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The survey takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes to complete.
This survey is designed to learn more about:
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Lyft users in Denver may soon be picked up by an electric vehicle.
The ride-hailing company announced Thursday that 200 long-range electric vehicles will be made available to rent in December for its drivers in the Mile High City.
“I was just talking to a Lyft driver who told me that their single biggest cost is gas,” said Gov. Jared Polis, flanked by Lyft officials and other government leaders on the steps of the state Capitol. “And so his earnings will go up when he’s driving electric vehicles.”
Lyft estimates a driver could save between $70 and $100 per week in fuel costs, based on similar programs in other cities.
Recent legislation that lowered the purchase cost of electric vehicles for ride-hailing companies was key to Lyft’s decision to launch its program, said Cal Lankton, Lyft’s vice president of fleet and global operations.
“Colorado’s obviously been a fantastic place for Lyft,” Lankton said.
Lyft’s expansion will expose thousands of riders to electric vehicles, Polis said. He hopes that will persuade them to buy an electric vehicle for their next purchase.
“This is what our renewable energy future looks like,” he said. “Getting creative, saving people money, providing more choices, creating jobs, and staying focused on our goals of reducing emissions and improving air quality.”
Lyft said the 200 electric vehicles will make up a substantial part of its rental fleet in Denver, though a company official declined to give specifics.
https://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/polis-evs-e1573932931800.jpg13771377Coleen Samuelshttps://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DRMAC20logo1.jpgColeen Samuels2019-11-16 19:35:402019-11-16 19:35:40Lyft To Add 200 Electric Vehicles To Its Denver Fleet
BRING INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS, ISSUES, AND MEETINGS TO SHARE WITH COLLEAGUES AT SENIOR ISSUES BRIEFING ON 11/12/19
NEXT MEETING: November 12, 2019
TIME: 8:30 am to 9:30 am
TOPIC: Information Exchange and Opportunities for Collaboration
PRESENTER: All Participants
LOCATION: Balfour Senior Living, Boar’s Head Room, 2979 Unita, Denver.
REFRESHMENTS: Courtesy of Balfour Senior Living
NEXT MEETING: December 10, 2019
DO YOU HAVE OLDER ADULTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A VOLUNTEER DELIVER A THANKSGIVING MEAL ON 11/21/19. THE COLORADO GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY IS PARTNERING WITH CHARLES SCHWAB AND P F CHANG TO DELIVER THANKSGIVING MEALS. PLEASE CALL 303-333-3482 WITH NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES WHO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A THANKSGIVING MEAL.
Military dogs want the same things people want when they retire: comfort, some peace and quiet, and quality time with their loved ones.
That’s not too much to ask for a pup who served their country, now is it?
While 90% of canine veterans end up with their handlers, a few end up available for adoption.
Air Force officials at Lackland Air Force Base, the San Antonio base are worried over the sharp disinterest faced by the retired military working dogs post-retirement.
While the trainee puppies who don’t make the cut for active duty are readily adopted, the older K9s yearn for a home but keep getting overlooked.
The officials have now turned to the people for help. They have requested potential adoptive parties to consider retired K9s too.
These hardworking K9s have dedicated their lives to the safety of the nation and its people. They will be assets to their new family in every aspect.
Lackland Air Force Base, the San Antonio base where all military pups receive their training, handles all their own adoptions, as does the Transportation Security Administration.
There are also organizations like Mission K9 Rescue, which help facilitate adoptions of contract military working dogs, which are often harder to reunite with their handlers.
You can expect most retired military working dogs (MWDs) available for adoption to be between the ages of 10 and 12.
Common breeds include German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and Belgian malinois—all loyal, energetic and intelligent.
“Every MWD, when they’re retiring, they do a behavioral test and an adoptiontest to make sure they’re not going to be food aggressive or bite a small child or chase the mailman down the street,” says MAC Chief Petty Officer Jason Silvis, who works with MWDs at Lackland Air Force Base.
“We do a wide variety of tests before we decide that the dogs are good to be adopted to the public.”
Of the dogs that end up back at Lackland, 75% are approved for adoption. At any given time, there can be as many as 200 approved adopters on their waitlist.
According to Silvis, there are a few requirements that have to be met before you can get your paws on a MWD:
A family has to apply and be interviewed by the military to ensure it will provide for the dog and to answer questions about other pets in the home.
A family usually cannot have young children. Unfortunately, most of the dogs aren’t good fits for families with kids under age 5.
A family must be willing to travel to San Antonio to get the dog.
Lackland only places about six dogs a month, but like Mama always says, good things come to those who wait.
Interested in adopting a retired military working dog? Contact the officers at mwd.adoptions@us.af.mil or call 210-671-6766. Visit Lackland Air Force Base’s website for more info.
Please spread the word and help increase the chances of adoptions for our loyal K9 veterans.
Click the video below to watch how amazing K9 veterans are and how you can adopt them!
Please ‘SHARE’ to pass on this story to a friend or family member
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Story: Man’s About To Return Shelter Dog When He Reads Previous Owner’s Note
A man had finally settled into his new town, but something still felt missing from his life. He thought getting a companion in the form of a shelter dog might help. So he did just that. He went to the shelter where a black Lab named Reggie needed a home. But they didn’t hit it off right away.
The man gave it two weeks (the amount of time the shelter said it may take for the dog to adjust to his new home), but it just wasn’t working out. Maybe it was the fact he was also trying to adjust to a new situation. Maybe they were too much alike. But then the man started going through Reggie’s stuff, and that’s when he was reminded of a letter the previous owner had left with the dog. That’s what would end up changing their lives dramatically.
What an amazingly beautiful story. It’s all going to work out for Tank and his new owner. 🙂
You’ve read this far… you need to watch this short BEAUTIFUL video clip.. It will touch your HEART! Enjoy!
Does this sound familiar? Your dog suddenly starts making loud snorting sounds—over and over again, in quick succession.
Do you start wondering, did they swallow something they shouldn’t have? Can they breathe?!
Chances are, you’re experiencing the infamous “reverse sneeze.”
Veterinarians often see dogs whose owners rushed them in for an emergency appointment after finding them standing with their elbows apart, head pulled back, and eyes bulging as they snort or gasp repeatedly.
Yet for the vast majority of these dogs, a vet visit was unnecessary.
Reverse sneezing looks and sounds scary the first time you encounter it. However, it’s a fairly common and harmless respiratory event for dogs.
Read on to learn how to identify reverse sneezing, what causes it, and how to tell the difference between a harmless reverse sneeze and something else.
What is reverse sneezing?
A reverse sneeze is pretty much what it sounds like: a sneeze that happens in reverse! The above video is a good example of what it looks and sounds like.
In a regular sneeze, air is rapidly pushed out through the nose. In a reverse sneeze, air is rapidly, and noisily, pulled in through the nose.
It occurs in spasms lasting anywhere from a few seconds up to a minute and sounds like snorting, snuffling, and even gagging. See the above video for an example.
Because of the sounds their dogs make while reverse sneezing, many people mistakenly think their dog is choking. However, a reverse sneeze is almost as normal and harmless as a regular sneeze.
There’s no single cause for a reverse sneeze. Like regular sneezing, it’s often triggered by an irritation or inflammation in the nose, throat, or sinuses.
It often occurs when dogs wake up from a nap, or after eating, when their breathing pattern may have rapidly changed. It’s also caused by irritants in the airway—anything from dust to an inhaled hair!
Some dogs experience more frequent reverse sneezing in springtime when the air is full of pollen and other allergens.
Others reverse sneeze more in the winter, when sudden temperature changes between outdoors and indoors cause the nasal passages to contract.
Another common cause of reverse sneezing is pressure on the throat and neck. A too-tight collar, or straining against the leash, can irritate the throat and lead to a reverse sneeze. That’s just one more reason to consider a harness for your dog.
Finally, some dogs reverse sneeze after exercise, or when they’re overexcited. This is particularly common among brachycephalic, or short-nosed, breeds like pugs and bulldogs.
When they get worked up, they may inhale their elongated soft palates into the throat, triggering an episode of reverse sneezing.
Reverse sneezing is super-common, and it won’t hurt your dog. However, some dogs become anxious during a reverse sneezing episode, and a lengthy episode may be uncomfortable.
You can help your dog recover from a reverse sneezing episode by remaining calm yourself. If you get anxious, your dog’s anxiety will increase, too. So, stay calm, and show your dog there’s nothing to panic about.
If your dog is experiencing a particularly long episode of reverse sneezing, you may be able to ease or end the episode by:
Gently massaging your dog’s throat
Briefly covering their nostrils, which will cause them to swallow and potentially stop sneezing
Depressing their tongue with your hand to help open airways
Some vets suggest gently blowing in your dog’s face
In the vast majority of cases, there’s no need to intervene. Reverse sneezing doesn’t last long, and your dog will be perfectly normal after it stops.
As mentioned, reverse sneezing rarely requires veterinary treatment. As soon as the sneezing episode stops, the situation is resolved. However, if episodes increase in frequency or duration, you should call the vet just in case.
You should also seek treatment if your dog’s reverse sneezing is accompanied by other respiratory symptoms or if they have any unusual discharge from their nose.
Occasionally, chronic reverse sneezing can be a symptom of more serious issues. These include nasal mites, foreign objects in the airway, respiratory infections, and tracheal collapse.
If you’re concerned about the intensity of your dog’s reverse sneezing, take a video to show the vet. They’ll be able to determine potential causes.
Most dogs experience episodes of reverse sneezing at some point in their lives. For the vast majority of dogs, it’s a common, temporary, harmless reaction with no lasting aftereffects.
Of course, it still sounds unsettling to our human ears! But now that you know what reverse sneezing is, you’ll be less likely to make an unnecessary vet visit.
https://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AM_196_11Sep19-3-e1572633631680.jpg525525Coleen Samuelshttps://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DRMAC20logo1.jpgColeen Samuels2019-11-01 18:41:102019-11-01 18:41:10Air Force Is Desperately Looking For People To Adopt Some Of The Retired Military Working Dogs
That’s what Jule Reiskin, executive director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, said just a few moments after she testified before lawmakers Monday about a recent proposal from the Regional Transportation District that would significantly curtail service.
Reiskin, who uses a wheelchair, told members of the Transportation Legislative Review Committee that the spotty service on RTD’s fixed-route buses and light rail trains because of an ongoing operator shortage in recent months is nothing new to riders with disabilities.
“What we’re seeing with fixed-route cancellations, we’ve been seeing for years with Access-A-Ride,” Reiskin said, referring to RTD’s paratransit service.
Access-A-Ride provides door-to-door service for disabled patrons who can’t use RTD’s other services. And RTD has been combining trips recently because of driver shortages, Reiskin said.
“Sometimes people can be on the van for two hours for a trip that could take 45 minutes,” she said.
Courtesy RTDAn RTD Access-A-Ride shuttle.
Earlier this month, RTD staff proposed temporary service cuts as a last-ditch way to give its overworked drivers a break. The agency is short about 160 drivers and has been forcing many of them to work six days a week for years to keep up with current service levels. That proposal is still in its early stages. The RTD board will hear a more fleshed out version of it in December.
Reiskin told lawmakers Monday that RTD should commit to not cutting Access-A-Ride at all, and should do its very best to not reduce any service.
“We think it’s a really bad idea,” Reiskin told CPR News. “We think that they need to work with the union on other ways to be retaining drivers.”
Any sort of cut could have a ripple effect on riders with disabilities, Reiskin said, because many people who can’t drive for medical reasons rely on RTD’s buses and trains. And Access-A-Ride is only available to patrons who live within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed-route service line, so cuts to those could curtail the reach of the paratransit service.
“Without RTD, our ability to really reap the promises of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which turns 30 next year, is gone,” Resikin said. “Because we can’t get to work, we can’t get out, we can’t go spend money in the community, we can’t get to medical care. Transportation is really the key to independence and full community participation.”
RTD spokeswoman Pauletta Tonilas said she couldn’t say whether driver shortages have affected Access-A-Ride, but she said the agency is very aware of the importance of that service.
Nathaniel Minor/CPR NewsRTD Board Chair Doug Tisdale, left, and General Manager Dave Genova, right, speak to the state Transportation and Legislative Review Committee on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019
“These are folks who are some of our most transit-dependent. We obviously are very careful about what we do to impact them,” she said. “However, day to day, it’s tough to predict what’s going to happen with any of our services.”
Tonilas said Reiskin and others are welcome to give RTD their thoughts in coming weeks as the proposal takes shape.
“This is an unfortunate situation that we don’t want to be in,” Tonilas said. “But we have a responsibility to look at what we can do to try to solve the situation.”
RTD officials mentioned the proposal in its own presentation to the Transportation Legislation Review Committee on Monday, which drew some critical questions from lawmakers.
“It sounds to me, though, that the temporary designation is based on hope,” Democratic Rep. Matt Gray of Broomfield said.
RTD General Manager Dave Genova said RTD has some new ideas, including hiring temporary employees. Board Chair Doug Tisdale replied that the board has committed to a firm end date to the service reduction.
“We will give this a stated amount of time, and look to staff to deliver those results,” Tisdale said.
https://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/julie-reiskin1-e1572487927737.jpg11401140Coleen Samuelshttps://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DRMAC20logo1.jpgColeen Samuels2019-10-31 02:12:202019-10-31 02:12:20Transit Riders With Disabilities Tell Lawmakers Just How Painful RTD’s Proposed Service Cuts Could Be
Hop on the RTD light rail, and you probably expect to see commuters, students and maybe visitors coming from or going to Denver International Airport. What you might not anticipate is that the masters to riding RTD are likely the couple in their 80s sitting behind you.
Not only are older Denverites key users of RTD today, but many can recall the transportation district’s early days. Years of experience have reaped a tangible understanding of RTD’s importance to our city and more than a few tricks to make the best use of its many bus/rail lines.
“I think RTD — especially the train — is a great asset to our city. As older adults, we particularly appreciate that it is safe and convenient,” Sondra Plachy shared from the living room of her cottage at Holly Creek Life Plan Community.
If anyone knows how much Denver has changed and how important transit has always been, the Plachys certainly do. Long before the couple moved to Holly Creek, Jon Plachy was the second professor ever hired for Metropolitan State University and taught the first math classes out of business buildings before the school had a campus. For thirty years he rode RTD buses from work to the couple’s previous home in Aurora.
“It was so important to us that we could travel with public transport. We only had one car in those days,” Sondra Plachy explained. “Now we use the train for downtown recreation like concerts and sports. There are certain destinations for which it is perfect. If you’re going to the theater, it drops you off right there.”
“RTD’s the way to go, especially as an older adult,” agrees Holly Creek resident Bruce Johnson.
Johnson has participated in RTD’s Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program and even considered running for the transportation district’s board. He appreciates the rail-riding experience and has been among the first to ride RTD’s various lines, but also points to the economic benefits of riding rail for recreation.
Johnson displays his emergency response training certification through RTD
“We get the senior discount tickets. You don’t have to drive, and the real benefit is not paying to park. You don’t even have to have a car. If you need a car to get you from the rail to somewhere more specific, you can use their Uber app.”
Johnson rides the rails about once a month, and the Plachys typically hop a train four to five times a year. They keep the rest of their calendars more than full with social and cultural activities at their home in Holly Creek Life Plan Community.
“If you’re bored out here, it’s your own fault,” Sondra Plachy joked. “There’s something to do almost every day.”
When Holly Creek residents do need to travel around the region, though, RTD is still often the easiest and most cost-effective option. Earlier this year resident Henrietta Smith’s husband was diagnosed with cancer.
“Over the past ten months we’ve been using the light rail to DIA every 28 days so he can fly to Houston for treatment,” Smith shared. “It was been such a blessing. You can just sit back and relax.”
Holly Creek resident Ed VanBramer, who volunteers weekly at DIA, favors the bus.
“It only takes me 40 minutes on the bus, versus an hour and 20 minutes on the train, and you have to change trains,” VanBramer said. “I hop on the bus right at I-25, and it takes me all the way to the airport with only one stop.”
At only $5.25 for seniors, the bus’s price tag is hard to beat, and it has allowed VanBramer to keep doing what he loves.
In addition to ease and low cost, rail and bus travel is safe and especially helpful in low-light conditions. It’s for these and similar reasons that the active older adults at Holly Creek and across the city are some of RTD’s most seasoned users. RTD can be the ticket (quite literally) to support living, giving and travel.
If you’re curious for more tips on riding RTD, join Holly Creek Life Plan Community on November 5th at 11:30am for a presentation on ways to maximize light rail and bus offerings. RTD team members will be providing insight on using our local transportation, followed by a free lunch hosted by Holly Creek. The event is open to the public, but seating is limited, so please RSVP to 303.974.4350.
https://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/RTD_No._4018_A_Line_train_USTH-e1572384043172.jpg720720Coleen Samuelshttps://drmac-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DRMAC20logo1.jpgColeen Samuels2019-10-29 21:21:232019-10-29 21:21:23Older adults are some of Denver’s best at riding rail
Source: Demetrius Lester/
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