The LWVD Newsletter
February 2025 | Religious Freedom Study Group Presentation &
Consensus Discussion
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
McCollum Room (Montview Blvd Presbyterian Church)
1980 Dahlia Street
Jeff Oster, LWV of Gunnison Valley, has been leading the LWVCO Religious Freedom Study Group and will be hosting in-person presentations statewide. These sessions will provide historical context on the First Amendment, explore challenges like religious nationalism, discuss tax-funded support of private and religious schools, mandated Bible study in schools, and other current ideas that are being put forth that challenge the separation of church and state. The presentation will foster discussion and clarity on these critical issues in anticipation of a consensus vote on a proposed statewide League Position.
This meeting is for League members only because the Study Group will be recommending that LWVCO adopt a position supporting the First Amendment within which our rights related to freedom of religion are stated. Denver League of Women Voters will be asked to come to consensus regarding the proposed position by March 1, 2025.
Some excerpts from the study in preparation for the presentation:
The League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO) believes that the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the US Constitution are cornerstones of religious freedom in a healthy democracy. We believe that the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause may be threatened by religious nationalism.
The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment - "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion…’
The Free Exercise Clause of The First Amendment - …’or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The study group defines religious nationalism as any actualized act or law or political movement that respects, allows or requires the establishment of religion or prohibits the free exercise of religion resulting in a violation of the rule of law or a violation of the individual civil rights of any US citizen or group.
Study Paper
Susan Stark, Director of Program | PROPOSED POSITION STATEMENT
The First Amendment of the US Constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes that the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment are cornerstones of our democracy. We feel that these fundamental civil rights may be threatened by religious nationalism. The League Women Voters of Colorado stands for a democracy founded upon religious pluralism and individual conscience, free of social or political influence by any religious body. We believe in a government that steadfastly supports the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. | February 18 Briefing
What’s Up at the National Western Center?
By Zoom, 5:30 – 7:15 p.m.
Guest Speaker: CEO Brad Buchanan
Interviewed on Tape: Councilperson Darrell Watson
As the 2025 Stock Show finishes this coming weekend, we thought it was time for an update on what else is going on at the site. We assure you it is a lot.
First, a little history. The Denver American Stock Exchange was founded in 1881. Through the years, the businesses related to cattle expanded as well as the railroad, making the area a busy one. The first “official” Stock Show was held in a circus tent in 1906. As it grew in importance, it needed more buildings and eventually led to building the Denver Coliseum from 1949-1951. I-70 was completed in the area in 1956, all this affecting the neighborhoods of Swansea, Elyria, and Globeville. Eventually, talk began about moving the Stock Show complex out of Denver, which would have hurt the city economically. Several studies followed. When Mayor Hancock was elected in 2011, he and many others began to look at how else we could use the area that would enhance the structures and help Denver year-round. Hence, the eventual 30-page masterplan for the nonprofit National Wester Center. The founding partners included the City and County of Denver, the Western Stock Show Association, Colorado State University, the Denver Museum of Science and Nature, and History Colorado.
In 2015, Denver voters approved Measure 2C, which extended indefinitely a 1.75 percent tax on hotel rooms and rental cars that was approved in 1999 and was set to expire in 2023. It directed $476 million from the tax revenue to help fund the National Western Center in Denver. When complete, the 250-acre campus will be a year-round, global destination for culture, entertainment, education and agribusiness innovation. We are interested to know what has been accomplished and what is still on the drawing board.
Since one of the goals of the Colorado Western Center is to enhance and bring together the neighborhoods of Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea, we had hoped to have District 8 Councilperson Darrel Watson join us for the briefing. However, because February 17 is a holiday, the Denver City Council meeting is the evening of February 18. Sue Stark interviewed Councilperson Watson on January 22. We will show the interview at the briefing.
 CEO Brad Buchanan, appointed in 2018, will be our primary speaker. Buchanan’s original degree was in environmental design, beginning his career in Denver as an architect, starting his own firm in 1987. Over 25 years, he expanded it to include design-build services and real estate development—focusing on mixed-use, urban infill projects, including some affordable housing developments. In 2014, Mayor Hancock appointed Buchanan Executive Director of Denver Community Planning and Development. Under his leadership, city planners engaged more than 20,000 residents in drafting Denveright, an ambitious 20-years plan for land use, mobility, parks and recreation.
Buchanan has agricultural roots. He and his family own and operate Flying B Bar Ranch in Strasburg, where they raise Wagyu-Angus grass-fed cattle and employ regenerative agriculture: a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds and enhances the ecosystem.
 Councilperson Darrell Watson enjoyed a 30-year career in finance, most of that time working at TIAA, a nonprofit working for retirement for all. He is the co-founder and principal of the Watson Wenk Group, a catalyst transforming how governmental agencies, for profit businesses, and nonprofits leverage justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) for all. He had served on a multitude of boards and community organizations before running for council in 2024.
Marty Sloven
Program Committee | Bring a Friend!
Drinks and Dialogue: Make Your Voice Heard
6:30 p.m., Thursday, February 13
Plaza 38, 3550 W. 38th Ave.
Grab a drink, engage in meaningful dialogue, and take a step toward becoming an advocate for change!
Join us for an enlightening evening of Drinks & Dialogue, where we will host dynamic guest speakers from League of Women Voters of Colorado, American Civil Liberties Union, and One Colorado to discuss the power of political activism and how you can get involved in creating meaningful change. This event will provide you with insight into the work of these leading organizations and offer practical guidance on how to actively engage in advocacy for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and youth-driven political activism.
Our speakers will share their expertise, experiences, and strategies for mobilizing communities, advocating for policy change, and standing up for those whose rights are at risk.
Don't miss this chance to connect with like-minded individuals, ask questions, and gain the tools and inspiration to become an active part of the political landscape.
More information and registration here.
Cassandra Bishop (She/Her)
Membership Chair | Voter Service In Action
New Co-Chair for Voter Service Committee
Mariam Bouricius will join Lisa Haddox as co-chair of the committee. See her profile in the article below.
Voter Registration
We will soon offer the state-required Circulator training for those interested in helping to register voters. We will provide training for both experienced and new Circulators. Look for announcements later this month or in early February.
We’ve already registered a few voters this year! We were asked to attend a Naturalization Ceremony held at Swigert International School, a DPS school located in northeast Denver. Twenty new citizens were honored. Third graders from the school paraded in with drawings of the various origin country flags and led us in song, both the national anthem and This Land is Your Land. It was very moving. At the conclusion of the ceremony, our LWV registration table was pointed out and we registered new citizens! Thank you to Rita Hughes and Beth Hendrix who assisted with registrations. Here are some photos of the day!
Lisa Haddox, Voter Service Chair | Welcome to Our New Board Member - Mariam Bouricius
 Mariam Bouricius is excited to join the board of the League of Women Voters of Denver as the Co-Chair of Voter Service, where she looks forward to contributing to the organization’s mission of empowering informed and active civic participation.
Mariam specializes in advocacy strategy and analytics, working to support local leaders in advancing educational and social equity. Her career has focused on empowering communities through data-informed decision-making, strategic campaigns, and advocacy efforts to expand access to high-quality education and drive meaningful policy change. Mariam has led initiatives to elect education-focused leaders, protect critical federal programs, and advocate for reforms in education, immigration, and criminal justice.
Mariam holds a degree in mathematics and resides in Denver with her family. In her free time, Mariam enjoys salsa dancing, hiking, biking, skiing, and following F1 racing. | February 14 - League of Womens Voters turns 105!
| Briefing Update
Remember the briefing we held in March of 2023 before the election to present both sides of the ideas put forth about how the Park Hill Golf Course land should be used? It was a controversial subject and LWVD held a public education meeting to present, without bias, both sides. Voters ultimately decided the plan presented in the ballot issue was not acceptable.
Remember Kyle Harris? He spoke at a briefing about the strong mayoral model in Denver in January 2023.
Kyle has a new article in Denverite explaining the newest developments on the Park Hill Golf Course property after the announcement by Mayor Johnston on January 15. Read it here.
| 2025 Legislative Proposals from the
American Indian Affairs Interim Study Committee
At our November briefing, Rick Waters of the Denver Indian Center (DIC) highlighted the history and needs of Colorado’s American Indian population. The LWVD Program Committee invited Mr. Waters to speak as part of our considering developing a land acknowledgement statement to honor the indigenous ancestors and current tribal members living here in Colorado. Mr. Waters helped us see that such a statement is not enough but must be accompanied by actions to support and advocate on behalf of Native Americans. One way that LWVD worked with the DIC was to provide several voter registration events at the Center.
As part of continued ally-ship with our indigenous neighbors, we are coordinating with LWV of Colorado’s Legislative Liaison, Andrea Wilkins, to follow legislative initiatives that would benefit this population. The three legislative proposals listed below were from Colorado’s American Indian Affairs Interim Study Committee. This Committee was formed toward the end of the Legislature’s 2024 session to make policy suggestions and propose bills the begin to meet the “very long list of things [the indigenous community] needs.” Indigenous activist Monycka Snowbird continued, “ 500 years of colonialism has left a lot of room for improvements in legislation.”
Last year, legislators passed a bill forming the first-ever Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Other Native-specific bills in recent years provide instate tuition for tribal students and prohibition of offensive Native American mascots at schools. But more is needed. During the summer and fall of 2024, the American Indian Affairs Interim Committee developed three legislative proposals:
- A bill to make their bipartisan committee permanent through the 2029 legislative interim (HB 1057 American Indian Affairs Committee)
- A bill that will enforce honoring Tribal Court Orders by state courts, law enforcement, hospitals and healthcare providers beyond the reservation’s borders such as court-ordered behavioral health commitments and arrest warrants (SB 009 Recognition of Tribal Court Orders)
- A bill to reclassify wild bison as protected wildlife to prohibit hunting of these animals
We will follow these bills and look for other ways to improve the lives of Native American Coloradans.
Susan Stark, Director of Program
| Board Highlights
Monday, January 13, 2025
- Unanimously voted to accept Mariam Bouricious as our new Co-Chair of Voter Service
- Accepted Bobbie Heisterkamp’s generous offer to buy a table for Denver Leaguers at the March Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, which is honoring Fran Coleman
- Reviewed the extensive Program schedule for the upcoming winter and spring
- Joined Blue Sky platform, replacing X
- Learned more about ChapterSpot and LWVUS future plans for handling membership, both joining and renewing
- Reviewed plans for LWVD participation in the MLK Marade
- Learned more about a possible collaboration with Girl Scouts, helping with badges related to civics and government
Marty Sloven, Secretary | 
"Women Defend Democracy” is the new programmatic focus for the League of Women Voters in 2025, centering people power and moving our country towards a stronger, multi-racial democracy. Through the “Women Defend Democracy” campaign, the League will work to:
- Provide Democracy Education & Election Administration
- Support Restore and Defend Voting Rights Protections
- Abolish the Electoral College
- Protect Democracy Organizations & Institutions
- Fight for Reproductive Freedoms
This campaign kicks off at the start of the first 100 days of the new administration and continues beyond. The League of Women Voters is well positioned to defend attacks on democracy in the coming months and years. Together, we believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy. Be a part of the campaign by joining our mailing list!
| In Memoriam
Mary Ann Feldman-Lang and Jane at the Women to Watch celebration in 2017, twenty-five years after they began the program together. |
As we publish this Denver Voter on January 23, it would have been the 99th birthday of over-50-year member Jane Wasson, who died on Thanksgiving Day. If you read the obituary that we referenced in the Thursday Update on January 9 or the lovely tribute that the LWVCO Voter made on January 17, you already know what a special person Jane was. She was behind many efforts in the 80s to expand diversity in League. She and Mary Ann Feldman-Lang founded the Women to Watch program in 1992, honoring women who had raised themselves up from monumental struggles. We continued to honor women in this way every two or three years until COVID forced us to stop. Jane produced powerful documentaries like Rebels Remembered and Dreamers. No one cared more about the underserved and acted on it than Jane. And best of all she was a lot of fun.
A Celebration of Life service for Jane and her husband Ed of 75 years, who died in February of last year, will be held at the First Unitarian Society of Denver on January 25 at 1:00 p.m. |
| New Membership Portal Coming
Joining and renewing your membership will now be handled by LWVUS, centering membership all in one place. To do this, LWVUS has adopted a new membership platform for national, state and local Leagues. This change to joining and renewing will go into effect in early February.
A significant change will be that dues are now pay-what-you-can. The recommended dues rate will be $75 (minimum of $20). Of this $75, 20% of dues will go to the Denver League, 47% will go to the State League, and 33% will go to LWVUS. On the page after you choose your dues rate, there will be an option to make a contribution directly to your local League and 100% of that donation will go to Denver League. Our sustaining and benefactor memberships, which included donation amounts, will no longer exist. If you are a sustaining or benefactor member now, you can continue to add to your basic $75 membership by making an additional donation on the next web page. However, you can avoid this additional step by donating directly to the LWVD by using our website or sending a check. We strongly recommend this.
The National League's preferred method to pay your dues will be ACH, an electronic payment method that just requires typing in the numbers found at the bottom of your check. This is preferred because it has the lowest fees and maximizes the amount of money going toward League work. The secondary option is to pay online by credit/debit card.
We will be sending more information as it becomes available from the national League in the Weekly Updates. If your membership is due, please consider renewing soon, before the change. A list of FAQ is located on the National League website at lwv.org under League Management. You can also email membership@lwv.org with any questions.
| Visits to the New LWVCO Office
110 16th Street Mall, Suite 1326
Cheesman Unit visited in December. |
Kayla Berry, LWVD Office Manager meets
Beth Hendrix,
LWVCO Executive Director |
| December Unit Choice
Cherrington Unit
Monday, December 16, nine Cherrington Unit members met with Kira Leepers, Volunteer and Events Coordinator at Joshua Station, a Mile High Ministries program. Joshua Station provides a transformational housing program for families suffering from homelessness or likely eviction. Working together, the staff, volunteers and residents of Joshua Station have created a welcoming and supportive community for each other. Housed in a 1970s era motel, many dedicated staff members, residents and volunteers have transformed the property during its many years of existence. Families with young children have access to a communal kitchen, playground, outdoor meeting spaces, and a small meditation chapel.
Our tour included viewing a room that has been prepared for a young family. In addition to a microwave, small fridge and a basket of cleaning supplies, a cuddly teddy bear sits on the rail of the crib. Joshua Station staff and volunteers take great pains to provide families with a comforting and welcoming home. The Cherrington Unit members are thankful to Kira for sharing her passion to care for her fellow Denverites. We left inspired and grateful that this program is available.
For more information or to take your own tour of Joshua Station call 720.377.1103 or email: info@milehighmin.org.
If you are looking for a restaurant suggestion following your tour, we recommend Blue Bonnet, 435 Broadway, for spicy mole enchiladas or a giant mango salad before you head home.
Carol Flank, Cherrington Unit Member | Membership Roster
We used to send out a print version of our membership roster to all members by mail. Since ClubExpress, the membership roster has been available on our website and we no longer mail the print version. There are a couple of options for finding members and the complete Roster.
1. To find contact information for a particular member, log in to our website as a member and then select Member Lookup on the menu bar. You can search by name, address, or the distance away from a zip code (to find members in your neighborhood).
2. To look at or print the full Roster in a pdf format, again log in to our website as a member and then select Resources/Documents on the menu bar. On the Document Library page, under Document Folders, select Member Directory. You will then be able to download the "Roster 2024-2025."
3. Call the office if you are having difficulties or if you want to come in to the office to pick up a printed version of the roster.
| LWVD at MLK!
Pearlanne Zelarney, Patty Horsch and
Lisa Haddox get ready to brave the below
zero temps.
|
The crowd under the statue
and blue skies. |
Selfie in the cold! |
| LWV Denver Units
A great place for meaningful conversations
Units are small groups who meet after briefings to discuss the topic further and whatever else is on the minds of the attendees.
February schedule:
Cheesman Unit
Meets in person on the fourth Tuesday of the month
Next in-person meeting: Tuesday, February 25, 9:30 a.m. at Bobbie’s House
Leader: Bobbie Heisterkamp (303-333-6818)
Cherrington Unit
Meets in person the Thursday following the briefing
Next in-person meeting: Thursday, February 20, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Place TBA.
Leader: Peg Oldham (720-220-3988)
Highland/Woodbury Unit
Meets in person the third Wednesday of the month
Next in-person meeting: February 19 at 1:00 p.m. at Sassafras Restaurant, 3927 W 32nd Ave. (80212)
Leader: Sally Augden (303-455-5800)
Observatory Unit
Meets the fourth Tuesday of the month on zoom or in person
Next Meeting: February 25 on Zoom, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Contact Diane Young (303-886-3365) dioyoung@comcast for Zoom link.
| VOTER Articles Welcome!
We welcome articles from all members. We usually publish the VOTER on the fourth Thursday, so the deadline to submit articles is the Friday before.
| VOTER |
Article Deadline |
Voter Publication Date |
| March |
Friday, February 21 |
Thursday, February 27 |
| April |
Friday, March 21 |
Thursday, March 27 |
Please send your articles or ideas about articles to pzelarney@yahoo.com. | Rather Read the VOTER on Paper?
Click this link for a printable pdf version of the newsletter:
Printable LWVD VOTER
| | 1980 Dahlia Street, Denver, CO 80220
303-321-7571 | | | |