The Cortez Journal encourages people to submit announcements about upcoming events for the Community Calendar. Send announcements to [email protected]. 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.



United Blood Services will hold community blood drives

United Blood Services will have community blood drives from 12 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at the First United Methodist Church, 515 N. Park, Cortez; from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, in the Mancos High School gym, 355 W. Grand Ave., Mancos; and from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 15, in the Calvin Denton Room at Empire Electric, 801 N. Broadway, Cortez.

For more information, contact United Blood Services at 385-4601 or (800) 863-4524. You may also sign up at www.unitedbloodservices.org. ID is required.



March library theme is Spring Forward

“Spring Forward” is the March theme of Storytime at the Cortez Public Library.

Storytime is every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. for pre-school aged children. Older children are welcome to join us for the craft at 11:15 a.m.

On Thursday, March 3 we’ll introduce “Rhyming Words.” “Do I Have to Wear That?” will be the focal point for Thursday, March 10. Next is “I’d Like to be a Penguin” on March 17. “The Number 10” will be discussed on March 24 and we’ll wrap up the month with “The Letter M” on March 31.

Storytime offers songs, stories, crafts and silliness and uses the Early Childhood Literacy Initiative program. For more information, contact the library at 970-565-8117. The library is located at 202 N. Park St., Cortez.



Fruit tree pruning workshop could help rejuvenate trees

CSU Extension will present a fruit tree pruning workshop from 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, March 3, at the Southwest Colorado Research Center located approximately 17 miles north on U.S. Highway 491 and west one-quarter mile on County Road Z. An optional session on rejuvenation pruning of old, neglected fruit trees will take place after noon, weather dependent.

Why prune your fruit trees? With proper training and correct pruning techniques, a fruit tree will maintain it’s over all health for years. Starting off right with a newly planted fruit tree will help you avoid problems later. Improperly pruned or neglected trees are more subject to disease and breakage from fruit loads and storms.

Bring a lunch if you plan to stay for the afternoon. Coffee, tea, and morning snacks will be provided.

Participants are asked to register by phoning either Montezuma County Extension at 565-3123 or Dolores County Extension at 677-2283. The cost is $15 per person, payable the day of the workshop. Individuals attending the workshop should dress appropriately for the weather conditions as Extension staff will demonstrate pruning apple, pear, peach, and plum trees in the orchard. Please leave pets at home.



Poetry Corner Presents will bring Marilyn L. Taylor to Cortez

The Poetry Corner Presents will bring Marilyn L. Taylor to the Cortez for a poetry reading at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 3 and a poetry workshop entitled Best Words, Best Order at 10 a.m. Friday, March 4, at the Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St. Taylor has held the title of both poet laureate for the city of Milwaukee in 2004-2005 and poet laureate for the entire state of Wisconsin in 2009-2010. This is an honor only bestowed upon the crème de la crème of poets.

For more information, contact the library at 565-8117.



Presbyterian women will hold spring rummage sale

The Presbyterian women will hold their spring rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5, at the Fellowship Hall, 350 S. Washington, Cortez.

They will have household goods, books, glassware, toys, clothing, plants and much more. Proceeds will go towards local and outreach missions.

For more information, call the church at 565-7024.



Mardi Gras-Mancos Style will help Historic Mancos Opera House

Mardi Gras-Mancos Style will be celebrated from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Historic Mancos Opera House, 136 W. Grand, Mancos.

The entire Four Corners community is invited to the annual fundraising event benefiting the restoration of the 100-year-old building.

Join the fun with live music and entertainment by Ralph Dinosaur. Enjoy authentic Greek, Cajun and Italian cuisine provided by YaYa’s, Absolute Bakery and Arborena, with a traditional King Cake by Absolute Bakery. A cash bar will be hosted by the Mancos Valley Distillery and Dolores River Brewery, serving local spirits, brews and wines.

Tickets are $30 each. Costumes are optional, but encouraged, with prizes awarded by categories. Reserved sponsor tables are available.

For tickets or information, call 749-9320 or 564-9550.



Boot Camp set for new dads

New babies don’t come with an owner’s manual!

The Pinon Project Family Resource Center is offering Boot Camp for New Dads, a unique program that helps new and expectant dads take the edge off of the adjustments that come with a new baby. The next three hour Boot Camp session will be on Monday, March 7, 2011, 6:00 PM in the downstairs meeting room of The Pinon Project annex on the southwest corner of Chestnut and Arbecam Streets in Cortez.

Boot Camp for New Dads is a father-to-father workshop that equips new fathers to become engaged with their infants, support their mates and navigate their transformation into new dads. Veteran dads bring their infants and share their experiences with expectant or “rookie” dads. Some of the important issues addressed are supporting and forming a partnership with the new mom, forming a new family, making time, safety and baby-proofing, dealing with friends and in-laws, holding and comforting a baby and capturing the joy. Domestic violence and child abuse are addressed in open and honest discussions. Rookie dads are encouraged to attend workshops in the role of veteran dads after their babies are born.

Children are more likely to be successful and well adjusted when growing up with an involved father. Boot Camp is validated by research and has been named a best practice by many organizations that consider it an exceptional means of supporting dads-to-be and fostering behaviors that benefit children and help prevent a wide range of social ills.

Boot Camp will be held on the first Monday of the every month. To inquire or to reserve a spot in a Boot Camp for New Dads workshop, contact Ellis Miller at the Pinon Project, 564-1195.



Local author Niles will read from new work ‘The Book of John’

Local writer Kate Niles will read from her new book “The Book of John” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at the Mancos Public Library, 211 W. First St.

The book is about archaeologist John Thompson, who thinks he’s going to have an easy summer. Instead, he runs into an archaeological discovery that will shake the field, his field, to its core. Fifty years old, overweight, married to someone who has aided and abetted his career while never forcing him to deal with his own deep-seated insecurities, John flees to the most extreme place he knows: the Makah Indian community at Neah Bay, Wash. Exposed to the endless rain and relentless sea of the Olympic Peninsula, John is confronted with a people desperate to rejuvenate their ancient whaling tradition, and the ghost of an old love affair John has tried to bury for years. In surefooted, lyrical prose, Niles explores what it means to excavate a life out of the wreckage of the past, and the ramifications of keeping secrets for far too long.

The event is free and open to all ages. Copies of “The Book of John” will be available for purchase.

For more information, contact the library at 533-7600.



Shamanic practitioner will have Mayan Calendar workshop

Join shamanic practitioner Carla Fox for the Mayan Calendar Workshop at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at the Cortez Cultural Cente, 25 N. Market, Cortez.

According to Carl Johan Calleman, the final and highest wave of the Mayan Calendar starts on March 9. The rate of consciousness evolution will accelerate by a factor of 20. Time will speed up and morph, as will all aspects of life in the physical.

Fox will facilitate a discussion and lead several energetic processes designed to support transitions and stability into a higher state of vibration, so that participants could be able to ride this wave more consciously and comfortably.

To pre-register or for more information, call Carla at 565-2624.



Film ‘Pushing the Elephant’ will feature at Mancos Public Library

Community Cinema, presented by the Independent Television Service and The Mancos Public Library, will present this month’s screening of “Pushing the Elephant” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at the Mancos Public Library, 211 W. First St.

When civil war came to Rose’s Congolese village, she was separated from her 5-year-old daughter, Nangabire. Rose managed to escape with nine of her 10 children and was eventually resettled in Phoenix. More than a decade later, mother and daughter are reunited in the United States, where they must come to terms with the past and build a new future.

A panel-led discussion will follow the free film.

For more information, contact the Mancos Public Library at 533-7600 or visit mancoslibrary.org.



Discotays, Cop Feel will play electronic music at Sideshow

Discotays and Cop Feel will play live electronic music at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 11 at Sideshow Emporium & Gallery, 411 Central in Dolores.

Electro-punk duo the Discotays are having their 2011 tour kick-off. Opening the show is Cop Feel making a debut performance with his mix of R&B electronoise synth beats plus experimental DJ set. Then on to the Discotays with their unique blend of post punk-dance-electro-pop outrageousness. To listen to the Discotays, visit: http://discotays.bandcamp.com. To hear Cop Feel, visit: http://soundcloud.com/cop-feel.

For more information, call 739-4646.



SWMH Auxiliary will hold Pampered Chef sale, fundraiser

Southwest Memorial Hospital Auxiliary will hold a Pampered Chef sale and fundraiser at 9 a.m. Friday March 11, in the lobby outside the gift shop at the hospital, 1311 N. Mildred Road, Cortez.

Stoneware, cookware, bake ware and other cooking tools will be included. Enter to win free cookbook. Anyone interested in joining the auxiliary should stop by to meet auxiliary members and pick up an application.

Call the gift shop for more information at 564-2159.



Program will explore political redistricting based on Census

The League of Women Voters of Montezuma County will present a program on redistricting in Colorado at noon Saturday, March 12, at Shiloh Steak House, 5 S. Veach St., Cortez.

After each Census, states are required to redraw congressional and state legislative districts to conform with shifts in population. Each state determines how the redistricting will occur, based on its constitution and laws. Trish Pegrem, a La Plata County attorney, will discuss the procedures Colorado must follow to redraw district lines.

The public is invited to this presentation and can purchase lunch.

For more information, contact LouAnn Burkett at 882-4666.



Dolores High student government will host mardi gras carnival

Dolores High School student government will host a mardi gras carnival from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 12, in the Dolores High School main gym.

The carnival is geared toward a younger audience but will have plenty of enjoyable activities for all ages. All money raised will go toward the Christmas Kids fund, through which student government takes low-income elementary students shopping for Christmas. The carnival will have food, vendors, booths and games from local businesses and school clubs alike. Costumes are encouraged.

For more information, call Dolores High School at 882-7288.



United Methodist Women will have sacrificial program

United Methodist Women at the Cortez United Methodist Church will observe the annual Call to Prayer and Self Denial at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 12, in the Fellowship hall of the church at 515 N. Park St.

Each year this observance gives the women an opportunity to have a modest sacrificial breakfast and make a contribution to a designated mission effort of the church. This year, the designated project is the care of retired missionaries and deaconesses of the United Methodist Church and its predecessor organizations.

Women at United Methodist Churches in the area are invited to attend the Call to Prayer and Self Denial observance.

For more information, call Eleanor at 564-0708.



SJMA will hold volunteer orientation, cover upcoming projects

San Juan Mountains Association will hold a volunteer orientation from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the Mancos Library, 211 W. First St.

SJMA is a non-profit 501-c3 dedicated to public land stewardship through education and participation in Southwest Colorado. New SJMA volunteers or anyone interested in learning more about the San Juan Mountains Association are encouraged to attend. Topics covered will be: SJMA’s background and purpose, descriptions of programs and upcoming 2011 projects, Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly ethics, public land regulations and descriptions of public land managing agencies in Southwest Colorado.

To attend the Volunteer Orientation, register by March 11, by contacting Kathe Hayes at 385-1310 or e-mail [email protected].



Four Corners Dancers will host Spring Fling square, round dance

The Four Corners Dancers invite everyone in the community to attend the annual Spring Fling square and round dance festival from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, in the Cortez Middle School gym, 450 W. Second St., Cortez.

The free event can be fun for spectators, who are encouraged to come at any time. The flashing petticoats and bright ties of the dancers can lift your spirits, and the elegant steps of the round dancers can take you back to an era of galantry and grace.

Art Tangen, of Albuquerque, N.M., is the featured square dance caller for the event. Maxine and Dale Springer, of Grand Junction, will be cuing the round dancers. About a hundred dancers from all over the Rocky Mountain region and the Four Corners are expected to attend this popular festival.

For more information contact Don and Judy Morris at 565-9836 or Ronnie and Vonnie Robinson at 565-8561.



A Trio of Duo’s planned at Millwood Junction

A Trio of Duo’s: A night of music with the Lindells, Baby Toro and Katya Chorover is set for Saturday, March 12 at Millwood Junction Restaurant, Mancos.

The music starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $5 at the door.

Kim and Chris Lindell play wild, live-wire, high mountain music - straight up from Colorado. It’s a delectable brew of original roots rock, cosmic country, folk-noir, wicked ‘grass and funky-stylie reggae. Join us for some of the finest magic harmonies, stunning guitarwork, New Orleans backbeat rythyms and atmospheric jams inspired by the awesome beauty of the American West. Bob Matthews, producer and recording engineer for the Grateful Dead, says: “Kim and Chris Lindell have been blessed with a rare gift... [their music is] a grace to witness... most satisfying!”

Springing from the small town nowhereland (Mancos), Baby Toro uses their dazzling, multi-hued fantails of reverb, echo and and girl-group harmony meets post-punk detachment to seem much larger than they are.

For nearly twenty years, Katya Chorover has been captivating audiences with her warm, dark voice and intimate, well-crafted songs. Combining elements of Americana, folk, pop, blues and country, “her music embodies a peace that transcends the noise of modern life” (Talking Leaves).

For more information call 533-7338.



Moetones, Lawnchair Kings will play rock, country tunes

The Moetones and Lawnchair Kings will play a mix of rock and country tunes at 9 p.m. Friday, March 18, at the Hollywood Bar and Cafe, 417 Central Ave., Dolores.

There is a cover charge of $5 per person.

For more information, call the Hollywood at 882-9998.



Boris McCutcheon and the Salt Licks will play

KSJD presents Boris McCutcheon and the Salt Licks, an Americana/folk/rock ‘n roll show, at the Millwood Junction Restaurant on Saturday March 19th. The show starts at 8:00 p.m., tickets are $10 at the door. If you want to buy ahead of time, contact Melissa at 564-9727, or email [email protected]



Dodson, aka Renaissance Man, displays art at Cortez library

Justin Dodson, aka Renaissance Man, will display his paintings through March at the Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St., Cortz.

For more information, contact Justin at [email protected].



Cortez Farmers Market plans spring meeting

The Cortez Farmers Market invites all of last year’s vendors, and anyone interested in participating in this year’s market, to attend its spring meeting Saturday, April 2, 2011, at the Calvin Denton Room, Empire Electric Association, 801 N Broadway, Cortez. The meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. Topics included on the agenda include a financial report, market manager’s report, a review of the 2010 season and of the rules and regulations, and instructions and time lines for vendor applications.

For more information please contact Theresa at [email protected] or call the Extension Office at (970)565-3123.