June SENIOR NEWS: 1st group outing, Denver Botanic Gardens

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Good Company and Good Vistas! Lyons seniors happily took advantage of the Town of Lyons bus trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens (“Gardens”). All participants were not only anxious to see the gardens, but relished in being amongst old and new friends, talking and sharing again. Twenty-eight people signed up and immediately filled the VIA bus capacity. Lisa Ramsey, seniors recreation director, brought along some water and snacks. And, the Gardens had two restaurants, priced from $10-14 for wonderful grilled sandwiches and more. She recommended that people wear hats and sunscreen, and bring a backpack with a refillable water bottle, as the drinking fountains would not be working due to the pandemic, except for the water bottle filling stations.  

Immediately upon arrival, tour guides counted off eight people each, and took them on a circle tour of the grounds. It started off with the long row of perennial flowers, and ended after the Japanese gardens and pond (see photo). Many spoke fondly about the Chillily exhibit a few years back, and we were glad to see that Gardens Donors purchased one of the pieces for permanent placement in a fountain. Our guide said that the red and yellow glass piece is never brought in or protected against the weather!

Although the gardens reflect a diversity of plants from all corners of the world, many felt their favorite was the high plains and semi-arid gardens, so that they could pick up tips on what plants to put in their home gardens. They often turned to each other and said, “I thought those were weeds?!”

Some of the tour guides were better than others, but everyone got a spattering of information about what and why certain plants were chosen for the section they were in. They also made sure that the seniors didn’t get lost in the 24 acres!

The Gardens say that the “Denver Botanic Gardens is a living museum. We exhaustively document our plants from seed to compost and capture every stage of the plant life cycle.” And, they divide them into: Alpine, Amenity, (Rocky Mt & Great Plains Region, a semi-arid, steppe climate.), Aquatic, Cactus and Succulents, Native (occur naturally within the borders of Colorado since before the European settlement), Steppe, and Tropical.

The group also saw three art galleries, with ”nature” themes. The first was an exhibit of modern views of endangered flora, by a Denver-based painter Kevin Sloan; stating: Sloan’s paintings elevate the often-overlooked plants, animals and discarded objects inhabiting the edges of the urban landscape—thistles, traffic cones, sparrows and the like. Next was the ”big exhibit” of rarely seen fanciful color lithographs on loan from The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. Dali took existing ”nature prints” and added his own graphics to them. And, the third was an exhibit of where ”natural yellow color” comes from, using illustrations created by students and faculty of Denver Botanic Gardens’ School of Botanical Art & Illustration.

So, there were some complaints about the 90 degree weather, and some plants not having identification signs, and about people in the group wandering off and sometimes making the guide give up on speaking her script, but all in all everyone said they loved the gardens. Lisa had been warned that some people might be faint in the heat, but there were no problems. The bus was a bit rattily from time to time, but Rosie, the driver, was polite and friendly, and got them safely home again. It was time for a nap! and some air-conditioning.

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Health Tips

NEW ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DRUG:
The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug aducanumab to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease this month. It is the first new drug approved by the agency for Alzheimer’s disease since 2003.

The drug is the first to show significant progress against the sticky brain plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug has proved highly effective at reducing the plaques, called beta amyloid, that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

But two large studies offered conflicting evidence about whether the treatment slows declines in memory and thinking. A panel of expert advisers to the FDA recommended in November that the agency not approve the drug. As a condition of approval, the FDA is requiring Biogen, the drug’s maker, to conduct another clinical study to confirm that the reduction of amyloid plaques results in clinical improvement for patients. If the subsequent study doesn’t show a clinical improvement, the agency could move to withdraw the approval.

The medicine will be marketed under the trade name Aduhelm.

=====This information is a repeat====
 =====MENTAL HEALTH HELP====

==CASUAL CONVERSATION FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH: Every Monday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Zoom. Jessica Broadbent is an outreach worker with Mental Health group — she offers a weekly “chat” — if you just need someone to talk to, to ease your stress or loneliness… or need help in being directed to “help,” she can help you — no pressure to talk about “health” etc. — just bring a cup of coffee and talk — if you dont know how to connect to this chat, contact her. — To join call (303) 258-7454, ext. 6 or chelsey@peaktopeakcounseling.com
 
==MENTAL HEALTH private sessions: LYONS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE LEAF: contact Cherie about individual help at mentalwellness@leaflyons.com

==DEPRESSED/ SUICIDAL? Colorado has one of the highest rates in the country. You can seek mental health assistance through LEAF, or call the Suicide Hotline. Colorado: (844) 493-TALK//1-844-493-8255 – National  (800) 273-8255. Both are Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. Check out the Lyons Recorder’s Emotional and Mental Resource List.
======END OF LIST======

COVID-19 NEWS

DELTA Variant: The new Delta variant that started in India, and is now the dominate strain in the UK, is now in the US. It spreads faster than past variants. It has hit the Western Slope the hardest, which is also the area with the lowest vaccine rate. It is mainly hitting young people, 16 to 29 years old.

If you want to participate in the Million Dollar drawing for ”all vaccinated people,” be sure to meet the June 30th deadline. Many people say that their name does not appear on the state list of vaccinated people. Contact the facility that gave you the test and have them check it. If they say it is there, and you do not see it, you will have to believe them, as there are minor things that you may not type in when searching, but they have the ultimate means of checking.

Larimer and Boulder County will reach the US Government’s goal of 70% with at least one dose by the 4th of July, but the US in general may fall short. The US is still #1 in cases, in the world.

See our 5/31/21 ARTICLE on: May is Stroke Awareness Month – 1 new way to tell if someone’s having a stroke

Memory Loss & Hearing Loss

AARP has an excellent test on whether you are experiencing Memory Loss or Alzheimer’s Disease. Here’s two sample question:

The kids and grandkids show up for their regular weekly Sunday dinner — and you completely forgot they were coming. ===answer:
Forgetting a doctor’s appointment or hair appointment you made weeks ago is not a big deal, but forgetting something you’ve long done on a set day is a different matter. “From time to time, we all lose track of time,” says Jason Karlawish, M.D., a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and codirector of the Penn Memory Center, “but forgetting orientation to the day of the week, especially for a habitual activity, is concerning.” You may be developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is often — but not always — a precursor to dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease. The annual conversion rate is about 15 percent, Karlawish says, meaning that out of 100 people diagnosed with MCI, 15 will develop full dementia within a year. About 50 percent convert within four or five years.

Your daughter comments that you haven’t been remembering things that her children tell you, and she’s not sure if you’re not listening or need your ears checked.==answer:
There’s a lot of gray area here, and not being able to remember recent conversations is quite different from not hearing them in the first place. But both can be early indicators of worsening cognitive performance in older adults. A recent review in the medical journal the Lancet found that mild-to-moderate hearing loss may be associated with a 94 percent increase in the risk of dementia in older adults, higher than the risk attributed to most other factors. The findings are “especially important because so many older adults have hearing loss, and it can be treated,” says Jennifer Deal, an epidemiologist at the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers believe hearing loss may cause dementia through its effects on the brain, or by making people more socially isolated and less active, and are studying whether using hearing aids can reduce dementia risk, she says.

See our 6/17/21 ARTICLE on = 5 Tips for supporting brain health during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

NEWS

===PHOTO SPREADS: since our last MONTHLY SENIOR NEWS
+++Artisan Fair Art Fair, first experiment in group event without masks for Lyons 
+++Garden ClubTour: Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow? (Garden Tour)
+++Father’s Day: Youngsters answer, Why my father is the best father (Father’s Day in Lyons)
+++Garden/Veggie/Seeds & More News around town
+++Two new Veterans Memorials unveiled Memorial Day weekend in Colorado 
+++Beautiful and Funny Photos: Experiencing Colorado outdoors on Memorial Day weekend (photo spread)
+++Springtime activity of bears in Lyons, warnings
+++This fox kit can’t get enough face time with the the camera

===GOOD OLD DAYS: There will be no June GODays this year, mainly due to covid. Instead there was a ½ day Artisan Fair in Bohn Park along the river. == There will be a “Lyons Historical Society” annual program, including announcing Mr & Mrs Good Old Days, and ”pioneer family high school graduates” before the first summer concert in Sandstone Park on July 1st at 6:30 p.m. Free live concert!

====SCAMS====
NORTON SECURITY: I have gotten numerous emails for a couple of months (in my multiple email accounts) saying that my account is being charged hundreds of dollars for my renewal of Norton Security. First of all, I don’t have Norton, so I can’t be renewing it. But they have 21 million customers, so the scammers have a good chance of reaching someone who might be renewing.

NOTE, with this scam and all others (such as Ebay and Amazon and UPS) — look at the email address. All of these are coming from emails, like “georgesmith@eiehwxyz.com” or “debranorthon@gmail.com”. If it was coming from Norton (or Ebay etc), it would have the brand name in the email, and quite often the logo.

Every type of email has a button that you can push to report this scammer email. For Gmail, it is at the top row above the email you are looking at. It looks like a STOP sign with an exclamation mark in it. Just click on it, and the email disappears and is sent to them.
 
=====COLORADO GOVERNMENT====
New Bills passed this week, and signed by Gov Jared Polis
==House Bill 1232, a measure aimed at forcing health insurance companies to cut costs
==A bill that diversifies how transportation funding is raised and spent in the state. Fuel taxes (unchanged since 1991) have been the primary source of revenue for road projects. New fees totaling $3.7 billion over a decade will pay for things like road repair and expansion to electric vehicle incentives, environmental mitigation and more. 

You can go to the Colorado gov page for more details. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills  In 2021, the Colorado State Legislature is scheduled to convene on January 13, 2021, and adjourn on June 12, 2021.

LYONS PARKS NEWS – the Town’s Parks Department is rolling out its new reservation system in a couple of phases. Signs are being placed around town to notify locals and visitors. See our article for details, and everything you need to know about the parks, in general.

ACTIVITIES

==BINGO==

1. American Legion in Estes Park has it weekly. –Sunday at 6 p.m. Check their Facebook page before going there.
2. The Lyons Booster Club sponsors Bingo in Longmont’s Bingo Alley, which raises money for school supplies purchases. See our Article on “SCHOOL NEWS, March 2021” for more details. The Boosters raise about $90,000 each year, and this is a big part of that. They also are looking for people to work at the activity.

June 24-27 Boulder International Film Festival (both online and in person unique films, including documentaries)

June 26, 1- 3:30 p.m. – Lyons Fire Protection District welcomes the local community and neighboring agencies to an Open House. Come meet our new Fire Chief Peter Zick, enjoy some food and drinks, and get a “hot shot” photo of your pet with a fire truck! We’ll have live local music with Joe Kuckla. And local photographer Kristina Rusch will be taking JPG file photos of your pets with a fire truck, which you’ll then have emailed to you. Time slots for “hot shots” will be in 15 minute increments. Please click on the link below to reserve a “hot shot” photo spot for June 26th.

June 26 – 27: One of the biggest Pridefest events in the United States is in Denver. This year, Denver’s Pridefest will features both virtual and in person events. The parade will be virtual and shared on Sunday, plus there will be an in-person and virtual 5K Pride Run on Saturday, and Pride Hubs at various locations in Denver on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, a schedule and map of events, visit www.denverpride.org.

SANDSTONE CONCERTS – July 1, weekly live-music in Sandstone Park – Thursdays to August 12 (7 in all).  See full article in Lyons Recorder. (free) Bring a chair or blanket, some water and snacks. There are no food trucks scheduled currently, but things may change as the COVID-restrictions are lifted.

===Cheap bus ride to the Rocky Mt National Park is restarting July 3rd. Save our environment, too.
FARES: BUSTANG: A roundtrip ticket is $10 per person. Tickets are $5.00 each way for Denver, Westminster and Boulder, and $3.00 each way for Lyons. No additional discounts are available. PLEASE NOTE: You must purchase a ticket below to reserve a seat. If you plan to pay with cash, please choose “Pay Cash on Board” as your ticket type at the beginning of the reservation process. Thank you!
Once in town, you can catch the Town’s free trolley, which will take you to a variety of locations in Town, –or– catch a free bus to the Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park – all right from the Visitor Center! Just remember that a valid RMNP Entrance Pass is required to ride the free bus to Bear Lake Park and Ride. Bustang passengers do not need to purchase a Timed Entry Permit.

***For a complete list of activities, deadlines, classes and more, go to our TO DO LIST.***

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MEALS, HEALTH/SOCIAL SERVICES

+++THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS REPEATED EACH MONTH FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE+++
The only change is: The Food Bank that is run by LEAF will OPEN up inside, so clients can select their food items, as of June 3.
====MEALS====
===BOULDER COUNTY AGING – LUNCHES: Changes for the lunch program: Boulder County Area Aging (BCAAA) is continuing its lunch schedule. But, starting in January, they switched to Tuesdays and Thursdays. Nutritious quality lunches for seniors ages 65 and up can be ordered by 1p.m. the day before at (303) 441-1415, and picked up in front of the Walt Self Senior Center at 12 noon. Please wear a mask and stay six feet away from others.  == I post the menu at the beginning of each month on the senior Facebook page.
We thank Teresa DeAnni, Boulder County Healthy Aging Program Manager, and Boulder County, for writing the grants to subsidize the lunch costs, and for Helen Vanderwerken for serving the meal boxes twice a week. It is keeping our seniors healthy and happy!

=====MENTAL, SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE======
In the MENU BAR at the top of every page, you will see something that says “COMMUNITY RESOURCES. Under this tab, you will find multiple links to things like “town hall meetings”, fire department assistance, Schools, Counties, and more. We gather information/and/links from dozens of web sites and put them all in ONE PLACE for you to easily find answers to your needs. == ==We also do MONTHLY COVID & SCHOOL NEWS that are gathered from many resources.
The Lyons Recorder has added TWO additional links recently.
1.) The first one is a LIST OF CHURCHES. And, during special HOLIDAYS, we list the times of services and any other important details.
2.) We also have a new FIRE KNOWLEDGE page, with answers to everything you can think of — like “Is it safe to have an outdoor fire today?” “Can I get my house/property inspected for fire mitigation by the fire department?” and more!

===LYONS EMERGENCY & ASSISTANCE FUND
***The Food Bank that is run by LEAF will OPEN up inside, so clients can select their food items, as of June 3. Get a number and then stay in your car. If you are handicap or unable to drive to the Food Bank, LEAF can arrange to have the food box delivered to your home.
***Meals on Wheels is still active in Lyons, and handled through LEAF. If you are unable to cook for yourself, or have other elderly disabilities, call them to set up delivery. 
***Emergency funds: If you are having trouble paying your rent or electric bills, contact them for options.
***Well-check phone call: THIS WAS DISCONTINUED BY LEAF, DUE TO CLIENTS SAYING THEY DID NOT NEED IT ANY MORE.
NOTE: If you live in Larimer County, you will not be eligible for all of these services (other than the food bank). Contact Crossroads Ministry in Estes Park for additional support.

===BOULDER COUNTY AREA AGENCY ON AGING (BCAAA)===
Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (BCAAA) has online and phone services for clients. The staff is available to answer calls and emails from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (303) 441-3570.
The BCAAA responds to the needs of older adults (60+) and their family and informal caregivers in our community through advocacy, funding, direct service, planning, and education.

===The Boulder County NEWSLETTER provides up-to-date information to you about nutrition and health research. Also low-cost health recipes, easy ways to be active at home, puzzles, games and more.
You can also connect with other older adults for a friend discussion focused on nutrition and physical activity education. — See BCAAA page to sign up.

===BOULDER COUNTY AGING OFFICE, in the Walt Self Center:  Lynette Anderson “I’m the gal that was working at Walt Self counseling office pre-COVID, and am happy to get you linked to Medicare folks. My work cell is 720-766-8844; if I don’t answer, just leave me a message. I’m working from home, and I live in town.”

===LARIMER COUNTY – OFFICE ON AGING ===
While the Lyons Recorder focuses on Boulder County most of the time, Larimer County has some excellent resources for those seniors who live in the vast areas of Spring Gulch, Pinewood Springs, and more.  See the list, and links at:  https://www.larimer.org/humanservices/aging/ooa == 970-498-7750 ==1501 Blue Spruce, Fort Collins, CO  80524=Hours:  Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., BY APPOINTMENT
 
===The Alzheimer’s Association has almost daily classes on different aspects of recognizing it, working with it, and assisting caregivers. Here is a link to the document listing all the classes, dates, and links, which you can bookmark or print up: https://stage.alz.org/media/co/documents/Regional-Education-Jan-2021.pdf
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====NEWS BRIEFS====
REMINDER: I get News Briefs in my e-mail, see them in the local newspapers, and hear things on television news programs that are too short to turn into full articles. Therefore, I put them in my “NEWS BRIEFS AND NOTES FROM YOUR EDITOR.”  This might be news about Palisades peaches, new bills in both Colorado and Washington that specifically, majorly effect Lyons, construction happening in our area, local contests or speakers, new businesses opening in town, and more. Please check it out – one reader commented that she had no idea what she was missing, and would not miss another issue.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:
June Birthdays are: John Dutcher, Janet Freeman, Nicky Harkalis and Ken Singer. Have a fun day, with lots of laughs and cake!

For the first part of July, we have Patty Doyle, Chris LaFever, Ruth Wilson, and Vance French. Then on the 23rd is LaVern Johnson’s birthday. We hope you do something SPECIAL for your birthday!

~~Folks, call them or send a card! We all enjoy a friendly surprise!

Have a Happy 4th of July! We’ll see you again at the end of July.