Forest Service should help make skiing cheaper
Most, if not all of Colorado ski areas have built their lodges and lifts on U.S. Forest Service lands. Unless the government is charging these areas exorbitant rental fees, the ski industry has made downhill skiing a sport for the rich. Lift tickets cost more than a hundred dollars a day. What’s a poor kid to do? Cross-country skiing is growing in popularity not because of the natural beauty of the landscape, but because the sport is free. If we want to make downhill skiing available to rich and poor alike, the Forest Service will have to cap fees at a reasonable rate.
When golf and tennis courses became financially accessible to all, the country club ambiance of those sports pretty much disappeared, and a wave of new blood infused them. The same will happen when skiing areas charge a tenth of what they currently demand. The U.S. Forest Service could make skiing more democratic with a stroke of the pen. Let us not forget who owns the forests: we do, you and I.
Paul Levitt, Boulder
City appears to be impeding easy flow of traffic
We citizens of Boulder must applaud the transportation department for their efforts to impede the easy flow of traffic by restricting cars on Folsom years ago and now with their intention to do the same on Iris and Baseline. But, I’ve discovered their most impressive and cost-effective plan: to quit filling potholes, possibly even increasing them, at no cost to us taxpayers. Brilliant!
Don Koplen, Boulder
In wake of COVID, mental health services are needed
The fight is still not over and we still need to help people get on the right track with mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has still been lingering behind us for four years and has been affecting Americans in their mental health. The ongoing struggle with mental health issues is serious. The pandemic has impacted the mental well-being of citizens. It has increased the rate of anxiety and depression across the nation. Despite efforts to lower these effects, the lack of accessible and effective mental health services remains crucial. While this challenging pandemic is over we still have to focus on the support systems and resources to help citizens. As well as to find their way to better mental health. According to an article published on March 2, 2022, by the World Health Organization, “In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%.”
One solution could involve the expansion of telehealth services for mental health support. Telehealth has effectively increased access to care, particularly in remote or underserved areas. This will also help people in isolated areas far from a hospital with the right facilities. By investing in telehealth infrastructure, we can ensure that individuals have convenient and timely access to mental health professionals.
Another solution that could help out with mental health is increasing funding for mental health programs and services. This is very important because this could include supporting local community mental health centers, crisis intervention services, and school-based mental health counselors. Lastly, mental health should be talked about more and we should help Americans who have mental health problems.
Anthony Ordonez Mendez, Boulder
It’s time for Boulder to part ways with Xcel
Public Service of Colorado (Xcel), after a century of providing electricity to Boulder, using equipment that has been paid for by residents many times over, has left us with an electrical system that is unreliable and dangerous. I wonder what would have happened had this recent deliberate power outage occurred before the last vote on municipalization. The good news is that we can vote to leave the Xcel franchise next year. Let’s move beyond the monopoly.
Steve Whitaker, Boulder
