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.
August theme for Cortez Public Librarys Storytime
Wrapping Up Our Dreams is the August theme of Raising Readers Storytime at the Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St. Storytime is held every Thursday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for preschool-aged children. Older children are welcome to join in for the craft at 11:15 a.m. on Thursdays. Please note that the library has discontinued Friday Storytime. The Saturday Storytime is held, weather permitting, at the Cortez Farmers Market on the corner of Elm and Main Streets. All days of any particular week will follow the same theme except on Saturdays there will be no craft.
Pajamarama is the subject on Saturday, Aug. 4. Lets Glow will be discussed on Thursday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Aug. 11. Camping will be presented on Thursday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 18. The topic will be Space Explorers on Thursday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 25. Monsters Under the Bed, Really? will wrap up the month on Thursday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Sept. 1. Raising Readers Storytime offers songs, stories, crafts and silliness and uses the Early Childhood Literacy Initiative program. Theres still time to pick up a reading log for our Summer Reading Program, Dream Big, Read! Join to have a chance at a big prize drawing at the end August. For more information, contact the library at 565-8117.
Be a crew member at Cortez Hot Air Balloon Rendezvous
The Cortez Hot Air Balloon Rendezvous will take place at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4 and 5, at Parque de Vida. Participating hot air balloons will be in Cortez from New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. This event is known as small-town flying at its best! This is a family event, so plan to bring along your kids and become crew for a hot air balloon it is really a lot of fun. Be sure to wear tennis shoes and bring gloves, then get ready for a great experience. When the organizer, Cookie See, asks for crew, just step forward, and you will be assigned to a balloon. Balloon sponsors are welcome as well; contact Cookie to learn how your business can be a part of the Rendezvous. For more information or to be a sponsor, call Cookie at 505-977-2679.
Church holds Back to School Rummage Sale
The Presbyterian Women will hold their Back to School Rummage Sale Saturday, Aug. 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the Presbyterian church, 350 S. Washington. This will be an open sale with no pricing make an offer. There will be the usual treasures, household items, bed linens, books, childrens clothing and toys, plus much more, including electrical items and plants. Come shop with us! Proceeds go toward our mission projects. For more information, call Gerry at 565-7024.
Rummage Sale will support M-CHS Marching Panthers
Come help support the M-CHS Marching Panthers! The students and Band Boosters will hold a Rummage Sale at the Notah Dineh parking lot from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4 to earn money for 2012-13 season. All donations can be dropped off at M-CHS at the trailer parked by the band room during this week (206 W. 7th St.). Contact Kerri to make item donations for the sale and for more information at 801-259-0016.
Noted Buddhist teacher, author will speak, offer retreat
Noted Buddhist teacher and international best-selling author Lama Surya Das will speak in Durango on Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. The event from 6 to 9 p.m. includes book signing and sales as well as a silent auction and Lama Suryas presentation on Buddha Standard Time, which is the title of his latest book. Tickets for the event are $25 for adults and $18 for students. They may be purchased at the Community Concert Hall box office at 8th and Main St. in Durango, by phone at 247-7657, or at durangoconcerts.com. Lama Surya Das will also lead a day-long retreat from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5 at the Durango Dharma Center. The program will be based on themes from Lama Suryas best-selling book Awakening the Buddha Within. The cost for the retreat is on a sliding scale from $40 to $70 per person. Students may register for $30 each. Dana the practice of generosity may be offered to Lama Surya. Registration may be made through the Durango Dharma Center at DurangoDharmaCenter.org or by contacting Terry Leonard at tleonard@frontier.net and 799-0084.
Masonic Youth Car Wash fundraiser
The Masonic Youth will hold a car wash fundraiser on Sunday, Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mobil station at Main and Washington St. Funds raised will help Bethel 42 of Jobs Daughters International to attend the Grand Session in Denver. The group assists hearing impaired kids in Colorado. For more information, call Halene West at 565-3279.
Summer Enrichment Programs at Medicine Horse
Medicine Horse Equine Therapy Center are holding their final Summer Enrichment Program of this season. Kids ages 7 through 12 will learn about horses and how to take care of them, learn how to ride bareback, do art projects, make horse treats and just have fun with horses. The advanced skills camp runs from Monday through Friday, Aug. 6-10. Camps go from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $120 and space is limited to six kids. For more information, contact Lynne at 533-7403 or info@medicinehorsecenter.org.
Master Teacher Seminars with Mother Clare Watts
The Center of Light presents three Master Teacher Seminars with Mother Clare Watts, with the first on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. with Jesus, Mary, and You: Why it Matters. The second will be on Friday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. with World Peace: Practice of the Mystics that Help Bring Peace on Earth, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11 Many are Called, but Few are Chosen will be presented. The suggested donation for each of the first two seminars is $25; the suggested amount for the August 11 seminar is $40 and includes lunch. A friend may be brought along for free to all three. The seminars take place at Center of Light at the Sophia Peace Center, 19581 CR 31 in Dolores, turn left at the Riverside Gas and Mart. This road winds up the mesa and turns into CR 31. Go 1.8 miles; youll see a large sign with a dove on it that says Sophia Peace Center. Pre-registration is required: call Rev. Meira Leonard at 882-2123 by Monday, Aug. 6 to reserve your place for these transformative seminars.
Planning meeting for Walk to End Alzheimers
The local Walk to End Alzheimers will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Cortez City Park, and there will be a meeting to plan the walk on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Hospital Annex Room at 20 South Market. Anyone interested in helping with this years walk or wanting information on the local Alzheimers Association are welcome to attend. For more information, call Elaine at 259-0122 or Cindy at 749-2319.
Dickson will present How to Get Ready for an Emergency
The Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen will present guest speaker Karen Dickson on the topic How to Get Ready for an Emergency on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., at the Elks Lodge, 2100 N. Dolores Rd., on Hwy. 145 in Cortez. Come early at 6:15 p.m. for buy your own Taco Tuesday. Karen Dickson is the Regional Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator for Montezuma County and the Southwest Region. She is also the training officer for the Egnar Fire Department and former Firewise Coordinator for Montezuma County. Karen will speak on family emergency preparedness planning which will include how to create an evacuation kit and how to prepare for evacuating stock and pets during an emergency. Due to current fire danger in our area, this information will be valuable to all who attend. The public is always welcome! Call Nihla McCabe at 570-5036 for more information, or visit www.mesaverdehorsemen.com.
Archaeology lecture on 2 successors of Chaco cultural traditions
The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society is pleased to present Paul Reed on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St., to discuss Chaos or Order: Salmon and Aztec in the post-Chacoan Pueblo III Period. In his presentation, Paul will discuss how these two successors of the Chaco cultural traditions developed on different tracks: a continuation of the Chaco tradition at the Aztec community whereas Salmon forged ahead as a non-Chacoan, local community. Paul Reed is a Preservation Archaeologist with Archaeology Southwest. For the past eleven years he has been the Chaco Scholar at Salmon Ruins. For more information, call Bob Bernhart at 739-6772.
Stray Birds trio will perform in Dolores
The Stray Birds will performing on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the Dolores River Brewery, 100 S. 4th St., in Dolores. Drawing upon the richness of American folk music traditions, the signature power of The Stray Birds sound lies in outstanding songwriting that soars in three-part harmony. The Stray Birds are a trio with captivating chemistry and sensitive musicality. From bustling street corners to silent halls, their performances speak to an uncompromising reverence for songs. For more information, contact the Brewery at 882-4677.
M.A.D. Art Show artists reception
Are you mad about art? Join Vivienne Kenyon and Melissa McIntyre at an artists reception on Friday, Aug. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St. The pairs M.A.D. (Mother and Daughter) Art Show will run in the gallery Aug. 7 through Sept. 3. For more information, call 565-1151.
Registration deadline for Leadership Montezuma Fall class
Leadership Montezuma is now taking applications for their class beginning in September. Applications are due no later than Friday, Aug. 10. Leadership Montezuma is the way both locals and new arrivals learn in depth information about our community. Classes are one Thursday per month (all day) from September through May with a weekend orientation in September. Monthly topics range from Education to Natural Resources to Tourism and more. The $350 cost is usually paid for or shared by your employer. To learn more about this premier experience which has been drawing the community together since 1995, visit www.swcommunnityleadership.org or call Alex at 739-3626.
Dolores Escalante Days festivities, Softball Tournament
Join us in Dolores the weekend of Aug. 10-12 for Escalante Days. On Friday evening, Aug. 10, the kids parade will kick off events from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and there will be a bike rodeo, ice cream eating contest, live music, vendors and more. Events on Saturday, Aug. 11, begin at 6 a.m. and go to 8 p.m., and include the pancake breakfast, parade, family games, mountain bike race, chainsaw and arm-wrestling, free Galloping Goose train rides, Duck Race, Vendors, and live music featuring Rockslide and more. There will be vintage motorcycle trials Saturday and Sunday, and a historic railroad logging tour on Sunday, as well as the annual softball tournament in Flanders and Joe Rowell Parks. Vendors are needed. For more information, call 882-4018.
George Geer Memorial Car Show
The George Geer Memorial Car Show, hosted by Southwest Chapter 2 Blue Star Moms, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 11 in Centennial Park. Pre-registration for participants is $25 at Angels Endzone on Friday night, Aug. 10 beginning at 5:30 p.m., or on Saturday morning, Aug. 11, registration is $35 at 8 a.m. The show will be open to the public at 10 a.m., with awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. In conjunction with the car show, there will also be a burn-off contest at Angels Endzone. George liked to hear the power of an engine, smell rubber and see smoke. The entry fee for participants is $25 and trophies will be awarded. Also, that night there will be an exhibition of radio controlled vehicles. For more information about the events, contact Sandi at 560-2572.
Cortez Library August computer classes
The Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St., will offer a series of computer training classes in August. All classes start at 1 p.m. On Friday, Aug. 10, the Southwest Colorado Workforce Center staff will teach computer classes on various aspects of finding a job on the Internet, including: registering with the Workforce Center; updating your Workforce registration; conducting job searches statewide; applying for unemployment insurance; resume preparation; and searching for State applications. On Thursday, Aug. 30, an Incredibly Basic Computer Skills class will be taught. This is our beginning class. If you have little or no computer skills, this is the class for you! All classes must be signed up for ahead of time, as space is limited. Sign up by calling the library at 565-8117 or by stopping by.
K9 Search and Rescue hosts Pancake Breakfast fundraiser
The K9 Search and Rescue Team is holding their Annual Pancake Breakfast during Escalante Days on Saturday, Aug. 11. The breakfast is the annual fundraiser for the Team and will feature pancakes, sausage, coffee or tea, and juice. Tickets are $5 per person. The breakfast will begin at 6 a.m. and ends at the start of the parade, and will be held at the Dog House, 35 Railroad Avenue (directly west of Dolores Fire Station # 1), with handicap parking at that address and regular parking off Central Avenue directly north of the building. Based in Dolores with divisions in Southern California, Northern Arizona, and members in Eastern Colo. and N.M., the K9 Search and Rescue Team Inc. is a non-profit, 100 percent volunteer organization with no tax base that depends solely on donations, grants, and fundraisers such as the Pancake Breakfast for support. Start your day with a great breakfast and support the K9 Search and Rescue Team at the same time! For more information, visit www.k9team.org.
Harvest Dinner will raise funds for The Childrens Kiva
Sutcliffe Vineyards and The Farm Bistro will present a delicious and festive Harvest Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for the The Childrens Kiva Montessori School. Come join us for a special meal, featuring four courses of local, freshly harvested, and beautifully prepared foods. Each course will be paired with fine wines from Sutcliffe Vineyards. The event will be held at The Farm Bistro (34 West Main St., Cortez), recently recognized in Edible Magazine as the Four Corners Best Farm to Table Restaurant! Sutcliffe winemaker Joe Buckel will be on hand for the event to share his expertise in the making and the nuances of these fine wines. The Childrens Kiva is a non-profit community preschool and kindergarten serving families in Cortez for 25 years. Space is limited please book your reservation at The Farm Bistro by calling 565-3834 by Monday, Aug. 13. The cost is $75 per person. For more information about the event, contact The Farm. To learn more about The Childrens Kiva, visit www.childrenskiva.org.
Navajo Code Talker will speak at celebration
Sam Sandoval, a World War II Veteran and Navajo Code Talker, celebrates National Code Talker Day at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14 at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St. Learn about the crucial role Native Americans played in the war through the unbreakable code. For more information, call 565-1151.
Final class of Marketing for Smarties business series
The third class of the Marketing for Smarties Series will take place at the Welcome Center in Cortez, 928 E. Main St., on Wednesday, Aug. 15. Classes are from 1 to 5 p.m. This third installment of the 3-part series breaks marketing down into a step-by-step process, and helps to resolve a lot of the problems many small businesses encounter when trying to effectively promote their products and services. Recommended for new and existing businesses. The cost is $149, and scholarships for attending are available. Contact Lynn Asano at 247-7009 or asano_l@fortlewis.edu to register or for more information. You may also register online at www.coloradosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=170320037.
Childrens Kiva Open House, registration week
Join The Childrens Kiva Montessori School for our Fall Open House on Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at 1204 E. Empire St. in Cortez. There will be refreshments and door prizes! Registration week for the 2012-13 preschool and kindergarten school year is Monday through Saturday, Aug. 20-25. Tuition assistance is available. Check us out at www.childrenskiva.org or call 565-8586 for more information.
Sheriffs Office holds Citizens Training Academy
The Montezuma County Sheriffs Office will offer the Citizens Training Academy program on Wednesday evenings for ten weeks, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12 and ending Wednesday, Nov. 14. The deadline to apply to the program is Monday, Aug. 27. The Academy provides a unique opportunity for citizens to learn about the duties and services provided by the Sheriffs Office. Students will receive instruction in all functions of the three divisions within the Sheriffs Office: Patrol, Detentions and Investigations, as well as auxiliary services which support the Sheriffs Office. The curriculum includes introduction to evidence gathering, crime scene management, case preparation and prosecution.
There is a minimal fee of $10 to offset costs. This is a great opportunity for citizens who have an interest in modern law enforcement. The curriculum does not fulfill State of Colorado certification requirements for peace officers. Applications may be downloaded from www.montezumasheriff.org. You may apply electronically or mail your application to: Montezuma County Sheriffs Office, 730 East Driscoll St., Cortez, CO 81321. If you are interested in this Program, contact any member of the Sheriffs office command staff at 565-8452.