The Cortez Journal encourages people to submit announcements about upcoming events for the Community Calendar. Send announcements to news@cortezjournal.com. Items submitted less than two weeks in advance will be less likely to be published.

Calendar items are published as space allows. To see the current complete calendar, log on to www.CortezJournal.com, click on Community and, under it, Community Calendar.

Free Cholesterol Screening

The Montezuma County Public Health Department is offering free cholesterol screening for residents of Montezuma and Dolores County through their Colorado Heart Healthy Solutions program. Screening includes finger-stick blood sample, blood pressure reading, height and weight reading, and guidelines for a good cardiovascular health. Results are immediately available. Twelve-hour fasting is suggested. For an appointment, call 565-3056, ext. 248

Storytime at the Cortez Public Library

"Race into June" is the June theme of Raising Readers Storytime at the Cortez Public Library, located at 202 N. Park St., Cortez. Storytime is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the library and every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Cortez Farmers Market on the corner of Elm and Main streets (weather permitting) for preschool-aged children. Older children are welcome to join us for the craft at 11:15 a.m. on Thursdays. The Saturday Storytime will follow the same theme of the regular Thursday Storytime. In June we are starting to "Dig into Reading" following the national Summer Reading Program theme and the themes will reflect that. Please drop by and pick up a Summer Reading Program reading log. "Father's Day" will be discussed on Thursday, June 13, and Saturday, June 15. "Gnome, Sweet Gnome" will be the focus on Thursday, June 20, and Saturday, June 22. "Digging for Treasure" will be Thursday, June 27 and Saturday, June 29. Raising Readers Storytime offers songs, stories, crafts and silliness and uses the Early Childhood Literacy Initiative program. For information, contact the library at 565-8117.

Joe McDermott coming to the Cortez Public Library

Come listen to Joe McDermott at the Cortez Public Library on Wednesday, June 12, at 2 p.m. Children's music is a full-time focus for McDermott. "What I love about this genre is how open it is to expression." His artistic training helps him create visually rich songs that evoke emotions in "people of all sizes." He's been called "The maestro of imagination" for his creative approach and appeal. Enjoy some rocking kids' music and "dig" Joe's unique songs. This is the second performance of the Summer Reading Program season. This program is supported by "The Golden Dreams Foundation Fund under Onward! A Legacy Foundation." The library is located at 202 N. Park St. and may be reached by calling 565-8117.

Southwest Intertribal Council

The Southwest Intertribal Council will meet on June 12 at 6 p.m. at First National Bank in Cortez.

Republican Women

The Republican Women of Montezuma County will hold their next meeting on June 13 at noon at Shiloh's. The public is invited. The Montezuma County commissioners will be present to answer questions. For more information, call Rosemarie Beall at 564-1576.

Back Country Horsemen

The Four Corners Back Country Horsemen will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, June 13, at the Pine River Senior Center in Bayfield. Social time will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7. Guests are always encouraged to attend.

The educational program will be on wildfires and mitigation, presented by Brenda Schultz of the U.S. Forest Service and Pam Wilson from Firewise.

The Four Corners Back Country Horsemen works to perpetuate commonsense enjoyment of public lands by horsemen and pack stock users. To learn more, go to www.4cbch.org or call Bob Volger, chapter president, at 970-883-4004 or email bobvolger@gmail.com.

Conversation on 'Christian community'

"What is salvation?" will be the topic on Thursday, June 13, at 6:30 for the next "How You Can Be Part of a Christian Community with Integrity and Not Believe All Those Things You Thought You Had to Believe" conversation.

St. Barnabas Church (corner of North and Elm) hosts these gatherings for folks who struggle to reconcile their life experience with what they believe the church requires, who don't want to check their minds at a church door, or who just don't want to live in a world they think the Christian church espouses but who might value being part of a community of faith. Questions are required. No answers are promised. Call 565-7865 for information.

Computer Classes

The Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St., and the Unlimited Learning Center, 640 E. 2nd St. will offer computer classes in June.

On Friday, June 14, at 1 p.m., staff from the Workforce Center will be holding a class at the Cortez Public Library on finding a job. The class will be focus on various aspects of finding a job on the Internet and using the Workforce Center.

On Thursday, June 20 at 1 p.m., the Cortez Public Library will be holding a very beginning computer class called Incredibly Basic Computer Skills. Topics covered will be: turning the computer on and off, using the mouse or mouse pad, opening, closing and moving a window, finding a website using the address bar and finding a website using Google. The same class will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Unlimited Learning Center.

All classes at the library 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. To find out more about the classes at the Unlimited Learning Center call 565-1601.

Light Alignment Saturday Workshop

"Know Thy Self" is an axiom promoted throughout ancient history. Spiritual seekers have discovered balance in the midst of chaos through awareness and management of personal patterns while shifting awareness to the unlimited light within. This half-day workshop offers opportunities for participants to learn to relax, neutralize negativity and actualize personal inner peace. Participants will experience balancing through lecture, yoga, reflective centering and discussion on special topics: grief, betrayal, success, relationships and more. The workshop will be Saturday, June 15 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Mancos Community Center, 138 Grand Ave. The cost is $20 cash or check payable to Dharmatma Press. Participants should wear loose clothing, bring a mat or towel to sit on and a water bottle. A six-week course is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning the following week. For further information, contact Barbara at (970)-946-1267.

Nine-Twelve speaker

On Monday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, the Four Corners Nine Twelve group will host national speaker KrissAnne Hall. Hall is a veteran, former prosecutor, author, constitutional and a mother who sees that the future of her family and the country are at risk. She has been teaching the Constitution around America and has just returned from speaking at a National Constitutional Sheriffs and Police Officers Conference. This is an open meeting, and all are invited to come hear about the genealogy of the Constitution and how America can be restored.

Vacation Bible School at Dolores Baptist Church

The Colossal Coaster World vacation bible school will be at the Dolores Southern Baptist Church in Dolores on June 17 - 21. Bible school will be from 9 a.m. to noon. It is located on the corner of 21st St. and Hwy. 145. For more information call Beth at 570-9301

Don Kirk performs for Summer Reading Program

Don Kirk is a local storyteller and puppeteer who will be performing on Wednesday, June 19, at 2 p.m. at the Cortez Public Library. Come watch as Don blends the two into an entrancing hour of fun. Meet his special friend, "Digger," as he Dig(s) into Reading and discovers new stories. This is the third performance of the Summer Reading Program season. This program is supported by "The Golden Dreams Foundation Fund under Onward! A Legacy Foundation." The library is located at 202 N. Park St., Cortez, CO. and may be reached by calling 970-565-8117.

Dive-In Movie

Watch a movie on a huge screen from the pool! Bring floaties, air mattresses, pool chairs, inner tubes or whatever you can float on. Wednesday, June 19, at the outdoor pool. All middle school and elementary students are invited and it's FREE! It gets cooler at night so you may want to bring an extra towel. There will also be music at the pool from 6 to 8 p.m. Brought to you by the Cortez Police Department and Cortez Parks and Rec.

Light alignment classes

Light alignment classes are self-empowerment courses, offered with the beginner in mind, combines yogic practice, reflective centering and mindful polarity processing to better manage life challenges. Health benefits include: strengthening mental clarity, the spine, muscles, nervous and endocrine systems and stress reduction. Light Alignment classes meet twice weekly: Wednesday and Fridays. There will be two sessions: early morning 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. and after work 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. The class is offered in a six-week block, twice weekly June 19- July 26 at the Mancos Community Center, 138 Grand Ave. Participants are advised to refrain from eating an hour before class, wear loose clothing and bring a mat or towel to sit on. The course fee, $65, is payable to Dharmatma Press the first day of class. Participants may opt to pay $11/week. For further information call Barbara at (970) 946-1267.

Enjoy Western and Gospel music by Belinda Gail

Share an unusual evening of western and gospel music with us at Southwest Cowboy Church on Thursday, June 20. Our special guest, Belinda Gail, has sung in national venues. Her warmth and vivaciousness, along with a God-blessed talent bring Western music to life. You'll remember this night for years to come. Join us for potluck at 6 p.m. The concert and worship will follow at 7. Southwest Cowboy Church meets at the Lewis Arriola Community Center (1 mile west on CR S off Hwy. 491). Call 882-1433 for more information.

Online Dating Workshop

Are you having trouble finding "the one" in your small town? Come to a free Online Dating Workshop at the Dolores Public Library on Saturday, June 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. Learn how to find sites that are right for you, how to create your profile, and about online communication and safety. For more information visit doloreslibrary.org or call the library at 970-882-4127

Dolores River Dialogue

There will be a full Dolores River Dialogue (DRD) meeting on Tuesday, July 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the offices of the Dolores Water Conservancy District.

The topics of this meeting will be the "319 Watershed Plan" that the DRD Steering Committee has been working on since early 2012, updates on the next version of the Lower Dolores River Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation Plan for Native Fish, as well as other updates including drought forecasting.

Computer Classes in July

The Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park St., Cortez will offer computer classes in July.

On Thursday, July 11, at 1 p.m. the Cortez Public Library will be holding a computer class called Basics II. This class will cover: documents, folders, drives, saving and printing documents.

On Friday, July 12, at 1 p.m. staff from the Workforce Center will be holding a class at the Cortez Public Library on finding a job. The class will be focus on various aspects of finding a job on the Internet and using the Workforce Center.

On Thursday, July 25, at 1 p.m. the Cortez Public Library will be holding a computer class on Internet Searching. Subjects covered will include: World Wide Web, URLs, Links, Web Browsers, Toolbars on Web Browsers, Address Bar, Simple Searching Tips and Techniques.

All classes must be signed up for ahead of time, as space is limited. To sign up, stop by or call the library at 565-8117.

Women's small business conference

The Fourth Annual Southwest Colorado Women's Small Business Conference will take place Friday, July 13, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Durango. Female entrepreneurs are invited to join the Colorado SBDC Network for educational seminars, one-on-one consulting, valuable networking opportunities and informative speakers. Training topics will include marketing, sales and social media, strategic planning, the Colorado Healthcare Exchange, accounting and finances, funding options and more.

For more information or to register, log onto www.coloradosbdc.org. The early registration fee is $45; it goes up to $50 after June 29. Scholarships are available.

Vacation Bible School

Mark your calendar! Write it down! Tell your parents! Tell your Grandparents! Vacation Bible School is coming to First Baptist Church in Mancos July 15-18, 9 a.m. to noon. Ages 4 through 6 Grade. Call Pastor Rick at 533-7634 for more information.