron had an insert saying ''Ruth Rosen is on assignment.'' The following day, the Chron's Corrections section almost said that the statements by Ruthie were not quite correct.

    But, in Thursday's Corrections, the editors drop the bomb and really come clean with this admission:

· Two recent columns contained errors involving contributions made by Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Curves, the women's fitness chain. (5/13) Ruth Rosen's April 29 opinion-page column stated that Heavin ''has given at least $5 million of his profits to some of the most militant anti-abortion groups in the country.'' That characterization is not accurate. (5/13) The column specified that the money went to ''three Texas organizations to fund 'pregnancy crisis centers.' '' Only one of the recipients, Care Net, operates pregnancy crisis centers that are designed to dissuade pregnant women from having abortions while offering other support services to encourage adoption. Heavin has pledged to give Care Net $1 million over the next five years, according to a Curves spokeswoman.

The largest of the pledges--$3.75 million over five years--goes to the Family Practice Center of McLennan County, which provides a variety of health-care services to Central Texas residents, many of whom are uninsured, according to the Curves spokeswoman. The Catholic-run center does not provide abortions but is not actively involved in the anti-abortion movement, the center's CEO said.

The other recipient of Heavin's pledge, $250,000 over five years, was the McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project, which promotes sexual abstinence among teens. Its director said that, as a matter of policy, its staff would not discuss abortion when making presentations.

The column presented the contributions as a percentage of the company's annual gross revenues. But the Curves spokeswoman said that those pledges, as well as millions of dollars in donations to a wide range of charities, came from Heavin's personal wealth.

The column also referred to Heavin's comments in a ''recent Christianity Today'' article that he ''is proud to support these organizations.'' In fact, the interview was published in the January-February issue of Today's Christian, a magazine affiliated with Christianity Today. In it, Heavin expressed his anti-abortion views but did not talk about his support for any specific organization.

In addition, Jon Carroll, in his April 20 ''Datebook'' column, erred in referring to Heavin's comments as appearing in Christianity Today and by stating that Heavin ''donates 10 percent of Curves profits'' to ''anti-choice groups.'' He also wrote that Heavin's recipients were allied with Operation Save America, a radical anti-abortion group. As stated in a May 4 clarification on Rosen's column, Operation Save America has praised those recipients on its Web site but does not provide financial support, nor does it have a formal alliance with them.

The Chronicle regrets the errors. (5/13)

       Frankly that sounds more of a retraction than a correction. This is much the vein of Peter Arnett than a simple "oh yes, little Ruthie boo-booed." If you remember, Arnett, who, together with two other producers at CNN, lost their jobs after CNN had to retract the "Tailwind" chemical weapons use story in Vietnam a few years back. Jayson Blair made up details, but didn't point the accusatory finger
at anyone. Arnett and the others falsely smeared the U.S. Army. Similarly Rosen falsely smeared Heavin.

      Is there some length of a Corrections item that leads to dismissal? One would think that the multiple paragraphs of this Correction would test the limits of that correlation. Jon Carroll first wrote of a Curves/pro-life connection in his column. Of the two writers, one wonders who is maddest at whom. ChronWatch guesses that Ruthie is radioactive right now in the newsroom with SF Chronicle editorial employees staying at least 20 feet away from her.

      It all sounds like a publisher and his lawyer feared a law suit. Whatever label you attach to it, ChronWatch is childishly delighted to see this snooty pair get slapped!