Zonta Club of the Pikes Peak Area MAY 2001 Newsletter Volume I, Issue 5

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - Kris Wells

As the Pikes Peak Area Club's president for 2001-2002, Kris Wells adds yet another responsibility to the lengthy list of activities in her life. However, anyone who knows her knows she has the energy and creativity to successfully complete her newest "job."

Born one of six girls, Kris lived in Clarion, Pennsylvania from birth through her college years. She graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania with a degree in secondary education, and married her husband Jeff the summer following graduation. She and Jeff moved to Colorado Springs in 1972 where Jeff was stationed at Peterson Field.

Her first job in Colorado Springs was as a waitress at the Sheraton Hotel (now the Radisson Inn) on North Academy. She had an "in" because her father's bank backed the building of this hotel. In January of 1973, she left the hotel to teach Spanish to first through eighth graders at Pauline Memorial School and stayed for four years. She then spent seven years at the Colorado Springs School, one year at Air Academy Junior High, and then moved to Cheyenne Mountain Junior High where she has taught Spanish for the past 19 years.

Kris actually started as an English major in college with her sights set on becoming a newspaper reporter. However, things changed during her junior year when she took a Spanish course and was invited by her teacher to make a trip to Spain. When her father didn't see a reason to send her money for the trip, she made a spur of the moment decision to change her major to Spanish. Yes, she made her journey to Spain!

Since that first trip, Kris has visited several Spanish-speaking countries during her summer vacations. Many of the trips have been funded or partially funded by her professional organizations as graduate study work. She has traveled to Spain, Paraguay, Spain and Puerto Rico, and will re-visit Madrid this summer where she will enjoy a two-week home stay in private tutoring classes.

Some of the professional organizations Kris belongs to include the American Association of Teachers in Spanish and Portuguese, National Education Association, Southwest Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language, and the Colorado Congress for Language Teachers (immediate past president).

Her interest in Zonta began with a conversation regarding the "world pin" many Zontians wear. Kris was participating in the Colorado College International Families Group, hosting foreign students entering college at CC. Liz Groothof-Croddy also participated in the same program. Kris and Liz had known one another through teaching English as a Second Language since the early 1980's, and when Kris asked about the pin Liz was wearing, she heard the story of Zonta. Liz was hosting the ice cream social at her house and invited Kris to attend to learn more about the club.

"I was impressed with the efficiency and the friendliness of the group, and was immediately drawn to the international aspect of the organization," said Kris. "The world pin that Liz wore stuck in my mind because it showed very clearly that North America is not the center of the world."

During her trips to Paraguay in 1998 and Puerto Rico in 2000, Kris contacted and was hosted by members of local Zonta clubs. She has loved the opportunity to reach out and touch her foreign Zonta sisters.

"Because my five sisters live in three time zones (Jacksonville, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago and Boise), I don't get to see them very often. So I turn to my Zonta sisters to fill in some of the holes. All of the things I like to do I have found in the Zonta group - hiking, reading, speaking Spanish, knitting and playing bridge."

Zonta runs in Kris's family as well. Her father's youngest sister is the current president of the Clarion Area Zonta Club in Pennsylvania.

Kris and Jeff have two sons. Josh (22) will graduate in May from Colorado University in Boulder with a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering. He will work for a company in Denver called Analex, which maintains Titan rockets. Jake (19) is a freshman at CU in Boulder and is a psychology major. Jeff works for the Department of Human Services as supervisor of the Kinship Care Unit, a program which works toward having relatives provide care of foster children.

Fashion Show Coming Up! by Kate Brewster

Even though fashion show plans are well under way, there are still many things to do. I know you're all working diligently to sell tickets at this point. Please send all checks to Shannon and let Liz know your total number of attendees as soon as possible so we have an accurate count for The Broadmoor as May 12th nears. We will have someone collecting tickets this year as guests arrive - half of the ticket will be torn off to help us keep track of actual attendance and meals served. Each Zontian should be responsible for seeing her guests' tickets are handed in at the fashion show. If you need more tickets for your guests, please call me at 630-8801 and I will get them to you.

I'd also like to remind you to send your raffle items sheets to Mary Beth before April 30th so she may start working on the raffle poster.

If anyone has any questions about any part of this fashion show, please feel free to call me. I thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to this fund-raiser. Each year you have made this event a successful and enjoyable one.

Projects Discussed at Area Meeting

At the Area 4 meeting, which was held at the LeBaron Hotel on March 31, a discussion took place on the importance of supporting and fostering camaraderie among the four clubs in our area. A brainstorming session yielded several ideas for area-wide projects, which would bring members of our clubs together while working on common goals. Out of that session, three projects were identified as high priority. These projects will be researched and, if found workable, will be brought to each club for discussion and adoption. The three projects include:

• Habitat for Humanity - members of all Area 4 clubs would sign up to work as a group to help build a house in Lamar, Pueblo, Canon City or Colorado Springs.
• Grant Writing - a vehicle would be developed to educate club members on how to write grants, enabling clubs to develop submissions for such things as ZISVAW grants.
• Attendance at International Conventions - the best way for club members to learn more about the international aspects of Zonta is to attend an International Convention. The goal of this project would be to encourage clubs to send 50% of their members to the 2004 convention in New York City. To accomplish this, a suggestion was made to start a bank account based on the "Christmas Club" accounts many people already have. By determining the approximate cost of this trip (registration, air fare, hotel, etc.), club members could begin saving a certain amount each week towards that cost.

After further discussion and review, the final adaptations of these projects will be submitted to each club in Area 4.

Message from Adrian Davis

Dear friends,

I am doing really well at the Colorado College. Since my last message I have been so busy! This summer I am travelling with the college to both Peru and Bali consecutively! I am involved in many community activities including the Season for Nonviolence and the BLF Leadership Development emerging leaders program. Oh, I also turned 19 on April 8th, whew!

Your confidence and support are being well used.

Sincerely, Adrian-Lauren Davis
al_davis@ColoradoCollege.edu

Information: Links & Books

Children's Book: Remember the Ladies: 100 Great American Women by Cheryl Harness
From Denver Post:
"Can you name the woman who was the first important American poet? (Hint: She died in 1672.)
Who was among the first women to link slaves and female equality in the fight for civil rights - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, or Sarah Grimke?
If you don't know the answer, you need to read "Remember the Ladies: 100 Great American Women: (Harper-Collins, $16.95). Author Cheryl Harness took the title from Abigail Adams' 1776 entreaty to her husband: '...and be more generous...to them than your ancestors.'
President John Adams' neglect to follow her advice resulted, over time, in the rebellion his wife promised would follow 'if care is not paid.' In this book, harness enumerates those warriors as well as the entrepreneurs, writers and educators who helped shape American history." -Claire Martin

Links to Virus/Hoax Informational Sites

Sophos Anti-Virus: http://www.sophos.com/
Virus Threats - Symantec Security Updates: http://www.symantec.com/ avcenter/index.html
Virus Myths & Hoaxes - Vmyths.com: http://www.Vmyths.com/
Urban Legends and Folklore: http://urbanlege nds.about.com/science/urbanlegends/

Cornbread

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 cup cornmeal
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk(1 1/2 c water & 4 heaping Tbls powdered buttermilk)
2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350, grease and flour 13x9 pan. Cream eggs, sugar, and oil. In separate bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, and salt. Gradually add to wet mixture. (Batter will be very thick) Mix soda into buttermilk, allow to activate for a couple of seconds, and add to batter. Mix until smooth. Pour into pan and bake approx. 40 min.

Dates to Remember . . .

**Please send comments and suggested information for the newsletter to Sufak1@aol.com or nulty@money.org or betlow@aol.com.