The Geneva League of Women Voters will honor Heather and Carl Aten and celebrate ten years of Courtwatching at its October lunch meeting on Tuesday, October 5, 2010. The guest speaker is Ontario County Court Judge Hon. Craig Doran. The lunch will be at the Ramada Inn, Geneva from 12 noon ? 1:30 pm.

In 2000, Judge Doran with several area organizations including the Geneva League of Women Voters, the Interfaith Council, and Human Rights Commission met to discuss the workings of the local criminal justice system. Under the aegis of the League of Women Voters, these discussions resulted in the formation of the Geneva Court Watching Task Force. Leading this task force were Heather and Carl Aten, Barbara Huebner, Norma Lamberson, Kim Reisch and Joanne Wisor.

For nearly ten years Heather and Carl Aten headed the executive committee of the Task Force which scheduled the monthly volunteer meetings and supervised the recruiting, training and scheduling of volunteer court observers in Geneva City Court, Geneva Town Court, and Ontario County courts. In addition, the Atens coordinated the publication of ?Eye On The Courts?, which summarized the observations of the court watchers. In ten years, almost 1,200 court sessions have been observed.

As a result of the work of the Task Force, judges, attorneys and other court personnel have become more aware of their responsibility to make the courts in Ontario County more audible and understandable to all who attend whether as litigants, family and friends of litigants, or mere observers.

A buffet lunch will be served at a cost of $20. For reservations: contact Nancy Garver at ngarver@rochester.rr.com or 781-7612 before September 28.