LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

09/24/2023 07:00 AM

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘Center’ columnist no friend of facts

Editor: After reading Scott Kramer’s litany of lies coming out of Washington in his “Right of Center” column.

At first I thought I would Factcheck each issue he brought up, but on second thought maybe not. My experience with right-wing Republicans is they don’t believe in facts, so it would be a waste of time.

There were a couple lies he left out; one, Trump won the 2020 election; and two, the January 6 insurrection was a civil demonstration.

— Richard Caldwell Boerne resident

Turtles, ducks are OK as river work progresses

Editor: The ducks and turtles will be OK.

“I am excited for the improvements at River Road Park, but what about the ducks and turtles?” This has been a common question/topic in our community, and we want to address it as improvements continue along Cibolo Creek as part of the River Road Bank Stabilization Project.

Let’s start by assuring concerned citizens that the aquatic life will be OK. We consulted with our knowledgeable staff at Boerne Animal Care Services and the experts at Texas Parks and Wildlife before the project began.

These animals have survived for millions of years, and they are tough -- albeit non-native -- creatures. On the very first day that crews began draining the creek, the turtles were following the water to the other side of the Mill Dam.

As for the ducks, some have left on their own and our Parks and Recreation teams continue to make every effort to relocate the ones that remain to nearby properties where owners have given the City of Boerne permission to relocate the wildlife there.

Now, let’s explain why this project has the potential to be a game changer for the long-term health of the creek and the park, and how you can help.

The primary goal is to improve the creek bank that has been compromised by erosion and to stabilize it for the thousands of weekly visitors.

We are achieving this by adding more clearly defined pedestrian access points to the creek and buffer space between the sidewalk and the creek bank to maintain the creek edge. Thousands of native plants and vegetation will be planted to improve stormwater runoff.

Moreover, we hope this project will serve as a reset for the aquatic life in the creek. The simple fact remains there have been too many ducks and turtles in the water, which only reduces the water quality due to the sheer amount of animal excrement produced.

How is that happening? Too many people disregard the signs asking visitors not to feed the animals. Like other wildlife, these animals might be smart, but they also won’t pass up a free meal.

They will gladly take from any hand that feeds them -- even when the food is bad for their health and wellness. When people feed the animals, this only encourages more ducks and turtles to congregate than the space would naturally allow.

At the end of the day, we all have a hand in ensuring River Road Park and Cibolo Creek are the best they can be, and by working together we can make it a reality.

We are excited for everyone to be able to appreciate the much-improved River Road Park next year and know this project achieves the right balance of environmental responsibility with visitor safety and enjoyment as we continue to build an exemplary Hill Country community.