Communications Pro Blog

Archive for December, 2009

Recently, a Good Samaritan did just that – for me. I was at a specialty food store and had just checked out a $75 order of holiday goodies. As I swiped my card, the cashier explained that in order to keep their prices down, they accepted only cash and debit cards. My face flushed. I had $40 cash with me and had left my purse at home, hoping to ease my burden and not such a heavy load while shopping. I stood there wondering what to put back and how to do so without holding up the line. That is when the woman behind me asked how much I needed? At first a look of shock came over my face, and then the realization that she was offering money to a complete and total stranger.
I quickly did the math and said “$35, but are you sure?” Her response was: “Yes, absolutely. Are you sure you don’t need more?”
Still in awe of this act of kindness, I checked out and then waited for her to check out before giving her my business card and getting her contact information, vowing to send a check once I got home. I told this story to family and friends throughout the week, and they were also somewhat shocked that this woman placed her trust in me.
“You look trustworthy,” said the cashier, as the transaction was taking place. Was it the fact that I had my reusable bags and was dressed in business attire, having come from a meeting? Had I been wearing my paint-splattered sweat suit and baseball cap, would I have been treated differently? Somehow I suspect not. I later drove by this woman’s home, and found that it was not a mansion by any means, but a typical split level Colonial with probably a middle class couple or family living in it.
As the holiday rush is upon us, I am taking a moment to reflect on the genuinely good, trusting people out there, who would dig into their wallet and hand over $35 to a complete stranger. I’m not sure I would have done the same before this encounter, but now I know that I would do the same – unconditionally – in the future. Would you?

On the last Sunday of each month equestrians from area stables gather at the Valley Green Inn in Fairmount Park to catch up with to interact with each other and park visitors – particularly children.

The Horses in the Park (HIP) program was started in the summer of 2008 by Cynthia Turecki, who rides Sonny out of Courtesy Stables in Roxborough. Turecki, 50, grew up in the Wissahickon section of the city and she has childhood memories of seeing horses in the park.

“I was the youngest of 6 children, and my aunt would take us to the lower end of Forbidden Drive by Ridge Avenue to collect horse manure for her garden. I remember looking up one day to see a horse go by and thought, ‘someday I’ll ride my own horse in this park”, said the current Roxborough native, who works by day as a Communications Analyst. When her parents died, she decided she needed something to fill her time and started riding with the Philadelphia Saddle Club out of Monastery Stables in Mount Airy. She then shared a horse with someone, before buying Sonny, her own chestnut Kentucky Mountain Horse in 2005.

“Horses in the Park is my way of giving back and trying to continue the tradition of horsemanship in the park. When I hear a child scream ‘horses, mommy, horses!’ it brings a smile to my face.”

Indeed there were many smiling faces on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, an unusually balmy late November day. Perhaps the biggest smile came from Aimara Scharf-Simon who recently came to live in the area from Berlin. Still sporting a German accent, the six-year-old squealed with excitement upon learning that her name had been picked to receive a complimentary riding lesson. Scharf, who now lives in West Philadelphia with her parents and brother shared her knowledge of horses.

“I sort of know how to ride. If you push more into their sides they go faster, and if you pull on their reins they slow down,” she said, beaming as a group of onlookers listened to her impromptu lecture.

Diane Garvey, who took up riding in her late 40s and became a member of the Philadelphia Saddle Club had encouraged the young girl to fill out the raffle ticket.

“I’m really glad she won. She has a great spirit and I hope she continues to ride,” said Garvey, who, with other HIP members developed the backside of the entry ticket that reads:

5 Reasons to Leash Your Dog which spells out LEASH:

Laws- PA and Philadelphia require dogs to be on a leash
Equines may be startled, endangering the rider
Anxiety – of a lost dog
Safety of all park users, including dogs
Habitat – and wildlife protection

Other young horse enthusiasts were able to pet the horses and learn a bit more about these four-legged creatures. Luca Brown, 3, of Montclair, New Jersey, “liked the horses big brown eyes.”

Bella, 5, and Aquinnah Silverman , 8, of West Mount Airy liked how soft the horse Hot Shot was. Walt Sasse, Barn Manager at Courtesy Stables is a former mounted police officer and introduced Hot Shot to the young onlookers.

“It’s neat. You get down off of your horse and actually get to interact with the people. The little one’s crack me up, like this one,” he said as Josie Bullen approached the horses with absolutely no fear. The three-year-old was wearing a pink ballet tutu over her denim jeans and created quite the fashion statement.

“She is obsessed with horses,” said her mother, Amber Bulllen. “She’s also obsessed with wearing that outfit,” she said, rolling her eyes skyward.

Turecki credits Garvey, and longtime rider Carmella Clark, who has been riding for many years out of Monastery Stables, for helping to form and sustain the monthly interactive sessions between horses, riders and park visitors.

Dr. Thomas A. Fitzpatrick, President of the Philadelphia Saddle Club supports the whole idea. “Anytime you can do some good community relations with bikers, hikers and visitors to the park, that is an hour a month well spent,” he said.

The Horses in the Park program is held on the last Sunday of each month from 1 to 2 pm. near the Valley Green Inn, weather permitting. The next HIP gathering will be December 27th.

Barbara Sherf is a freelance writer and publicist who co-authored with her father, “A Cowboy Mission: The Best Sermons are Lived…Not Preached.” The book is about riding with her father in the Wissahickon Valley and his remembrances of life on the farm and in local rodeos. You can reach her at www.CommunicationsPro.com.

Spot, a Blind Horse and Friend

As you sit down to mentally or physically fill out your holiday shopping list this season, think about adding a line for faithful four-legged companions in need of some extra TLC. There are many examples of furry friends in need throughout the greater Chestnut Hill area.
At Northwestern Equestrian Facility (NWEF) in Chestnut Hill, barn staff and boarders are supporting a blind horse that has faithfully given lessons for many years. While he doesn’t have a spot on him, his name is Spot, and he is still teaching very important lessons in the form of trust and courage.
A sign on Spot’s stall notes that Spot was born in the 1980s and served as a lesson horse for 20 years, taking riders over 3-foot fences, and allowing them to fulfill their passion. The flier notes that Spot has no single owner, and so the good folks at NWEF are housing him and bearing the $500 monthly costs to keep him in food, board and veterinary care. There is a small donation box outside of Spot’s stall.
The barn manager says Spot is not depressed and as far as she can tell, has no big issues with his lack of sight. A fundraiser held near Halloween raised $100 to help defray the cost of Spot’s care, but that doesn’t even cover his grain and hay.
When a photographer and I visited the stable to bring Spot treats and take his photo, we stumbled upon a group of students from the Crefeld School, a private school on Crefeld Street in Chestnut Hill, who visit Spot and the other horses once a week as part of their community service class. One student, 17-year-old Gabe Pfeiffer stands out among the rest, for he too is blind. Pfeiffer gets close enough to groom spot and both he and Spot get help going outside to a field so Spot can graze on some fresh grass. Pfeiffer says there are many lessons sighted people can take away from being around a blind person or a blind horse.
“It’s really scary for a blind person or horse to have someone approach them from behind. You can’t hear the person until they are right on top of you, so always announce yourself,” says Pfeiffer as he brushes Spot’s neck. “But when you approach us, you don’t need to shout. We can hear, we just can’t see.”
To make a donation directly to Spot, make checks payable to Northwestern Stables, 120 W Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118-3620 and put Spot in the memo field.
There are so many worthy animal causes out there, but one near and dear to the heart of Chestnut Hill resident Kate Katchen is the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, where she serves on the Board of Directors. The Mermaid Lane resident, who has rescued a Golden Retriever for her family, is particularly concerned about the increasing number of dogs rescued from Pennsylvania’s notorious puppy mills,
“During the holidays, we encourage people to think of our many Goldens who have been rescued from puppy mills and who are spending their first holidays outside of a wire cage, and in a warm safe place. We encourage people to donate simple items like nutritious training treats or cheese to help us help these dogs on their long journey back to being a ‘real dog.’ We also encourage people with some free time to volunteer as a caregiver at DVGRR. Our Golden Gateway facility is open 365 days a year, so at the holidays (and every day) we rely on volunteers to assist our tireless staff.”
In October 2008, one such puppy mill was raided in the Lehigh Valley. A female Golden Retriever who was used as a breeder dog was among them. Katchen picked her up at the Philadelphia SPCA and transported her to Golden Gateway, near Lancaster. She was named ‘Jo Jo’ by the staff, and was adopted within weeks. Unbeknownst to Kate, her new family named her Katie. Katie has passed her Therapy Dog International and Canine Good Citizen tests and does therapy with patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Kate caught up with the family and Katie at the DVGRR reunion in October and was thrilled with the results.
“She was like a new dog. Her owners clearly showed her that there are good people out there who were willing to take a chance and give her a ‘forever home.’
To make a donation, volunteer or view their Wish List go to www.dvgrr.org.

Barbara Sherf lives and writes in Flourtown. She has recently befriended Spot and she and her husband have adopted Simba from DVGRR five years ago. You can reach her at Barb@CommunicationsPro.com. She gives a talk titled “What Our Furry Friends Teach Us About Diet, Exercise and Life.”