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Opinion: Denver is one of the U.S.’ most dog-friendly cities. So why don’t people scoop their poop?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

Some of my best friends are dog owners.They love and cherish their pets and would have no problem bending over backward to take care of them. A sure sign of such devotion is that they pick up Fido’s poop.However, too many selfish people in Denver are of the opinion that their laissez-faire attitude doesn’t stink as much as their dog’s waste material.They are disrespecting our neighborhoods and not taking care of Lassie the way she deserves, in breach of an unspoken human/canine contract.Denver is one of the most dog-friendly cities on the planet.The latest estimate by Denver Parks and Recreation is that at the end of 2019, about 158,000 members of the pawed population lived among us.The Mile High City has more dogs than children, according to the US Census. The kid population is an estimated 140,000.Forbes ranks Colorado as the top state for most-devoted dog lovers.I was not a fan of dogs while growing up because my parents didn’t want us taking care of an animal. Most of the dogs I...

Should Colorado launch its own universal health system? Legislators want to take a look

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

Supporters of universal health care got a shot in the arm last month when Democrats introduced a bill that would direct public health officials to study how such a system would work in Colorado.Two House Democrats introduced HB23-1209 in mid-February in the latest step in policymakers’ ongoing journey to expand health care access in Colorado. The bill would direct the state’s School of Public Health to analyze “model legislation” to implement a publicly funded but privately delivered health system here — meaning state-funded care provided by existing hospitals and providers. The study would examine the costs of a system under which copays and deductibles are prohibited while access and benefits are prioritized.Fort Collins Democrat Rep. Andy Boesenecker, who with Rep. Karen McCormick is sponsoring the measure, said he’s supportive of a single-payer system. He and other Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to see the results of a study here to inf...

Health 101: A Lifestyle To Boost Your Overall Health

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

Are you trying to live a healthier lifestyle but don’t know where to start? Have you been frustrated because the steps you’ve taken so far haven’t yielded much success? You’re not alone. Many of us are looking for ways to get healthier, lose weight, and boost our overall health – however, it can often seem like an uphill battle. But if you have a plan and stick with it, then creating lasting change is easier than it may seem. This blog post provides simple tips and tricks on how to make healthy changes that fit into your everyday life to improve your physical and mental wellbeing!Start Your Morning RightStarting your day off with a balanced breakfast is essential for providing your body with nutrients that help to fuel and sustain energy throughout the day. Protein, carbs, and fats are all important in providing sustained energy and proper nutrition, and while having a full plate of all three can seem daunting, there are simple yet delicious ways to get all three i...

California’s bullet train faces new shortfall. With Newsom quiet, will Washington save it?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

California’s long-beleaguered high-speed rail project needs another $10 billion just to get the bullet train through farm country, much less reach San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a new report that outlines yet another dramatic funding shortfall for the Golden State’s most expensive and contentious transit project.The massive funding gap leaves the future of the project’s 171-mile Central Valley link – connecting Bakersfield to Merced – in jeopardy as Gov. Gavin Newsom is mum on spending increasingly scarce taxpayer dollars and political capital on the project while Republicans continue their calls to abandon the bullet train. Now, the High-Speed Rail Authority is turning to Washington, hoping to secure a massive $8 billion funding package to keep the initial link on track.“The Central Valley was supposed to be the easy part,” said Louis Thompson, head of the rail authority’s peer review group. “In this case, it’s become app...

49ers free agency: Who will pair with Talanoa Hufanga at safety?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

SANTA CLARA – Talanoa Hufanga may need a new wingman to form the 49ers’ next safety tandem.Tashaun Gipson, a steady veteran who arrived just before last season, is unsigned for 2023.So is Jimmie Ward, who did not hide his disdain last season in reverting to nickel back and losing his free safety job to Gipson while injured.Also slated for free agency is Tarvarius Moore, a once-promising safety who evolved into a special teams ace.Hufanga, fresh off earning his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, can’t patrol the back of an elite defense by himself — and especially not with an aggressive nature that occasionally led to big-play breakdowns last season.If the 49ers lose safeties in free agency, perhaps others could arrive. Here is a look at that landscape:WHO’S HEREHufanga, George Odum, Tayler HawkinsHufanga is entering his third season, so there’s plenty of tape on him, from when he’s been aided by a veteran sidekick. Odum is a special-teams star, not a starting safety. Hawkins e...

Editorial: BART and Newsom drove out the auditor voters had demanded

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

“Enough is enough.”Harriet Richardson has decided to retire March 17 rather than endure the remaining 4½ months of her four-year term as BART inspector general. There are no signs things are going to get better. Her announcement this week and explanation are completely understandable.Since mid-2019, she has had to put up with undermining behavior by a majority of the BART board members and, recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom. It’s clear that they are hellbent on fighting reasonable implementation of a voter-approved mandate for independent oversight.They are more interested in placating their labor union political backers than ensuring the transit agency provides riders with clean and timely train service and responsibly spends money.It was BART leaders’ misplaced loyalty to the unions that prompted state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, in 2018 to insist on an inspector general to oversee the transit agency’s expenditures and operations.Bay Area voters were being asked at the time to ap...

Opinion: How storms will impact San Jose residents’ water bills

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

The recent series of storms that swept through the region wrought havoc in many ways, but they did improve water levels in California. Without minimizing widespread storm damage and attending hardship, it is nice to see the hills green again and hope the rainy trend continues.It’s also a great relief to note that statewide Sierra snowpack was registering at nearly 200% of normal levels at the beginning of February, and that preliminary reservoir gauge readings published for the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s 10 local reservoirs at the same time showed five of those reservoirs at or above 80% capacity.And as reported in The Mercury News on Jan. 12: “For the first time in more than two years, the majority of California is in moderate drought, not severe drought.”That is all wonderful news, and it is not surprising that a lot of San Jose Water (SJW) customers and other residents across the region are wondering whether drought restrictions will ease or if they can expect their wate...

Opinion: Refusal to close Oakland schools threatens progress

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

Oakland Unified finds itself at a dangerous crossroads.Since moving into state receivership in 2003, the school district has improved fiscal responsibility while serving the needs of our diverse student population. But that progress is threatened by the rigid stance from some vocal advocates that we should not close any schools, even when they are too small to adequately support their students.As members of the Oakland Board of Education, who have each worked for many years on the ground in schools, we see the constant roller coaster of OUSD’s finances, coupled with chronic low pay, leading to high turnover. That is what truly harms our students.Advocating for good fiscal stewardship of our district is not a conservative position — it’s a very progressive vision. Persistent racial achievement gaps for our students can only be closed when we fully resource our schools equitably.It’s challenging to do this when enrollment is declining. From 2001 to 2017, students were leav...

Judge: California can’t ban alligator imports, sales

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

By KEVIN McGILL | Associated PressNEW ORLEANS — California cannot ban the importation and sale of crocodile and alligator products, a federal judge has ruled, in a victory for the state of Louisiana, which challenged the ban along with businesses in multiple states.Federal law controls trade in those products and preempts California from barring trade in them, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller in Sacramento, California, wrote in a ruling dated Tuesday.Mueller had already blocked enforcement of the law while lawsuits challenging it played out in her court. Plaintiffs included businesses based in California, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Montana and Wyoming.The California ban had covered products made from alligators and two species of crocodile — Nile and Saltwater. All can be sold legally under international treaty and U.S. federal law.Mueller rejected arguments that California was only seeking to regulate activity within the state. “California is not regulating crocodile taki...

Holes-in-one: Aces carded from around Bay Area golf courses

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:09:17 GMT

Raise a toast to the following golfers who made the most perfect shot in the game recently:Ralph Davis: Deep Cliff GC, No. 3, 115 yards, 8-ironArt Heaviside: Deep Cliff GC, No. 10, 148 yards, 7-ironPaul Knofler: Santa Teresa GC (short course), No. 8, 84 yards, pitching wedgeDan Madsen: Santa Teresa GC (short course), No. 7, 130 yards, 9-ironCraig Riesterer: Yocha Dehe GC, No. 16, 155 yards, 8-ironJaimi Solorzano: Mission Hills GC (Hayward), No. 4, 93 yards, pitching wedgeSteve Wight: Rossmoor Dollar Ranch GC, No. 16, 123 yards, 4-hybridAnnabelle Wu: Santa Teresa GC (short course), No. 7, 122 yards, 6-iron