Skip to main content
IN USE

JOIN DONATE 


UPDATE MEMBER INFORMATION
rert
Date: 12/1/2024
Subject: LEAGUE LINES - December 1, 2024
From: League of Women Voters of Larimer County


DECEMBER 1, 2024
IN USE
dwafo
In This Issue
  • Voter Services Team Thanks Volunteers
  • LWVLC 2024 Fall Elections Impact Report
  • Great Decisions December Discussion
  • Health Care Team News
  • Affordable Housing Team News
  • Election Reform Team Meeting
  • Legislative Action Committee Gearing Up
  • Book Club: Title for January Discussion
  • Election-Season "League-O" Winners
  • Holiday Gift Cards: It's a Wrap!
  • Help Wanted: Volunteer Opportunities
dwafo
President's Message
 
Hello, Members!
 
Ever wonder what our Larimer League Board of Directors does? I was talking with a local leader recently and when I said something like this to her, she laughed and added that sometimes it seems they don't do much!
 
Our Board is very busy. Clearly everyone there has a deep belief in our mission to empower voters and defend democracy. Our job is making sure we have the frame to support the rest of our structure. When the LWV was formed almost 105 years ago, the leaders were clear-eyed about one thing: We must speak with one voice. The structure of the League was built to support this ideal. Our Board of Directors helps to provide that scaffolding.
 
In the last year, with the help of the Team Leaders, we have updated our Strategic Plan. We now have several ad hoc committees working on specific strategic goals. We always welcome new volunteers to help realize these goals.
 
Are you curious about what the Board does? Check out the Strategic Plan on our website at Larimer LWV Strategic Plan. Contact any one of us to find out more about these projects. Come sit in on one of our meetings. We do some good work, thanks to our dedicated volunteer leaders.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Pat Burger
dfdfdf
 League-Wide News and Events
dfdfdf             
Voter Services Team News
 
The Voter Services Team is so grateful for everyone who got involved and volunteered this year! A very special thanks to those who committed to lead this work, including:
 
Ballot Issues Pamphlets - Carol Gertsch
Pamphlet Distribution - Ann Gabel
Ballot Issue Presentations - Anne Hall
Candidate Forums - Patty and Michael Nekonchuck, Judy Weaver
GOTV Texting - Linda Thomas, Marge Norskog
GOTV Postcards - Beth DeHaven, Janet Schultz, Annette DeMartine, Jorie Kramer, Ann Keith
Vote411 - Annette DeMartine, Anne Thompson, Sarah Wood
Voter Registration and Voter Girl - Linda Thomas
VST Secretary  - Loretta Hogg
VST Treasurer - Linda Maher
 
Also, huge thanks to Jorie Kramer and Ann Keith for their PR work, and the Website Team for making everything so easily accessible and engaging! 
 
Thanks to everyone who volunteered this year, identified below. Hope everyone has a great holiday season, and we'll see you next year for more work Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy!
IN USE
dfdfdf
What's the Impact of All This Volunteering?
 
The League of Women Voters of Larimer County stands as a testament to Making Democracy Work. Want proof?
 
Read this Impact Report on our 2024 election efforts: 2024 Fall Elections Impact Report
 
dfdfdf
Great Decisions
 International Relations Discussion Group

Upcoming Zoom meeting: December 2, 11:30 a.m.
 
We will discuss: Pandemic Preparedness, Chapter 8 in the 2024 Great Decisions book.
 
Looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many lessons to take away in terms of domestic and international policies. Although this pandemic seems to have waned, how can we apply these lessons to future pandemics? Will countries cooperate, and will a consensus emerge on how to manage global health challenges?
 
A Zoom invitation will be sent to all previous participants.
If you are new to GD and wish to participate, contact Annette DeMartine at ademartine@prolynx.com.

For more information about Great Decisions, please contact Karen Heckman at keheckman@gmail.com.

Upcoming meetings are always announced in the League Lines, and you can find us at Great Decisions - International Relations Discussion Group or, navigating from the main menu on our LWVLC website Home page, you'll find us among the "Education Groups" under the “Our Work” tab.

Great Decisions meetings are held on the first Monday of each month from February to June and October to December. 
dfdfdf
Health Care Team News
 
The Health Care Team continues to focus on advancing access to affordable care for all, preventing gun violence, and supporting public health. 
 
Holiday Lunch
In lieu of our December team meeting, we will be enjoying a holiday lunch together. You are invited to join us!
Date: Thursday, December 12
Time: 11:30 am
Location: Canton Palace, 3320 N Garfield Ave, Loveland
 
Ordinary People Can Prevent Gun Violence
You are invited to broaden your perspective for preventing gun violence locally by attending a forum on December 5 hosted by Fort Collins Interfaith Council. Thanks to Beth DeHaven for sharing this opporunity. No registration is required!
Date: December 5, 2024
Time 8:45-10:30 am (program 9:00-10:15)
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 E Stuart St, Fort Collins, CO 80525
 
 Program: A panel of professionals discussing areas of concern for households with guns in the home, including statistics, warning signs, and recommended actions. Topics to be covered:
 
What can we all do to protect juveniles from gun violence? (secure storage/Safe2Tell)
  Ginny Mack - Be SMART for Kids
  Emily Humphrey - Larimer County Juvenile Gun Safety Coalition Director
 
What can we all do to protect adults from gun violence? (suicide prevention: older adults/veterans, domestic violence)
  Rachel Olsen - Deputy Director of Alliance for Suicide Prevention
  Justine Brandenburg - VA Suicide Prevention and Crisis Program Manager
  Kelsey Pittman - FC Police Detective/Crimes Against Persons Unit
 
What is an ERPO, and how does it protect us from gun violence?
  Dawn Downs - Fort Collins City Attorney
 
dfdfdf
Affordable Housing Team Impressed
with County Program
 
Alea Rodriguez, Larimer County Housing Stability Program Manager, was guest speaker at the Affordable Housing Team's November meeting. Alea explained that the County has identified a growing need for affordable, quality housing, for starter homes, for an increase in diverse housing options, and for the expansion of housing resources for the elderly. These are ambitious and admirable goals. More information can be found on the Office of Housing Stability webpage at https://www.larimer.gov/housing.
 
SafeLot Parking is operating at both Zion Lutheran Church and King of Glory Lutheran Church in Loveland, providing a safe place for homeless to park at night, receive evening meals, and access counseling services. Several agencies from Fort Collins attended a recent public meeting hosted by SafeLot Parking in Loveland to learn more about the program. Volunteers are needed to fill a number of slots. Interested League members are urged to apply. League members are invited to visit https://lovelandsafelotparking.org/ to learn more, volunteer, or make donations.
 
During the next few months our team will be studying the progress made by those living in supportive housing. We'll then host a program in April on the topic. More League members are needed to help with this study and program, so please get in contact with us if this is an interest of yours.
 
The December 12 Zoom meeting of the Affordable Housing Team will be a joint meeting with the Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities to hear from the Fort Collins YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) leaders about mandatory parking requirements -- a hot topic in many communities right now. YIMBY's goal is to encourage government entities to have greater consideration of the renters that live in the community. YIMBY advocates for reducing parking minimums.
 
Please join us if these topics are of interest to you! Register on the LWVLC Calendar here: Affordable Housing Team Meeting with YIMBY Fort Collins - 12/12/2024
 
dfdfdf
Election Reform Team
Next Team meeting moved to December 17th
4:00 - 5:30 pm on Zoom
 
Get the link from the LWVLC Calendar entry at Election Reform Team Meeting - 12/17/2024, or just ask us! 
 
We've been successful on a wide variety of election reform initiatives since 2017...
 ... AND we believe our work is also in supporting our allies: 
  • We help Represent Fort Collins do the important work of limiting the influence of money in politics;
  • We advocated and helped win the National Popular Vote amendment for Colorado;
  • We helped lead the fight that passed Ranked Choice Voting for Fort Collins city elections.
Leaders of our Current Issues:
  • Kathleen Schmidt prepares to educate the Fort Collins community on ranked choice voting (RCV) in our upcoming local 2025 election.
  • Janet Schultz examines voting and resident representation issues with Metro Districts.
Want to learn more about any of these ideas? Please consider how you can help reform elections by joining our Zoom meeting on Tuesday, December 17th, 4:00-5:30 PM, as we prepare for Program Planning. 
 
dfdfdf
 
LWVCO Legislative Action Committee (LAC)
 
 
2nd Training Session prior to the 2025 Legislative Session
December 13, 9:00 - 11:00 AM
 
 
No experience necessary.
 
Just bring your curiosity about how the LAC analyzes, monitors, and lobbies for and against proposed legislation in your area of interest. 
 
 
Register on the LWVLC or LWVCO Calendars.
 
dfdfdf
South Larimer Discussion Group
 
The South Larimer Discussion Group will be taking the month of December off. We will return in January for a planning meeting to discuss our programs for 2025. Stay tuned for more details. 
dfdfdf
IN USE
Informed Citizen Book Club
 
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM:  In-person meeting, second Wednesday of the month.
 
7:00 – 8:30 PM:  Zoom Meeting, on the second Wednesday of the month. 
 
Get a head start on our January book!
 
 The Primary Solution: Rescuing our Democracy from the Fringes --by Nick Troiano
 
We'll be discussing this book on
January 8.
dfdfdf
Membership News
dfdfdf
BINGO for League-O
 
Thank you to those who submitted League-O game entries last month! The League-O board contained 25 election-related and LWVLC-specific activities. Participants checked off 7 to 16 activity boxes, with everyone getting the Free Space in the center by VOTING on November 5. Second to voting, "Visit Vote411" and "Visit the Updated LWVLC Website" were the activities completed by the most members.
 
Several members participated in "extra" election-related activities, which are listed below:
  • Moderated 2 forums;
  • Entered info into Vote411;
  • Had a conversation with grandson about the importance of voting;
  • Canvassed;
  • Attended 10-week lecture focused on speaking and hearing those with opposing views;
  • Gave money to assist local and national candidates;
  • Read daily on local and national topics;
  • Posted an LWVUS voting yard sign;
  • Attended LWVCO Making Democracy Work Day;
  • Attended Day 1 of LWVCO Legislative Action Committee Professional Development;
  • Attended multiple LWVCO Task Force meetings;
  • Became Co-Chair of the Civil Liberties/Civil Rights Team;
  • Poll Watcher;
  • Posted Vote411 info on the employee bulletin board;
  • Drove someone to the polls to vote;
  • Minivan canvass for 500 homes.
League-O participants' names were entered in a random drawing. The winners are:
  • Rene Moore
  • Terri Shirley
  • Trish Warner
  • Judy Weaver
  • Kathy Wilson

 
  Looking Ahead...
IN USE
  Looking Ahead...
dfgdf
 Help Wanted!
  Looking Ahead...
LWVUS Study on the Federal Judiciary
 
We are organizing a local study committee to prepare for and manage our League's participation in the national LWVUS Study on the Federal Judiciary. The purpose of the study is to address concerns and clarify judicial accountability, transparency, independence, and ethics not only within the US Supreme Court, but at all federal court levels. (You can get general information on the ongoing study here: LWVUS Federal Judiciary Study.) 
 
Our study team will convene in early January. This study is on a super-fast track and we need to be sure our general membership is on top of the central issues when we all meet to discuss and answer the National Study Committee's consensus questions in mid-March. Want to help with that effort and ensure information originating at the national and state levels reaches our local membership? A legal background might be useful, but it's not necessary. And you don't have to have experience working on a previous LWV study to join our team. 
 
If you're looking for a shorter-term project and you want to learn loads about the League in a compressed time frame, here's a perfect opportunity. Please contact Linda Mahan at Lmahan78@gmail.com or Kathy Maher at kgmaher@gmail.com if you are interested in joining the local study team.
 
  Looking Ahead...
Volunteer Opportunity with our Partner Neighbor to Neighbor!
 
Are you interested in a regular volunteer opportunity with our League partner, Neighbor to Neighbor, or do you know of someone who might be interested?
 
Neighbor to Neighbor has volunteer openings at the front desk in both its Fort Collins and Loveland offices. The front desk position includes answering phone calles, responding to emails, greeting walk-in clients, and directing people to resources that best fit their needs.
 
Volunteers are scheduled weekly or biweekly if you wish to share a shift with another volunteer. Shifts run from 9:00 am to noon or noon to 4:00 pm.
 
If you are interested in this opportunity or know of someone who might be, please contact ShaLyn Willis, Neighbor to Neighbor volunteer coordinator at 970-449-0061 or at swillis@n2n.org. LWVLC members Trish Warner and Julie Stackhouse are also available to answer your questions. 
 
  Looking Ahead...
  Looking Ahead...
  Looking Ahead...
  Looking Ahead...
Return to Previous Page