A frequent complaint in the Mancos Valley is the lack of good communication. When the newspaper is only published once a week, it is difficult to stay informed about the numerous events and activities in the Valley. But, now there is the potential for improved communication.

The Town of Mancos and the Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to create the "Mancos Valley Events Calendar."

It is available at the Chamber of Commerce website: www.mancosvalley.com. On the left side of the page is a tab for "Events." When you click on the tab, you will see the "Mancos Valley Community Calendar." Many events are already on the calendar because community members have begun to add their own events.

Community organizations and individuals are invited to submit events and activities to the community calendar. You will be able to post meetings, fundraisers and festivals that have the potential to be of interest to people in the Mancos Valley and perhaps even beyond our small community. To add your event to the calendar involves a few simple steps.

When you pull up the calendar at the Chamber website, you will see toward the top a tab for "suggest event."

If you click on that, you will be able to contribute an event that will be reviewed by the Chamber of Commerce and added to the calendar.

Your next step is to pick a category for your event. There are eight from which to choose. The categories help you identify your event as a fundraiser, a workshop or perhaps an arts event.

You will need the date, time, cost, and place for the event. You can even add a full description with details that help explain your event.

The calendar will not post sales events for businesses. However, businesses having a special event like entertainment, will be posted. If in doubt call the Chamber at 970-533-7434 and get clarification. As with any new resource, it may take all of us some time to learn how to use it.

What is especially exciting about the calendar is that it will soon also be posted at the Mancos Public Library website and the Town of Mancos website. Activities at the Library and Town Hall will be in the calendar. We hope that this resource will help everyone plan their events and avoid conflict with other community organizations and their activities. The community calendar might open opportunities for people to expand their events through collaboration. Perhaps two events that are complementary can be scheduled for the same date and thus enhance the experience for everyone who participates.

Remember that all organizations, groups and individuals are invited to contribute to this new and valuable resource.

You are always welcome to call the Chamber of Commerce at 970-533-7434 with questions or send an email to chamber@mancosvalley.com.