Dogs bark. Cats purr. Birds whistle. Dolphins sing. Humans talk.
No matter the species, communication between one another is essential. Whether trying to warn someone of approaching danger or attract a mate, getting your point across to another person or animal is key to survival.
Sometimes, we even communicate between species. Even though we don’t speak the same language, my dog, Bubba, is very good at letting me know when he is hungry. He goes to his food dish and scratches inside the bowl until I fill it. He also lets me know when it’s time to wake up or go outside.
Communication is not limited to sound. There are plenty of other ways people or animals communicate with each other. It’s something people and animals have been doing since the dawn of time.
Dogs wag their tails to express happiness. Cats arch their backs when they are agitated. Male peacocks display their beautiful tail feathers when they need to get a female’s attention.
People, too, have unspoken signals, and before they learned to write, they still found ways to get their points across.
Think about petroglyphs and hieroglyphics. They are forms of communication through pictures. Indigenous populations let members of other tribes know about good hunting experiences or the types of animals that are in the vicinity through cave drawings.
Primitive man also communicated through drums and smoke signals.
As the written language developed, people began sending letters to each other. They sent their missives in a variety of ways including carrier pigeon, riders on horseback, train and airplane.
When we moved further from our place of birth and began settling across the globe, technology changed to adapt to our need to communicate from great distances. The telegraph and telephone were invented.
At one time, telephones in our home were a luxury. Now, we carry them with us wherever we go.
Communication is not limited to just conversations between two people. We also have mass communications where one person — or a small group — can get a message to hundreds or thousands of others.
Books, magazines and, of course, newspapers are among this group. It’s what we here at the Boulder City Review do on a daily basis.
We are far from alone in our efforts to get messages out to others. Those who work in City Hall also aim to let area residents know what is happening in our community.
Since January 2016 when Mayor Rod Woodbury stated in his inaugural State of the City address that he wanted to see crystal clear communication, efforts have been made to increase transparency about what happens within the brick walls of City Hall as well as throughout town.
Granted, those efforts weren’t always successful as they could have been, and their progress is slower than many of us may want. But it’s time to give credit where credit is due.
After City Manager Al Noyola was hired in March steady improvements have been made. Key among them was establishing a communications manager position.
In just two weeks on the job, Boulder City’s new communications manager Lisa LaPlante has made major improvements in getting the word out about municipal operations. Press releases are being sent, online news flashes appear in email inboxes and social media efforts have been boosted.
As recipients of many of the city’s messages, we are appreciative of the changes and look forward to improved communications.
This increase can only enhance the relationship between the city and its residents because without good communication we all flounder.
Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.