Daily Companions, Inc. and WV Autism Training Center will host a workshop on Thursday, October 6 from 7pm until 8pm. Free resources & services will be identified for Special Education students. No pre-registration is required, free and open to the public. Workshop will be held at Daily Companions, Inc., 1486 Winchester Avenue, Martinsburg, WV. Call 304-263-5008 for more information.
Love to fish? Ever caught a big Rainbow or Golden Trout? Where did it come from?
DCI Members traveled to the Albert Powell Trout Hatchery to get answers. The Albert Powell Hatchery raises both rainbow and golden trout. The hatchery receives about 450,000 eggs (that’s a lot!) from a private supplier. The eggs are then hatched into “fingerlings” (small fish). Some of the fingerlings are stocked directly into Maryland waters to enhance the trout population. (A ha! that’s where they come from!). Some fingerlings are supplied to other state facilities where they are grown to catchable size. And some are raised to adult size and used for put & take stocking and fishing rodeos.
So, if you have fished in Maryland waters and caught a lovely rainbow or golden trout you now know how the story began. For more info be sure to visit the website for the hatchery and watch their video. Who knows, maybe you would like to visit too.
What do you do when it is too hot to be outside but you have a hankering to be around animals? DCI Members were looking forward to the Berkeley County Fair but the intense heat precluded being outside. So we went in search of animals inside; the wild kind! A local pet store in Winchester proved to be just the ticket. First animal spotted were the different varieties of rabbits. Almost everyone wanted a cuddle with the rabbits! Wouldn’t you? Then our attention was caught by the loud squawking and incessant chatter of birds. Thomas was not too sure he wanted to get close enough to the parrot to have his picture taken but he braved it out. We all decided what color of budgie we liked best. Oh, look at all the fish! Tropical fish, tiny sting ray, tiny sharks, all colors of the rainbow. How beautiful. But wait, what’s this? SNAKES alive! Ms. Cathy is actually letting this small boa wrap around her! Yikes! Who will be brave enough to touch the snake? Almost everyone; and how proud of themselves they were. Watching all the animals eat reminded us that we were hungry too. Glory Days provided the substance needed to browse the Winchester Mall for bargains, and then back to DCI. Not the field trip we had planned but fun none the less.
DCI Members look forward each year to attending local fairs. This year they attended the Washington County Ag Fair and Expo. While the carnival was not open, they were able to enjoy the 4H exhibits. A horse show was going on and that was a lot of fun to watch. But the best part was the animals. All DCI Members have a real soft spot for animals and spent the bulk of their time just enjoying the antics of each animal. Patricia and Racey loved the rabbits, Amanda, Damon, and Chris were drawn to the goats. Everyone enjoys the sights and sounds of a fair! Of course, all that walking makes one hungry, so it was off to try out a new place to eat, The Supreme Buffet. Everyone left feeling more than satisfied. What a great Friday Field Trip.
We have three little peppers growing on our plants
Since I helped plant them, does that make me an aunt?
Marty has been very helpful at watering and such
I guess you could say he has that ‘Green Thumb’ touch.
Soon our three little peppers will have some brand new friends
Our tomatoes are now blooming – there’ll soon be Maters to no end!
And there are more peppers that are ready to come out
This is our first year of straw bale gardening, we have produce – so give us a shout!
Friday, June 24 saw DCI Members headed off to one of their most favorite activities, fishing! We would like to thank Frank Roach and his volunteers for hosting us and assisting with the rods & reels. Today many of the volunteers were full of “fish stories”. DCI Members decided to add their stories, and my, the tales got bigger & bigger! The air was full of the sounds of excitement and laughter as each Member hauled in fish after fish; and there were some whoppers! The weather was just right for strolling and just watching if you did not feel like fishing. Some DCI Members just enjoyed soaking up the sunshine. What a wonderful way to end the week, a fabulous fishing frenzy!
Friday, June 17 DCI Members were scheduled to go to War Memorial Park to swim out of doors but the weather forecast cancelled those plans. A quick call was put in to the Wellness Center at Shepherd University to see if we could swim at their beautiful indoor pool. The Staff there were very welcoming. DCI Members were happy they did not miss one of their favorite activities. Everyone was impressed with the nice changing rooms, and loved the heated pool. The Wellness Center also offers a variety of classes for all fitness levels; an indoor track; basketball court; and weights. DCI Members plan to visit again on the last Wednesday of the month which is “Wellness Wednesday”, a great way to spend a hot day!
DCI Members invited Cpl. Colleen Gibbons and Dep. Josh Harmison of the Berkeley County Sherriff’s Department to visit their Day Center and speak on the topic of Internet and phone safety. Both Cpl. Gibbons and Dep. Harmison stressed the importance of never giving out personal information, or pictures, either on the phone or the internet. Other tips included how to deal with bullies on the internet or in person; Stranger Danger; what to do if you get lost or feel threatened; please inform a parent or trusted adult in any of the above situations.
DCI Members listened closely and brought up some issues they had personally faced. Cpl. Gibbons and Dep. Harmison stressed the importance of sharing these situations with family.
Then it was time to get fingerprinted! There was much joking about having their prints taken but all realized what a great safety measure it is.
DCI Members and Staff want to thank Cpl. Gibbons and Dep. Harmison for taking time out of their busy schedule to visit DCI and present this important information.
Friday, June 10 saw DCI Members exploring “the wild” as they visited Wilson’s Wild Animal Park. One can just imagine tropical foliage and the beat of drums in the distance! Giggles, lots of laughter, and excited chatter from DCI Members as they fed the animals, watched their antics, and discussed how these animals would live and survive in the wild. When asked about their favorite animal these were the answers:
Patricia: I liked the zebra because of his stripes!
Amanda: I loved the peacocks beautiful feathers.
Racey: The bears because they are big & furry.
Thomas: Watching the monkeys eat their bananas.
Matt: The tiger because he is big & strong.
The Staff mentioned that each display of animals interested DCI Members and again, this was voted one of their most favorite places to visit. Have you and your family explored Wilson’s Wild Animal Park?
Friday, June 3, saw the Grand Re-Opening of Daily Companions, Inc. There was a great turn out for our event. Tina Combs, President & CEO of the Martinsburg Chamber of Commerce, brought the red ribbon and gold scissors for the ribbon cutting ceremony. On hand to cut the ribbon were Ms. Cloughfeather, CEO, Shannon Ball, CFO, Kat Hagedorn, Waiver Manager, Holly Barry, Placement Specialist, and Cathy Irizarry-Barron, Employment Program Specialist. Teresa Hayes, mother of a DCI Member, was on hand to give a brief speech about how much DCI’s program has meant to her daughter. It was a touching moment for all of us.
After the ribbon cutting, everyone toured DCI facilities and enjoyed refreshments. Many positive comments were made about our new layout, with round tables and comfortable seating areas for learning and relaxing. Framed photographs of Friday Field Trips adorn the walls. Andrew Nelson, M.Ed., ISA-CI, Program Coordinator with WV Autism Training Center at Marshall University was on hand to speak with families. Autism Speaks will now have office space at DCI and Andrew or his staff will be able to answer questions from the general public on Autism. Background music was provided by DCI Volunteer Emily Stotler. DCI Members are very enthusiastic about their music sessions with Emily on Tuesday afternoons.
Mike Collier, a former Pittsburgh Steeler’s player, was on hand to give autographs to his fans. Everyone was excited to meet him and hear stories about his days playing football. Many of DCI’s members were eager to get an autograph to take home. One DCI Member, Chris, was unable to meet Mike due to his work schedule. Mike, on hearing that Chris, (who is one of the biggest Steeler fans ever) was missing this event, made plans to surprise Chris at Cracker Barrel later that evening. A quick call was put in to Cracker Barrel Manager Kevin Kobarcik and operation “Surprise Chris” was on. And boy was Chris surprised!
Asked about the visit Chris grinned and said “ I was very surprised! It was great to meet Mike. He shook my hand and gave me an autographed copy of his picture. Some of the other employees were peeking out and excited to see him too. I won’t ever forget!“
Daily Companions, Inc. would like to thank all those who attended our Grand re-Opening and made it such a great success. We also want to thank The Journal News for sending their reporter, and Jon Howard for taking such great shots of our employees.