HOWstanding!!! Oct. 8th De Valle

What city is the Independent in?

Livermore,  probably come out next week, but the Contra Costa Times will be this week, I've been out of town, so I don't know if it ran yet or not...

Looks like the Independent story comes out Thursday...

 Contra Costa Times... tomorrow

Just a thought for the future and I'll start working on it. if any of these vets end up in the water , we need to have emergency clothing and towels ready . I was thinking a couple sets of sweats would be nice to have on hand.

+1, even some blankets, extra floatation, pool noodles ect.

So, is it time to start planning the next one ?  How about spring lake in santa rosa? It has campgrounds, Big grassy picnic grounds under the shade of large oaks, boat ramp, piers and lots o' big bass. Did i mention it's convienent location?

Front page article in the Contra Costa Times today. Very nice article. Del Valle in November is usually good. Pardee in the spring, Mendo in the fall and Quarry Lakes in the winter would also be options. I am not familiar with Folsom or the lake right below it but they would be convenient also for the VA.

   

LIVERMORE -- Mariela Meylan, a soldier injured in Kuwait, needed some helping hands to lift her from her wheelchair into a kayak for her first paddling and fishing trip.

Once she was nestled into the open hull of a two-person kayak, the slender vessel took over the work of holding Meylan and her companion, a paddling guide.

The duo dipped their paddles in the green waters of Del Valle Reservoir and stroked away -- leaving behind Meylan's wheelchair and a little anxiety about the new challenge.

"I like this," she said. "This is relaxing."

This was a new kind of therapy for Meylan and about 35 other veterans last week in the first outing of a new Bay Area nonprofit group that uses kayak fishing to rehabilitate wounded warriors.

Organizers of Heroes on the Water, a national group started in Texas, say that kayak fishing provides a calming way to relieve the stress from injuries and the rigors of rehabilitation.

The outings also are a good way for veterans to enjoy an outdoor adventure, make friends, escape isolation and move toward rejoining the mainstream, group members say.

"Water can have great healing powers," said Don Anglin, a Sacramento paramedic and firefighter who is organizing the Northern California chapter of Heroes on the Water. "You can have people with missing limbs or damaged motor skills and put them in a kayak, give them a little help, and they can do very well getting around in the outdoors and doing
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a little fishing."

Anglin, of El Sobrante, said he thinks exposure to the outdoors can be a liberating experience for veterans with physical injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam or other wars.

He organized one outing at a private lake near Merced in June before putting together the Bay Area event last week at the large reservoir at Del Valle Regional Park. It took some doing to round up dozens of volunteers and boats, and subsidies or donations from several sponsors.

Anglin said he hopes to organize a series of smaller kayak outings, with about 10 veterans at a time out on the water. The events are free for veterans.

For Meylan, a 30-year-old Livermore resident, kayaking provided variety and a new challenge in a routine that requires rehabilitation work almost every day.

Stationed by the Army in Kuwait in 2004, Meylan was changing a tire when she was run over by a civilian driver out to harm American troops, her family said. She nearly died, was in a coma for nearly a year, and continues rehabilitation for brain damage that affected her memory and motor skills.

When she heard about the kayaking opportunity from a therapist at the Veterans Center in Livermore, she gladly agreed to dump her scheduled horse ride.

Once out on the water, Meylan initially cast her line only a few feet. Within an hour, she was casting more than 40 or 50 feet, pleasing her guides.

Landing on shore after three hours on the water, she showed a sense of humor when asked if she had caught anything. "A fish ate half the (sardine) bait off my line."

During the daylong event, only one mishap was reported -- a veteran fell off his kayak into the reservoir, but he got back in the vessel and continued fishing, Anglin said.

Jerry Shock, a veteran who lives in San Lorenzo, came to the reservoir with his own kayak, which can be propelled by foot pedals.

Shock, who served in the Vietnam War, lost the lower part of his left leg in a motorcycle accident in 2008. He usually goes kayak fishing once a month.

"It's a good workout, and I like fishing," he said. Motioning to the blue sky on a sunny day, "How could you have a bad day doing this?"

Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267. Follow him at Twitter.com/deniscuff.
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For information about helping or participating in kayak fishing trips for veterans, go to www.heroesonthewater.org or call Don Anglin at 510-374-9185.

Don,
Congratulations on a great event.  I wish I could have been there.  This morning's San Ramon Valley Times has a great front page story, complete with multiple color photographs.  I know publicity isn't the goal but it's great to see such a positive article and such a worthy cause occupy the front page of the paper;  especially considering the kind of stories that usually get that kind of placement. 

Martin

i'll try to pick up a CCT today. it might help me with that little private lake i'm trying to get access to.

Wow...   

I picked the wrong day to go for a bike ride with the dog...

absolutely swamped with voice mails, calls and e-mails......

 lots of different things coming in from Vets who want to volunteer, to vets who want our help.... to project healing waters wanting to join with us and collaborate resources,  fly fishermen,  good program...

and more...

  this is good stuff fellas....

just came up for air to tell ya what's going on...

  back to work....

thats what you get for putting your phone number in the newspaper but sounds like a good problem to have!

thats what you get for putting your phone number in the newspaper but sounds like a good problem to have!

ya, I really did not think it would get that much attention, especially after that big " No's " we got this time around trying to get things donated.

but, if anyone was interested, I wanted it to as easy as possible to get in touch, and they are...

 the response on this article has been great...

 

good work!! to all of you who helped with getting the vets wet.  sound like we're gonna have some more NCKA members soon = sweet!

San Lorenzo Daily Review also today. This sure would be a great thing to carry around with ya while your asking for donations. Maybe even ask the paper to make sure and mention the who donates.
 Randall

Quite a day considering I was overwhelmed with having to tie the last event up with figures and thank you letters and follow ups... before that article came out...

  been fielding questions and people wanting help and vets who want to go fishing all day...

 and believe it or not..

 The occasional nut job....  

All good and think I got this wave settled and it looks as though we have a bit more support and good people coming our way...

about a dozen bay area kayakfishermen who never heard of ncka?

too bad the paper did not put ncka in there as well mention what EBRP did for us...  All Good, still great exposure...

 I have put a request into EBRP for a return early/mid November being we had absolutely no impact on the fish population at their lake...

 we need to fix that...  

we will look into getting something up in the North Bay, but that will also take getting in touch with Northern VA facilities... we really don't want the Vets traveling hours to get to a event

 This truly is the biggest challenge is getting access to the Vets,

and it should be tough as they need to be protected.

 Good News is I think we have a good base to work from here. I'm also going to a " muster...? " with the Warrior Transition Unit first part of November and will be talking with active duty vets face to face about the program...

 more to come,

Been quite a day.....