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.
Camping will be presented on 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.
Rec Center will offer free classes during Zumba Week
The Cortez Recreation Centers free Zumba Week wraps up with the Saturday, Aug. 18 Zumba party at 9:30 a.m. These classes are open for all ages and abilities. For more information, call Rayna at 560-3916 or the Rec Center at 564-4080.
Livestock Assoc., Cowbelles host Summer Social
The Southwestern Colorado Livestock Association and Southwestern Cowbelles will host a Summer Social at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18 at the Lewis-Arriola Community Center. Enjoy hamburgers grilled by the SWCLA directors and picnic side dishes prepared by the Cowbelles. Then dance to the music of Vanishing Breed at 8 p.m. Tickets for the meal and dance are $10 each; youth 17 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by parents. Everyone is welcome! Tickets are available from SWCLA directors, Southwestern Cowbelles officers, and at the door. Call Jason Blackmer at 739-5577, Bev Tozer at 759-1332, or Lynelle Brumley at 565-1972 for tickets and information.
Science Saturdays in the park for young scientists
Bring your young scientists to two Science Saturdays in the park, family events sponsored by Mesa Verde STEAM Academy. On Saturday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Park de Vida shelter at Mildred and Empire Streets, Cortez, we will present Can you run, jump, pull, and see as well as a mountain lion? Find this out, as well as other amazing facts about mountain lions, with the Mountain Lion Olympics! For information, contact Gabi Morey at 759-1170. On Saturday, Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon at the same location, join us to earn your Oooh Aahh license by flying loop planes, stacking water, creating toilet paper tube cannons and more. For information contact Kay Phelps at 759-3270.
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.
CSU Master Food Safety Advisors offer free Q&A workshops
Do you have questions about food safety, food preservation, or gardening in this area? If so, you are invited to bring your questions at one of the three dates scheduled at Slavens True Value in Cortez. The Colorado State University Extension Master Food Safety Advisors and Master Gardeners will answer questions, test pressure canner gauges, supply handouts, and have a display of suggested supplies. The free Q&A sessions will be on Wednesday, Aug. 22 from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25 from 11:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., and on Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. For more information, contact Lucy Butler at 560-8840 or lcbutler@ftitel.net.
Singer Eilen Jewell plays rockabilly, surf-tinged country
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Eilen Jewell brings her pearl of an album to the Dolores River Brewery on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. Queen of the Minor Key showcases Jewells seamless blend of rockabilly, surf-tinged country, rock and folk. Sad songs are her wealth and finery. Lend her your ears, and you will quickly hear why her humble subjects admire and adore her more with each passing year. Tickets are $10. The brewery is located at 100 S. 4th St. in Dolores. To hear samples of Jewells tunes, got to www.signaturesounds.com/album/queen-minor-key. For more information, call 882-4677.
Cortez Middle School holds Back to School Night
Cortez Middle School, 450 W. 2nd St., will hold its Back to School Night on Thursday, Aug. 23. Seventh and 8th grade will be at 5:30 p.m. and 6th grade at 7 p.m. Students and their parents are invited to come and meet CMS staff and teachers, visit pods and follow your childs schedule. We look forward to seeing you there. For more information, call 565-7824.
Celebrate Dolores quilt history at 2012 Quilt Show
The 2012 biennial Quilt Show will held at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25. The show will include over 100 quilts exhibited and judged by the public, a stunning queen size raffle quilt Follow the Leader, as well as vendors of fabric, patterns, notions, sewing machines, handmade boutique items and quilts for sale. Door prizes will also be distributed to attendees. Tickets are available at the door at $3 per person for age 16 years and older. Visitors and new members are always welcome at the guilds monthly meetings held on the first Tuesday of each month at 9:45 a.m. at the Dolores Community Center. More information is available at doloresmountainquilters.org or at 882-2191.
Mesa Verde Country Wine, Food & Art Festival
Join us Friday through Sunday, Aug. 24-26, in Cortez at the Mesa Verde Country Wine, Food and Art Festival. On Friday, Aug. 24, join gourmets at the four-course Winemakers dinner at Neros Mediterranean Grill. Reservations are required and space is limited. The dinner is $75 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Check out the complete menu at www.mesaverdecountry.com or call 565-8227. Tickets may be purchased at Neros or at the Mesa Verde Country office in the Colorado Welcome Center. On Saturday, Aug. 25, head to Cortez City Park between noon and 5 p.m. to swirl, sip, and purchase wines from nine fine Colorado vintners. Admission to the festival is $15 in advance or $20 at the gate and includes a commemorative wine glass. For those not tasting wine, admission is free. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Mesa Verde Country office or at Liquid Assets in Cortez. The festival includes music, local artists and food, and artists from around the region will showcase their work. Thomas Martin Scott will entertain with heartfelt blues-rock with a touch of jazz. On Sunday, Aug. 26, from noon to 6 p.m., journey down McElmo Canyon to Guy Drew Vineyards for an Open House featuring wine, food, and music. Wines will be available for tasting and purchase. For more information, call 565-8227.
Fierce Light screens free at Conscious Movie Night
Center of Light presents Conscious Movie Night, Fierce Light on Friday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Sophia Peace Center, 19581 Road 31 (in Dolores, turn left on 11th at the Riverside gas station and go 1.8 miles; look for the large sign with the dove on the left). Fueled by the belief that another world is possible, Fierce Light is a compelling, global journey into the world of spirit in action, an exploration of what Martin Luther King called Love in Action, Gandhi called Soul Force, and what Ripper is calling Fierce Light. All are welcome. This event is free, but donations accepted at this screening will support the Metta Center for Nonviolence. Their mission is to promote the transition to a nonviolent future by making the logic, history, and yet-unexplored potential of nonviolence available to activists and agents of cultural change (which ultimately includes all of us). To RSVP or for more information, contact Rev Meira Leonard at 882-2123 or RevMeira@CentersOfLight.org.
Summerfest street festival will have music, entertainment
KSJD and Heart and Soul Cortez invite you to Summerfest, on Saturday Aug. 25 from 6 to 11 p.m. on Market Street in Cortez. Enjoy music from Boris McCutcheon and the Salt Licks, performance by the Roach Family Dancers, and entertainment from the Moe Tones, with the scent of Pepperhead roasting green chilis all afternoon! Share what you love about this great city with Heart and Soul Cortez, and find out what makes other folks tick, too. The event is free, and open to everyone of all ages! To find out more, visit ksjd.org. If youd like to volunteer, please contact Melissa@ksjd.org, or 564-9727 ext 15. Lets celebrate summer in Cortez together!
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 W. 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. 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.
Sheriffs Office holds Citizens Training Academy
The Montezuma County Sheriffs Office will offer the Citizens Training Academy program on Wednesday evenings for 10 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 $10 fee to offset costs. 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.
Canning class will cover safe preservation of harvest
The Montezuma County Extension Office, in conjunction with the LaPlata County Extension Office, will offer a canning class on Wednesday, Aug. 29 and Thursday, Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. The class will be held at the Montezuma Valley Presbyterian Church, 350 S. Washington, Cortez. What better way to enjoy your harvest than to preserve it for later use? Why preserve at home? Most people want to know what is in their food, and the personal satisfaction of taking food that is plentiful now and saving it for later (safely). Are you up on the safest techniques? Preserve flavor and nutrients and keep bacteria out using the best and the easiest techniques. Learn all the food preservation techniques at this fun workshop. The cost is $80 for the class, with a 50 percent off scholarship available for certain income levels. The class will be cancelled if less than six people register. Call 565-3123 to pre-register by Monday, Aug. 27.
FCBA presentation on banking related to building industry
Four Corners Builders Assoc. will host a free presentation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28 at First National Bank, 2258 E. Main in Cortez on banking related to the building, remodeling and real estate industry. The following lending companies will be present: Citizens State Bank, First National Bank, 1st Southwest Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. The public is invited to take part in this informative opportunity to ask questions of local lenders; this will be a forum-style setup. For more information, call FCBA at 565-1771.
Hospice offers Short Course for Caregivers
Hospice of Montezuma and Life Quality Institute will sponsor A Short Course for Caregivers on Tuesday, Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cortez Conference Center, 2121 E. Main St. The cost is $35 and includes breakfast, lunch and training. Topics covered will include: Understanding Your Options for Care; Responding to Suffering in Advanced Illness; and Care for the Caregiver. Please RSVP to Hospice at 565-4400 or office@hospiceofmontezuma.org.
Unlimited Learning Center offers free computer class
The Unlimited Learning Center, 640 E. Second St. in Cortez, will offer a computer training class at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 29 on Internet Searching for Beginners. The class is free to the public, with a limit of ten students. Additional classes will be offered throughout the school year. Call 565-1601, ext. 1 for more details.
Cortez Library August computer classes
The Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St., will offer an Incredibly Basic Computer Skills training class at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30. 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.