OF WOMEN VOTERS®
OF ARAPAHOECOUNTY
The Voter
JUNE 2011 MEMBERSHIP: 74
IN THIS ISSUE
- Annual Meeting/June Calendar
- News & Announcements
- Management Team Notes
IMPORTANT DATES
Saturday, June 4, 2011
8:30 a.m. – 12 Noon
LWVAC Annual Meeting
Country Buffet
7475 Park Meadows Drive
Lone Tree, Colorado
Friday, June 10, 2011
Movie: Waiting for Superman
10:3 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Southglenn Library
Streets of Southglenn
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Lunch Bunch
11:30 a.m.
Dusty Boot Restaurant Patio
Corner of Holly & Orchard
www. lwvarapahoe.org
/ HAPPY SUMMER
At Least we hope summer will soon be a reality as this rain and cold is beginning to dampen everyone’s spirits.
Once our June 4th Annual meeting ends, we usually limit our league activities for the summer, but this year we have expanded our calendar to include the On Target meeting and movie, Waiting for Superman, we cancelled in May, and a lunch bunch to celebrate the first day of summer.
The June calendar, sent to all LWVAC members last week (and included again in this newsletter), outlines all the activities for the month, but I want to remind you again about the Annual Meeting on June 4th. While the business meeting is important, we hope you will attend to meet, listen and talk with our speakers, Rhonda Fields and Nancy Jackson. In addition to being new LWVAC members, Rhonda represents House District 42 in the Colorado Legislature and Nancy is a newly elected Arapahoe County Commissioner. Each will speak about their experiences, the pitfalls, and what they have learned during their first months in office. Please come.
In addition to being the last time I mention the annual meeting, it will also be the last “official” newsletter for the summer months. Memos, Action Alerts, etc. will probably be forthcoming, but no newsletter until late August. Enjoy!
A
JUNE EVENTS
1. LWVAC ANNUAL MEETING
Join us at the 42nd Annual Meeting, Saturday, June 4 from 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon at the Country Buffet, 7475 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree. Colorado. In addition to the business meeting, the event will feature two of our new members: Nancy Jackson and Rhonda Fields. Both were elected in 2010 to political offices. Nancy is one of two new Arapahoe County Commissioners and Rhonda represents House District 42 in the Colorado Legislature. Each will speak and answer audience questions about their experiences, the pitfalls, and what they have learned during their first six months in office.
We urge you to enjoy a buffet breakfast and mingle with fellow leaguers from 8:30 – 9:3- a.m. in the restaurants dining area then adjourn to the meeting room to listen to and talk with our guest speakers at 9:30 a.m. The business meeting will start at 10:45 p.m. The buffet breakfast is $5.29 per person. The restaurant is located off Quebec Street. Use County Line Road or C-470 to access Quebec Street. Turn south on Quebec then east on Park Meadows Drive. County Buffet is on the north side of Park Meadows Drive just before Sams Club.
2. WAITING FOR SUPERMAN
On Friday, June 10th we will show the movie, Waiting for Superman , followed by member discussion from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Southglenn Library located in the Streets of Southglenn. The award-winning movie is a 2010 documentary that has generated much discussion among the education community. It analyzes the mistakes of the American Public Education system by following several students through the system, hoping to selected in a lottery for acceptance into charter schools.
As there are several restaurants in the Southglenn complex, you might wish to adjourn to one of the restaurants for a late lunch following the program.
3. LUNCH BUNCH
A lunch bunch has been scheduled to celebrate the first day of summer, Tuesday, June 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the outdoor patio of the Dusty Boot restaurant. The Dusty Boot is located in the shopping center on the corner of Holly and Orchard Rd. across from the Koelbel Library. Come if you can…. We promise warm weather.
June 2011 Page 3
The Voter
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
New Date for Book Club
The next meeting of the LWVAC non-fiction book club has been changed to Wednesday, July 27 at 9:30 a.m. at Koelbel Library.
Vote Centers for Arapahoe County
The Araphoe County Commissioners has approved the county clerk’s proposal to establish vote centers for this November elections. As part of this, LWVAC has been invited to be on a Stakeholder’s Committee to discuss how to implement and communicate this new program to the voters. The first meeting will be June 16. We’ll keep you posted as to the discussion and
proposals.
LWVUS Membership/Leadership Development Training
Charlotte Faris and Marlu Burkamp are scheduled to attend a Membership Recruitment/
Leadership Development program conducted by the national league June 16-17 in Frisco Colorado. This free training is aimed at getting new members involved in League and encouraging them to accept leadership roles.
LWVCO Grants to Local Leagues
The LWVCO has created a $25,000 project fund to help local leagues. The mission is to provide money to those local leagues unable to fund such projects due to lack of funds, size, location, or membership strength and will serve the LWVCO program, education and outreach goals. Thus far, La Plata, Montrose, Montezuma, Boulder, Jefferson County and Estes Park have received grants up to $1,500 each. LWVAC will apply for a grant during the second submittal period in August. This program was made possible through a large bequest given to the state from a former Boulder League member.
Cherry Creek Schools Recognizes LWVAC Member
LWVAC member Diane Watcher and her husband, Ray, were named Exceptional Volunteers with the Cherry Creek School District. They volunteer at Rolling Hills Elementary.
LWVUS Education Study
The committee to study, research and present their information to LWVAC members this fall has scheduled a meeting, Friday, June 3rd. We are still in need of members to help with this study. To volunteer and for more information contact Chris Angle, ,
303-779-0814.
June 2011 Page 4
The Voter
LWVCO Convention
The state convention, conducted May 21 & 22 at Fort Collins, Colorado and attended by Charlotte Faris and Marlu Burkamp (we are getting to be quite an item) included the following highlights:
- Attendance: 16 leagues were represented for 70 voting delegates.
- Delegates approved three changes to the LWVCO bylaws that included changing the terms of the LWVCO Budget Committee Chair and the Nominating Committee. Also approved was a name change for a MAL Unit (Member at-Large Unit). It will now be called a State League Unit.
- The LWVCO budget for 2011-2012 wasapproved. Expenses/Income total $137,600.
- Approved the proposed League program for 2011-2013 to include a study and update “on natural resource extraction with a focus on fracking and its impact on environmental quality.” Also approved rewording the league’s apportionment position to read redistricting. Instead of saying the position is an apportionment position, it will now say it is a redistricting position. This was changed to more accurately reflect the process for redrawing the districts of both houses of the state legislature and the Colorado U.S. Congressional Districts. All other current LWVCO positions were retained.
- Elected the new state board. Officers include Cath Perrone (Jefferson) President; Barbara Mattison (Denver) 1st Vice President; Gerry Cummins (Arapahoe) Voters Service, and Liz Black (Boulder) Treasurer. Directors are Sally Augden(Denver) Legislative Action; Liz Nick (Boulder) Voter Editor; Karen Connor (Montrose), and Linda Mahan(Larimer County).
Continuing officers are Shirley Jin (Boulder) Administration; Lineah Davey (Pikes Peak) Membership; Allison Beggs (Adams) Secretary; Sue Pinkham( Estes Park) Public Relations; Kayleen Herzog (Denver) Development, and Jodi Foran (Montezuma County) Director-At-Large.
- Speakers included Anna Schoettle, Eco-Physiologist for the U.S Forest Service and Stuart Conway, co-founder and International Director of Trees, Water & People.
Ms Schotettle related the methods used by the forest service in sustaining the Alpine Forest Ecosystems in Colorado. This includes the 5-needle pines that grow in areas above the natural tree line. Some live to be 1,000 years old, but are threatened by the mountain Pine Needle bug, white pine blister rust and weather changes from climate change.
Mr. Conway, who works in four Central American countries, relayed his organizations
purpose to teach people to conserve and manage the natural resources of their country. A large part of his efforts is to manufacture and place safe and clean cooking stoves in the homes, schools and workplaces of the native communities. Hillary Clinton and Juila Roberts are also supporters of the clean stove effort.
June 2011 Page 5
The Voter
LWVCO Convention (continued)
- Chris Watson, LWVCO lobbyist, gave a summary of the 2011 Colorado Legislative session noting that the political split between the Colorado House and Senate did not generate the number of contentious bills as in previous years.
NOTE: The 2011 Legislative Wrap-Up, with reports on all bills and legislative action is
available. For a copy email Marlu Burkamp, .
- Other activities included reports from the individual leagues, caucuses on voters service, health and fracking, and entertainment by The Mostlies, a group of men and women that satirizes the political events and personalities of the day in song and skits.
The LWVCO 2012 Council will be held in Pueblo; the 2013 Convention in Pikes Peak.
MANAGEMENT TEAM NOTES
Team members spent the majority of the meeting reviewing the annual meeting packet and proposed budget and changes to the League bylaws.
he Voter Page 6
June 2011
The League of Women ofVoters of ArapahoeCounty
5776 S. Crocker Street
Littleton, Colorado 80120
303-730-2356
email:
LWVAC MANAGEMENT TEAM
Chris Angle
Program Point Person/Key Contact
303-779-0814
Barbara Dungey
Secretary
720-253-6629
Marilyn Ayers,
Treasurer
303-471-8301
Charlotte Faris
Membership Point Person
303-690-8466
Marlu Burkamp
PR/Communications Point Person
303-798-2939
Fern Black, Member At-Large
303-793-0807
Julie Beekhuizen, Member At-Large
303-738-0926
Deb Armbruster, Member at-Large
303-770-5505
/ Mission
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Join Us
Join the League to help make your community a strong safe and vibrant place to live. Help shape the important issues that affect you and your family.
Memberships are $60 per individual; $85 for households and $25 for students. For more information call Charlotte Faris, 303-690-8466
League Links
League of Women Voters/Colorado
1410 Grant, B-204
Denver, Colorado80203
303-863-0437 or 1-800-863-8683
League of Women Voters/US
1730 M Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC20036-4508
202-429-1965