The LWVD Newsletter
September 2023 | League Year Kick-Off
An Evening with Tim O'Brien, Denver City Auditor
Tuesday, September 19
Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church
Green Room (2nd floor, just off the elevator)
5:00 p.m. - Gather and socialize
5:30 p.m. - Presentation begins
We are hosting our first in-person public briefing since the pandemic. It will feature public servant Tim O’Brien, Denver City Auditor. O’Brien, a CPA, was elected to a four-year term as Denver’s 24th Auditor in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2023. His background includes auditing and accounting for over 40 years.
 Denver has an independently-elected Auditor to serve as a check and balance on Denver’s “strong mayor” form of government. The Auditor’s office is responsible for internal audit services and civil wage theft, minimum wage, and prevailing wage enforcement. With the motto of "Transparency and Clarity and Truth," Auditor O'Brien's office strives to give frank and truthful reports on how our city is functioning with a clarity that fosters understanding by the residents of Denver. These reports give the public insight into how the taxpayers' dollars are being used, along with oversight of improvements recommended to be completed or changed.
O'Brien's focus has been to identify threats to the government’s ability to accomplish each department’s mission. Recently he has given the public reports on how employment and wage compliance has been lacking in Denver, which has benefited many Denver workers. His department also conducts efficiency audits to cut waste and time spent to better serve the people of Denver and those doing business in Denver. As a way to stay transparent, city residents can subscribe to his monthly newsletters with updates on current reports, along with links to the auditor’s website for more detailed information on all reports.
We look forward to his presentation and his update on how Denver is serving the residents. We hope also to learn the challenges when a new mayor comes into office after a long-term mayor leaves. Enjoy an evening with the very capable Tim O’Brien answering your questions about government processes.
Cindy Sestrich | Please consider copying this graphic into an email and sending it to friends, neighbors, co-workers.
| Voter Service Activities
 National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is September 19. The Denver League hopes to register new voters on or around that day. We are in the process of training “Circulators” to assist with registration activities this fall. If you would like to be a Circulator, please contact Anne Duncan at anned47@msn.com.
- On September 13, we will have a booth at the Anschutz Medical Campus Block Party. We are partnering with service sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha to register new voters and assist with changes of address. We are planning fun activities to entice attendees to visit our booth.
- On the actual NVRD on September 19, we will be at St. Mary’s Academy to register students from 16 to 18 years old. Our student contact, Eliana White, is organizing the event and will pursue the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award given to Colorado high schools that have 85% or more of eligible seniors registered to vote.
- On September 20, we will support a student-led voter registration effort at the Auraria Campus’ Fall Fest. This outdoor event always generates a lot of contacts and many students need to update addresses for the fall election.
In August, we provided voter registration assistance to the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office at three events – Colfax Block Party, Park Hill Pirates Day of Legends (see photo with LWVD Circulators Wanda Lennox on the far right and Joslyn Owens, second from left), and the South by Southeast Festival. We also had the opportunity to register 28 new citizens at a Naturalization Ceremony held at the History Colorado Museum. 50 new citizens from 26 countries were honored that day.
The November election for Denver will include several seats on the board for Denver Public Schools. More to come on the fall election in future issues of the VOTER! | One Issue on the Fall Denver Ballot
There will be one Denver issue on this fall’s ballot, an ordinance change that was referred by City Council and pertains to Denver Preschool program funding.
This ordinance asks voters to remove the previously voted on expiration date of December 2026 for the current sales and use tax that is dedicated for funding the Denver Preschool Program and extends the tax with no deadline.
A bill for an ordinance removing the December 31, 2026 expiration date of the existing 0.15 percent sales and use tax dedicated to funding the Denver Preschool Program, and extending the tax until such authority is altered or repealed, subject to the approval of the voters at a special municipal election to be conducted in coordination with the state general election on November 7, 2023.
The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on May 2, 2023.
More information as well as the pros and cons of this issue will be coming soon. We may be scheduling a briefing on this issue and the two state issues in October.
Diane Young | Board Member Highlight
Cassandra Bishop
Membership Chair
Editor’s Note: We are continuing this series of articles highlighting Board members. We thought you’d like to know a little more about their backgrounds and what League means to them. We’ve also asked them for recommendations on books, movies, or activities.
Ca ssandra Bishop (Cassie) joined the League in early 2023 to learn how to become more involved in voter education. She accepted the position as Membership Chair with the goals of diversifying members and spreading the word about the League.
Outside of League, she works for an Affordable Housing Developer that develops accessible housing in the metro Denver area and mountains towns. Cassie also serves on the Colorado chapter of Women’s Affordable Housing Network. She is passionate about promoting equality and accessibility for underserved communities.
She grew up in Wisconsin but now calls Denver home.
Cassie enthusiastically suggests the Barbie movie and the book, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
|  | August Board Retreat
 On a warm Saturday morning, ten board members gathered in person, and one member participated via Zoom, to analyze the past year and strategize for the coming League year (July 1 to June 30). We looked at the final financial report which showed a profit of $7,800 due to the flower bulb sale, the donations of members and three grants.
There was a review of our accomplishments in presenting timely briefings covering topics such as: the Denver Public Schools; Reproductive Health Legislation and the Park Hill Golf Course controversy among others. Our voter service team had a whirlwind year registering voters (even those in jail) and producing informative materials for both November and April elections.
A look at our policies and procedures, especially our non-partisan principles, was informative for new members as well as seasoned leaders. We looked at the relationship between our local League and state and national Leagues.
As a wrap-up, each participant strolled around the room and put ideas on sticky notes on topic sheets (Diversity, Fundraising, Membership, Program, etc.) and then we consolidated these pages into our plan for next year. Now we will roll up our sleeves and see what can be accomplished!
Bobbie Heisterkamp | Join Us!
Espíritu Latino
Saturday, October 7
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location TBD
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrate Latino culture, dance and history with the League of Women Voters of Denver. The event will feature folklórico dancers from ArtistiCO, Latino refreshments, and insights on the roots of Latino current day struggles from Latina historian Virginia Sánchez, author of Pleas and Petitions: Hispano Culture and Legislative Conflict in Territorial Colorado.
Jeanette Scotland | VOTER Articles Welcome!
We welcome articles from all members. We publish the VOTER on the fourth Thursday, so the deadline to submit articles is the Friday before. Here are the next dates:
| Article Deadline |
Voter Publication Date |
| Friday, Sept. 22 |
Thursday, Sept. 28 |
| Friday, Oct. 19 |
Thursday, Oct. 26 |
Please send your articles or ideas about articles to pzelarney@yahoo.com. | LWV Denver Units
A great place for meaningful conversations
Many of us in leadership positions in the Denver League began our involvement by joining a Unit, a small group discussing the recent briefing or another topic of interest. Cheesman Unit has also begun a yearly book discussion. Call a Unit leader and attend the next Unit meeting.
Marty Sloven
Cheesman Unit
Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and mostly in-person
*Next in-person meeting will be August 29 at Bobbie Heisterkamp's home for Book Club. We will discuss Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg
Leaders: Bobbie Heisterkamp 303-333-6818 and Mary Ann Thompson
Cherrington Unit
Meets the Thursday following briefings at 1:00-3:00 p.m. on zoom or in-person
*Next meeting is September 28 (due to conflicts, this meeting is not directly following the briefing) at Marty Sloven’s home.
Leaders: Peg Oldham 720-220-3988 and Andrea Mitchell
Highland/Woodbury Unit
Meets in person on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m.
*Next in person meeting is September 20 at Sassafras Restaurant, 3927 W 32nd Ave, (80212)
Leaders: Sally Augden 303-455-5800 and Mary Ann Feldman-Lang
Observatory Unit
Meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 4:00 p.m.
*Next in-person meeting will be a potluck at noon on Saturday, September 9 at the home of Diane Young (3983 S Olive St., 80237). We are asking people to bring a main dish, a salad or a dessert. Please give Diane an RSVP at dioyoung@comcast.net or at 303-886-3365 so that we know how much wine to provide. Other drinks will be provided also.
We look forward to catching up or getting to know others better since we've been isolated by the pandemic. New members are more than welcome.
*First official meeting of the year will be September 26 at the Hampden Library. IN PERSON. Please feel free to join us.
Leaders: Jeanette Scotland 303-479-4368 and Diane Young | Please Renew Your Membership or
Become a Member Today
If you received this email VOTER and are not a member, please consider joining us. If it's time to renew your membership, consider doing it online.
Follow this link to join or renew at one of our membership levels and remember that it covers Denver, Colorado and National membership. Also, please consider renewing at the sustaining or benefactor membership level. Membership dues are tax deductible.
| Regular Individual Membership |
$60 |
| Sustaining membership (includes an additional donation) |
$125 |
| Benefactor membership (includes additional donation)
|
$300 |
Two regular members at the same address
|
$90 |
| Two sustaining members at the same address (includes an additional donation) |
$150 |
| Two benefactor members at the same address (includes an additional donation)
|
$450 |
Member needing assistance with paying dues
|
$5 |
| Part or full-time student |
$10 |
Members: Forward this VOTER and encourage your friends and neighbors to join! | Consider a Sustaining or Benefactor Membership
We appreciate all those who pay $60 to be a member. However, the LWV Denver can only keep $8 of that $60 and the rest goes to Per Member Payments to the LWVCO and LWVUS. For those who are able, think about paying a sustaining $125 membership that gives the LWV Denver $73 or a benefactor $300 membership that gives the LWV Denver $248 to use for our education activities, to support our office and to continue our voter service resources for the city of Denver. Thank you!
Bobbie Heisterkamp, Treasurer
| | 1980 Dahlia Street, Denver, CO 80220
303-321-7571 | | | |