All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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All nine members of the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee (LID) were present for the Nov. 1 meeting at the Niwot Inn. Treasurer Bruce Rabeler reported that revenues continue to climb as collections through August are up over $26,000 from a year ago. He noted that with an approval of the loan funding request on the agenda, the LID would have approved over $222,000 in expenditures for 2022. The 2022 LID budget is only $170,000, but Rabeler reminded the committee that the budget is set at 80% of collections from two years ago....
Niwot High School girls volleyball made short work of its first round opponents in the state playoffs Nov. 5, sweeping Pueblo East High School and Steamboat Springs High School, 3-0, 3-0. Niwot entered the regionals as a host team, seeded seventh against Pueblo East (30) and Steamboat Springs (18). Jade West, a member of the NHS volleyball team, began the morning with a powerful rendition of the National Anthem. The first match against Pueblo East saw the Cougars trade points early. A great...
Stephen Dimit, head coach of Niwot High School boys soccer, was sad to see the season end, but proud of his players after they suffered a loss in the quarterfinals of the state 4A playoffs. "We knew it would be a really tough game," Dimit said. "They just have so many ways to beat you," referring to Northfield High School, which won the 4A championship last season with a perfect 20-0 record. The Cougars battled Northfield throughout the game, but came out on the short end of a 2-0 score. The...
A request from the Boulder County Sheriff to store long rifles inside Niwot High School and Lyons Middle-Senior High School was approved by the St. Vrain Valley School District School Board at its Oct. 26 meeting. The request was first presented in 2018 out of belief that longer response times to Niwot High School and Lyons High School by law enforcement in the event of an active shooter incident would be mitigated if school resource officers had access to rifles securely stored in the school building. The request was not approved at that...
Niwot High School boys soccer coach Stephen Dimit didn't rest easy until Javier Alvira scored what turned out to be the third and final goal of a 3-0 shutout against D'Evelyn High School in the first round of the state 4A soccer playoffs. Niwot hosted the game under the lights on the new turf at NHS, and fans were not quite sure where to sit as both teams feature green as the school colors. Niwot entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, while D'Evelyn was No. 26. "They came out pretty fired up,"...
On the same day the Courier’s coverage of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department request to store long rifles at Niwot and Lyons High Schools came off the press, the St. Vrain Valley School Board held a study session that included further discussion of the issue. On Oct. 19, the board’s study session included a renewed request by the Boulder County Sheriff to store long guns at the two schools due to the time it would take to respond to an incident at the district’s two most rural high schools. The matter was first presented several years a...
Niwot High School got a head start on Halloween with the school's first annual Fall Fest after school on Friday, Oct. 21. Children of all ages enjoyed a variety of booths sponsored by an array of NHS clubs and organizations, including corn hole, face painting, crafts and trunk or treat vehicles. The Student Council organized the event and invited the community to attend the free event. Principal Eric Rauschkolb was on hand to welcome participants, as were Athletics and Activities Director Joe...
Tim Waters, a Longmont city councilman, hosts a podcast called "The Backstory." On Oct. 9, Waters took his show on the road to the auditorium at the Longmont Museum, where a crowd of 50, including Niwot historian and former Courier columnist Anne Dyni, attended in person, in addition to an online audience. The topic was the future of journalism in the age of social media, and Waters assembled an impressive panel of journalists, including Dana Coffield, co-founder of the Colorado Sun, Melissa...
The Colorado Press Association announced the winners of the 2021 journalism awards, which included two Left Hand Valley Courier writers. Mary Wolbach Lopert, senior editor, columnist and co-founder of the Courier, received a first place award in Best Humorous Column Writing for "It's a Laughing Matter." Lopert wrote the column periodically throughout her 25-year career with the Courier, often drawing upon her personal experiences with friends and members of her family. Lopert retired from the...
A preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on October 8 sheds new light on the mid-air collision Sept. 17 of two airplanes near Niwot. Investigator in Charge Michael Folkerts wrote, “On September 17, 2022, about 0853 mountain daylight time, a Cessna … and a Sonex Aircraft Xenos, … were destroyed when they were involved in a mid-air collision.” The flight instructor and student pilot aboard the Cessna, identified by the Boulder County Coroner as Daniel Wilmoth, 22 and Samuel Fisher, 23, respectively, and the...
Niwot Business Association President Eric Bergeson of The Wheel House led a discussion among NBA members regarding what projects should be a priority for the NBA in the coming year. Bergeson noted that the NBA was working with the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and Cottonwood Park West Homeowners Association to expand and enhance the sculpture park along Niwot Road. He noted that the Niwot Future League had met with Jim Fudge, president of the HOA, about a possible opportunity to return the...
The Niwot High gymnastics team may be short on experience, but it hasn't been an obstacle so far as the Cougars defeated Broomfield in a dual meet Oct. 12 by a score of 171.90 to 169.85. "We have a really young team," Head Coach Marisa Purcell said. We have two seniors, and one of them is injured. So we have mostly freshmen and sophomores." While Purcell was happy to win the dual meet, her focus is on Regionals, where the top three scores get averaged. She has about 10 athletes competing at the...
The Niwot Cougars continued their winning ways with victories over Frederick High School and Mountain View High School Oct 11 and 13, respectively. Niwot is now 10-4 overall, 7-1 in the Longs Peak League, and was ranked eighth in Class 4A coming into the week. "We came into this match a little beat up," Head Coach Tony Engel said after the Frederick victory. "Grace Demmel, our senior middle, was hurt and we need her to be fresh for us in a couple weeks." With Demmel injured, other Cougars had...
Proposition 124 - Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations Citizens Proposition 124 would allow retail liquor stores to apply to state and local governments to open additional locations on a phased-in schedule, with no limit on the number of permissible locations after 2037. A “yes” vote on Proposition 124 allows retail liquor stores to apply for and, if approved, increase the number of locations over time, with no limit on the number of locations after 2037. A “no” vote on Proposition 124 retains current law that limits retail liquor stores...
The tragic death of Niwot resident and Lefty's Pizza owner, Craig "Lefty" Harris, was a rare fatality at the intersection of Niwot Road and Highway 119. Accident data from the Colorado Department of Transportation shows one other fatality since 2005. "Our safety performance metrics using 2018 - 2020 crash data show that the total frequency of crashes is consistent with similar intersection types at similar traffic volumes," Communications Manager Jared Fiel said. "However, the frequency of...
Revenues for Niwot's Local Improvement District (LID), which collects a 1% sales tax within the Niwot business district, continue to grow, with the July 2022 report showing a 48% increase in revenue over the same period in 2021. Collections for July totaled $26,346.68, compared to $17,780.17 for the same period a year ago, when the pandemic was still raging. Year-to-date revenues for 2022 are up by 21.48% over 2021, when a total of $269,286.08 was collected by the end of the year. At that rate,...
With a record of 8-3, including a 5-0 record in league play, the Niwot boys soccer team is looking to move up in the CHSAA state 4A rankings. The Cougars entered last week ranked eighth in Class 4A, with a 6-3 record. On Oct. 4, Niwot traveled to Thompson Valley, to take on the Eagles, who entered the contest with a record of 2-7. Niwot scored one goal in the first half before adding three more goals in the second half to take firm control of the game, which ended with a 4-0 victory. Moses Ramir...
A motor vehicle accident at the intersection of the Diagonal Highway and Niwot Road claimed the life of long-time Niwot resident and businessman Craig "Lefty" Harris. According to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the accident occurred at approximately 7:22 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29 when an RTD bus collided with a Honda Odyssey van driven by Harris in the Longmont-bound lane of the Diagonal. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the CSP. The bus driver, a 76-year-old woman, was...
Local journalism has been hit hard by consolidation, social media, and the pandemic. Longmont city councilman Tim Waters is moderating a two-part series on the past, present, and future of journalism, reporting and accountability. The first presentation, entitled "The Big Picture," will take place at the Longmont Museum on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m., featuring Left Hand Valley Courier reporter Maria Karagianis, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Boston Globe before she retired and moved...
The Niwot Community Association is seeking 8-12 volunteers to help with the restoration of the underpass mural on Niwot Road where the LoBo trail crosses near Centrebridge. On Saturday, Oct. 8, the NCA is organizing a restoration project to repair and restore the mural which was created several years ago. The work will begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to wrap up by 12 noon. The project includes peeling away paint that is separating from the walls, applying primer to the affected areas, and...
After taking down two top-10-ranked teams in two weeks, the Niwot Cougars took on cross-town rival Skyline, and came away with a hard-fought 1-0 victory. Niwot entered the game against 6th-ranked Skyline as the No. 10 team in Class 4A, finally breaking into the top 10 rankings after beating then Top-10-ranked Silver Creek (6th) and Northridge (5th) in successive weeks. The Cougars went on to beat Severance, 7-0, on Sept. 27, before taking on Skyline Sept. 29. The Falcons entered the game with a...
The Niwot Girls volleyball squad knocked off Severance, 3-0, on Wednesday, Sept. 21 on the road, but came up short the next night at home against a powerful and unbeaten Thompson Valley team, losing 3-0. Entering the week, the Cougars were ranked seventh in Class 4A by CHSAA Now. Severance entered the game with a 5-1 record, but the Cougars took control early, with a 25-22 win in the first set. Niwot followed with a solid 25-16 win in the second set, and finished off the match with a 25-19 win i...
Knocking off sixth-ranked Silver Creek, 2-1 in double overtime last week didn't seem to impress CHSAA Now voters as Silver Creek maintained its 6th-place ranking as of Sept. 19, while Niwot picked up only one point in the voting, going from nine to ten points, well out of the Top 10 rankings. This week, the Cougars took on 5th-ranked Northridge on Thursday, Sept. 22, and came away with a solid 3-0 win on the new home turf. The Cougars are now 4-3 on the season, with the last loss coming to...
A loud crash interrupted a quiet Saturday morning in Niwot when two airplanes collided in mid-air and fell to the ground, resulting in the deaths of the two pilots and one passenger. The victims were identified as 22-year-old Daniel Wilmoth, Samuel Fisher, 23, and 69-year-old Henry Butler. Two were found dead in one of the airplanes and one was found dead in the other. The Boulder County Sheriff's office reported receiving multiple calls shortly before 9 a.m. from area residents who heard the...
The House Blend Band, created by Old Oak Coffeehouse owners Michael Tomich and his wife, Patty Machen, closed out the summer concert season on a beautiful summer night in downtown Niwot with another stellar performance featuring family members, guest artists, and the baristas who work at Old Oak. A crowd of several hundred people, young and old, brought lawn chairs and enjoyed the music, together with the spaghetti house special from Old Oak on a warm evening, where the threat of rain resulted...
Niwot boys soccer coach Stephen Dimit described the setting for Niwot's first cross-town rivalry soccer game under the home lights on Friday, Sept. 17. "It was a cool environment, a cool atmosphere." The Cougars took on the Raptors around 7 p.m. "We kind of knew we needed to be at our best," Dimmit said. "There are so many connections, they play together in the spring." The game featured an aggressive push by Niwot to keep the ball in the Silver Creek side of the field. The strategy seemed to...
It took 50 years, but Niwot High School finally played and won a truly "home" football game. And a steady mist throughout the evening didn't seem to put a damper on the attendance, or the team's overall performance. The 50th anniversary of the opening of Niwot High School brought out former students, players and faculty from across the years as the school celebrated with a 15-6 victory over Skyview in the first varsity football game ever played at the school on Sept. 9. The school, which opened...
Transportation Eric Bergeson, vice-chair of the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, said what was on everyone's mind during a presentation by Kathleen Bracke of the Boulder County Planning and Permitting Department: "Nothing makes it easier to access Niwot." The LID heard from Bracke at the invitation of Mark Ruzzin, liaison to the LID from the office of the Boulder County Commissioners. She presented plans showing a preliminary design of a multi-use path planned for the...
The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band was on hand to provide a musical backdrop to the 2022 Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show awards ceremony Sept. 2 in front of Osmosis Art & Architecture. The art contest, now in its 11th year, featured 36 entries in the Niwot Cultural Arts Association's annual contest featuring art about Niwot. The 24-member band directed by Debbie Benson, which is also sponsored by the NCAA and Left Hand Grange No. 9, added a bit of color to the evening with...
Why Not Niwot? - The annual juried art show featuring art with a Niwot theme will host an artist's reception for the first time this year. The event, sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and Osmosis Gallery, will culminate with an awards ceremony during September's First Friday Art Walk, Sept. 2, at 6 p.m. at Osmosis Gallery, 290 Second Avenue in Niwot. The evening will begin with music by the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band on the patio next to Niwot Jewelry & Gifts,...
The Niwot Cougars took sixth place overall, and third among Class 4A teams at the Frederick Classic Aug. 25. Junior Emmett Shell led the squad with a 72, while sophomore Drew Stapp finished at 79 at the Coyote Creek Golf Course. Sawyer Bennett, a junior, shot an 83 while junior Brighton Langenegger finished at 87. The top three scores count in the standings as the Cougars finished with a 234, one stroke ahead of Berthoud at 235....
After posting a four-win season in 2021, third-year Niwot football coach Nik Blume aims to continue to build the program that had not won more than three games since 2008. With only four seniors on the squad, the Cougars will be very young. "We have a really talented junior class," Blume said of the players who have come up through the program during his tenure. "It's our biggest class. We also have three or four sophomore kids who will contribute." Blume hopes to make up in speed what he lost...
The August meeting of the Niwot Business Association was held Aug. 9 at Niwot Market, with 34 members attending. The timely topic of fire prevention, emergency preparations, and insurance coverage gave members useful information in the wake of the Aug. 6 Abo’s Pizza fire in Niwot. Although the topic had been planned early in July, the presentation by representatives of Mountain View Fire Rescue, Leigh Suskin and Lindsay Cumberland of Farmers Insurance in Niwot was especially timely. Mountain View Fire Rescue community outreach officers e...
Niwot Boys Tennis Coach Aimee Hites returns with high expectations for her youthful but experienced squad. "Our goal is to win state," Hites said. "We're super young, and super talented." The Cougars started off with a 7-0 win over Frederick High School Aug. 11, and have already seemingly picked up a second victory by forfeit as Skyline High's team reported only three players out for tennis for this week's match. Things will get tougher with Alexander Dawson School on Aug. 18, followed by Class...
Boulder County Sheriff's officers assigned to Niwot's Rock & Rails concert series did not show up July 28, and concert managers later received a message that the officers had been deployed to Erie as part of a SWAT team response. By Friday, Niwot residents learned the tragic news that the Erie response was connected to a murder-suicide that shook not only Loveland and Erie, but the Niwot community as well. Lindsay E. Daum and her daughter, 16-year old Meadow Sinner, were murdered in their...
Revenues of the Niwot Local Improvement District keep climbing, with the latest report showing $24,878.21 collected in May from the LID’s 1% sales tax, which was more than 25% higher than May 2021 collections. Overall, the year-to-date collections are up by 18.29% over the same period a year ago. Treasurer Bruce Rabeler reported that the LID’s reserve fund at the end of 2021 was estimated to be $307,356. By previous resolution, the LID has a policy of keeping a reserve amount of at least $60,000 to guard against a downturn in the economy. The f...
National Night Out, a nationwide effort to connect communities with first responders, returns to Niwot Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Niwot Community Association and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Niwot is one of several venues where the BCSO will set up in Boulder County that evening. The NCA website invites the community to attend, saying, "National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes first responders and community...
For Niwot's Skyler Messenger, All-Star Game week was more than just a break in the major league season when MLB All-Stars would perform on a national stage, and fans would get a chance to see the best players in the world. In addition to a Home Run Derby and a Futures Game, the week included the amateur draft, conducted over three days, with plenty of TV coverage, unlike days of old, when the draft could go as high as 70 rounds and was clouded in secrecy. As recently as 2019, the draft went 40...
Jeff and Dawn Server hosted the July 12 meeting of the NIwot Business Association at their home in Heather Hills, which is also the site of Meadow Lake Honey. Dawn Server explained the varieties of lavender plants they grow to support the bees which produce the honey. She noted that the best health benefits for our immune systems are achieved by consuming raw honey produced by bees near your home. "Bees will go two to three miles," she explained. "Milkweed is their favorite." NBA President Eric...
The restroom doors at Niwot Children's Park were vandalized earlier this summer when someone tore the signs off the doors. At this point, the boys restroom (on the east side) and the girls restroom (on the west side) are without identifying signs. Earlier this year, a homeless man was seen entering the restroom late in the day, and was told to leave as the park is closed to use overnight. Reports indicate he had returned on several occasions and the Boulder County Sheriff's Department was...
The Colorado legislature recently passed legislation to curb the powers of homeowners’ associations, and Governor Jared Polis signed the law June 3, 2022, to take effect August 10, 2022. The law grew out of abuses by HOA’s concerning fines, foreclosures, notice and collection activities. Among other things, the new law prohibits an HOA from seeking foreclosure based solely on fines assessed for violation of community rules. It also limits the total fines for a violation to $500, and prohibits assessment of daily fines for a violation. Additiona...
The third and final day of the Major League Baseball draft ended the suspense for Niwot High School grad Skyler Messinger when the Colorado Rockies selected him in the 19th round of the annual amateur draft. Messenger was draft pick number 566 overall after finishing his collegiate baseball career at the University of Texas. He played third base for Texas this season, posting a .364 batting average with 11 homers and 59 RBI. After a stellar career as a shortstop at Niwot High, Messenger was draf...
With seven members present, the NIwot Local Improvement District advisory committee recommended approval of three funding requests at its regular meeting July 5 at the Niwot Inn. The LID collects a 1% sales tax in Niwot’s business district and makes recommendations to the Boulder County Commissioners for expenditures which benefit the business district. Chair Scott Firle was joined by Vice-Chair Eric Bergeson, Treasurer Bruce Rabeler, Mary Coonce, Lisa Rivard, Keith Waters and Cornelia Sawle. Mark Ruzzin was the liaison from Boulder County. T...
The race for Boulder County Commissioner in the Democratic primary election had to wait until all corrected and absentee ballots were counted before the results were certain. Ashley Stolzmann, Louisville mayor, had a 42-vote lead over Ealaina Shively, an attorney with the Boulder County District Attorney’s office, after over 55,000 votes were counted. When the last of the corrected ballots were in, her lead increased to 68 votes, with a total of 27,870 votes for her, compared to 27,802 votes for Shively. Though the margin of victory triggers an...
Niwot's annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast was back to pre-pandemic size this year, with long lines waiting to be served by volunteers and staff from the Niwot Market. The Pancake Breakfast is more than just pancakes - servings included pancakes, sausage, eggs, and Bert Steele's famous chile, with coffee and orange juice on the side. The net proceeds of the breakfast after costs are covered were donated to the Niwot Youth Sports Monarch Improvement Project. Tip jars were also available with...
The Niwot High School football field is getting a facelift, and more. Work has been underway for a month on replacing the sod on the field with artificial turf, with plans to host the NHS Homecoming football game at the school this fall. Along with the turf replacement, a permanent fence is also being installed around the perimeter of the field. Some members of the community are not happy about the fence, which school officials claim is necessary to prevent vandalism to the field and to prevent...
When Skye Messinger was drafted in the 22nd round by the Chicago Cubs coming out of Niwot High School in 2017, he had a difficult decision to make – take the bonus money they were offering, or accept a scholarship to play Division I baseball at the University of Kansas. Messinger opted for the college experience, turning down the Cubs' offer to go to KU, where he had a solid career, albeit one interrupted by Covid-19. He reasoned that if he were good enough, he would have a chance to play p...
The monthly Niwot Business Association meeting, hosted by Pat Murphy and the Niwot Group-Compass June 14 at their offices at 7916 Niwot Road, included a lively discussion of food trucks and other mobile vendors in Niwot. NBA president Eric Bergeson of Niwot Wheel Works noted that the topic had come up at the NBA Executive Committee meeting and at the Niwot Future League (NFL) meeting recently. The main issues discussed were whether food trucks and other mobile vendors should pay a fee to the...
For the first time in its 50-year history, Niwot High School will be able to host a varsity football game at the school this fall. "We should have it ready by the end of August," Athletic Director Joe Brown said. The grass turf on what has until now been used solely as a practice field by the NHS varsity has been removed, and work has begun on installation of new artificial turf. Last summer, lights were installed at the field, and the artificial turf will allow the school to host football and s...
Niwot High took four golfers to the state Class 4A state championship at Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction May 31-June 1, and the results did not disappoint. "We had a great state tournament," Head Coach Ed Weaver said. "We finished fifth place overall, which I'm very happy with. After the first day, we were fifth, but sixth, seventh and eighth place teams were very close." The Cougars separated from the pack on day two, finishing 26 strokes ahead of sixth-place Cheyenne Mountain. Erie...
