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Date: 8/15/2024
Subject: MID-MONTH FOCUS - August 2024
From: League of Women Voters of Larimer County


Mid-Month Focus
August 15, 2024

In This Issue

  •  Join the Fun: The Women's Equality Day Silent Auction is OPEN
  • Participate in the GOTV Postcard Campaign
  • LWVLC Checks Out "Books" at the Human Library
  • Rumors Report: Tune Your Election Misinformation Antennas
  • July 2024 Observer Corps Highlights 
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 A Few Words from the (New) Editor
 
Here's my second stab at building our League newsletter. I hope you like it!
 
Before I get much further on this journey, I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Mary Dietrich for teaching me a good many tips for drafting newsletters and for alerting me to certain "gotchas" that I should now be able to avoid. I am still in learning mode and will likely continue to produce these email-based newsletters a while longer before, perhaps, graduating to the kind of sophisticated webpage-based newsletter that Mary published in June. Thanks for your patience as I learn the ropes. 
 
We're featuring the excellent work of our Observer Corps in this newsletter. These hard-working volunteers are filling critical local-government coverage gaps that our local papers are unable to fill. The Corps could use more Observers. Please consider joining! There's a variety of uncovered local-government meetings you could choose from and adopt as YOUR beat!
 
If you notice things missing from the newsletter that you'd like to see included, please send that feedback my way. I'm also interested in other feedback you'd care to share, though I can't promise I could be persuaded to steer clear of the color blue!
 
Kathy Maher
League-Wide News and Events
Attention Leaguers!
 
WHOA! November 5 is right around the corner! Wanna PROMOTE THE VOTE in an easy, fun, and effective way? Well look no further! Volunteer for our September Get Out The Vote Postcard Campaign.
Email Janet Schultz to learn more.
 
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You got your TICKETS for the WED Celebration on August 22nd, right?
 
Don't forget to check out the
Virtual Silent Auction! 
It's OPEN now, so get in there and join the fun!
 
Bidding continues through NOON on August 25th. 
Your winnings will be mailed or personally delivered to you.
 
 
Thank you for your support!
 
 
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Out and About in the Community 

Larimer Leaguers Participate in the Human Library®

On Sunday, August 4, LWV-LC members participated as "readers" in the Human Library®, hosted by The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. As the museum's website explains, "The Human Library program creates a safe and non-judgmental environment for curious and often taboo conversations that will challenge prejudices and promote understanding of differences. The program encourages all participants to 'unjudge' a human Book by its cover."
 
This year's theme was Unjudging someone "Being Me in Fort Collins." Readers engaged in conversation with a human (Book) -- a community member who has been subjected to bias during their lifetime due to their lifestyle, race, disability, or other difference. As a League, we continue to gain new understandings and connections that advance acceptance and inclusion in our community.
 
If you would like to learn more about the Human Library® experience or project, please contact Cindy Linafelter.
 
And Now You Know
Rumors Report: Primary Elections, 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.
 
We also outline data deficits related to each narrative. A data deficit indicates an open question or lack of good information on a topic. Data deficits represent critical opportunities where advocates can insert good information to help combat the misleading narrative. 
 
 National Narratives
  • Confusion: Are dead people voting in elections? How do states ensure clean voter rolls?
  • Confusion: How are Electoral College votes apportioned?
  • Confusion: What does it mean to certify an election?
 
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July 2024 Citizen Observer Corps Highlights

Colorado Citizen Observers
 
Compiled by Jorie Kramer
Larimer County Observer Corps contributors: Nanci Wendland, Lee Thielen
 

No Money for Public Restrooms

 John Kefalas, Larimer County Commissioner and liaison to Red Feather Lakes, informed the Red Feather Lakes Planning Advisory Committee on July 25, 2024, that their request for money to operate and maintain public restrooms was not approved. The money was to come from Covid relief funds from the federal government known as American Rescue Funds. Kefalas suggested the committee ask the Red Feather Chamber of Commerce if they can assist with the operating costs. The Covid relief money has been put back into the Larimer County general fund. Currently, the only public restrooms in Red Feather Lakes are located in the public library.
 

County to Provide Legal Support

 Larimer County Commissioners voted on July 9, 2024, to provide legal support for two cases: Jordan Rich v John Feyen; and Dustin Bartles v. Larimer County Sheriff's Office. No further information on these court cases was given. However, a man named Dustin Bartles was shot by Larimer County Sheriff's deputy Sgt. Jackie Stimac during an incident that occurred on January 10, 2022. Larimer County District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin along with the Critical Incident Response Team investigated. In February of 2022, McLaughlin announced they had declined to bring charges against Stimac. It is not clear if this is the Dustin Bartles involved in the upcoming legal action.
 

Parking at Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake to Improve

On July 23, via the Consent Agenda, the County Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Colorado Department of Transportation for parking areas at Carter Lake and Horsetooth Reservoir. The county's share of the cost is $3,050,000 and the federal share is $11,250,000. Time tables for the work were not provided.
 

Primary Voting Statistics Revealed

 Also on July 23, Tina Harris, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder, noted election data for the party primaries held in June. In Larimer County 29.5% of the voters voted. Statewide that number is 26%. There were 74,070 ballots submitted with 544 rejected. Many of these were unaffiliated voters who voted both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Harris encouraged people to apply to be election judges for November 5. Information for that may be found on the County Clerk's website. 
 

Closing Gas Wells Operated by Prospect Energy

 In that same meeting, Assistant County Attorney Frank Haug and Community Development Director Rebecca Elliot presented an agreement with Larimer County and Prospect Energy regarding violations and enforcement through the Energy and Carbon Management Commission. Prospect Energy operates oil and gas wells throughout Larimer County that have repeatedly violated air quality regulations. Fines and fees were waived in exchange for cooperation. Haug and Elliot suggested that without the agreement Prospect would likely pursue bankruptcy and not complete the necessary action. The Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the settlement agreement, saying they hope this will put the burden of the cost of well closures on Prospect and not on taxpayers.
 
 
The full reports by Citizen Observers for the League of Women Voters of Larimer County are available on this Substack.
 
Go here to learn more about this project.
If you'd consider being a volunteer Observer, please email us at ccolwv@gmail.com or message us here.
 
Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizen's Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.
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Which public meeting interests you?

 The Observer Corps is rising in strength to help connect Larimer County voters with information about points of government from the county and the municipalities within. Our reports are now formatted and edited, available to the public on Colorado Citizen Observers. Our audience continues to grow beyond League members to others interested -- including the elected officials themselves!
 
We need more Observers to help us in our drive toward the Citizen's Right to Know and access to a new source for local politics.
 
If you are a member of an Issues Team, please consider attending a meeting that could hold insights toward the issue locally. Many meetings can be attended from home.
 
Learn more here. Please reach out to Larimer League's editor Sonia to discuss the brief training and choose a meeting you can attend.
 
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