WORK CONTINUES AIMING FOR NEW HEIGHTS Construction on the University Court parking lot started on May 6. Page 2
Pole-vaulter Sara Wortman competed in the IHSA State Track and Field Competition. Page 7
Dai ly Eastern News WWW.DAILYEASTERNNEWS.COM
THE
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
VOL. 97 | ISSUE 151
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Horse-riding therapy benefits families By Amanda Wilkinson @akaywilkinson In a large barn surrounded by acres of fields, adults, children and their families have experienced the gift of seeing their loved one with special needs improve emotionally and physically. Those with special needs can receive therapeutic horseback riding at the Paradise Equestrian Therapy Center located at 18146 E. County Road 750 N. in Charleston. Carol Galey, the vice president of the board of trustees, said therapeutic horseback riding has significant benefits to the children. “We have kids with cerebral palsy, for example, who are either in a wheel chair or use walkers to walk,” she said. “As you can imagine, they can’t walk like a normal person. We put them on a horse and a horse emulates a human walking so they get the feel of that.” The therapy can help people sit up straighter and breathe better, Galey said. She said the non-physical effects are building up their self-esteem and becoming more communicative. “There is that wonderful emotional connection with animals,” Galey said. Depending on their ability, two side walkers can assist the rider and help them stay on the horse, she said. “We take just about anyone who needs the emotional or physical benefit. As long as they’re strong enough to sit up on a horse, we can help them,” Galey said. She said they had a teenage boy come for therapy who had to be held up on the horse with a therapy belt. “With just a few weeks of riding, we didn’t have to hang onto him anymore
Photos By Marcus Smith | The Daily Eastern Ne ws
Sarah Lazzell, a horse leader, pets one of the horses Saturday at Paradise Equestrian Therapy Center. Anybody with disabilities that are able to sit upright unassisted are welcome at Paradise Equestrian Therapy Center.
because the movement was building up his strength,” Galey said. She said when he first started, he would not communicate or even look at people. “Within a few weeks, he was looking around, looking at his side walkers and reaching out, touching them,” Galey said. “He just had a huge improvement from the program.” Billie Melton, an Ashmore resident, said she saw the same improvement with her seven-year-old daughter, Calley. Calley was diagnosed with selective mutism last year and started going to the center in April. “Usually she’s very quiet and people
are used to her not speaking or talking, so they don’t pay mind to her,” Melton said. She said she was trying to talk to some other children and they kept ignoring her. “She turns around and yells at them, ‘I’m trying to tell you something,’” Melton said, smiling. “It was like, ‘guys, quit ignoring her,’ because normally, she won’t speak up for herself.” Since starting therapeutic horseback riding, she said Calley has had a boost of self-confidence and her balance has gotten better. “Now I’m having to yell at her to quit climbing on the furniture,” Melton
Bits and horse reins hang on a rack Saturday at Paradise Equestrian Therapy Center.
said, laughing in disbelief. “It’s only been four sessions, so I’ve been really excited to see what’s going to happen.” For the in-depth version of this article go to:
dailyeasternnews.com
Charleston library hosts record book sale Almost $2,000 was raised at the book sale at the Charleston Carnegie Public Library. Jeanne Hamilton, the library director, said they received a total of $1,738.30 in book sales and $42.05 in donations. This was the best book sale since October 2011 after moving into a larger room specifically used for the book sale, Hamilton said. Thirteen new Friends of the Library memberships were registered, totaling $130. The Friends of the Library is a group that helps support the library programs and do volunteer work. Hardback books, audio books, and DVDs sold for $2 and paperback and children’s books, puzzles, CDs and games sold for 50 cents each. Steve Whitley, a retired zoology professor, said a variety of people come in, from kids to adults, looking for a good read. “We have people come in and buy books and then bring them back and
Council to vote on street parking By Amanda Wilkinson @akaywilkinson
C ARNEGIE | fUNDRAISER
By Cayla Maurer @caymaurer
cit y
donate them. We try to keep them circulating, and it is for a good cause,” Whitley said. Half the money made at the book sale will go toward special projects, book purchases and any projects that come up that are not in the library’s budget and the other half goes toward the Friends of the Library fund. Previous Friends of the Library funds paid for the ramp that allowed the book sale to be moved from the lower level to an upper level room with more space. The room was previously closed off to the public because it did not have easy access. “We have a limited amount of space so we have to think about how well the book is probably going to sell,” Whitley said. “We don’t necessarily specialize in anything, it’s just a wide variety.” Rose Cloud, a sophomore music major, came to the book sale twice after reading about it in the newspaper. “I grew up reading, and I just love having a book in my hands,” Cloud said. “Books are something you can always have whereas something on a
Amanda Wilkinson | The Daily Eastern Ne ws
Nancy Loucks, a Charleston resident, browses the fiction selection during the Charleston Carnegie Public Library book sale Saturday. She said she was looking for books of a new author she recently discovered. “There’s very little I don’t like... except romances,” Loucks said, laughing.
Kindle depends on technology, which might not always work.” Wynette Noll, Charleston resident, came to the book sale looking for science fiction books, mainly Star Trek
novels. “It’s like a garage sale — sometimes you get something, sometimes you don’t,” Noll said. LIBRARY, page 5
The Charleston City Council will vote on amending an ordinance to close parking near Eastern during special events at O’Brien Stadium. The special events include commencement ceremonies, home football games, state high school track meets and Special Olympics celebrations. The ordinance would prohibit parking on Orchard Drive from Grant Avenue to Johnson Avenue, Chamberlin Drive and C Street during major events. No parking would be enforced two hours before and after the events. Mayor Larry Rennels said during the events at O’Brien, people park on both sides of the street making it impossible to drive through. “All of those are short, residential, narrow streets and the problem is that during big events at O’Brien — the problem is people tend to park on both sides of the streets,” he said. “They make it so narrow that you couldn’t get an ambulance or fire truck down there.” Rennels said during past events, the city has put up temporary signs restricting parking. “In the past, we’d go down there and stick little temporary signs in there, and we decided it was best to formalize the thing,” he said. The city council will also be approving a bid award for a new ambulance. The council will be awarding the bid of $131,967 to American Response Vehicles in Columbia, Mo. Rennels said the new ambulance will be replacing an ambulance currently in the city’s fleet plan. This vehicle purchase is different from ones they have made in the past, he said. “Most of all of the ambulances we’ve bought the past several years have come from a particular company,” Rennels said. He said they always bought from the same company to keep things consistent. “No mater which one an EMT got into, he knew exactly what drawer to open for what supply he wanted,” Rennels said. He said that company went out of business so they had to find a new vendor that satisfied all of the requirements. The council will also be approving the street closure for the St. Charles Morromeo Summer Start-Up Festival on June 9. PARKING, page 5