The Cortez Journal encourages people to submit announcements about upcoming events for the Community Calendar. Send announcements to news@cortezjournal.com. Items submitted at least two weeks in advance will have a better chance of getting published; items submitted several days before the event might not get published. For more information, call the Journal at 565-8527.
Storytime changes to Fridays; October theme is Stayin Inside
Stayin Inside! is the October theme of Storytime at the Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park Street. Storytime is held every Friday at 10:30 a.m. for preschool-aged children and every Saturday at the Farmers Market beginning at 10:30 a.m., weather permitting, through the end of October. The Farmers Market is located on the corner of S. Elm and Main streets. Older children are welcome to join for the craft at 11:15 a.m. on Fridays. The Saturday Storytime will follow the same theme as the preceding Friday.
The library switched the Storytime hour from Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. to Fridays at 10:30 a.m. beginning Friday, Oct. 7. This will be done on a trial basis. There will be no Storytime on Thursday, Oct. 6.
I Love My Teacher! is the subject of Saturday, Oct. 8. Dont Mess With My Box of Crayons! will be discussed on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15. Well explore Lets Eat Popcorn! on Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22. Storytime will wrap up the month with Ghost Repellent? on Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29.
Storytime offers songs, stories, crafts, and silliness, and uses the Early Childhood Literacy Initiative program.
For more information, contact the library at 565-8117.
Anasazi Heritage Center will host Denver Botanic Gardens speaker
Panayoti Kelaidis, senior curator and director of outreach at the Denver Botanic Gardens, will speak for Plant Select: The Selection Stories at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Colorado Highway 184, west of Dolores.
One of Denver Botanic Gardens most ardent spokesmen and horticulturalists, Kelaidis introduced hardy ice plants, more diverse torch lilies, many salvias and penstemons, and scores of other plants to Rocky Mountain horticulture. He has traveled across the globe in search of plants that might prove suitable for our difficult garden conditions. Internationally-recognized as an expert in several plant groups, Kelaidis knowledge of native flora and its related floras around the world is extensive. After the talk, the public is invited to tour the Anasazi Heritage Center Gardens. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served.
For information on this and other activities during Kelaidis weekend visit to Durango and Cortez, visit http://durangobotanicalsociety.com or call Darrin Parmenter at 759-4369.
Childrens Kiva will have ceremony for new shade structure
The Childrens Kiva community of students, parents and staff warmly invite all to a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new shade structure at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, behind The Childrens Kiva, 1204 E. Empire St.
The structure is part of the Kivas developing outdoor learning environment. This celebration is to honor and give thanks to those who helped make it possible.
For more information about The Childrens Kiva, call 565-8586.
Singer-songwriter Chorover will perform at CD release party
Singer and songwriter Katya Chorover will perform at a CD release party for her fourth recording, Big Big Love, at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Dolores River Brewery, 100 S. Fourth St., Dolores.
Katya plays her own original material, but also covers some of her favorite artists, such as Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan and Kate Wolf, among others always with her own unique spin. One of the best singers out there, her warm dark voice has been compared to Emmylou Harris and Shawn Colvin, and her carefully crafted songs set her apart. The Dolores show will be with a full band, and is part of a tour around the West. Cover is $10.
For more information, call 565-0144, and to learn more about Katya and hear her music, visit www.katyachorover.com.
Lifeguard will host Family Fun Fest event with games, music, dancing
Lifeguard, a pro-life, nonprofit educational organization located in Durango, will host a Family Fun Fest from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, to be held at the Cortez Recreation Centers amphitheater.
There will be games for adults and children, music, square dancing and prizes. Food booths will also be available, providing hamburgers, hot dogs, baked goods, and other goodies. This will be a fun time for the families of Cortez and the surrounding areas.
For more information or if any group would like to host a food booth, contact Linda Moore at 564-4211.
Pastor Rayton Safari from Africa will preach at Cortez service
Pastor Rayton Safari, from Nairobi, Kenya, will be preaching and sharing about Africa at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9 at Victory World Outreach, 11088 Hwy. 491, just north of C.R. L.
Pastor Safari grew up in the bush areas outside Nivasha, Kenya and currently pastors in Nairobi.
For more information, call 759-5519.
League will present local forums on election issues
The League of Women Voters of Montezuma County will present two events related to local education on Monday, Oct. 10, in Cortez City Council Chambers. The first event at 6:30 p.m. will be a presentation by Judy Hite, Southwest Open School director, about the SWOS bond issue voters will be asked to approve in the November election.
The second event, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., will be a forum for Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 Board of Education candidates. All candidates have been invited and will be asked the same questions from the league and from the audience. All questions must be submitted in writing.
For more information, contact Jodi Foran at 882-2401.
Montezuma County Extension will offer apple pie canning class
The Montezuma County Extension Office, in conjunction with the La Plata County Extension Office, will offer an Apple Pie Canning Class from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Calvin Denton Room, Empire Electric, 801 N. Broadway, Cortez.
Wendy Rice, extension agent and family and consumer science specialist from La Plata County, will conduct the class. The cost of the class is $10; this fee covers supplies and materials. Preregistration is required before Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Contact the Montezuma County Extension Office at 565-3123 for more information or to pre-register.
Metales M5 Mexican Brass will kick off SW Colorado Concerts season
Metales M5 Mexican Brass will kick off SouthWest Colorado Concerts 2011-2012 winter concert series at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Cortez Middle School auditorium, 450 W. Second St., Cortez. Come early to purchase tickets; doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Metales M5 with two trumpets, a French horn, a trombone and a tuba is balanced between classical pieces and pops tunes, including a 007 segment and finishing off with some rousing Mexican folk tunes, including a bullfight.
Single concert tickets will be available at the door for $20 for adults and $5 for youths.
SouthWest Colorado Concerts will present four concerts for 2011-2012. Season tickets for all four concerts will be available at the door Oct. 11 for $45 for adults and $5 for youths 18 years old and under. Season tickets also provide entry to concerts in Gallup, N.M., and Delta, Colo., at no additional charge. Single concert tickets are also available.
For more information, call Paul Bostrom at 565-9127 or Steve Costos at 882-1471.
Archaeologist author Lister will speak about Pueblo Bonito
Local archaeologist and author Florence Lister will give a talk on The Treasures of Pueblo Bonito at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Mancos Public Library, 211 W. First St.
Lister has written or co-authored many books, including Pot Luck: Adventures in Archaeology and Troweling through Time: The First Century of Mesa Verdean Archaeology. This event is free.
For more information, contact the library at 533-7600.
SWOS invites public to view facilities at open house
Southwest Open School invites any community members interested in seeing the condition of their facilities to come to an open house from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12. The campus is at 401 N. Dolores Road.
Staff and students will be available to give tours, which will provide more information about the facilities and the programs at SWOS.
For more information, contact the school at 565-1150.
AARP will offer driver safety course for mature drivers
AARP will sponsor a driver safety course from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the Calvin Denton Room in the Empire Electric Building, 801 N. Broadway, Cortez.
This is a new four-hour course authorized by the state of Colorado. It is designed to meet the needs of mature drivers. The course will review safe driving techniques as well as Colorado traffic laws. Completion of this course can qualify you for a discount on your automobile insurance.
The course is available to all motorists whether or not they are members of AARP. A $12 fee for AARP members or a $14 fee for nonmembers, to be paid by check (no cash) will cover the cost of materials. Bring your drivers license and your AARP membership number (if you have one).
Call to register with Scott and Judy Aeschlimann at 565-3872. Leave name and phone number on the answering machine.
Artist-in-residence Lee will present demo and talk
Mesa Verde National Park artist-in-residence Roland Lee will present a free demonstration and talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St.
He will discuss his unique method of recording his experiences which employs all of the senses. Lee has spent the past 30 years exploring the National Parks with sketchbook and paintbrush.
For more information, contact the Cultural Center at 565-1151. To learn more about the artist-in-residence program at Mesa Verde, call AIR Coordinator, Frank Cope at 529-4607 or visit www.nps.gov/meve.
Chamber of commerce will offer Business Essentials Workshop
The Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce is offering a Business Essentials Workshop from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the First National Bank in Cortez.
Bryan Dear and Karen Veals from the payroll department will help us simplify and to understand one of our biggest, yet most important expenses in our organizations: Payroll, with a focus on timekeeping and attendance as well as worker classification (Exempt vs. Non-Exempt and Employee vs. Contract Labor).
Phil Bryson from On the Edge Productions will then give us the tools for effectively hiring, managing and working with different personality types in the workplace.
Registration fee for chamber members is $40, and $50 for nonmembers.
Contact Dena at 565-3414 for more information or to register for this workshop.
League will present program on federal role in education
This fall, the League of Women Voters of Montezuma County, along with other Leagues across the nation, is studying the federal role in education. On Friday, Oct. 14, at 10 a.m. in the library at the Cortez Middle School, the League will present a program that explores what the role of the federal government is, has been, and should be in public education in the U.S.
The public is invited and educators are especially urged to attend and participate in the discussion.
For more information, contact Jack Schuenemeyer at jackswsc@q.com or 565-0179.
Former Utah poet laureate Lee will perform at reading, potluck event
David Lee, nationally known prolific, poignant and funny poet and former poet laureate of Utah, will be coming back to Montezuma County to perform his delectable assortment of poetry on Friday, Oct. 14. The evening will begin with a potluck at 6 p.m., and Lees reading will start around 7 p.m. Its all happening in the Teetzels studio space at 24305 County Road U.
With four new books to his credit, he could wow participants with his ever popular pig poems and take people for an adventure on his new writing path; the poetry of landscapes, the human connection and the natural beauty that has inspired him in the canyon country of Utah. Presented by Dryside Productions, whose mission is to benefit and promote local events that inspire and stimulate the mind. A $10 donation is requested. Bring a delicious dish, a beverage, and share a ride.
Directions to the Teetzels can be found by calling Kathy at 739-3071 or Bill at 739-6452.
Special fall photography workshop at Mesa Verde will be offered
Every year thousands of visitors snap photos of the spectacular, world-famous Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde Institute is offering a special fall three-day photography workshop scheduled beginning at noon on Friday, Oct. 14, through the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 16, to be led by well known photographer Professor Emeritus Gene Balzer.
The workshop is limited to 13 participants to ensure plenty of personalized coaching. Tuition includes three days of instruction, two nights in-park motel lodging at the Far View Lodge, and all meals, including two dinners at the famed Metate Room Restaurant.
Participants will visit sites around the park at times designed to capture ideal lighting conditions, and will work on compositional skills for compelling images.
For further information, including photographic equipment needs and to register, visit the Mesa Verde Institute at www.mesaverdeinstitute.org, email info@mesaverdeinstitute.org, or call 800-305-6053.
Pleasant View Elementary will host annual Fall Harvest Carnival
Pleasant View Elementary School will be hosting their 11th annual Fall Harvest Carnival beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. A chili dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., and the carnival will be open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pleasant View Elementary is at 15328 Road BB.
Wear your country duds or a costume, and come enjoy dinner, games, door prizes, fun and a Country Store to cash in your winnings. Dinner is $5 for adults; $3 for children.
For more information, call Kami Oliver at 562-4506. Volunteers welcome!
Girl Scouts seek volunteers, will offer troop leader training
Girl Scouts of Montezuma County is looking for volunteers to be troop leaders. All volunteers receive basic training for their position through adult learning opportunities. Training ensures that each volunteer has the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in her or his work. Training for new leaders will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 15.
Whatever your background, whatever your interest, whatever commitment your schedule permits, Girl Scouts of Colorado needs your experience and energy to serve the increasing number of girls who are, or who want to be Girl Scouts.
Contact Kyle Conrad at 375-7913 if you are interested in volunteering, or if you have a girl who wants to participate in Girl Scouts. Learn more at www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org.
Womens Cancer Coalition will hold 9th Annual Pink Ribbon Affair
The Ninth Annual Pink Ribbon Affair sponsored by the Womens Cancer Coalition will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Ave.
Families, spouses and friends are invited to attend this event which will honor cancer survivors. The entertainment will feature A Cavalcade of Dances Through the Decades by Come Dance Tonight dancers, a light meal catered by Seasnings, silent auction, and door prizes. All proceeds from the $15 ticket price benefit Montezuma and Dolores County women with cancer screening.
Advanced reservations by Monday, Oct. 17 are encouraged and may be made by calling 882-4484 or 565-3056.
Its time to order homemade apple pies to raise funds for Habitat
Home and apple pie ... for many, these two things remind us of family and good times shared. Habitat for Humanity of Montezuma County is now taking pre-orders for homemade apple pies, which will be ready for pick up on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Cortez Farmers Market, or the week of Oct. 24 through 28 at Seasnings Catering.
Payment in advance $15 donation each is requested. Money raised will assist Habitat in providing decent, affordable housing to county residents. The pies will be made with local apples in homemade flaky pastry, with your choice of double crust or cinnamon streusel topping. Treat yourself to a homemade apple pie and support our local Habitat for Humanity.
Call 565-2728 to place your order.
