December 2023 by The Senior Voice

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Published Locally Since 1980

December 2023

Where the World Stays Young

2 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

WHERE THE WORLD

Published Locally Since 1980 Vol. 43, No. 12

Online at www.theseniorvoice.net PUBLICATION INFORMATION The Senior Voice is locally owned and has been published the first of each month since 1980 for residents in Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and nearby areas. ADVERTISING Ad deadline is 20th of month. For rates, call 970-229-9204; email wolf@theseniorvoice.net or see www.theseniorvoice.net

Wolfgang Lambdin Publisher and Advertising Director

Fort Collins, Colorado (970) 229-9204 wolf.lambdin@gmail.com EDITORIAL DEADLINE: Announcements and stories must be received by the 10th of the month; ads by the 20th of the month. READER INFORMATION: Subscriptions $52 a year. Writers' opinions are not necessarily those of The Senior Voice. EDITORIAL OFFICE: (970) 229-9204 wolf.lambdin@gmail.com www.theseniorvoice.net Design Production by Ellen Bryant Design ellen@ellenbryantdesign.com © Copyright 2023 The Senior Voice No material may be reproduced by any means without permission of the Senior Voice. William and Peggy Lambdin Founders, 1980

Stays Young By P.J. Hunt

she. In 1920 they had a daughter, Enda (not Edna, means sunshine), their only child.

Estes Park resident Enos Mills was a remarkable man and one of the most popular early naturalists in America.

Their wedding ceremony was held at the cabin Mills had built when he first came to Estes in 1884. He later said, “All the great events of my life have seemed to center around that little cabin I built in boyhood.”

Some called him the John Muir of the Rockies. Others called him the father of Rocky Mountain National Park, which he helped establish.

Mills was then 50 and at the height of his career. But things changed. He died just two years later from blood poisoning after surgery for an infected tooth and jaw. He was buried next to the cabin.

In 1884 at age 14, he came to Estes Park from Kansas and built a log cabin just east of Longs Peak. He climbed Longs Peak over 200 times, usually guiding tourists. Sometimes he climbed it twice a day or at night, and when winds were blowing over 100 miles an hour. Mills loved adventure and admitted he nearly lost his life several times seeking thrills in the mountains. He was also a skilled woodsman who could survive in the high country for days with no shelter or blankets, eating nothing but raisins or native plants. Making extensive use of libraries, he taught himself the things he needed to become a first-rate naturalist. Within a few years, he was writing and lecturing. Officials with the U.S. Forest Service were so impressed by his work that they made him a lecturer for the agency. He traveled throughout the U.S. and gave over 2,000 lectures in a few short years. He wrote 15 books and countless articles for America’s popular magazines. People loved his stories about encounters with grizzly bears, being caught in avalanches, riding the

Enos Mills. Estes Museum. tops of trees in wind storms. In 1902 he bought the Longs Peak Inn near the base of Longs Peak. The inn was a popular place for people wanting to vacation in a pristine mountain setting. Guests included John D. Rockefeller and many other famous people. They took hikes with Mills and listened to him praise the splendor of the mountains. One guest became Mills’ wife. Esther Burnell was a beautiful, 27-year-old woman who had become a successful interior decorator on the East Coast. But in 1916, she wanted to escape the stress of that life and came to Estes Park. She stayed at Mills’ Longs Peak Inn for a while, then built a small house nearby. She helped Mills prepare books and articles, and she married him in 1918 even though he was 20 years older than

He had dedicated his life to saving wild places and sharing his love of the outdoors. At his funeral, someone said a little child sobbed and asked, “What will the mountains do without Mr. Mills?” Here is an excerpt from one of his essays, showing how eloquently he could describe his beloved mountains: “The mountain ram poses on the cliff. The laughing, varied voice of the coyote echoes when the afterglow falls...The cheerful chipmunk frolics and never grows up. Here the world stays young.” Mills said one of his most memorable climbs of Longs Peak was with a little girl who asked, “What lives at the top?” For him, it must have been a spirit that called him to the mountains—where the world stayed young. ________________ COVER PICTURE. A fox in the snow, Senior Voice Archives.

December 2023 • The Senior Voice • 3

Power Training Improves Balance and Mobility Declining balance and decreased physical ability are both classically attributed to physical age, but Kirk Bemis, owner of Fort Collins based Fit-Rx, challenges that the two are directly correlated. Although there are some age-related declines, Bemis believes much of the trouble is due to a decrease in fast-paced and powerful movements. According to numerous studies, balance, strength, and power (the ability to move weight quickly) all begin to decline around age 40, with power declining at the highest rate. This is partially due to unavoidable physiological deterioration, but many of the changes associated with “normal” aging are actually due to adaptations the body makes in response to reduced physical activity. Performing regular, vigorous activities throughout one’s life is the best way to retain the ability to be active for as long as possible, as evidenced by the “Blue Zone” population (those in Italy, Greece, Japan, and Costa Rica who have lower rates of chronic disease and longer life expectancy). Many health clubs, fitness studios, and senior oriented organizations seek to help the aging population maintain strength and balance through various programs and classes. However, many of these activities, while hypothetically sound, have not been shown to offer tangible benefits in increasing life activity or decreasing fall risk. A recent study in the Journal of Gerontology states, “Many strategies to improve balance dysfunction, a major risk factor for falls, have included specific balance training strategies, strength training, walking, Tai Chi, and multidimensional exercises. Few interventions, however, have showed consistent positive outcomes in balance.” These results make sense because “when threats to balance (narrowed base of support, perturbation, loss of vision, or proprioception) occur, rapid responses must be

engaged to maintain postural stability. “ The speed at which we are able to correct to maintain balance or recover from a stumble is really the key determinant of successful locomotion and activity, and is a primary indicator of balance deficit, fall risk and decreasing physical ability in those over 50. As previously mentioned, many modalities currently exist to attempt to address balance and mobility, but they are not proven to provide tangible benefit in decreasing fall risk and maintaining an active lifestyle. So where does the answer lie, you ask? According to Bemis, “Emerging studies have shown that progressive, lighter load, high velocity resistance (power) training increases muscular strength and endurance, and through increased contraction velocity, also improves balance. This is a win, win, win!!” He continues, “While this research is very encouraging, “power training” typically requires high impact and potentially dangerAdvertorial

ous situations for those not already accustomed to vigorous physical activity.” Bemis says his business, Fit-Rx, is able to address these challenges head on. “Our unique equipment and programming are truly a paradigm shift in the practice of aging well. To my knowledge we are the only facility in Colorado able to “power train” our clients aged 40 to 90 in a low impact and safe environment to promote optimal balance, mobility, and confidence to pursue their most active lives, regardless of starting ability.” Fit-Rx is currently offering a “Holiday Special” package which includes 3 free visits (initial consultation, assessment, and initial session). They are located at 4206 S College Avenue, Unit 108 in Fort Collins (SE corner of the Hobby Lobby shopping center). Appointments can be made by scheduling a tour online at www.fit-rx.net or by calling 970-803-2710.

4 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

MEDICAID COVERAGE

By USA Today

In the months since states have been allowed to remove Medicaid and CHIP recipients from their rolls for the first time since the pandemic began, officials have reviewed the eligibility of more than 28 million of the 94 million enrollees in the government health insurance programs for people with low incomes. Seven months into what was predicted to be the biggest upheaval in the 58-year history of the government health insurance program for people with low incomes and disabilities, states have reviewed the eligibility of millions of people and terminated coverage for over 10 million of them. Millions more are expected to lose Medicaid in the coming months. The unprecedented enrollment drop comes after federal protections ended this spring that had prohibited states from remov-

ing people from Medicaid during the three pandemic years. Since March 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and the related Children’s Health Insurance Program had surged by more than 22 million to reach 94 million people.

The process of reviewing all recipients’ eligibility has been anything but smooth for many Medicaid enrollees. Some are losing coverage without understanding why. Some are struggling to prove they’re still eligible. Recipients and patient advocates say Medicaid officials sent mandatory renewal forms to outdated addresses, miscalculated income levels, and offered clumsy translations of the documents. Attempting to process the cases of tens of millions of people at the same time also has exacerbated long-standing weaknesses in the bureaucratic system. Some suspect particular states have used

the confusing system to discourage enrollment.

“It’s not just bad, but worse than people can imagine,” said Camille Richoux, health policy director for the nonprofit Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. “This unwinding has not been about determining who is eligible by all possible means, but how we can kick people off by all possible means.” It’s anyone’s guess how many former Medicaid beneficiaries remain uninsured. States don’t track what happens to everyone after they’re disenrolled. And the final tallies likely won’t be known until 2025, after the unwinding finishes by next summer and federal officials survey Americans’ insurance status. Doctors and representatives of community health centers around the country said they have seen an uptick in cancellations and no-shows among patients without

coverage — including children. Nationwide, states have already disenrolled at least 1.8 million children in the 20 states that provide the data by age. Children typically qualify more easily than adults, so child advocates believe many kids are being wrongly terminated based on their parents’ being deemed no longer eligible. Meanwhile, enrollment in CHIP, which has higher income eligibility levels than Medicaid, has shown only a tiny increase. Kids accounted for varying shares of those disenrolled in each state, ranging from 68% in Texas to 16% in Massachusetts, according to KFF. In September, government officials said most states were conducting eligibility checks incorrectly and inappropriately disenrolling eligible children or household members. It ordered states to reinstate coverage for some 500,000 people.

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MEDICARE IN 2024 By Akilah Johnson Kaiser Family Foundation The federal government recently redesigned its internet tool called Medicare Plan Finder that helps seniors navigate complicated Medicare choices. But experts say it’s malfunctioning with alarming frequency, offering inaccurate cost estimates and creating chaos in some states during the open enrollment period. In Nebraska, miscalculations offered through the new Plan Finder were so worrisome that the state in late October temporarily shut down a network of 350 volunteer Medicare advisers for a day because, without the Plan Finder, narrowing the choices of more than 4,000 Medicare plans available nationwide down to three top selections would be impossible. Days later, EnvisionRxPlus, a prescription drug plan, sent an email to independent insurance brokers nationwide recommending they not use the Plan Finder because of incorrect estimates on drug prices and patient deductibles. Minnesota’s Area Agencies on Aging said in a news release on November 14 that the Plan Finder “continues to produce flawed results,” including inaccurate premium estimates and incorrect prescription drug costs. The full weight of the tool’s inaccuracies will not be felt until the 2020 coverage year begins and seniors head to pharmacies to fill prescriptions or show up for their medical appointments. For many Medicare participants, selections made during open enrollment are irreversible. “Millions of people are going to be affected,” said Ann Kayris with the National Council on Aging. “And you hate to think about millions of people having the wrong plan. That’s kind of crazy.” Government officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged

in a statement that some problems have been reported but said development of the redesigned tool, which cost about $11 million, was an “iterative” process—whatever that means. The statement said CMS did “extensive consumer testing … to ensure that the information that is displayed is complete, streamlined, understandable, and is in plain language.” CMS said it previewed the new Plan Finder in June and began “road-testing” it in July, saying “stakeholder feedback led to enhancements” that were implemented before a public launch on August 27. Updates have continued as users report issues, according to the statement. Millions of Medicare beneficiaries use the Plan Finder to re-evaluate their insurance choices during open enrollment. The tool drives traffic to Medicare. gov, where users may sort and compare choices. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that beneficiaries will have an average of 28 Medicare Advantage plans and 26 prescription drug plans to choose from for 2020. Choosing from many options can be so confusing to the typical Medicare participant that states offer help through the federally supported Senior Health Insurance Program, which offers free one-on-one counseling to those eligible for Medicare, their families, and caregivers. Numerous experts are asking CMS to immediately remedy this situation and to extend the open enrollment period for at least three months once the Plan Finder tool is fixed.

December 2023 • The Senior Voice • 5

NOW IS THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR MEDICARE. Open enrollment is Oct. 15–Dec 7. Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is the only place to receive unbiased advice regarding your Medicare. Certified Medicare counselors will help you make your decisions. We do not receive compensation or commission from any of the prescription drug companies. To make an appointment, scan the QR code:

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6 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

About Our Streets By Charlene Tresner

Many of the streets in Fort Collins were named for pioneers, some of whom had interesting lives. Mason Street was named for Joseph Mason, a French-Canadian who arrived in 1859 as one of the first settlers in Fort Collins. He was probably the town's first sheriff and later helped start several businesses. He was kicked by a horse and died in 1881 at only 41 years old. Smith Street was named for Timothy M. Smith, Fort Collins' fist doctor who arrived in 1864 and delivered the town's first child in 1867. He fathered two children of his own, twin girls, when he was age 65. Stover Street was named for William C. Stover, who came from Indiana in 1860 at age 18. One historian said he was so poor he had to borrow money for a pair of boots and made himself a pair of trousers from feed sacks. But the early West offered many opportunities for a young man,

and before long he established a general store and founded Stover's Drug Store, which later was called City Drug. Within 18 years after he arrived, he was wealthy enough to help establish the Poudre Valley Bank. Drake Road was named for William A. Drake, who came to Fort Collins from Iowa in 1882. He operated the largest sheep-feeding business in Colorado, selling 40,000 sheep a year. His farm was just south of Fort Collins. He later became a state senator. The little village of Drake between Loveland and Estes Park was also named for him. Eaton Street was named for Benjamin H. Eaton, who came to the area in 1859 during the gold rush and had the foresight to realize he could make money selling food, hay, and other farm products to miners. He later built several canals to bring water to farmlands and owned over 14,000 acres between Fort Collins and Greeley.

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Across 1 Day before Ash Wednesday: _____ Tuesday 4 “Dramatis Personae” listing 9 Chapeaus 13 Jackie’s second husband, for short 14 It carries blood from the heart to other organs 15 Contestant’s warning, “Your time _____ _____!” 16 Ski area near the Moffat Tunnel 19 “...What’s love ___ ____ second hand emotion... “ ) 20 Chaffee County town home to Mt. Princeton Hot Springs 21 Sophocles’“complex” tragic king 23 River in Normandy, France, which empties into the English Channel 24 Mt. Blanc, for one 25 Persian fairy 27 Broncos coach who led them to their first Super Bowl 33 “He’s quite a wordsmith. He _____ _____ phrase often during a conversation.” (2 wds.) 35 Forest females 36 Brief yell of support 37 Forerunner of the CIA 38 Angler’s tiny inducement on a fly line 40 Calendar abbr. 41 “Sweet” suffix 42 Anderson of TV’s “WKRP in Cincinnati” 43 After the flood, citizens were told _____ _____ their drinking water. 46 Pass near 10th Mt. Division’s training area, Camp Hale 49 Golfer’s warning 50 Lane to facilitate smooth flow of traffic at peak times. 51 “Get going, kitty. Be gone!” 53 _____ Pass is located along the boundary of Park and Summit Counties 57 “The remote village was inhabited by several _____ _____ pagan worshippers.” 61 Hawkeye state 62 Pass near Telluride: _____ _____ 4 F 2A 3 T A 5 C 6 T 7O 8 R 9H 10A 11T 12S 14 A R I A O R T A 15I S U P 16 17 18 19 W I N T E R P A R K B U T A 20 21 22 N A T H R O P O E D I P U S 23 24 O R N E A L P 25 26 27 28 29 30 P E R I R E D M I L L 31E 32R 33 C O I N S 34A 35D O E S 36Y E A 37 38 39 40 O S S M I D G E F R I 41 42 43 44 45 O S E L O N I T O B O I L 46 47 48 49 T E N N E S S E E F O R E 50 51 H O V S 52H O O 53 H 54O O S I 55E 56R 57C U L T 58S 59O 60F 61 62 63 I OW A L I Z A R D H E A D 64 65 66 N O E L A D E P T A R I 67 68 69 T O R E M A N E S N S C

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December 2023 • The Senior Voice • 7

64 Christmas hymn of sorts 65 Skilled at something 66 Diamondbacks on the scoreboard 67 Removed forcefully from a book 68 Pride of prides? 69 Nat’l Security Council in a text Down 1 Forest newbie 2 Pavarotti specialty 3 Auto glass application 4 Judge or Rodgers of sports fame 5 Brass is an alloy of _____ and zinc 6 Musical syllable, especially around the Christmas 7 Other or another, south of the border 8 Cad, womanizer 9 Hello, William! (casually 10 “Low on propane, we just received _____ _____ _____ the winter.” 11 Ballet attire 12 Soaking places 17 It's removed from a lion's paw in Aesop's Fables 18 “ To ____ _____ human, to forgive divine” 22 Speakers’ platform 25 Butch and Sundance nemesis 26 Structure completed in 1973: _____ Tunnel 28 Chant for Broncos favorite McCaffrey 29 Word preceding “eared,”“tired,”“years” 30 Get acquainted 31 Very, very spooky 32 Some were run out of town on this in the old West 33 Water fowl of the family of # 32 down 34 Andy’s partner of old time radio comedy 39 Connections of influence 42 Strauss of denim fame 44 Memories recall these days (2 wds.) 45 Actor/assassin 47 Cash register message 48 Houdini feat 52 Philadelphia Eagles QB 53 Clue 54 Alphabetic quadruple 55 He is the Denver Broncos all-time scoring leader 56 The Pied Piper ____ ____ town of its rat infestation 58 Broncos’ leader: _____ Payton 59 Boat movers 60 Fine print advisory on checks and deposit tickets 63 This philosophy emphasizes meditation and intuition COLORADO CROSSWORDS are created by longtime Loveland residents Tony and Peggy Donovan.

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8 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

Estate Planning BAD MEDICINE By Ron Rutz, Attorney

Q: I remember in one of your estate planning seminaries that you said (using a Swedish term) January is “dostadning time.” Exactly what should I be doing? A: The original intent of “dostadning” is to die with as few possessions as possible to save the family from dealing with a lifetime of “stuff.” Here in America, we have taken the term also to mean consolidating estate assets to minimize the work of your Personal Representative. You begin to downsize and consolidate. Start with things that you never (or hardly ever) use, let alone see. But keep the things that you are truly enjoying. Unless there is a reason, reduce the number of credit cards, checking accounts, investments

The leading decongestant used by millions of Americans looking Give or dispose of things for relief from a stuffy nose is no now that you are not using or enbetter than a dummy pill, accordjoying. Go through for example, ing to government experts who repictures and make “packets” for viewed the latest research. selective people, even duplicatAdvisers to the Food and ing the same picture to go into Drug Administration voted unaniseveral “packets.” You might mously on Tuesday against the efconsider making arrangements fectiveness of the key drug found in popular versions of Sudafed, for burial. Dayquil and other medications As you go through the prostocked on store shelves. cess, update your “asset list” “Modern studies are not (items that would need to be showing any improvement in conhandled at your death), along gestion with phenylephrine,” said with your list of key contact peoDr. Mark Dykewicz, an allergy ple, list of computer passwords, specialist at the Saint Louis Unietc. versity School of Medicine. It seems to also help the If the FDA follows through person “dostadning” to refocus on the panel’s recommendations, on the present and the future for Johnson & Johnson, Bayer and another round of “dostadning” at other drugmakers could be resome point in the future. quired to pull their oral medications containing phenylephrine (Email rutz@ronaldrutz.com. from store shelves. That would Call 970-223-8388 in Loveland.) T:9" likely force consumers to switch at various brokerage houses, etc.

to the behind-the-counter pseudoephedrine products or to phenylephrine-based nasal sprays and drops. In that scenario, the FDA would have to work with drugstores, pharmacists and other health providers to educate consumers about the remaining options for treating congestion, panelists said Tuesday. The group also told the FDA that studying phenylephrine at higher doses was not an option because it can push blood pressure to potentially dangerous levels. Pseudoephedrine, the decongestant found in Sudafed, is highly effective, said Dr. Maryann Amirshahi, a medical toxicologist and a professor of emergency medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine. The downside is that the bad Sudafed is still on the shelves in the store. You have to ask the pharmacist for the good Sudafed.

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OUR HOSPITALS ASPIRIN STUDY Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said it’s time to hold hospitals accountable for the high costs they are passing onto patients.

“Sadly, we are among the top 10 states for hospital cost, price and profit. Let’s change that,” Polis said. “Some large hospital systems are making record profits, paying zero taxes, and sitting on enormous reserves while overcharging customers,” Polis said. “Meanwhile, they are consolidating providers, which drives up costs and leaves fewer options for Coloradans.” But hospital executives disagree. Many hospitals are operating with negative margins, said the Colorado Hospital Association. More than half of Colorado’s hospitals are in unsustainable financial situations, their report states. “Almost three years into the

pandemic, hospitals continue to meet their missions and provide life-saving, accessible care for patients and communities,” said the Hospital Association president Jeff Tilman. “At the same time, they are managing staff constraints, financial pressures, and growing regulatory burden.”

Tilman added that while Colorado hospitals are seeing fewer patients, they are seeing patients with more serious illness, which is also a trend being seen around the country. Nationwide, hospital leaders say they are dealing with sicker patients requiring longer hospital stays. Hospital leaders say many patients have delayed seeking healthcare in the pandemic, and now they are showing up in hospitals with more advanced illness.

Low-dose daily aspirin does not provide significant protection against stroke resulting from blood clots and may increase risk of bleeding in the brain or skull after head trauma, according to an NIA-funded study. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, provide new evidence countering past conventional wisdom recommending a daily low-dose or baby aspirin for healthy older adults.

In this study, an international team analyzed data from the aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial. ASPREE includes about 19,000 healthy older adult volunteers from Australia and the United States who were randomly assigned to take a daily 100 milligram aspirin or a placebo pill and were monitored for approximately five years.

The research team found no statistically significant difference in stroke incidence between those who took aspirin and those on the placebo. While a relatively small overall number of brain bleeds occurred in participants during the study period — 187 total, with 108 from the aspirin group and 79 from the placebo one — bleeding events were 38% higher among participants who were taking aspirin daily, regardless of their gender, age, or cardiovascular risk. Bleeding into the brain or onto its surface are common and serious results of fall-related head injuries in older adults. In this study, nearly half of these bleeding events were due to trauma.

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A husband stepped on one of those penny scales that tell you your fortune and dropped in a coin. "Listen to this," he said to his wife, showing her a small, white card. "It says I'm energetic, bright, resourceful and a great person." His wife nodded and said, “It has your weight wrong, too." On a Miami to Chicago flight was a lively youngster who nearly drove everyone crazy. He was running up and down the aisle when the flight attendant started serving coffee. He ran smack into her, knocking a cup of coffee out of her hand and onto the floor. As he stood by watching her clean up the mess, she glanced up at the boy and said, “Look, why don’t you go and play outside?” A cement mixer and a prison bus crashed on the highway. Police advise citizens to look out for a group of hardened criminals. Every time a little boy went to a playmate’s house, he found the friend’s grandmother deeply engrossed in her Bible. Finally his curiosity got the better of him. “Why do you suppose your grandmother reads the Bible so much?” he asked. “I’m not sure,” said his friend, “but I think she’s cramming for her finals.” A man died and his wife phoned the newspaper to place an obituary. She said, "This is what I want to print: Bernie is dead. The woman at the newspaper said, "But you are allowed to print a many more words." The woman answered, "Okay. Then print: Bernie is dead. Toyota for sale." A man driving on a highway is pulled over by a police officer. The officer asks, "Did you know your wife fell out of your car a

mile back? A smile creeps onto the man's face and he exclaims, "Thank God! I thought I was going deaf!" Two old friends, Ned and John, lived for baseball. Then one day, John died, leaving Ned inconsolable. A few weeks later, Ned heard someone calling his name. He looked up. Standing on a cloud was his old pal, who said, “I have good news and bad. The good news is there’s baseball in heaven.” “What’s the bad news?” “You’re pitching Sunday.” While robbing a home, a burglar hears someone say, "Jesus is watching you." To his relief, he realizes it is just a parrot mimicking something it had heard. The burglar asks the parrot, "What's your name?" The parrot says, "Moses." The burglar asks, "What kind of a person names their parrot Moses?" The parrot replies, "The same kind of person that names his rotweiller Jesus." Joan, the town gossip and supervisor of the town's morals, recently accused George, a local man, of being an alcoholic because she saw his pickup truck parked outside the town's only bar. George stared at her for a moment and said nothing. Later that evening, he parked his pickup truck in front of her house and left it there all night.

December 2023 • The Senior Voice • 11

OUR ROCKY MOUNTAIN PARK (Editor’s Note: Information for this article came from several sources.)

The Rocky Mountain National Park holds adventure for every visitor. In it the world is new and wild produces the explorer's stirring joys. Its mile-high, unfenced scenes give freedom—splendid landscapes of the ideal world. Not only is this national park the composite of all that is fairest, most awe-inspiring and climatically ideal in the Rocky Mountain region, but it is not far from the geographical center of the country and is the most easily reached by a large number of people of all our national parks. Although Native Americans were present in the vicinity of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park before the arrival of the white man, they seemed to have used the area only as sum-

mering grounds. Moreover, their use of the area seems to have ended before the arrival of the first European settlers in the area.

The first non-Indian to visit the area was fur trapper Rufus B. Sage in in 1843. But the first settlers in the area were Joel Estes and his family in 1863. They were not trappers, just farmers who lived on elk, deer, and other game they killed. In 1864 a group of men from Denver were the first to climb Longs Peak. One of them was William Byers, who was the editor of the Rocky Mountain Newspaper in Denver. He wrote an article about the area—and that prompted the beginning of tourism in what became Rocky Mountain National Park. Griffith. Evans, a Welshman, and his family had come the previous year. He raised cattle and in

WHY CALL IT THAT? By Lois Hall

When I travel in northern Colorado, I often see the name of a place and wonder, “Why did they call it that?” That’s why I like to know the origins of places like these: Bellvue, a small village that still stands north of Fort Collins, was named by pioneer Jacob Flowers, who came there in the 1870s. A post office was established in 1884. Evans, just south of Greeley, was named for a major figure in early Colorado. John Evans, M.D., was the state’s second territorial governor and helped develop the railroad between Denver and Cheyenne. Before he came to Colorado, he had helped establish Northwestern University in Illinois. The town of Evanston, Illinois, was named for him. Cameron Pass at the top of Poudre Canyon west of Fort

Collins was named for General Robert Cameron. After serving in the Civil War, he came to Colorado in 1870 and, with Nathan Meeker, was one of the original settlers of the town of Greeley. He later had disagreements with Meeker, moved to Fort Collins, and helped develop that town. Cameron was a far-sighted pioneer who saw how successful agriculture could be in Colorado. Dacono (pronounced dayKOH-no) southwest of Greeley was named for three women: Daisy, Cora and Nora. Early miner Charlie Baum named the little place for his wife, Daisy, and two other women in his family. Nearby Firestone and Frederick were named for early settlers Jacob Firestone and Frederick Clark. And nearby Erie was named by a pioneer minister for his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania.

A bear in a tree in Rocky Mountain National Park. time became the founder of the resort industry of the area.

Enos Mills began pushing for the creation of a national park here.

Jim Nugent, better known as Rocky Mountain Jim, arrived about the same time as Evans. Jim had a wide and mixed reputation. When sober he was a kindly and considerate soul, but when drunk he exhibited a mean and vicious streak. He and Griffith Evans met in a western shoot-out, and Nugent was shot to death.

He first climbed the Longs Peak when he was just 15 years old. He made the hike almost 300 times as a mountain guide. Mills gave talks about the Longs Peak area to urge Congress to make it a national park.

Meanwhile, settlers began to come into the area in greater numbers. Perhaps the single greatest attraction to the area was Longs Peak. Many who came to the area, whether as an individual seeking a vacation or as a member of a scientific party, felt compelled to climb the peak. The first woman to climb Longs Peak as Anna E. Dickinson in 1873. She was completely thrilled by the experience, she said. As more and more people came to the area, concern for protecting the natural environment grew. In 1909, Estes Park resident

On January 26, 1915, Mills got his wish. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act to make the area America’s 10th national park. The Denver Post newspaper called Mills the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.” Near the Park is the Stanley Hotel where author Stephen King got the idea of creating the ghost story “The Shining.” In 1974 King and his wife stayed at the somewhat shabby Stanley Hotel when the unheated main building was about to close for the season. While there, King got the idea for a story about a man who goes crazy at a remote hotel that is closed for the winter.

12 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

YOUR EYE DROPS The FDA issued an alert warning consumers to stop using 26 over-the-counter eye drop products because of the potential risk of eye infection that could lead to partial vision loss or blindness.

by and Velocity may still be avail-

The products are marketed from several major brands: CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up&Up, and Velocity Pharma.

the products.

The FDA said investigators found "insanitary conditions" in the manufacturing facility, and test results from environmental sampling of critical drug production areas showed bacterial contamination. The FDA then recommended manufacturers recall all lots of the products. CVS, Rite Aid and Target are removing products from their store shelves and websites, while products branded as Leader, Rug-

able and should not be purchased, according to the FDA alert. So far, the agency has not received any reports of eye infection linked to In late August, the FDA issued a consumer warning on two other eye drop products contaminated with bacteria and fungus. The agency's series of warnings on eye products comes after a drug-resistant bacteria outbreak earlier this year affected 81 people, four of whom died from the infections. That outbreak was tied to several different eye drops, though the most commonly reported exposure was EzriCare Artificial Tears.

PROSTATE TREATMENTS By Harvard Medical School Nearly a century ago, surgeons developed what is still considered the gold-standard treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an age-related affliction that occurs when an enlarged prostate obstructs the flow of urine. Offered to men who don't respond to BPH medication, this procedure, called a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP, involves trimming excess prostate tissue with an electric loop. Roughly 90% of treated men achieve long-lasting relief, but they typically also have to spend a night recovering in the hospital, and many are left unable to ejaculate.

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Newer, minimally-invasive BPH procedures offer faster recovery times and fewer risks of complications. Where a TURP cuts directly into the prostate, these alternate procedures treat BPH in other ways — for instance,

by using steam, microwaves, or lasers to treat the obstructing tissues. Called the Optilume BPH catheter system, it provided sustained relief from BPH symptoms that continued holding up after four years, according to study results. During an Optilume procedure, doctors thread an inflatable catheter toward the prostate through the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the bladder. The catheter splits the two halves of the prostate (which are called lobes), creating a V-shaped channel in the top of the gland that reduces pressure on the urethra, improving urinary flow rates. Importantly, the catheter is coated with a chemotherapy drug, paclitaxel, that helps to limit treatment-related inflammatory responses. After the catheter is removed, the channel in the prostate remains.

December 2023 • The Senior Voice • 13

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14 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

Hearing problems can become brain problems

The brain needs access to the full perspective of the sound scene to work as it should. Not receiving this can lead to brain problems.

Brain problems can become life problems

When access to the right input is limited, a hearing problem can lead to serious problems in life. If you are experiencing hearing difficulties, call (970) 221-5249 to schedule your hearing evaluation and consultation.

Susan D. Baker, BS, BC-HIS 2001 S Shields St, Bldg J-2 | Fort Collins (970) 221-5249 | AdvancedHearing.net

HEALTHCARE ISSUES A recent study shows that only seven percent of Americans are satisfied with the current healthcare system. Here are some of the issues.

and would require hundreds of

Preventable Medical Errors. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed medical death rate data for eight years and found that medical errors are to blame for more than 250,000 deaths per year in the U.S. This accounts for 10% of all U.S. deaths and makes it the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.

High Costs of Care. Accord-

Finding a qualified doctor. A doctor’s expertise is not evident in a quick search through online reviews. Expertise is determined by factors such as the physician’s research (current and past), the volume of patients seen with a particular condition, expert status for a condition, connectedness with other doctors treating a condition, and more. These factors are not readily accessible to consumers

hours of research to compile. This is why MediFind was created. See https://www.medifind.com. ing to the Health Cost Institute, average healthcare prices have increased year over year, with rates that were 15% higher than the previous year. Despite practices intended lower U.S. healthcare costs, costs are still high because driving them down is a complex operation. In reducing costs for consumers, we also reduce revenue for providers. A straightforward solution is to provide health consumers with information to better their health and lower the risk of preventable conditions. Lower demand for health services will drive prices downward.

from all of us at The Senior Voice

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December 2023 • The Senior Voice • 15

Care LAU G HTE R : BEST M ED I C IN E ofTake Yourself.

A preacher ended his sermon saying, "If I had all the beer, wine and liquor in the world, I would dump it in the river!" The choir had practiced only one song, and they sang it when he finished: "Shall we gather at the river?" 6 From kids:

A first-grader handed his teacher a note that said, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents." A little girl saw her grandmother's false teeth in a glass of water. She called her mother over, pointed and said, "The tooth fairy will never believe this." A little boy accidentally entered a women's locker room at a YMCA. The women all grabbed towels and screamed. The boy said, "What's the matter? Haven't

you ever seen a little boy before?"

A woman stopped at a restau-

A little girl came home from her first day of school and told her mother, "I'm wasting my time there. I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk."

rant to use the restroom. She didn't

You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool Mom.

want to go in, but it was the only place nearby. It was loud with the usual drinking crowd, and every once in a while the lights would go out. She asked the bartender where

the ladies room was. He told her

A little boy walked over to a pregnant lady while waiting with his mother in a doctor's office.

and added, "I should warn you

He asked the lady, "Why is your stomach so big?"

Plan Ahead.

there is a statue of a naked man wearing only a fig leaf in the ladies room."

She said, "I'm having a baby."

"I'll ignore it," she said.

"Is the baby in your stomach?"

When she came out, the crowd

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Who are the most influential consumers in Northern Colorado?

People over age 50. • They have twice the spendable income of other consumers. • They account for 51% of all consumer demand. • Colorado has had a 65% increase in this age group in the past seven years — the largest in the nation.

They read the Senior Voice every month. (970) 229-9204 • www.TheSeniorVoice.net • Published locally since 1980.

16 • The Senior Voice • December 2023

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