All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Left Hand Valley Courier has some talented readers, among them some knowledgeable gardeners. Reader Katy Bohn, whose garden was featured in the LHVC last summer, is also a member of the Boulder Valley Rose Society (BVRS), the group in charge of the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House rose garden. She and her fellow BVRS members all have home gardens that were also ravaged by the increased number of Japanese Beetles (JB) this past summer, and they were busy trying to protect the rose bushes at the...
Japanese beetles—those colorful, iridescent compact munching machines that have been decimating gardens up and down the Front Range this year—have reached record numbers in our area, and will continue to multiply and thrive unless a combined effort from all of us helps curb their proliferation. If you don’t know what these destructive insects look like, you can track them by their trail of indiscriminate feasting. They leave behind leaves and flowers that look like demented lace, and they...
Boulder County seems to have a high concentration of talented, creative and accomplished people. Sometimes, we learn about them from the news, but once in awhile, they live in our neighborhood and we learn of their existence through the coincidence of daily routines. Enter Rich Alpers. You’ve likely seen his face many times on his real estate signs in Boulder County. Rich lives in Gunbarrel, and has been in Boulder for 30 years. But before he embarked on his career selling homes, he was an a...
Two years after its inception, the J.A.R.E.D. Foundation continues its march forward to bring music education to students who could use a boost. The organization, which stands for Join A Revolution, Educate Drummers & other musicians, was formed in the summer of 2017 by Surinder and Renae Dahiya and Jerry Lizakowski after their son, Jared Lizakowski, died in a motorcycle accident on NIwot Road in October 2016. The Dahiyas and Lizakowski wanted to honor Jared, who had been passionate about music...
Colorado can boast the best of many attractions--the mountains and the vistas--and also some of the most unique. Our beautiful and strange state is also home to over 1,500 ghost towns. The research and documentation of these eerie spots is Michael Sinnwell’s passionate hobby and is on display for anyone with internet access. Sinnwell, a Niwot resident, first began exploring ghost towns when he moved to Colorado in the early 1980s, but he blames his interest in historical local oddities on his f...
Last week’s column was focused on the usefulness of the most well-known unwanted plant in American yards—the humble dandelion. Hopefully after learning more about the furry yellow flowers, more folks are interested in exploring the possibilities that there are plants growing all around us that are useful, tasty, and ‘weeds’ in perception alone. Just because they aren’t sold in stores or at farmers’ markets doesn’t mean they aren’t nutritious, delicious and edible. A walk in your neighborhood ca...
Spring has sprung--finally. Warmer weather means more opportunities to stroll around the neighborhood, and more neighborhood strolls bring all sorts of small wonders and little joys. A favorite little joy? Little Free Libraries abound in Gunbarrel, providing plenty of opportunities to check out a book or leave a book. Enjoy an evening neighborhood walk after dinner and pick up an interesting volume to read at bedtime....
We live in Boulder County, which clearly loves dandelions and eschews herbicides. With the mounting proof of the harmful effects of common herbicides, such as Roundup, I feel lucky to be surrounded by the sweet and furry yellow flowers that pop up in most people’s yards, on highway medians and next to sidewalks. However, I still see some neighbors with big jugs of herbicide, spraying away anything that’s not part of their garden aesthetic. It’s a free country, and folks are welcome to do as they...
As if the recent measles outbreaks among unvaccinated youth in the United States wasn’t worrisome enough, there are recent reports that older, previously vaccinated adults could possibly contract the disease. In 2019 alone, from Jan. 1 to May 3, 764 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Colorado, one of the states with reported cases, h...
It might be part of the human condition--we can be surrounded by magnificence and bounty in nature, but can’t always recognize or appreciate its value. Sometimes it takes a visitor or outsider to help us appreciate and protect that which we take for granted, because it has always been part of our surroundings. And on behalf of frogs and toads in the Andes, four St. Vrain Valley students have taken on that role of educating outsider, creating an environmental comic book to help remote Peruvian v...
You are enough. It’s the simple, powerful message that ABLE to Sail, a local non-profit, works diligently to impart into the belief systems of the teens who take part in their sailing camps. Today’s teenagers face more challenges than any have for generations—school shootings and social media, for example—often resulting in drug use, suicide and poor life experiences. ABLE (A Better Life Experience) to Sail was founded in 2012 by Diane McKinney with the sole aim to help each teen realize the “se...
“Little boxes on the hillside...Little boxes made of ticky tacky...Little boxes on the hillside...Covered with flags all the same...There’s a pink one and a green one...And a blue one and a yellow one...And it’s up to you to get them ‘cuz they leave them, by the way.” Utility locator flags are those tiny wire and vinyl or plastic flags of various colors that are stuck in the ground in your neighbor’s yard, along the highway, on medians, right-of-ways and near construction sites throughout...
If it isn’t clear by the random water bowls outside of boutiques and every other person walking a dog or two, Boulder County was made for dog lovers. More often than not, dogs are seated side by side with their human guardians at outdoor cafes, and we have our fair share of natural pet supply stores and dog-friendly trails. And let’s not forget that your well-behaved mutt is as welcome in the aisles of McGuckin’s Hardware as you are. Maybe even more, if your pooch is a real cutie. But even...
School teachers are arguably some of the hardest working people with one of the most difficult, but important jobs. A top complaint that many educators have is that they are expected and forced to fill too many roles at once, stretching their time to be not only educators, but counselors, planners, purchasers, often with their own funds, and social workers. So when a parent or community member volunteers in the classroom, that act helps ease some of those burdens, freeing up our teachers to do...
For lovers of the standard pop and jazz classics, the Longmont Chorale and Longmont Concert Band are joining forces to provide an afternoon filled with compositions by such artists as Irving Berlin, the Gershwin brothers, and the Beatles. The May 5 concert will feature many favorite jazz standards, big band pieces and well-known pop tunes in recent and refreshing arrangements. Gary Lloyd, Director of the Longmont Concert Band, and Scott Hamlin, Longmont Chorale Artistic Director, are enthusiasti...
On April 16, Governor Jared Polis signed SB-181, also known as “Protect Public Welfare Oil and Gas Operations,” into law. The bill, which had originally proposed significant changes to Colorado’s long-standing oil and gas regulatory system, changed shape as it passed through both the state House and Senate and weathered the amendments that allowed it to land on the Governor’s desk. While neither the proponents nor the opponents of the bill are entirely satisfied with its final form, its existence, according to Anna Lee Foster, Communi...
When the tragic loss of a child happens, immediate sympathy focuses on the parents who experienced that loss. But the siblings of that child suffer more than the profound loss of their brother or sister--they might also lose their parents’ attention and focus to their parents’ grieving process. It is why Gunbarrel residents Kjerstin and Shaun Davies created Charlie’s Guys, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works diligently to remind bereaved siblings that they are loved and not forgotten. In August 2017...
Sitting around a campfire with a high-quality, cold craft beer can in one hand can be considered one of the great simple pleasures of living in Colorado. But not everybody enjoys beer, and glass bottled cocktail ingredients don’t really work on a backpacking trip. That’s where Slalom Fox jumps in. Crafted and canned in Longmont using fresh juices and premium liquors, this small company wants to fill a niche that has been left empty by overly sweet, malt-liquor based canned cocktails that are...
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Niwot High The Centennial State Ballet (CSB) will be presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream as its final performance in the season on April 27 and 28 at Niwot High School auditorium. The ballet, originally choreographed by George Balanchine to Felix Mendelssohn's music, originates from Shakespeare's play of the same name, wherein the audience follows the complex love story in the world of elves and fairies culminating in a wedding celebration. Featuring the impish Puc...
You’re locked in a room, and using only your wits and the wits of your companions, you’ve got to solve riddles, puzzles and clues in 60 minutes to escape. Welcome to the latest craze in fun—the escape room. A physical adventure game that can be set in one room or a series of rooms, escape rooms involve a series of theme-related puzzles and clues that participants must solve in an allotted amount of time in order to win. The locations are typically fictional settings such as dungeons, prison cells or insane asylums. For anyone that likes puzzl...
The month of April features the Pink Moon and the Lyrids meteor shower, but skywatchers need not always look up to enjoy the heavens, thanks to Jim Miller. Miller is an astrophotographer—a photographer of celestial and astronomical events and areas of the night sky—who lives in the mountains outside of Boulder. His lifelong fascination with the stars and the night sky is his inspiration for his work. His photos are the result of the long-exposure technique used in astrophotography, with exposure times varying from 10 to 30 hours. The pro...
Gunbarrel has become a happening place. Breweries, restaurants, coffee bars and vibrant housing communities have turned this once sleepy bedroom community into a real, live neighborhood. And now EATS @ Gunbarrel is getting ready to roll out its second season on Sunday, May 12. EATS is a local event that features a collection of gourmet food trucks and local musicians and bands that gather every Sunday afternoon from 3:30 - 7:30 pm until Sunday, Sept. 8. The site for EATS @ Gunbarrel is located b...
Renowned Colorado nature photographer John Fielder will be sharing work from his latest book, Colorado: Black on White, at the first annual Nature St. Vrain on Friday, April 12 in Longmont. Fielder, whose popular calendars and books showcase Colorado’s landscapes, will be giving a multimedia presentation featuring over 200 of his Colorado photographs, as well as sharing stories of life on the trail, photo tips and more. Nature St. Vrain, an environmental open house, was created to celebrate t...
Even though there is snow on the ground as I write, warmer weather is around the corner. While the longer days and climbing temperatures put a little more pep in almost everyone’s step, it is an especially exciting time for gardeners. It’s also crunch time. Time to clean up, keep starting those seeds indoors, water those dry lawns and mulch until the cows come home. First up is to check on those seedlings. Remember February’s gardening column, in which we planned out our planting and seedi...
If the mark of a neighborhood's growth is measured in pizza joints, then Gunbarrel can puff out its chest and brag away. First Proto's Pizza, then Domino's Pizza, and now there is Fringe Pizza, which opened its doors about a month ago. A concept restaurant from owner Nate Rajotte, Fringe is definitely different. The tiny pizzeria, located right next to Rush Bowls on Spine Road, is working in less than 400 square feet, but that's enough to house the remarkable pizza oven that is just one of the...
College is expensive. The average total cost of public colleges in the United States is $25,290 for in-state tuition; $40,940 for out-of-state tuition, and about $50,900 for private colleges. More than 19.9 million students are projected to attend American colleges and universities in the fall of 2019. That money has to come from somewhere. Fortunately, there are local scholarships designated for helping out students who need a boost to their college coffers. The Longmont Community Foundation...
Senate Bill 181 (SB181) is on track to become law, and the bill contains the most sweeping regulations of the Colorado oil and gas industry in decades, giving many who oppose oil and gas development, including fracking, cause for celebration. Other anti-fracking activists believe the bill is simply more of the same and doesn’t go far enough to reform decades-old legislation that impacts the health and safety of Coloradans. But what would SB181, as it stands now, mean to Boulder County r...
Two of the founding members of The Lookout Alliance (TLA), Leesah Patt and Amanda Janusz, officially severed ties with the organization they founded and organized after the group and its mission were co-opted by LOGIC (League of Oil and Gas Impacted Coloradans), according to a press release from the two women. When oil and gas interests placed the Heatherwood mineral rights’ owners in their sights in November 2018, Janusz and Patt organized the community, recruited volunteers, and sponsored a town hall meeting attended by nearly 200 r...
If you’ve have ash trees that have been marked for removal due to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine in Boulder County, you still have time to schedule treatment to keep your trees from being cut down. Boulder County removes ash trees that have been flagged with a blue “X” during the colder months between September and April. The cold-weather culling is to avoid spreading the infestation of the EAB, which is not in flight during that time. Trees can be treated by licensed contractors, and t...
This long, cold winter has many feeling cooped up. For people who exercise and train outdoors―which is a large portion of Boulder County’s population—the icy paths and sub-zero temperatures make keeping up a regular regimen challenging. But using the weather to change up movement habits and patterns could be the best thing for more productive and safe training for the rest of the year. Joe Gambles, an Australian transplant who lives in Niwot with his wife and toddler son, is a professional triat...
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) held an open house on Feb. 26 to share the upcoming trail repair and maintenance projects for 2019, and two of the intended projects will affect Niwot and Gunbarrel folks who utilize the Cottontail Trail and the White Rocks area. Addressing recurring erosion issues is the focus of the work on Cottontail Trail, which connects Gunbarrel to Niwot. OSMP will repair ¾ mile of the trail with drainage improvements, including culverts and ditches....
In this age, the majority of us are more connected to our smartphones than the rhythm of the seasons, and half of us wouldn’t know how to turn on a faucet without waving our hands in front of it. We are connected, but not to anything other than a device. It is, if you will, an age of disconnect. And that’s where the Laughing Coyote Project comes in. This school on an assuming chunk of land called Fire Willow Farm near the corner of 65th and Nelson in Longmont offers up the chance to build a ski...
A local anti-fracking group, born out of the Heatherwood neighborhood in Gunbarrel, is reaching out with a new name to join with the greater Gunbarrel and Niwot communities. Formerly known as Keep Heatherwood Frack-Free, the citizen group formed in rapid response to oil and gas companies’ interest in developing hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in and near the Heatherwood neighborhood in late 2018. Oil and gas companies approached the homeowners of Heatherwood en masse in November 2018 to inquire about purchasing mineral rights to drilling a...
Gardeners and lovers of the slow food movement are invited to an event that will help jump start their spring planting and offer the chance to meet with local farmers and food producers. Slow Food Boulder County and Mountain Fountain are hosting their 2nd annual Colorado Producers Open House & Seed Exchange on Thursday, March 21 at the Mountain Fountain Market in Hygiene. Seed exchanges are growing in popularity, due to both an increased interest in organic gardening and the increased awareness...
Chado—the 500 year old traditional tea ceremony that cultivates peace of mind and aesthetic appreciation of art and nature though the harmonious interaction between host and guest—is coming to Longmont. On Saturday, March 2, the Meditation Place in Longmont will be offering a rare glimpse into this precise and meaningful ceremony, along with a short meditation instruction. Guests will experience an authentic ceremony and learn about the aesthetic, social and spiritual components of this fas...
In 2013, former U.S. National Park Ranger Robert McIntosh was volunteering with the Mongolian Ecology Center (MEC) near the Russian-Mongolian border when something happened that set a mission in motion to change the world, one motorcycle at a time. McIntosh watched helplessly as the chief Mongolian park ranger hopped on his motorcycle to enforce protection of the parklands, only to have it break down. McIntosh’s frustration grew as he learned that breakdowns happened routinely. Mongolian park r...
The Boulder police department is seeking to form a partnership with the community that might help solve more crimes in less time. Residents and businesses that have security cameras — the number has increased considerably in the last three years due to affordability and ease of use — can sign up to be on a police department roster. When crime and vandalism occurs, the police spend valuable time canvassing surrounding neighbors and business to see if they have security cameras to help solve the crimes. The new partnership could speed up investig...
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is seeking community participation to help create a vision for restoring healthy grasslands while improving the visitor experience on the open space at Gunbarrel Hill northeast of Boulder, bordered by 75th and 95th streets, and Lookout Road and the White Rocks area. OSMP needs your help to understand community interests and values for the area. After a decades-long restoration effort of the area, OSMP now would like to gather information...
I’d like to take a quick poll among local gardeners. Last year, after spending hundreds of dollars on bedding plants, how many of you swore to yourselves that next year, you would take some time in late winter to begin sowing your own seeds indoors, so that you could not only save those dollars, but also feel the deep satisfaction that only comes from putting a wee seed in the dirt that will eventually grow into something you can eat or admire? Show of hands. Oh, that’s a lot. Hey, I’m not j...
The signs by the side of the road in Niwot that read “Psychic Fair” show up every few months or so. They may be dismissed or ignored by some, while others might be excited that it’s time once again for the Holistic and Intuitive Arts Fair presented by the Boulder Healing Arts Association (BHA). The fair, which has been held at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot since 2006 (except during Grange renovations, when it was at the bicycle shop across the street), features bodyworkers, intuitive reade...
Every teenager in every generation faces stress and strain, simply due to the very nature of the age. But teenagers today are dealing with higher levels of pressure, with more outside influences, than previous generations. All teens in the history of the world has had to shoulder stressors such as the physical and cognitive changes that some with puberty, conflicts with family and friends and being bullied or exposed to sexual violence or harassment. But average teenagers today also deal with overly crammed schedules; social media pressures...
Let’s face it. For some, Valentine’s Day is a thrill--what will my sweetheart buy me? What fantastic restaurant will we indulge at? For others, it’s a stressful minefield of procrastination, uncertainty about gift choices and inadequate feelings about available finances with which to buy said gifts. Those minefield veterans often walk through the door with last-minute mylar balloons, a sheepish smile, and are often met by a cold-shoulder welcoming committee. And for others, it’s just plain l...
Your kids may be more familiar with Lauren Riegler’s face than you are, unless you’re part of the rather large diving community living in our magnificent landlocked paradise. If you’re not, the Left Hand Valley Courier would like to introduce you to Niwot resident Lauren Riegler as this month’s Familiar Face. Riegler is the director of outreach for the Ocean First Institute(OFI), a Boulder-based non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation through research and education. She and her husband...
A pet adds a dimension of happiness to a household that is unique, as any pet owner knows. Many folks don’t realize that pets add more than play and snuggles to our lives. They benefit us in ways that far outweigh their care and cost. Studies show that pet ownership lowers blood pressure, fights off depression, lowers risk of heart attack, promotes longevity and speeds recovery from illness. Caring for a pet also teaches compassion and responsibility to kids, and encourages exercise, play and s...
Reporter’s note: I’ve been reporting for the Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) since July 2018, although as a Gunbarrel resident, I’ve been reading the paper for four years. Much of my life has been in small towns, so I have a fondness for small, independent papers—which, by the way, are a rapidly disappearing breed. When I began working with the LHVC team, I was struck by the founders’ fierce dedication to the integrity of the paper, but even more so by their dedication to the community...
Jessica Arment, the teacher-librarian at Heatherwood Elementary School, has been recognized for her dedication to learning. Arment is a recipient of the 2018-19 Impact on Education Award for Heatherwood Elementary. Arment, a 10-year teaching veteran who has been at Heatherwood Elementary for the past six years, was nominated for the direct impact her work has on the students, and for the leadership role she takes on with the rest of the staff. Her library is a safe and welcoming place for...
Fracking has been at the forefront of the news for several years, and we live in an area peppered with fracking equipment and the various accoutrements that accompany the controversial extraction method. Proposition 112 did not pass in the last election; had it passed, the distance that fracking operations would have to be from sites such as school, homes, and public spaces would have been 2,500 feet. State law currently allows wells to be 1,000 feet from high-occupancy buildings such as...
Gunbarrel Hill, the unassuming entrance to the Great Plains of America, is being stewarded into the second major phase of its decades’ long restoration. Boulder County Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is asking for the community’s help in realizing the vision of an area that is a healthy, balanced wildlife habitat and an enjoyable recreation space. The Gunbarrel Hill Open Space includes the area bordered west to east by 75th and 95th Streets, and north to south from Lookout Road to the Whi...
After over a decade-long absence, Domino’s Pizza is once again ringing doorbells in the Gunbarrel/Niwot area. The new Gunbarrel location opened up on Jan. 4, months after the original intended opening of October 2018. And while some folks are happy to see the new pizza offering, long-time residents might remember when Domino’s delivered in the area way back when. “There was actually a Domino’s here in Gunbarrel,” said manager Nick Keeler, who used to manage the Longmont Domino’s. “It was a g...
Two years ago, Virginia Dutkin had a simple idea based on a capstone project she was working on for her master’s degree in nonprofit management. The idea was based on something called a giving circle--a fast-growing form of philanthropy where individuals come together and pool their dollars, decide together where to give the money along with other resources such as volunteer time, and learn together about their community and philanthropy. As her children grew older, and needed less time and e...
