League of Women Voters - Montezuma County

03/18/2026

Tomorrow! Free and online!

03/18/2026

Colorado lawmakers are set to give final approval to a bill that would allow state childhood vaccine recommendations to rely on findings from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics amid...

03/18/2026

03/17/2026

The League will be hosting a Ballot Issues Forum on the proposed Cortez City Charter Amendments.

Thursday, March 19, 2026
5:30 pm
Cortez Public Library

There are several important questions on this ballot regarding the City Charter. Please plan to attend.
Karen Sheek
Chair, League of Women Voters, Montezuma County

03/16/2026

A Douglas County judge gave a 62-year-old woman convicted of voter fraud the maximum sentence allowed under Colorado law, the 23rd Judicial District announced Monday. ⬇️

03/16/2026

The League of Women Voters - Montezuma County is partnering with the three county libraries, the Sunflower Theater, and the LOR Foundation to host a community-wide book read of

Michael Lewis‘new book,
"Who Is Government"

It will culminate in an event on May 1, 2026 at the Sunflower Theater. We’ll discuss the book and have a panel of retired or current federal employees who will talk about their work, why they chose public service as a career, and the importance of public servants to the American people.

We've added this book to each of the libraries so you can read it before the event! We hope you find the book as compelling as we did and look forward to the panel discussion on May 1.

03/07/2026

Eleven candidates are running to fill five seats on the Cortez City Council:
Travis Shepherd
Kathleen Swope
Charles P. Borchini Jr.
Michael Earl Bischoff AKA “Gandolf”
Carly Wolf
Clarisa Osborn
Randy Vialpando
James McGinley
Bruce Burkett
Dennis Spruell
Claire West

The League is hosting a Candidate Forum for Cortez voters to meet the candidates, learn why they are running and the skills they bring to the job, along with their positions on issues of importance in the community.

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Place: Cortez City Hall, Council Chambers

For the first hour and a half there will be a formal question and answer period. All candidates will be asked the same questions. After the formal session, there will be about 30-minutes during which the moderator will share questions submitted by attendees.

Five of these candidates will be representing you and making decisions impacting our community. Please plan to attend this important event.

03/06/2026

On March 3, 1913, more than 8,000 women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., demanding a constitutional amendment guaranteeing their right to vote.

The Women’s Suffrage Parade marked a turning point in the fight for equality—bringing national attention to a movement that would culminate in the 19th Amendment just seven years later.

Their courage in the face of resistance and hostility reshaped the future of American democracy.

03/06/2026

Remembering March 3 for those that fought so long and hard for the right to vote!!

in 1913, more than 5,000 women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. to demand the right to vote, marking the first suffrage parade and the first large, organized march on Washington for political purposes. The 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession through Washington, D.C. changed the way protests were viewed and carried out by the American public, and laid the foundation for future marches.

The Procession, unprecedented in both its scale and its tactics, was a major turning point for the woman suffrage movement in the United States. Suffrage leader Alice Paul, who was recently elected head of the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s Congressional Committee, devised the idea for a large-scale public demonstration. Paul, who had spent time in England, witnessed the more militant tactics that the British suffragists used to draw attention to their cause.

Parade organizers strategically selected March 3, 1913 for the march. Woodrow Wilson was to be inaugurated as the new President the following day, and national press was in town and idly awaiting the inaugural festivities.

Paul insisted that the parade march down Pennsylvania Avenue, deliberately following the same route that the inaugural parade would take the next day. The contrast between the two parades would prove striking. Reporters flocked to the suffrage parade, leaving Wilson to arrive at the train station unheralded.

Despite the chaos and violence that initially ensued during the parade, Paul declared the event a success. The parade made national headlines and once again captured the public’s interest in the suffrage movement. Even those who opposed votes for women acknowledged that, as citizens, the women had the right to peacefully assemble.

03/06/2026

Happy ! ✨ For 30 years, the NWHM has worked to ensure that women’s history is visible, accessible, and fully integrated into the story of our nation.

This work is not secondary to American history. It *is* American history.

This month (like every month!), we're excited to engage with our communities through virtual programming, amplify women's achievements across all fields, and spotlight lesser-known trailblazers, including:

✈️ Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military, serving as a Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) ferry pilot during World War II

🗣️ Susette LaFlesche Tibbles (Bright Eyes), an Omaha woman who spent her entire life tirelessly campaigning for Native American rights as a speaker, activist, interpreter, and writer

📰 Nellie Bly, whose undercover reporting not only raised awareness about mental health treatment and led to improvements in institutional conditions, but also ushered in an age of investigative journalism

🪸 Joan Murrell Owens, the first Black woman marine biologist, geologist, and paleontologist who discovered a new genus of button coral

🏳️‍🌈 Laura M. Esquivel, a lifelong activist and cofounder of Latino(a) Le***an and Gay Organization (LLEGÓ) who's often referred to as “La Madre” of the Latino LGBTQ+ movement

🗽 Emma Lazarus, a Jewish American writer and activist whose words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” are almost as well-known as the Statue of Liberty they're engraved on

🎨 Edmonia Lewis, the first professional Black and Native American sculptor in the U.S. who used her art to depict the stories of women and Indigenous people with reverence and beauty

⚖️ Sylvia Mendez, who, at age 8, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark 1946 case that successfully ended de jure segregation in California

🪖 Maya Lin, a renowned artist and architect who began her career creating the Vietnam War Memorial at 21 years old after winning a national search competition with her innovative minimal design

Who are you celebrating this Women's History Month? Let us know in the comments!

03/06/2026

Please join the League of Women Voters - Montezuma County for the presentation on March 14 by Companeros which focuses on immigration issues specific to rural communities that face some challenges that are different than those in larger urban areas. Note the time change from our usual 10:15 to 11:30 at the Mancos Library.

03/06/2026

The Montezuma County Public Health Department is partnering with Southwest Health System to bring a Community Health Fair to Montezuma County.

Location: Montezuma County Annex
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026

Services available will include:

Blood Tests (Chemistry Panel, CBC, PSA, HA1C, Vitamin D)
Wellness Stations (Mental Health, Physical Health, Emotional Health)
Mobile Immunization Clinic – Complimentary immunizations available for adults and children on a first-come, first-served basis

Skip the line!
Pre-register and pay in advance here:https://forms.office.com/r/piDJ1dTBcb

Take a few minutes to invest in your health — we hope to see you there!