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Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
679
East 2nd Ave., Unit #6
P.O.
Box 2132
Durango,
Colorado 81302
Tel:
(970) 247-1242
Fax:
(970) 247-8722
E-mail:
members@wrcdurango.org
A
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors and All Those Who Helped to Make the Second Annual Girls Night Out So Extraordinary:
GNO Committee Members:
• Carol Salomon, Chairwoman
• Cindy Cortese
• Victoria FittsMilgrim
• Margie Deane Gray
• Phyllis Max
• Mindy Stern Meiering
• Liz Mora
• Mary Nowotny
• Marilyn Swanson
• Carol Treat
• Deborah Uroda
• Nancy Vanderwal
• Debbie Wright
Extraordinary Platinum Sponsors:
• Erteszek Family Foundation
• Mary Lyn & Richard
Ballantine
Extraordinary Gold Sponsors:
• Blue Lake Ranch
• First National Bank of Durango
Extraordinary Silver Sponsors:
• Norman Broad & Carol
Salomon
• James Foster
• April’s Garden
• Durangourmet
• Mercy Regional Medical Center
• Women’s Foundation
of Colorado
• Anonymous
• IlluminArts Photography, Drew
& Amy Semel
Extraordinary Bronze Sponsors:
• Deni Dorminy
• Mary Husemoller & Bill
Hobson
• Athena Design
• JM Jones & Jim Mohle
• Sydney Morris
• Durango Dermatology
• Durango Party Rental
• StoneAge Tools
• Mutu’s Italian
Kitchen
• White Elephant Foundation
• Cyprus Café
• Sweet Treats
• Glacier Club
• Jan Bowler & Bob Haugen
• Dr. John Rothchild
• KSUT Public Radio
• New Country Auto Center
Extraordinary Mentors:
• Julie Ward & Ed Lehner
• Southwest Women’s
Health
Extraordinary Role Models:
• Durango Mountain Bike
Specialists
• Yarn
• Sixth Street Hair Salon
• Margie Deane & Will
Gray
• Four Corners Yoga
Auction Donors:
• Don Gaspar Inn
• Ten Thousand Waves
• El Ranchos de las Golondrinas
• Blue Lake Ranch
• Carol Salomon
• Glacier Club
• Terry Bacon and Debra Parmenter
• Richard Hirsch
• Sutcliffe Vineyards
• Victoria FittsMilgrim
• Mindy Stern Meiering
• Lesley and Bob Meiering
• Paul and Liz Cahill
• Lisa and Loren Skyhorse
• Emily McCardle
• Sandra LeFevre and Red Canyon
Jewelry
• Krista Harris
• Mary Ervin
• Kyla Jackson Photography
• Deborah Gorton
• Penny Haney
• Karyn Gabaldon
• Nicki Masseion
• Walter Johnson
• Michael Keith Design Group
• 24/7 Fitness Solutions
• Michel’s Corner
• Core Value Fitness
• Hair Fusion
• Animas Eye Care
• Durango Dermatology
• Avabella Day Spa and Salon
• Michelle Oppenheimer
• Barbara Mills
• Deborah Uroda
• Cosmopolitan Restaurant
• No Place Like Home
• Giddy-Up 409
• Katherine Leiner
Special Thanks To:
• Shirley and David Alford and Blue Lake
Ranch's AWESOME staff!
• FLC President Dene Kay Thomas,
Ph.D.
• Richard Ballantine
• Master of Ceremonies Beth
(Warren) Lamberson
• Special Guest Wendie Malick
• Calvin and Pat Story, Treasure
Auction
Service,and Linda Mannix, Santa Rita Ranch, Auctioneers
• Tami Graham Professional
Services, Sound System and Music
• Star Liquors
• The Wine Merchant
• Boys and Girls Club of La Plata County
for the vans, Vaughn Morris, executive director; and drivers Laura
Hager and Will McHallister
This
Evening’s Vendors:
• Carrie Allen, Ruby Balloon
• Erin Stephenson, Juggler, Salt
Fire Circus
• Mataholla Moon Belly Dancers:
Tanya Lawyer, Marty Ragle, Lisa Smith, and special guest Holly Keohane
• Beverly Helmich, Crazy Horse
Salon, Hair Shimmers
• Caitlin Tuthill, Hair Shimmers
• Thrive: A Creating Wellness
Center and Flo: a massage studio
• Miah Mikels, Serendipity
• Crystal Andasola, Sacred Space
• Sunshine Lofton, Iridology
Bartenders
• Roland
Mora
• Patrick MacIntyre
• Ben Carlson
• Robert Fitts
• Will Gray
• Gordon Thomas
Parking Attendants
• Dick
Mason
• Gordon Thomas
• Will Gray
• John Heavenrich
Additional Volunteers
• Melanie
McLean
• Carol Freitas
• Michelle Sylvain
• Diana Serpe
• Kendra Holmes |
Girls
Night Out 2010:
Sold-out
event raises $42,000 for the Center
Extraordinary Business Woman Award
The Extraordinary Business Woman Award honors the person who has served
as a role model for women and girls through their achievements as an
employee, employer or entrepreneur.
Winner:
Jenny Newcomer, owner of LobotoMe.com,
Adventure Extreme Racing Series, and Zoik
When Jenny Newcomer was 23, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her
recovery was the beginning of a successful life that has included
service as the executive director of the San Juan Mountains
Association, community volunteer, business owner, and mother of two
adopted children. During her tenure from 2001 to 2004 with the San Juan
Mountains Association, Ms. Newcomer increased public donations and
grants, brought the Tour de Fat to Durango, and established the La
Plata County Firewise Council. The SJMA received the 2001 Bureau of
Land Management Partner of the Year Award and the 2002 Colorado
Excellence in Environmental Education Award. In addition to the family
business, Adventure Extreme Racing Series, Ms. Newcomer also owns the
online business LobotoMe.com and Zoik, a company that sells inflatable
water equipment. Ms. Newcomer and her husband, Will, adopted two
children, a girl and a boy, and maintain an open relationship with the
children’s birth parents and relatives. With all her
commitments,
Ms. Newcomer still has time to speak to community groups and college
classes about ovarian cancer to educate women about symptoms and
treatment. “Other women and young girls can see how well
Jenny
has handled an ovarian cancer diagnosis and how she has turned
something tragic into a successful life as a mother, wife, entrepreneur
and business woman. She is an inspiration to all who know
her,”
said her nomination.
Also nominated were Kasey Correia, founder of Dancing Spirit Art
Cooperative in Ignacio; Toni McClanahan, owner of Dande in the Rockies;
and Nasha Winters, owner of Namaste Health Center.
Extraordinary Leader Award
The Extraordinary Leader Award honors the woman who has had a
significant impact as a leader in the nonprofit, for-profit, education
or government sectors through her work on social, political or
workplace issues impacting women, girls or families.
Winner:
Joelle Riddle, La Plata County Commissioner
As a La Plata County Commissioner, Joelle Riddle has dedicated her life
to making the best decisions possible for all county residents, and she
has sought additional leadership roles to ensure greater participation
on issues most critical to La Plata County. Her work has led her to
serve on the National Association of Counties to address justice and
public safety issues; to work with the Fort Lewis College Engaged
Campus Program; to serve as liaison to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to
improve collaboration; and to serve on the State Board of Health and
the Colorado Commission on Indian Affairs. When Ms. Riddle made the
decision to leave the Democratic Party and become an unaffiliated
candidate, the resulting criticism made her more committed than ever to
support the rights of independent candidates. She founded the
independent Voters for Colorado, a statewide strategy, communications
and organizing center that connects and empowers those in Colorado who
are independent or unaffiliated voters or candidates.
“Regardless
of your personal politics or affiliation, there is no denying the
influence that Joelle has had on county politics and the issues most
important to our county’s future,” says her
nomination.
“Her passion about opening up the political process for women
and
independent candidates is nothing short of inspiring.”
Morley Cowles Ballantine, 1925-2009
Leader • Mentor • Newspaper Publisher • Philanthropist Lifetime WRC Member
Morley Cowles Ballantine lived an extraordinary life dedicated to the
highest standards of journalism, improving women’s lives,
supporting education, promoting the arts, and raising an
extraordinary family with humor, compassion and grace. And because of
her lifelong advocacy for women’s rights, their economic
empowerment, and personal and professional growth, the Women’s
Resource Center dedicates this evening’s celebration of
Extraordinary Women in Mrs. Ballantine’s honor.
Mrs. Ballantine was born to Elizabeth Morley (Bates) and John Cowles
Sr. in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 21, 1925. She married Arthur A.
Ballantine in Minneapolis in 1947, and in 1952, they purchased the
Durango News and the Durango Herald-Democrat, merging them into the
Durango Herald-News, later shortened to The Durango Herald.
With Mr. Ballantine’s death in 1975, Mrs. Ballantine became
publisher and leader of The Durango Herald. During her lifetime, Mrs.
Ballantine wrote thousands of stories and editorials (and won dozens
and dozens of journalism awards). More importantly, she encouraged
– no, expected – the news staff to tackle the
community’s toughest issues. The virtues of honesty, openness,
diversity and tolerance that a vigorous newspaper like The Durango
Herald brings to a community were the hallmarks of Mrs.
Ballantine’s unflinching dedication to quality journalism.
Mr. and Mrs. Ballantine were longtime champions of Fort Lewis College,
first supporting its move from the Hesperus campus to Durango, then its
transformation from a two-year to a four-year liberal arts college. The
Ballantines donated the seed money to establish the original Center of
Southwest Studies on the top floor of the John F. Reed Library. And
later, Mrs. Ballantine would serve as chair of the fund-raising
committee to build the new Center adjacent to the Community Concert
Hall. By 2001, when the new Center of Southwest Studies opened, the
Ballantines had donated more than $1 million to the college.
Fort Lewis College is one of hundreds of institutions in the region
that have benefited from the Ballantine’s philanthropy. Mr. and
Mrs. Ballantine established the Ballantine Family Fund in 1957. The
foundation provides grants to any community nonprofit that the family
believes will make life better in Southwest Colorado. The Women’s
Resource Center is a frequent beneficiary.
Mrs. Ballantine’s straightforward approach to philanthropy truly
inspired others to give. And for many, her involvement in a cause meant
that they wanted to be involved, too. Mrs. Ballantine’s
generosity earned her the honor of Colorado Philanthropist of the Year
in 2000.
Mrs. Ballantine was passionate about women’s issues and making
women’s lives better. She was an ardent advocate for a
woman’s reproductive rights. In 2004, she received the Margaret
Sanger Award, named for the woman who opened the country’s first
birth-control clinic, from Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
She was a founding member of the Women’s Resource Center and the
Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Her role as a mentor of and model
for professional women in our community lives on in the many women who
hold leadership roles in business, government, and the nonprofit world.
The Durango Area Chamber Resort Association honored her leadership in
the community by naming her Citizen of the Year in 1990, and in 1998,
she was named recipient of DACRA’s Athena Award for women in
public service. In 2006, the Durango Chamber of Commerce renamed the
nationally designated Athena Award as the Morley Ballantine Award in
honor of her significant contributions to the community and her
unfailing support and mentorship of women.
Mrs. Ballantine died at her home on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. She was
84. She is survived by her sons Richard Gale Ballantine, who continues
her legacy as publisher of The Durango Herald, and William Gay
Ballantine of Kirkland, Wash.; daughters Elizabeth Ballantine of
McLean, Va., and Helen Ballantine Healy of Wichita, Kan.; brothers John
Cowles Jr. and Russell Cowles, both of Minneapolis; sister Sarah
“Sally” Cowles Doering of Northampton, Mass., and nine
grandchildren.
(Special thanks to Ann Butler and The Durango Herald for the preceding information.)
|
Message
from
the President:
About Our Awards Program
by Mindy Stern Meiering
on behalf of the WRC Board of Directors
Wow!
What an amazing evening the second annual Girls Night Out turned
out to be! We who support and volunteer for the Women's Resource Center
are truly thankful for all of you who contributed your time and
financial resources during Girls Night Out. The success of this event
will ensure that the Women's Resource Center continues to help connect
women and their families with the resources they need to become
self-supporting, contributing members of our community.
In addition to the fun and fund-raising during Girls Night Out, we also
honored two women as recipients of the Extraordinary Woman Awards. As
you may have read in our recap at left, Jenny Newcomer is the 2010
Extraordinary Business Woman Award winner; Joelle Ridde is the
Extraordinary Woman Leader Award winner. As with any awards program,
whether it's the Nobel Peace Prize or the Durango Chamber of Commerce
Citizen of the Year, disagreements sometimes arise over the process
used to select, and the appropriateness of, an award recipient. The
Extraordinary Woman Awards are no exception.
We
respect, understand and acknowledge the concerns raised by community
members
and WRC constituents who disagreed
with the process and decision to
name Ms. Riddle as the recipient of the Extraordinary Woman Leader
Award. And
to be fair, we also respect and acknowledge those who have supported
the
decision.The Extraordinary Woman Leader Award honors a woman who has,
according
to the nomination criteria, “demonstrated significant impact
as a leader in the
nonprofit, for-profit, education or government sectors through her work
on
social, political or workplace issues impacting women, girls or
families.” An
awards committee used these criteria to select four finalists who were
then
forwarded to the Women’s Foundation of Colorado to select the
two award recipients.
The
Women’s Resource Center and
its Board of Directors agreed
at its board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 15, to stand by the selection
of both winners of the 2010
Extraordinary Woman Awards and the process used to ensure to the best
of our
abilities that the selection of the award-winners was as fair and
equitable as
possible.
The
Women’s Resource
Center
will continue to honor the strong, courageous women of La Plata
County
who are
doing their best to improve women’s
lives, their neighborhoods and their communities. It is our legacy as a
women’s
organization to do so, especially when we consider all the sacrifices
that
women have made over the past century to ensure that we have the right
to vote,
that we have the right to equal pay for equal work, and that we have a
right to
voice our opinions, even when we disagree with each other.
We
also
recognize that any decision-making process can be improved, and we have
heard
and will take into serious consideration all the concerns that have
been raised
during this past week.
We
deeply appreciate the support of our
members and donors. Without you, the Center would not be able
to serve and
support the women of our community who don’t feel as if they
have a voice, who
don’t feel empowered to make their own way in the world.
However, for
those who have chosen to no
longer support the Women's Resource Center we also respect their right
to make
a statement in this manner. Please know that we will
always
welcome their return.
A
special thanks to all of you who continue to support the
Women’s Resource
Center
and its mission to advocate for the personal empowerment and economic
self-sufficiency of women and girls in La Plata County.
Rest assured that we remain committed to our mission and to the women,
girls,
and families of our community. |
|
