Date: 12/11/2025
Subject: LWV of Denver VOTER - December/January
From: League of Women Voters of Denver

The LWVD Newsletter

December 2025 / January 2026

January Briefing

Thursday, January 15
5:30 p.m.
Zoom

Join us January 15 for a conversation with Denver Water's conservation and efficiency team. Together, we’ll explore the nuances of our complex water management issues here in the West while recognizing the many diverse stakeholders who rely on the Colorado and other rivers for Denver residents’ water consumption and food production.

Our conversation will focus on water issues from a municipal perspective and the critical importance of conserving this vital natural resource. Considering the full range of the stakeholders’ perspectives is essential to understanding the true complexity of water in the West.

Our discussion will cover the fundamentals of Colorado River allocation and how those decisions ultimately affect Denver residents. You’ll gain a clearer understanding of the water challenges facing our region, along with practical ways to engage in meaningful solutions - whether through individual actions or policy involvement. More information and registration (suggested, but not required) here.

Note: This briefing is on a Thursday, instead of the more normal Tuesday.

Sarah McCarthy, Co-Director of Program/Advocacy

The Program/Advocacy Committee
Invites You to a Potluck

New Members Are Our Guests

Wednesday, January 7
5:00 p.m.
Montview Presbyterian Church

“Leaguese,” the unique language used by the League of Women Voters, is sometimes confusing for new members. Believe me – I was once a new member and was baffled by words like Position, Briefing, Consensus and Program.

Understanding this, the Program and Advocacy Committee would like to invite newer members to be our guests at a member potluck so you can get to know us, learn what the heck is meant by “Program” in League, and voice your ideas about topics or presenters you would like to hear at our monthly educational events. We’ll also let you know more about the Observer Corps and advocacy initiatives of League.

Please join us and Mary Jefferson, Chairperson of the Membership Committee, on Wednesday, January 7 at 5:00 p.m. at Montview Presbyterian Church for food and dialogue. Seasoned members (pun intended), especially those who are interested in learning more about what the Program/Advocacy committee does, are encouraged to join us as well and contribute to the potluck table.

Please register to let us know you are coming so we can plan the amount of food and beverages we will need. Register here.
Sue Stark, Co-Director of Program and Advocacy

Recap of November Briefing
"Challenges to Freedom of the Press"

On November 18, LWVD held a briefing to address the challenges faced by local news journalists. The guest speakers were Larry Ryckman, founder and editor of the Colorado Sun, and David Wolfman, a professor of journalism and media law at CSU.

Larry reminded us that even the politicians who wrote the Constitution were not fans of newspapers, but our Founding Fathers realized that a healthy society needed watchdogs of the government and included protection for freedom of the press along with freedom of speech in the Bill of Rights. Currently, both of these guaranteed rights are at risk.

People have wondered whether the demise of local newspapers is the natural result of the rise of social media. Both speakers disputed this, citing instead the absorption of newspapers as “distressed properties” by huge businesses whose only interest is extracting profit until they “turn out the lights.”

Larry Ryckman is in the documentary film Stripped for Parts: Journalism on the Brink that we recommended to LWVD members in the leadup to this briefing (view it here). He was among 10 journalists who left The Denver Post in 2018 after a hedge fund owner decimated the staff and squeezed their ability to cover local news to a bare minimum. The idea of starting a non-profit online local newspaper was thought to be revolutionary at the time, but what motivated these journalists to develop an innovative model for local news was the loss of community voices and an independent press to hold local officials accountable for their actions.

The Colorado Sun has worked to gain the public trust from its readership and now has about 110,000 subscribers and 30 employees. Small rural newspapers have been particularly hard hit as they cannot rely on a reaching large numbers of readers to sustain their expenses. A good video to understand the plight of small-town newspapers is Truth Be Told.

David Wolfgang urged attendees to think of reliable local news sources as a form of public service that holds communities together, much like libraries, theaters, and museums, which rely on public funding and philanthropic support to be sustained. This new idea of local journalism as a public utility has been used in Europe (the BBC) and here with voters renewing SCFD in Denver, as well as NPR and PBS which have striven to maintain high levels of trust and objectivity. In addition to paying journalism staff, he asked us to consider the funding needed by non-profit news sources for legal fees and fighting to obtain public records among other costs.

As a professor of journalism, David shared that his students are still passionate about upholding the ethics of the right to freedom of the press. They are excited about telling the stories of community members and holding the powerful accountable. They view social media as a passive way to receive news and would rather their objective reporting prompt people to take in information and make up their own minds.

The State League's (LWVCO) Task Force on News Access and Literacy is holding an event on January 20 on Zoom from 5:00-6:00 p.m. (info here) to discuss the Stripped for Parts documentary and share what is happening to coverage of local news across Colorado. We urge Denver Leaguers to participate.
Susan Stark, Co-Director of Program and Advocacy

Voter Service in Action

Volunteers Rock!
Even though 2025 was not a major election year, Voter Service was very active. We held 60 voter registration events. We researched, prepared, and presented information on eight local ballot measures. Many benefited from our ballot measure guides, both hardcopy and online. We rolled out our voter education program at the Denver Indian Center and two local high schools. Thank you to the many volunteers who made these things happen!

USCIS Lawsuit
In case you missed it, LWVUS filed a lawsuit against US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the US Department of Homeland Security for enacting a new rule that bars nonpartisan civic engagement groups (that’s us!) from providing voter registration and civic engagement at administrative naturalization ceremonies. LWV Colorado is one of five leagues involved in the lawsuit and LWV Denver provided supporting information. For more information, see the LWVUS website.

Democracy in Action – Thank You
Thanks to all who contacted City Council members and the Mayor’s office to request adequate funding in 2026 for the office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder and the elections they will administer. City Council voted unanimously in favor of a higher budget than originally proposed, and the Mayor ultimately agreed. Your advocacy matters!

Voter Service in 2026
In January, Mariam Bouricius will begin Circulator training, required annually by the State of Colorado, for those who would like to help register voters. In 2026, we will have primary and general elections and will most likely be a very busy year for the Voter Service Committee. We meet virtually on the fourth Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. We’d love to have your energy and ideas! If you’re not already participating, please contact Lisa Haddox at lisa.m.haddox@gmail.com for more information.

Lisa Haddox, Voter Service Co-Chair

League of Women Voters of Denver’s
Amaryllis and Paperwhite Bulb Sale 2025

Thank you to all of you who ordered bulbs for yourselves or as gifts!
Your Bulb Sale purchases raised almost $3,000 for the League of Women Voters of Denver!

Perhaps you’ve already potted your amaryllis and put your paperwhites into water.
My first paperwhite blossom opened today – a lovely bloom in Denver’s winter!

Thank you for your support.
Watch for our next Bulb Sale in Spring 2026!

Barb Mattison, Bulb Sale Chair, 303-322-4878

Join Us in January to see Bad Books!

A Fundraiser for League of Women Voters of Denver

Saturday, January 24
Curious Theater Company
1080 Acoma St., Denver, 80204

Gather at 1:30 p.m. in the Upstairs Bar for some social time
Movie begins at 2:00 p.m.

Bring friends and come to this timely play about the messiness of motherhood, the madness of modern outrage, and the quiet heroism of librarians everywhere.

Tickets $65

Reserve your seat by Thursday, January 8
Send your check made out to LWV Denver to:
LWV Denver, 1980 Dahlia Street, Denver 80220
by January 8th to reserve seats

Support the League of Women Voters Denver
Through King Soopers Community Rewards

At no cost to you, King Soopers will donate a percentage of your purchases to the League of Women Voters Denver when you connect your King Soopers Shopper’s Card to our organization.

What is King Soopers Community Rewards?

King Soopers Community Rewards is a free program that allows shoppers to support local nonprofits. Once you link your King Soopers Shopper’s Card (or digital account) to the League of Women Voters Denver:

Every time you shop and use your card/phone number, King Soopers donates a portion of its profits to LWVD.
It does not affect your fuel points, discounts, or pricing.
The League receives quarterly donations based on the spending of all participating
supporters.

How to Enroll in Community Rewards

Part 1 — Create a King Soopers Digital Account (if you don’t already have one)
You can create an account with your phone number as your digital Shopper’s Card.

1. Go to: https://www.kingsoopers.com
2. Click “Sign In” (top right).
3. Select “Create Account.”
4. Enter:
Email address
Password
Preferred store
5. When asked for a Shopper’s Card number:
If you don’t have a card, choose “Create Your Alt ID” and enter your phone number.
This phone number will work as your Shopper’s Card for all rewards and Community Rewards.
6. Save and complete your account setup.

Part 2 — Link Your Account to the League of Women Voters Denver
Once you are signed in to your King Soopers digital account:

1. Go to: https://www.kingsoopers.com/account/communityrewards (You may need to sign in again.)
2. In the “Find an Organization” search bar, type: League of Women Voters Denver
(You can also search by our non-profit number if needed, which is AU015)
3. When our organization appears, click: “Enroll”
4. You’re done!

Your Shopper’s Card (or phone number) is now connected. Every time you shop, King Soopers
donates to LWVD.

Already Enrolled? How to Double Check

1. Log in at https://www.kingsoopers.com
Click Sign In in the upper right hand corner
2. After signing in, visit My Account, by clicking the Sign In button at the top and MyAccount will show up in a drop down menu
3. Once on My Account, go to the left and school down to get to Community Rewards
4. You should see:
Organization: League of Women Voters Denver
Status: Active

Find this same information at any time on our website: lwvdenver.org/kingsoopers

We also benefit from Safeway cards. More on this in the next VOTER.

Annual Letter

Once again this December, LWVD has sent a letter to members and friends asking for support for our valuable work. The letter details all of the many voter education and voter registrations successes of our League this year and asks for a tax-deductible contribution (LWVD is a 501(c)(3) with tax identification number 84-0391449). Please consider contributing and sending the letter to friends. We depend on these donations more than ever since we no longer have a major fundraiser like the outdoor bulb sale.

Annual Letter

We Need Your Volunteer Hours!

LWVUS needs our volunteer hours for the 2025 calendar year. These are important for getting grants at the local and national level. You can use the form to enter any hours you have spent on League activities from January 1 through December 31, 2025. Or send your accumulated hours to the office.

Volunteer Hours Form

Welcome New and Returning Members

Jane Gahan, coloradojane52@gmail.com, 80249
Andi Hilker, anhilk3@gmail.com, 80210
Stella Kaiser, stella.c.kaiser@gmail.com,80228
Mary Jane Rowe, mjrowe178@gmail.com, 80209
Toni Marie Teeter, 99teeter@gmail.com, 80220

LWV Denver Units

Unit's Choice!

A great place for meaningful conversations

Units are small groups that meet after briefings to discuss the topic further and whatever else is on the minds of the attendees. In December, since we do not have briefings, the units usually choose something to do together. Think about joining one of the "Choices" or making a New Year's resolution to join a unit in 2026!

Cheesman Unit
Unit's Choice: On Tuesday, December 9, the Cheesman Unit will meet at The Ponti at the Denver Art Museum for lunch at noon. Some of us will either come earlier in the morning or after lunch to stroll through the new Pissarro’s Impressionism exhibit.

Meets the fourth Tuesday of the month
Next Meeting: Will meet on January 17 at 9:30 a.m. at Bobbie Heisterkamp's home
Leader: Bobbie Heisterkamp (303-333-6818)

Cherrington Unit
Unit's Choice: On Thursday, December 11, Cherrington Unit will deliver supplies and donations to Bienvenidos Foodbank. Afterward we will have lunch at Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery.

Normally meets the third Thursday of the month
Next Meeting: The meeting date for January has yet to be decided. Contact Peg Oldham for more information.
Leader: Peg Oldham (720-220-3988)

Highland/Woodbury
Unit's Choice: The Highland/Woodbury Unit will be partaking of high tea at the Lumber Baron, 2555 West 37th Avenue on December 17 at 1:00 p.m. Anyone wishing to join us at The Lumber Baron, please RSVP to Sally Augden at 303-257-0508.

Meets the third Wednesday of each month
Next Meeting: Will meet Wednesday, January 21 at 1:00 p.m. at Sassafras American Eatery, 32nd and Perry
Contact Sally Augden (303-455-5800) or Joan Friend (303-596-1022) for more details

Observatory
Unit's Choice: Observatory is having a potluck social gathering at the home of Patty Andrews on Tuesday, December 16 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Next Meeting: The meeting date for January has yet to be decided, but will be by Zoom. Contact Diane Young for more information.
Leader: Diane Young (303-886-3365)

VOTER Articles Welcome!

We welcome articles from all members. We traditionally publish the VOTER on the fourth Thursday and the deadline to submit articles is the Friday before.

VOTER	Article Deadline	Voter Publication Date
February	Friday, January 16	Thursday, January 22
March	Friday, February 20	Thursday, February 26

Please send your articles or ideas about articles to pzelarney@yahoo.com.

When You Renew Your Membership
Consider a Donation at the Same Time

If it's time to renew your membership, you can easily do it online here:

Join or Renew Here

If you were previously a sustaining member, please look for the ability to contribute to the Denver League when you renew. The whole process is quite simple.