Understated importance
Thank you for your recent coverage of prairie dogs (“Weekly Why: Why do Coloradans care so much about prairie dogs?” Jan. 15). It’s an important topic, and I appreciate your efforts to highlight it.
I wanted to offer a suggestion for future articles on this subject: a deeper exploration of what it means that prairie dogs are a keystone species. While you briefly mentioned their status as such, I’m concerned that many readers may not fully understand the profound implications.
Keystone species like prairie dogs play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance. If they were to disappear, it would trigger a cascade of negative effects, potentially leading to the decline of many other species that depend on them. Animals such as eagles, coyotes, foxes, hawks, badgers and burrowing owls rely on prairie dogs either as a food source or for their burrows. Their survival is interconnected with that of prairie dogs.
By expanding on this information, you could help the Boulder community better understand why coexistence with prairie dogs is so vital. For those who love the wildlife that makes Colorado unique, protecting prairie dogs should be a priority.
Thank you again for covering this important issue, and I hope to see more in-depth discussions in future editions.
– Annie Mikkelson, Boulder County
Aging Boulder needs a plan
In Japan, some seniors prefer jail or prison to homelessness, tents and dangerous streets, according to a recent story from CNN. It's coming to Boulder unless the city starts a massive building program for older adults.
I am 79 years old, born January 1946, and on the leading edge of the Baby Boomer generation. There are millions of us coming behind me; thousands in Boulder.
Right now I am set. I have a house paid for and a retirement account. I live at home and have some visiting care such as Meals on Wheels. But I am a stroke and heart attack survivor. I can still walk, drive, get around; my brain and mind are sharp as a tack.
But what happens when I become incapacitated and need in-patient care or a nursing home? Will Boulder have enough facilities to take care of me and all the Boomers? I will probably choose assisted suicide when it is time, if I can.
But the real question for public officials: Are you ready for this wave?
– Jann Scott, Boulder
Fresh produce, fresh start
My name is Ana Yanez. I’m 50 years old and a single mother of three. I came to the United States from Mexico 13 years ago as a permanent resident.
I work long hours to support my family, because making ends meet is hard. The Fruit & Veg Longmont Program from Boulder County Public Health has made a big difference in our lives. It’s helped my family stay healthier and given me hope and more control over our well-being.
Supporting my oldest son in college has been one of my proudest achievements. He’s the first in our family to attend college, and he’s attending Harvard University. While this is a dream come true for us, it also means that every extra dollar goes toward his education.
Two years ago, I joined a healthy challenge through the promotoras de salud at El Centro Amistad. Through this challenge, I realized how important fresh fruits and vegetables were to my health, but I couldn’t keep up because I didn’t have the money for them. That’s when they referred me to the Fruit and Veg Longmont Program.
Thanks to this program, I now receive $150 in coupons each month, which allows me to buy the fruits and vegetables I need to make healthy meals for myself and my children. We now drink fruit-infused water, enjoy spinach quesadillas and make green juices — all meals that keep us healthy. I am grateful beyond words for these coupons.
This program doesn’t just provide me with food: It gives me the tools to care for my health. For the past five years, I was pre-diabetic, with my blood sugar levels always on the edge. In September, my doctor told me I had reversed my pre-diabetes.
Right now, I am really struggling to make ends meet. Supporting my son while managing the cost of living has been difficult. Without this help, I would not have been able to afford the foods I needed to stay healthy, and my story might have ended very differently. Instead of hearing that my blood sugar levels are normal, I might have been told that I have diabetes.
Thank you to Boulder County Public Health and everyone who makes the Fruit and Veg Longmont Program possible. It has improved my health, supported my family and given me hope. I hope it continues to grow and reach more families like mine.
– Ana Yanez, Longmont
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