All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Since her college days, local seamstress and designer Allie Olson has loved to sew her own clothes. Her mother taught her the craft as a child, and it is something that has always stuck with her. "I've been working in the sewing world for 10 years," Olson said. "Sewing tends to be a very introverted hobby... I'm surprised by how social it is." After graduating from the University of Colorado, Olson and a small team opened a business that sold indie sewing patterns. "They're not like your grandma...
Boulder Valley's Impact on Education has been around for nearly 40 years, and the Crayons to Calculators program is one of their longest running programs. Since the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) and the St.Vrain Valley School District ( SVVSD) are so close, the St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation entered into a partnership and now the program is a joint effort. This is notable because, on average, families spend $75 on school supplies, according to the website. Their goal this...
Niwot residents will soon have another reason to come together and celebrate. This September, the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), through the efforts of Keith Waters and Gene Hayworth, will be launching its inaugural Niwot Jazz Festival. "There used to be a jazz festival and then it ended a couple years ago," said Hayworth. "My partner Keith [Waters] is a jazz piano player and he's always hoping to find venues... We thought, 'Why not bring [the festival] back?'" Hayworth explained that...
If you're looking for a quick easy read, this book isn't exactly it. It's certainly quick and thriller-like, but it's so emotional, it's not quite that easy to read. Regardless, I'm very excited to bring to you my thoughts on Kim Triedman's novel, "The Other Room". This book has drama, it has love, it has pain, it's a solid read. Largely focusing on Claudia and her husband Josef, this novel follows them in the ongoing aftermath of their one-year old daughter Lily's death. Even after three...
For Carissa Mina and Jerilyn Patterson, books are magical. "They're worlds within pages, full of possibilities." This belief inspired the duo to become the proud co-owners of The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop. The name of the shop is inspired by the picture book Mina and Patterson are creating. After five years of considering the idea and a year of social distancing, the two women finally started to set their plan in motion. Mina and Patterson met years ago as volunteers with the Society of...
In the mid-1980s, a group of local farmers dreamed of having a market, and the Boulder County Farmers Markets (BCFM) non-profit was born. These markets have expanded in the past few decades--what began as trucks unloading produce onto a few tables has expanded into markets across the county, showcasing more than 150 vendors. However, the market does not just provide an opportunity to support local business, something that residents enjoy. "I love the fact that you can get out here and support...
The year 2019 saw the end of Boulder's iconic Dancing Under the Stars after 35 years of offering free summer dancing nights in the middle of town. That same year Catherine McHale, a member of the local dancing community herself, decided that it shouldn't completely disappear, it should just move to Niwot. "I saw a Facebook post of the original organizers who said they had to cancel it... They hadn't managed to get an agreement with the city," she explained. "So I approached Cottonwood Square...
When the pandemic hit last year, the City of Boulder had to scramble to reallocate funds and resources. The Boulder Library was one such institution subject to a budget cut; people lost their jobs and services were cut. Meanwhile, in neighboring communities with library districts, rather than libraries maintained by the municipality, those libraries were able to bounce back. According to those in favor of a library district, COVID has only further emphasized the need for one. On May 18, Boulder...
The Courier is partnering with Inkberry Books again, and I've got quite the story for you. The minute I realized that Carrie Jane Knowles was the author (she wrote another excellent book that I reviewed, The Inevitable Past), I was instantly excited to read A Musical Affair It's excellent, engaging, exciting and definitely a page turner. Unless you just despise classical music or infidelities aren't particularly triggering to you, you're almost assured to like this book. The book largely...
If a high school student were to look up the average cost of a four-year college in Colorado, they'd likely find a figure around $8,364 per year for tuition and fees, which works out to just more than $33,000 per year. This figure doesn't include mandatory fees, housing or other estimated costs of post-secondary education. This can be daunting for many students, and especially those who would be first-generation higher education applicants, which often includes a higher percentage of students...
Cathy Carter is passionate about math. She also has a passion for empowering both students and teachers, especially when it comes to understanding it. "Everyone thinks about math slightly differently," she explained. "Part of my goal is to help students realize their ideas are amazing." Math is often seen as something practical; with right and wrong answers; with right and wrong paths to get to those answers. Because of this mentality, students are often discouraged and feel insecure about...
Last week, the Board of County Commissioners announced that there would be a special presentation from the Department of Community Planning and Permitting (CPP). The focus of this meeting was to discuss racial inequities associated with housing, transportation, employment and more. The meeting, which was scheduled for Thursday, April 23, started promptly at 10 a.m. and was attended by all three commissioners and a number of representatives from CPP. Previously, the department had given a more...
Saturday, April 24 marked the first of five concerts hosted by The Old Oak Coffeehouse on 2nd Avenue in Niwot. According to its website the event is, in part, to celebrate that "the pandemic is beginning to show signs of ending and there is Light at the End of the Tunnel." While Old Oak hosts a few events with different musical acts, this concert showcases the House Blend Band, made up of owners Michael Tomich, Patty Machen and Paris Tomich, as well as friends John Lawrence and Andrew Bunin....
Even when Niwot sophomore Audrey Asbury was a child, she loved music and would run around the house singing. At age five, her mother signed her up for a theater summer camp and she's been performing ever since. "Theater is one of the most important aspects of my life, it doesn't only bring me joy, but the arts allow me to bring joy to the people around me," she said. Asbury's come a long way from that summer camp years ago. Now, she's involved in Niwot's theater, has participated at Thescon and...
Niwot senior Maya Beauvineau has a strong connection to the outdoors. From maintaining her chicken coop to participating with Nederland's Nordic Ski Team to being one of the leaders for Niwot High's Environmental Club, much of her time is spent outside. When it came time to consider how she might marry creativity to action and service, it was an easy decision for her--she'd go outside, then she only had to figure out where to go from there. "I initially was planning on doing a food rescue...
This week, we've partnered with Inkberry Books to bring you a review of Carol Samson's short story collection called "Goose Summer." As with poetry collections, it's a little tricky to assess collections of short stories. Critiquing the plot, the pacing or the character development doesn't entirely work, because each story is unique--it's short, the author doesn't have chapters and chapters to develop the story. So, while there may be overarching themes, or references to characters from other...
Niwot students in the IB program are expected to spend 18 months on their CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) projects. That may seem daunting to future students, but according to senior Hannah Ferrero, "Some of the most challenging experiences can lead to the most satisfying feeling." She and her partner, fellow senior Eleanor Born, teamed up to work on CAS together and were very excited about the finished project. "When brainstorming for my CAS project, NOLS came to mind right away," said Born...
Niwot senior MacKenzie Demmel seems pleased to have participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and her advice to those considering the program is to just try it. "I know that IB might seem daunting, but it really is the best path you can choose," she said. "It forces you to have a very involved and active high school experience, and you'll be surprised by how much you can accomplish when you have things like CAS [creativity, action, service] to push you." CAS adds a unique...
The Colorado State Legislature passed HB 19-1261 in 2019 to confront the global climate crisis. A year later, the governor's energy Office drafted a roadmap for how to confront greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but this roadmap has been criticized by a number of environmental organizations. Since the release of the roadmap, 60 organizations came together to send a joint letter to the Polis administration. On Thursday, March 18 Maya Beauvineau, president of Niwot High School's Environmental Club,...
Niwot senior Grable Howie is passionate about music. His advice to music students: "Take risks, never back down from a challenge, and surround yourself with people who will push you and help you become better. Always believe in yourself, and never let any amount of criticism stop you. If you want to become a musician, put in the work, and never quit." Howie certainly hasn't quit, and it's possible that his incredible drive was inspired by his parents, who are musicians as well. He's done...
As an already-established volunteer at Longmont United Hospital, when it came time to think about CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) projects to fulfill International Baccalaureate requirements, Niwot Senior Meriem Krarti already knew what to do. "I like helping people and I knew the volunteer coordinator at the Longmont United Hospital," explained Krarti. The service element of CAS was in the bag for her, and to a lesser extent, so was creativity--Krarti has always been interested in creative...
The International Baccalaureate (IB) program was created in 1968 as part of an effort of "creating a better world through education." Nearly 30 years later in 2001, Niwot High School was authorized to become an IB school and offer students the opportunity to participate in this academically rigorous program. But IB isn't just about difficult classes and stressful tests. To complete the program, the students must complete an extended essay, a course called "theory of knowledge" and a CAS...
With the move down to the yellow zone, many businesses and organizations have been able to open up, in spite of COVID. But one that is still struggling to open are the libraries throughout Boulder County. Those institutions--in Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette and Boulder--are all municipal libraries, which are funded by city budgets. Unlike the library districts in the surrounding areas of Fort Collins, Weld County, and Broomfield, many libraries in Boulder County remain closed for in person...
On Dec. 10 last year, the Boulder County Commissioners approved updated Land Use Code regulations that relate to oil and gas production. These regulations were made effective as of Dec. 15, so now the oil and gas industry will be held to higher standards since the lifting of the moratorium on Dec. 31. "These regulations are quite stringent," said Jasmine Rodenburg, senior planner in the Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting Department. "This is emblematic in the detail of materials...
Have you ever wondered what life was like in Longmont when settlers first came 150 years ago? If your answer was yes, then look no further--former Courier reporter Amy Scanes-Wolfe has turned her writing talents toward historical fiction and released the first of her "They Came to Stay" series in February. "I've always loved writing," said Scanes-Wolfe. "I got away from it when I got into farming, but I really wanted to tell this story [of Longmont]." Scanes-Wolfe grew up in Longmont and said...
I always enjoy partnering with Inkberry Books because I've received great recommendations with such interesting titles. This week, I had the pleasure to review Bruce McDougall's novel, The Lizards of Palm Beach. This is a tale about two brothers, a gold-digging teen, a flamboyant art dealer, a Jeffrey Epstein-like art collector, and other people (mainly rich) who live in the Palm Beach area. Let me tell you--it's a doozy. There's obviously art, a discussion and critique about both the search...
The addition of the "purple" on the COVID dial last November made the six color levels more like stepping stones between safety level precautions, rather than jumps. With the recent downgrade to level yellow (concern), businesses in Niwot appear to be largely the same. The most notable difference is restaurants are allowed to have indoor dining. "It's [COVID restrictions] definitely taken a toll," said a WiNot Coffee employee. " I think that since the restrictions have been lowered, and having...
The weather outside was frightful, but businesses along Niwot's 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square went out of their way to make this Valentine's Day delightful for visitors, with special treats and decor. That included Old Oak Cofee House, which made Valentine's-themed cookie bags for patrons. Sweetening the pot was the NBA's Love Niwot Walk, a month-long passport shopping event that rewards shoppers with a complimentary love-themed gift. See additional photos here....
In January 2020, East Side Art Institute board members Nancy Utterback and Kathy Griffin painted a vision of a communal workshop for artists. They described how they were working on pitching the idea to the Boulder County Commissioners and were hopeful for approval. They were approved, but then COVID hit, drastically overthrowing their plans. "We were gearing up to do fundraising events and giving lots of classes," explained Utterback. Unfortunately, they had to stop those plans with the new...
Many students initially enroll in forensics (speech and debate) to overcome their fear of public speaking, to improve those skills or even to simply fulfill an extracurricular requirement. But for some students, forensics quickly becomes a passion. Last weekend, students were able to compete at the state level and had to bring their A-game. "It's very exciting to attend larger tournaments, because the competition is usually more intense and you get to see a variety of different competitors and...
When COVID first appeared on the public radar last year, there was a lot of inconsistent information around masks, social distancing, what you could do and what you shouldn't. Confusion caused by inconsistent government orders and signs continues to be a problem, and has led to hostile encounters on public trails in and around Niwot and Gunbarrel. "One of the things we noticed at the very beginning was we wanted to make sure people knew that going outside for a walk, taking a hike, was...
In 1925, the National Speech and Debate Association (formerly the National Forensic League) was created to "provide recognition and support for students participating in speech and debate activities." Since then, students across the nation, and even the world, have participated in debates, given speeches and performed theatrical pieces. Like most aspects of life in the post-COVID world, speech and debate has been subject to safety and social distancing guidelines. Before COVID, competitions...
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is typically defined by its accelerated and demanding academic level. But as it touts itself as a "world school," part of the curriculum extends beyond the classroom and asks students to consider community, action and service (CAS) and create a project that brings these aspects together. IB juniors Sydney Rothstein and Mercer Stauch came together on their project, which has become the school's new student newspaper: The Green and Black. "We have a...
In 1997, the Southwest Acupuncture College was founded in Boulder, its mission is to educate and license students in acupuncture and Chinese medicine so as to provide affordable services to the local community. But in mid-March of last year, COVID forced the Gunbarrel college to close its doors for in person classes. "Rather than go from zero to 100 mph in one week with a full return to campus, our didactic, practical and clinical coursework would be rolled out slowly," explained Nate Mohler,...
Across social media sites, pictures of smiling people and a variation of the caption "new year, new me," abound. But this new year celebration was unlike those of years past-there weren't big parties or big crowds, instead, most celebrations were more low key. Despite the change in how we celebrate the new year, people are still promising themselves a better future. Sometimes that's by resolving to be healthier, happier or maybe even just more self-aware. As Joanne Neville with the Southwest...
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recently announced that businesses and communities can now apply for a COVID certification program that allows certain areas of the community to open up to a less-restrictive level. The 5 Star Certification Program is voluntary, and it is up to each county to determine whether or not to implement it. According to the program's site, it is "set up at the county level through an administrative committee... It encourages businesses to impleme...
For over a decade, the Niwot Tavern has hosted a free Christmas dinner for those in need. This year, owners Tara Kpogoh-Narh and Stacy Szydlek have continued the tradition, but they've had to adapt. "[Former owner] Bob [Russell], it was kind of his thing and he passed away," said co-owner Stacy Szydlek. "We continued it on for him." In previous years, there have been multiple seating opportunities for people wanting to partake in the dinner--senior citizens were bussed in for one seating, other...
In 1928, Earl Blank, a Wyoming teacher, suggested that his school celebrate the achievements of high school theater students. One year and many meetings later, the first charter was granted to Mr. Blank's school and the National Thespians (later to be renamed International Thespian Society) were created. Membership grew quickly, and 91 years later, there have been 2.3 million thespians inducted, with programs in 5,000 schools, and charters in every state, plus 13 countries. Next June, five...
American fiction writer Lorrie Moore said, "A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film." While Niwot resident Gabriel Merithew's ultimate goal is to write and direct a feature film, this past November he said, "I decided to put aside the novel I'm writing so that eventually, I would be able to do it justice. I had reconnected with a good friend Emma Schaefer [who did a 30-day songwriting challenge] and I was very quick to use that to...
On Wednesday, Dec. 16 the St. Vrain Valley School District Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss the return to school in 2021 and on Friday, Dec. 18, sent out an email to all parents, including a roadmap to in-person learning. Don Haddad, the superintendent of SVVSD, along with the counsel of many others, has created a plan to get students back in-person and ready to learn. In short, the plan is to have elementary students to be fully in-person starting Wednesday, Jan. 6, but...
It almost seems that since COVID shook the nation in March, it has been an easy scapegoat for many shortcomings. Even if it's not the complete reason for some sort of decline, it does appear to be a contributing factor in many cases, and 2020 school enrollment is no different. Last Wednesday, the St. Vrain Valley School District board of education started the meeting with the enrollment report. Scott Toillion, the district's planning director, emphasized that all districts across the state have...
Last Thursday, the Boulder County Commissioners held another meeting to discuss Article 12 of the Land Use Code, which essentially updates regulations related to oil and gas development. No additional public testimony was taken as it had been allowed at previous meetings throughout the year. Many of these previous meetings were attended by Niwot High’s own Environmental Club, and the group was even mentioned by Commissioner Elise Jones later in the meeting. “We hear you,” Jones said. “Many of you [not just the NHS environmental club, but ind...
You've probably heard of "no-shave November," which raises awareness for cancer research, but have you heard of "new-song November"? Instead of a charitable campaign, it's a creative one in which singer-songwriters challenge themselves to write a new song every day of the month. Niwot resident Emma Schaefer, who graduated in 2018 from Shining Mountain Waldorf, was one participant this year, after seeing posts about it online for the past few years. "I learned about this challenge from Lily...
In 2017, Crestone Peak Resources, a Denver-based producer of oil and natural gas, requested permits from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) for three large drilling sites in Boulder County along Highway 52. However, the Bounder County Commissioners have held the Crestone Peak applications due to an update to permitting requirements (Senate Bill 19-181). At the county level, Crestone has not submitted any applications. "It surprised me how little people in the community...
In 1975, the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation was created as a way to support a nonprofit hospital in West Denver. Since then, it has been renamed the "Community First Foundation" (CFF) and has sought to create change beyond just the Denver Metro. Then, CFF became involved with ColoradoGives.org, an online tool that is a way to connect with and support nearly 3,000 nonprofits around the state. In 2010, CFF and ColoradoGives.org kicked off Colorado Gives Day, which has garnered $355 million in...
If someone were to start belting out "Jingle Bells" in the middle of June, it's a safe bet that someone else would yell something along the lines of, "Stop that, it's not Christmas yet!" Similarly, there have been numerous posts on social media where people have put up their trees in early to mid-November with the caption, "Is it too early?" But with COVID ravaging the world for the past nine months and people being cooped up inside, time has seemed a bit stranger this year. People have been...
On Friday, Nov. 6, Boulder County was moved to Level Orange, High Risk category. Barely two weeks later, Governor Jared Polis added a new color to the COVID dial and Boulder County was bumped up to Level Red, Severe Risk, which was redefined as somewhere between Level Orange and the new Extreme Risk-Stay at Home shut-down, known as Level Purple. "The numbers have been going up, so I can't say that I was super surprised," said Pastor Emily Kintzel of Niwot United Methodist Church. Perhaps the...
On Nov. 4, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) moved Boulder to level Orange, "Safer at Home - High Risk." Since the announcement, various organizations, including school districts, have been scrambling to react. Boulder Valley School District announced that all students will be remote as of Nov. 17, as has the University of Colorado Boulder. However, while St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Don Haddad said that switching to remote learning is a...
This year, 3,207,983 votes were cast across Colorado, resulting in a voter turnout rate of 84.83%. Boulder County's rate was comparable at 84.81%, with 230,721 votes cast. Traditionally seen as a more liberal part of the state, the Boulder County results tend to lean blue this election cycle. The average turnout across the sixteen precincts that make up the Courier's readership was 90.74%, higher than both the county and state rates. Of those sixteen precincts, the lowest turnout was 80.87% and...
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, all fighting as a result of World War I officially ended with the signing of an armistice with Germany. Since then, it has been a day around the world to remember those events and those who served. In 1954, various veterans' organizations within the United States banded together to have Armistice Day be renamed to Veterans Day. While Memorial Day honors those who died while in the military service.Veterans Day celebrates all who have...
