The VoterPage 1

December 2011

The Voter

League of Women Voters® of Arapahoe County

December2011

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Membership: 83

IN THIS ISSUE
December Holiday Party
January Preview
Membership Briefings
News & Announcements
LWVUS News
Management Team Notes / HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Since you have received, so many reminders, I hope you have put the date of our annual LWVAC Holiday Party on your calendar.Its Monday, December 5, 2011, at 6 p.m. at Julie Beekhuizen’s house, 1834 W. Cape Cod Way, Littleton. Beverages and Deserts will be provided, but we ask that you bring an “ample” appetizer to share. The evening will include a “getting to know you” activity and lots of great conversation.
We also want to extend our best wishes to you and hope you enjoy the many joys this holiday season will bring. Good Tidings to all and to all a very Happy New Year. As 2012 will be a MAJOR election year, we’ll need it.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, December 5, 2011
LWVAC Holiday Party
6 p.m. @ Julie Beekhuizen’s House
1834 W. Cape Cod Way,Littleton
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Hanukkah Begins
December 22, 2011
Brrrrr. First day of Winter / December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve
Christmas 25, 2011
Christmas Day
January 1, 2012
New Years Day / Monday, January 9 @ 5:30 p.m. at Garcia’s & Thursday, January 12 @ 9:15 p.m. at Castlewood.
LWVAC Unit Meetings on
Program Planning & and a demonstration of the LWVAC web site.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The LWVCO Legislative Action Committee (LAC) will hold a Legislative Orientation Session, Friday, December 9 at 9:30 a.m. at the LWV Denver Office, Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia Street.
The LAC is the dedicated corp of volunteers who monitor the Colorado legislature and committees and review proposed bills as they pertain to League program positions. They also publish a legislative newsletter that contains information on the latest bills and proposals. At this meeting you will learn what the LAC does, its new advocacy agenda and LAC procedures such as following a bill, criteria for writing articles for the Legislative Letter and tips for lobbying.
An added attraction, Rich Coolidge from the Secretary of State’s Office will speak about the DMV voter registration issue. If you are interested email Sally Augden, .

UPCOMING MEETINGS

JANUARY UNIT MEETINGS
Program Planning & LWVAC Web Site / need an update, and to discuss what issues we may want to study next year.
To this end, we will be sending you in early January a complete guide to program planning and a copy of our local league positions and an abbreviated copy of the national positions. We will also monitor the national League’s discussion lists to see what other leagues in the U.S. are suggesting and forward them on to you. Stay Tuned.

AND AS AN ADDED BONUS we’ll also have a tutorial on the LWVAC web site. Julie Beekhuizen, our web mistress, will walk you through the basics of the site and
take any suggestions you may have for additional topics o issues. We are hoping to make the site more useful to our members.
Please bring your laptops, smart phones and ipads if they have WiFi to the Thursday morning meeting. For the Monday meeting, please bring your smart phones and you ipads if you have access to the internet.
his we
Each year local Leagues throughout the U.S. devote one month to solicit suggestions from their members as to what topics and programs they would like to study and/or discuss for the next league year. This is called program planning.
In even years, members discuss the topics they would like to see their state and local leagues study. In odd numbered years, members discuss national and local program topics. This year we will look at national topics and our local positions. We will also ask members to review the League’s program positions to determine if they are still current.
The program positions are important because they are the reason for League’s being. The basis for both advocacy and education efforts. When a League representative speaks before the Board of Education, the County Commissioners, City Council, or other governmental or official bodies, that speech is based on a program position that was studied and agreed upon by League members.
The education consensus is an example. We studied it, took consensus, and from that and all the other League consensus
reports, a position will be developed by the LWVUS. We advocate only on the positions we have studied and developed over the years. The annual program planning process is also done to
determine whether existing positions

WELCOME to new members Kris Chipps,Helen Swen and Marilyn Borton. Kris replaces Cindy Mares as our Arapahoe Library District liaison. She is the district’s program specialist for adults and teens. Kris spent her early years in elementary education while her two girls were in school, before working at the library district for the last 16 years. As her daughters are now grown and living in other states, Kris and her “retired” husband are “empty nesters.”
Helen and Marilyn are residents at Wind Crest, a retirement community in Highlands Ranch. Helen received her elementary education in a one-room schoolhouse in central Kansas and was involved in the Washington D. C. political scenewhen her husband was Assistant Director of the National Park Service.
Helen can trace her ancestry back to 1633 when her English relatives emigrated to American to escape religious persecution. She is also an avid bike rider. In 1982 Helen and her daughter took a 1,000 mile bike trip through Europe complete with tent, camping equipment and outdoor gear. She still rides her bike each day for exercise.
Thanks for the membership renewals and thanks too to Marilyn Borton for her additional contribution to League.


The study on the Role of the Federal Government in Public Education is over! At our November meeting, 24 LWVAC members (above) gathered to discuss the final consensus questions and enjoy wine, soft drinks and chocolate tidbits.
Thanks again to all the participants and presenters who participated in this process.

The Great Decisions Program will begin Friday, Febraury 3rd and meet every Friday for eight weeks till the end of March. Meetings are held at the Castlewood Library, 6739 S. Uinta St. each Friday morning, except February 10th and March 9th. On those dates the meeting will be held at the Southglenn Library, located in the Streets of Southglenn.More information will be forthcoming re times and topics. For now contact Monique Hea, , 303-220-9273.

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS


Last year at the January program planning meetings Colorado Leaguessuggested the state league study Hydrofracking (fracking).The state League agreed and is currently researching the issue. A committee of League members from throughout the state has been formed and they are currently researching the issue.
Initially, the committee thought they would review other state studies and find one suitable for Colorado. That decision was dropped, however, as the there are issues relating to water use that are specific to Colorado.
Thus a full study will be conducted with scope, guidelines, and research papers.The goal is to have unit ready materials at League Day, September 2012 so that local leagues can set their own agenda and have consensus questions back in January or February 2013. A position will then be presented to the delegates for approval at the LWVCO convention in May, 2013.
As LWVAC leaguers, Alice Ramsey and Sandy Blackstone, are on this committee, they will submit information to us as the study develops. For additional information contact Alice, alice@ramsisle,com. /
The LWVAC committee to conduct this study met and have set some guidelines and procedures. As stated, the purpose of this study is to identify the guidelines and parameters that should be considered when federal, state or local governments consider transferring or selling some of their services to the private sector.
To this end, we will look at the goals and community impact of such transfers, and identify strategies to ensure that transfers/sales have adequate guidelines and reporting activities, are accountable to the governmental entity and that all rules and regulations are transparent. The committee will also interview various local governmental officials to determine how they have dealt with the private sector and what pitfalls, if any, haveincurred.
Please note that the study does not ask League to decide whether we support or oppose privatization of governmental services. It only asks us to determine what governments can do to ensure a successful outcome.
Join Us. Committee members are Chris Angle, Deb
Armbruster, Jan Finney, Alice & Rudy Ramsey and Marlu Burkamp.

We now have copies of the new LWVUS Impact onIssues2010 – 2012, and the LWVCO Program for Study andAction, 2011-2013 program position books. Both contain the national and state program positions and their historical perspectives. If you wish a copy please contact
Marlu Burkamp, 303-798-2939,
.
The League of Women ofVoters of Arapahoe County
5776 S. Crocker Street
Littleton, Colorado 80120
303-730-2356

email:
LWVAC MANAGEMENT TEAM
Chris Angle
Program Point Person/Key Contact
303-779-0814

Deb Armbruster
Program Point Person/Public Programs
303-770-5505

Barbara Dungey
Secretary
720-253-6629

Marilyn Ayers,
Treasurer
303-471-8301

Charlotte Faris
Membership Point Person
303-690-8466

Marlu Burkamp
PR/Communications Point Person
303-798-2939

Karen Hart
Voter Services Point Person
720-234-5303

Mary Power,
Social Point Person
303-346-2713

Fern Black, Member At-Large
303-793-0807

Julie Beekhuizen, Member At-Large
303-738-0926
/ Mission
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Join Us
Join the League to help make your community a strong safe and vibrant place to live. Help shape the important issues that affect you and your family.
Memberships are $60 per individual; $85 for households and $25 for students. For more information call Charlotte Faris, 303-690-8466

League Links
League of Women Voters/Colorado
1410 Grant, B-204
Denver, Colorado 80203
303-863-0437 or 1-800-863-8683


League of Women Voters/US
1730 M Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036-4508
202-429-1965