In This Issue
- A Message From Your Board of Directors
- Explore Your Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
- Info on Upcoming Ballot Issue Presentations
- LWV-LC Acts to Influence Public Policy in Loveland
- Don't Forget to Play League-O!
- Welcome New Members!
- Changes Coming to Website Calendar
- Rumors Report: Tune Your Election Misinformation Antenna
- Schedule of Candidate Forums & Ballot Issue Presentations
- How Will You Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
| | From Your Board of Directors | Concerned about Access to Local Government News?
Meet Nanci Wendland, Board member and Observer Corps volunteer. | | In the early 2000s (turn of the century), I assisted a friend with his campaign for a Larimer County government position. That hooked me on local politics. So, when I received an email from the League of Women Voters of Larimer County asking for members to help with a new pilot program, Colorado Citizens Observer Corps (Observer Corps), I immediately responded, "Count me in!" I'm so glad I did.
Journalists cannot possibly be everywhere, covering every town, city, and County meeting. I believe the Observer Corps helps get accurate local news out to the community and I'm proud to be a part of it. | | | I've been observing local meetings since April of 2023. Some of the meetings can be interesting and informative, and some can be uneventful. I've learned about land-use codes and zoning issues, listened to builders' development plans, small business owners, and a town's processes for approval. I've watched residents voice objections and influence the reversal/outcome of a decision made by commissioners. I've also had the pleasure of watching a small mountain community organize and facilitate improvements for its residents.
I believe it's important to remember that members of local town and county boards, commissions, and committees are responsible for making decisions that will directly affect the lives of its residents. I feel good about playing a small part in providing accurate information to residents and giving a voice to local communities.
Nanci Wendland
LWVLC Board Member |
What impact will the increasingly popular use of AI have on our elections?
What impact do domestic and foreign purveyors of disinformation have on our elections? Please join us as we discuss these questions and more with Dr. Phil Chen, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Denver.
This Zoom webinar is free and open to the public.
Please register on the calendar page to receive the link to the presentation or visit this NAL EVENT page for quick registration access.
| Explore Your Civil Liberties & Civil Rights!
Want to find out more about the Freedom of Speech and how it impacts libraries in Larimer County? How does the Justice System in Colorado interact with an individual's civil rights? What do you know about Article II in the Colorado Constitution? Is there more to Women's Rights than Reproductive Freedom? What other civil liberties and civil rights are there?
If we caught your attention and you're curious, register for the Larimer League's Civil Liberties Team October meeting. We will be meeting monthly on the second Wednesday of the month via Zoom. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 9 at noon. Register on the LWVLC calendar to receive the Zoom link. We hope this time of day will allow our members who work to join us during their lunch hour. The attendees will discuss which liberties are rights they are currently most interested in exploring.
If you have questions about the Civil Liberties/Civil Rights Team, please contact:
Civil Liberties Team Chair
Civil Liberties Team Co-Chair
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Environmental Justice & Teamwork
The Environmental Team leaders have realized we want a deeper understandng of the relationships between our Western perspective of the Earth's inhabitants and that of Indigenous tribes. Therefore, we are postponing the September/October "Building Relationships to Locally Address the Climate Crisis Community Conversation" while we learn and reflect on what is in the past. We will apply that learning to our future actions according to our symbiotic cultures.
We invite and LWV-LC member to join us (Jane Hamburger, Cindy Linafelter, and Indigenous Elder Melody Daugherty) toward a mutual education, collaboration, and action for the Earth's Climate Crisis.
This Environmental Team will be back with our progress. In the meantime, we all need to work with our Voter Services Team for a fair November election and voting for our Earth.
| October General Meeting: Register NOW to Attend!
Voter Services Team Ballot Issues Presentation
Monday, October 7, 2024, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Foothills Unitarian Church
1815 Yorktown Ave
Fort Collins, CO
The LWVLC October General Meeting will take the form of a Ballot Issues Presentation offered by the Voter Services Team. Presenters will explain and offer background information on the 14 issues that will be on the state ballot for the upcoming November 5th election. This presentation is open to the public and will be a hybrid event, with both in-person and virtual attendance options. The video-conferencing link can be found in your registration confirmation email. Register at General Meeting: Voter Services Team Ballot Issue Presentation - 10/7/2024 now to get this on your personal calendar so that you don't miss it!
| South Larimer Discussion Group
Ballot Issues Presentation
Wednesday, October 16, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
In Person at Namaqua Unitarian Church, 745 5th St, Loveland, and via Zoom
On Wednesday, October 16, the South Larimer Discussion Group will host a Voter Services Ballot Issues Presentation at Namaqua Unitarian Church in Loveland. Time and address are indicated above. Both in-person attendance and attendance via Zoom are being offered and the presentation is open to the public. Register on the Calendar page at SLDG learns/discusses ballot issues - 10/16/2024 to receive a Zoom link for the meeting.
| | What's Your League Been Up To? | High-Profile Larimer League Advocacy in Loveland
The LWV-LC has been hard at work in Loveland, going public with two letters of support for hot-topic initiatives. One advocates in favor of the proposed shelter for the homeless and the other outlines League support for the proposed 1% sales tax increase on non-food items that will appear on the November ballot. The Affordable Housing Team, Health Care Team, and South Larimer Discussion Group moved these actions forward.
A letter to the editor from League President Pat Burger outlining LWV-LC support for the homeless shelter was published in the Loveland Reporter-Herald on September 8. You can read copies of both letters below.
| Another Public Service Letter to the Editor
LWV-LC member Linda Hutchinson, acting as a private individual, had the following letter to the editor published by the Loveland Reporter-Herald on August 28. | How many boxes have YOU crossed off
on YOUR League-O card?
Don't forget! You can win a prize!
It's fun and easy to play!
2. Complete 5 or more activities (not necessarily in a row).
3. Then log your completed activities on the Google form here:
4. Submit your completed form by November 13th to be entered into the prize drawing.
Thank you for getting involved to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy!
| Print Member Directories will be available in October and will include all active members as of 10/1/2024. If you would like a copy, please let Linda Mahan know at membership@lwv-larimercounty.org.
The online Directory will be available on the website under Member Resources and is updated monthly.
| League Name Tags - The necklace name tags will continue to be available at League General Meetings this year. For members who would like to have a magnetic name tag, the cost is $10. If you would like to order one, please send your name and request to Linda Mahan at membership@lwv-larimercounty.org by October 2. Payment arrangements will be made after the order is placed.
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Welcome to Our New Members! | | Robert Barnett
Susan Canney
Lory Clukey
Sylvia Dorato
Jamie Durner
Molly Gutilla
Pamela Jackson
Mary Ellen Keen
| | Victoria Lacey
Doreen Moritz
James Sawyer
Rebecca Southall
Joy Sullivan
Renee Walkup
Carole Ware
| | | But wait! There are MORE! | |
Marcia Fitzhorn and her husband have lived in Fort Collins for 40+ years. They have two adult children; one daughter and two grandchildren also live here.
Marcia is a Medical Social Worker employed at Poudre Valley Hospital for over 15 years.
The importance of this election year was one motivation for her to join the League. The two areas of interest to her are Health Care and Reproductive Rights.
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Nancy Burns (right) has lived in Fort Collins for 37 years. She retired from Poudre School District where she was an elementary school teacher.
Nancy has two sons and a golden retriever, who takes her for a walk every day.
| | | | Connie Nelson-Cleverley (below) recently retired from SAINT Volunteer Transportation, where she supported their mission to help seniors and people with disabilities maintain their independence and self-sufficiency by providing connections to the community through personalized, door-to-door transportation. | | She spent the last 7 years as executive director after 10 years as volunteer coordinator. After spending her career supporting volunteers and volunteering herself for organizations like the American Red Cross and Neighbor to Neighbor, Connie has been considering where to volunteer in retirement. The time seemed right to join the League of Women Voters in empowering voters and defending democracy. Connie expects to concentrate on voter services this fall and will look into other areas to serve the League following the upcoming election. Connie is enjoying retirement by spending more time in her garden, doing projects around the house and reading a lot. She and her husband, Jeff, are long-time pinball enthusiasts. Most weekends they can be found somewhere in the community playing pinball. Or, enjoying the four pinball machines in their basement. | | | Changes Coming to the Website Event Calendar
ClubExpress, the platform we use to build our website, has recently been rolling out enhancements to the Event Calendar module and more visible changes will be rolled out over the coming weeks. Most of the changes have to do with streamlining the registration process and changing icons. When they hit, you can expect the updates will make things look somewhat different when registering for an event, but you'll still find registration easy to navigate. Contact Kathy Maher if you want details or if you have any trouble using the new version.
| | Community News and Events | Larimer Leaguers Participate in Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Event in Loveland
Members of the League of Women Voters of Larimer County enjoyed participating in the Latiné/Hispanic Heritage Celebrate at Foote Lagoon in Loveland on September 14th. Larimer Leaguers manned a table providing voter registration assistance and League information to members of the public who attended the celebration.
| El Centro Cultural Center at CSU Offers Heritage Month Activities
The colorful graphic above was drawn from the CSU El Centro website, where you can find a schedule to help you plan a month's worth of interesting cultural activities to recognize and celebrate National Latinx/é Heritage Month. You'll find the schedule at the following link:
League members might be particularly interested in the following event:
Beads and Ballots
Monday, October 14, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, El Centro
Join the Native American Cultural Center & El Centro for a vibrant and informative gathering. Beads and Ballots: a special event dedicated to celebrating the artistry and heritage of Latinx/Indigenous communities providing essential voting education. This unique space invites community members to come together, share in the joy of beading, and learn about the importance of voting.
| History Colorado: Press Release on Hispanic Heritage Month Program
DENVER (August 29, 2024) -- History Colorado believes you cannot tell a story of the Centennial State without engaging with the rich history of the Hispano, Chicano/a/x, and Latino/a/x people who continue to call Colorado home. From early settlements in southern Colorado, to the assertions of Political and social power during El Movimiento, this history is critical to understanding Colorado's story.
See History Colorado's full Hispanic Heritage Month program here:
| Rumors Report: Primary Elections, 2024
August 27, 2024
Overview
The Algorithmic Transparency Instititue, a project of the National Conference on Citizenship, is partnering with the League of Women Voters during the 2024 U.S. primaries to inform LWV and its State Leagues about narratives circulating online related to elections, democracy, and voting. This report summarizes key narratives based on internal monitoring by ATI and tips submitted by our volunteer network.
National Narratives
- False Claim: Non-citizens are voting illegally and affecting the outcomes of elections
- Confusion: Why was Elon Musk's PAC asking users for personal information, but not registering them to vote?
State Narratives
- Update: What was the outcome of the County Recorder election in Maricopa County, Arizona?
Big Picture: Driving mistrust in elections and voting
Click HERE to discover what data deficits lead to these confusing narratives and where you can point people for more accurate information.
| Candidate Forums & Ballot Issues Presentations
Election 2024 | Candidate Forum for Larimer County Commissioners Districts 2 & 3
Monday, September 30, 2024, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Fort Collins City Council Chambers
300 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Candidate Forum for Colorado House Districts 52, 53, 65, Senate District 14
Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Fort Collins City Council Chambers
300 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Candidate Forum for Colorado House Districts 49, 51, 64, Senate District 23
Thursday, October 3, 2024, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Loveland City Council Chambers
500 East 3rd St, Loveland, CO 80537
| In case you didn't know...
You can support your local League by purchasing these beautiful yellow rose notecards, featuring illustrations by Larimer League member Mary Dietrich.
A set of 4 notecards with envelopes is only $8.00.
Contact Trish Warner for information on how to purchase and arrange for delivery.
| Help Wanted
Treasurer-in-Training to Assume Treasurer duties in July, 2025 - Learn how to keep our local League's books and compile monthly reports for review and approval by the Board of Directors. Gain insight to League finances and experience related to nonprofit budgeting and annual IRS filings. Start training now to join the Board of Directors as a critical Board officer in July 2025.
Help the League Extend Its Reach by Volunteering to Join the Tech Pool:
Video Technician - Bring your own laptop and control the video elements of hybrid Zoom meetings. Requirements vary with venue, from operating easy-peasy Zoom Room panels to DIY configurations using an HDMI-connected projector and Zoom screen sharing. Coordinate with audio technician to provide high-quality hybrid meetings.
Audio Technician - Bring your own laptop and control the audio component of hybrid Zoom meetings. Requirements vary with venue, sometimes just requiring setting up a meeting on a Zoom Room panel, sometimes requiring a simple USB conference-room mic, and sometimes requiring an audio mixer connected to one or more mics. Coordinate with video technician to provide high-quality hybrid meetings.
Captioning Technician - Help make our meetings more accessible to the hearing impaired in our community by coordinating captioning services for our for monthly General Meetings and other public meetings. Choose, arrange for, and oversee operation of a captioning solution suitable for each situation: use Zoom AI-generated captions, book trained human captioners through RelayColorado, or make use of other services.
No experience necessary. Training will be provided for all of these duties.
To volunteer or get more information on any of these opportunities to contribute, please contact Pat Burger or Kathy Maher.
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