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November 2011 Healing Hoof Beats: High on a Horse
Serving Alamo and Diablo By Jody Morgan
High on a horse, children who have never walked experience the empowerment and freedom of motion. The repetitive rhythm of hoof beats allays anxiety. Therapeutic riding makes miraculous moments happen for children and adults suffering from a variety of psychological, emotional and physical problems including ADHD/ADD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, BiPolar Disorder, Blindness, Brain Injury, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Depression, Developmental Delays, Down’s Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Scoliosis, Spinal Bifida, and Stroke. Hoisting a student with limited muscle control into the saddle and providing a safe experience takes at least four trained caregivers. In addition to the instructor who is responsible for determining the goals and plan of the lesson and Gary Cooper sits tall in the saddle with help left to right of the tack and horse to be Julie Burke, Peggy James and Kayla Sheppod leading. used, a handler is required to lead the horse, and two side walkers are needed to stabilize the rider. As strength improves, students graduate to managing their horses with less assistance. Games, toys, songs, and pounds of positive reinforcement elicit giggles from children who seldom smile in other situations. Reaching to put a ring over a pole is a demanding exercise for some. For others following a series of commands or verbalizing is the challenge. Some children utter their first words to encourage their horse to move. Peggy James, co-founder of ENN Reins in Motion, explains there is a muscle in the groin stimulated by riding that acts as a building block for improving core strength, which in turn permits the diaphragm to be raised. Without core strength, the rest of the body can’t function adequately. In place of a saddle, many students use a bareback pad permitting the heat of the horse to work on the rider’s muscles. Stirrups of any length can be added and adjusted to properly distribute the rider’s weight on the horse’s back. Therapy horses have to endure the Eliana works on words with Instructor Karena jouncing of unbalanced riders and require Smith far right and Volunteer Amber Decorano. regular chiropractic care. See Horse continued on page 26
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Christmas Memories at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley Start your celebration of the holidays with the opening of Christmas Memories at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley on Tuesday, November 15. This delightful exhibit runs through December 31. Christmas Memories is an annual tradition at the Museum and captures Christmas past with a display of a Christmas tree as it would have looked in the 1890’s. Nestled under the tree and in a Santa’s Workshop are toys and keepsakes from earlier generations, along with the Museum’s special model train. There will also be a beautiful outdoor tree with carolers. Activities include matching a picture with a Christmas Carol. There will also be a treasure hunt to match a popular toy, one that “everyone” had to have or give, with the year or era in which it was introduced.
See Memories continued on page 19
Don’t Let Your Guard Down By Sharon Burke Alamo is the envy of many communities for its high quality of living and its exceptionally low crime rates. Still, an analysis of crime statistics for Alamo for the past six months reveals that Alamo citizens can be crime victims like anyone else, especially when they let their guard down and don’t take simple crime prevention measures. Unfortunately, for residents on the Westside of Alamo, the easy access to the freeway and the Iron Horse Trail means Westside residents are more frequently the target of property crimes. The police jurisdiction responsible for Alamo is the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Alamo enjoys a certain extra measure of security because the Sheriff for many years has leased space in Alamo Plaza for the Valley Substation, which covers not just Alamo but all unincorporated territory beginning with the Pleasant Hill BART station area, then south to the county line, west to the Caldecott Tunnel, and east to Morgan Territory Road. This huge territory receives all its police services from officers based in Alamo. Since the Sheriff was forced to lay-off the crime statistics staff a few years back due to budget cuts, the Sheriff has used the www.crimereports. org website to report data on crime categories and locations in unincorporated areas of the county such as Alamo. An analysis of crime statistics in Alamo using this website as a source shows that in 2011, from May 1 to November 1, there were 16 burglaries in Alamo. Three were commercial burglaries in the downtown business district, and 13 were Volume XI - Number 11 residential burglaries. Of the 13 residential burglaries, 10 were on 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 the Westside and three were in the Fax (925) 406-0547 remainder of Alamo, one in Round Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Hill, one in the Alamo Country Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com subdivision, and one in Whitegate. Sharon Burke ~ Writer On June 18, an armed robbery sburke@yourmonthlypaper.com took place at the Alamo 7-11 on The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today is not Danville Boulevard. Suspects are not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor
See Guard cont. on pg. 27
does publication imply endorsement.