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All Local, All The Time
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For the last eight years, the Niwot United Methodist Church has been participating in a unique method of outreach - micro loans. The loans go through a nonprofit company called Kiva, formed in 2005, which operates through a network of donors/lenders who help individuals and groups with specific needs. Dennis Knowlden, along with his wife Minetta, are co-chairs of the church's outreach committee. Knowlden said that the church just surpassed giving over $12,000 to various people over the course...
A virtual town hall was held in late July regarding a concept proposal for a 268-unit development on Gunbarrel land currently zoned as light industrial. The 9.8-acre parcel in question is located just to the west of Spine Road and east of Celestial Seasonings - the owner of the property - and south of Sleepytime Road, up to the current single-family housing development there. Gunbarrel residents recognize this area as open space that the tea company designated as a prairie dog preserve in 1999,...
On July 30, officials with the Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting department held a town hall meeting to discuss proposed changes to short-term rentals, with the goal to clearly define and regulate these units for unincorporated parts of the county. The meeting was conducted mostly by Assistant County Attorney Jasmine Rodenburg, who discussed the current regulations, proposed changes and reasons behind them, followed by small group online meetings. As it stands now, short-term rentals are defined as being rented for less than 30...
A new group has formed in Gunbarrel to go along with the decades-long conflicts between the City of Boulder and the inhabitants of the unincorporated areas to the north of the city itself. The Gunbarrel Community Alliance (GCA) started the process to become a non-profit organization earlier this year after some homeowners received a flyer notifying them about a proposed development on land that they believed was designated to be open space and a preserve for prairie dogs in 1999. The concept proposal, which at this point is only out for public...
The Niwot United Methodist Church welcomed a new pastor earlier this month in Rev. Emily Kintzel, a Colorado native and experienced clergy member. She replaces Rev. Walter "Skip" Strickland, who came out of retirement to serve as interim pastor for the last year. Prior to coming to Niwot, Kintzel was the pastor at the Lyons Community Church for several years. She has also served as a pastor in Evans, Colo., and spent 11 years as a youth director in Longmont before taking the position at NUMC....
Two Niwot High School students made their voices heard in an international competition with their performance of "I Am The One (reprise)." Soon-to-be NHS seniors Jazz Mueller and Grable Howie moved from the state level and beyond before the pandemic changed the way competitions were being held. "It kind of ended up evening the playing field," Howie said. "For us, it didn't matter what was happening. We were going to take every opportunity we had. When we got invited to submit a video for it, we...
Q: Please tell our readers a bit about yourself. A. I am a 34-year resident of Boulder, with 33 of those years spent in House District 10. I worked as a software engineer here for more than thirty years, serving in roles as varied as individual contributor, senior director and program manager. While at Xilinx Inc., where I spent my last 20 years before eventually retiring, I was co-author on two patents. My wife Jane and I were drawn to Colorado for its outdoor beauty, spending our free time cyc...
Q: Please tell the readers a bit about yourself. A: I grew up in a Navy family where my dad served our country for 30 years. Growing up in a military family I learned that service to others is my calling. I have been a veterinarian for 36 years, caring for people and their animals in our community. I owned my own veterinary hospital and for over 16 years helped it grow to a thriving business with over 24 employees.Throughout my profession I have been solving problems with compassion and plan to...
Q: Please tell the readers a bit about yourself. A: I am running for the state assembly because, as an engineer, the decisions being made by the governor and other officials did not make factual sense to me. I am not running to make politics my career. I am doing this to serve my district and state with the experience and knowledge I’ve acquired doing business globally over the last 3-plus decades. I am an electrical engineer by profession that works in the telecommunications industry. Most of my career was spent delivering broadband s...
The Boulder County Land Use department is accepting public comment on a requested land use variance for a restroom to be built on N. 83rd Street. The variance would allow for permanent restrooms to be built 71 feet from the roadway, while the current setback is 90 feet. The restrooms are part of LoBo trail improvements and an expanded parking lot at Left Hand Valley Grange Park in Niwot. Jennifer Severson with the Boulder County Planning Department said that while the location is owned by Parks and Open Space, the variance request will...
Managing Editor’s Note: When the Left Hand Valley Courier partnered with a Kansas newspaper almost four years ago to take the newspaper from a monthly to a weekly publication, we had the great good fortune to work with Jesse Murphy, who helped guide us in that process and eventually became our editor. Although he lived in Kansas, Jesse brought a valuable perspective and years of journalistic excellence to the Courier. He mentored writers, traveled to Colorado to get to know the community, and wrote many outstanding articles for us. When our p...
For the last seven years, Cultural Care Au Pair has partnered with the Boulder Rural Fire Protection District for fire safety training for au pairs working in the U.S. that is required by the state. In the late spring/early summer, to return the favor, local au pairs, who are young adults from other countries with childcare experience and a good command of the English language, gather to cook an international potluck dinner for the firefighters. Each au pair makes a dish that represents the au... Full story
Father’s Day has always been an odd holiday for me. I say this because when you get down to brass tacks, if you’re a father who is present in your children’s lives, every single day is Father’s Day. My son turned 11 this year, and my daughter is now eight. They are — hands down — the best thing that has ever happened to me and truly what made me a man. I suppose I wouldn’t realize what I was missing if I never had it in the first place, but the thought of that void breaks my heart. As a relative...
The Niwot United Methodist Church has been looking for ways to utilize some of their land on Lookout Road and Mt. Evans Place in Gunbarrel, and Habitat for Humanity homes have been considered. A meeting was held in late May to discuss the proposition with neighbors and members of the church. Some concerns raised during the meeting included impact on water and sewer services and local schools, construction time-line, lot sizes and potential for loss of the view. Dave Emerson with Habitat said that the process began as a way for the church to... Full story
Linda Johnson began her duties as postmaster in Niwot on May 14. Johnson has been working for the United States Postal Service since 1992, mostly as a carrier supervisor. She started her career in Denver before moving to Aurora, then to Boulder and back to Aurora. She was previously postmaster in Hudson before coming to Niwot. “I like the people here, they’re really nice,” Johnson said. “I came from a bigger office, Boulder main. This is down to two people, so it’s more personable. I’m just...
Last week the Colorado Lottery announced winners of the 2018 Starburst Awards, which recognize public projects that use lottery funds, and the Niwot Children’s Park was one of 11 winners chosen statewide. The lottery funds — in the amount of $140,000 — came out to be about 70 percent of the purchase price of the property the park sits on at 101 First Avenue in Niwot, with Jeff and Cynthia Lambert and funds from the Niwot community providing the balance. Another $20,700 of services were donat...
Girl Scout Troop 3010 recently completed a drive that grew bigger than expected for its Bronze Award project. Troop Leader Julie Dye of Gunbarrel said that the award is for scouts at the Junior Level, and that students at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation have always been on their radar for a future project. “The Troop has been fascinated by building this year, with robotics and tinkering and designing,” Dye said. “The project we came up with for their bronze award was to create tinke...
A public meeting was held at the Left Hand Grange last week to discuss an upcoming project in the Morton Heights neighborhood of Niwot. The project will update and improve sidewalks around Niwot Elementary School, specifically on Morton Road, Walker Avenue and Marathon Road. Dave Webster with the Boulder County Transportation Department led the meeting, which was attended by over 20 people. The project somewhat started with the asphalt bicycle and pedestrian track that was laid on Morton Road la...
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade at Rocky Mountain Christian Academy (RMCA) had a special guest during their book fair last week. Children’s author Julie Danneberg of Boulder, came to speak to the students and their teachers, and conducted a reading of her book, “John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall,” followed by a meet-and-greet signing. “John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall” is a fictional tale about the famous naturist and founder of the Sierra Club going behind the Yosemite Falls, and the wonderful things he sees. Sarah Overturf, librarian...
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national organization, and two students from Niwot High School will be representing the state of Colorado at the national competition this summer. Juniors Ayesha Hayat and Hannahy Chacon Gonzalez are heading out with one other representative from Colorado thanks to their project on diversity at Niwot Elementary School. Their project was called “Focus on Children,” and included educating the NES students about four different cultures including coloring pages with themes related to the...
The Niwot Rotary Club will be having its eighth-annual Wine, Cheese and Chocolate tasting on May 4 at the Longmont Museum on Quail Road. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction to accompany the refreshments. Rotarian Chris Wiorek said that the event is slated to help both Colorado Friendship and the Longmont Meals on Wheels program this year. “It’s called Wine, Cheese and Chocolate tasting and that’s exactly what we do,” Wiorek said. “This year we have 10 different wines from aro... Full story
The Niwot High School Education Foundation will be holding an online auction this week with benefits set to go to a great cause — the students. With more than 100 items on the list ranging from gift certificates to many area restaurants, to financial plans from the likes of Maryann Ruck at Integrated Wealth Strategies, to free consultations from attorneys at Warren, Carlson & Moore, to entries to the Bolder Boulder race, to coupons for senior portrait packages, the auction has something for just about everyone. Paula Hemenway, a board member o... Full story
When Sunset Middle School eighth-grader Sadie Connolly had a service project coming up, she knew exactly what she wanted to do, but wasn’t quite sure how well it would work. She found the inspiration in the family dog, Bear, a white German shepherd mix that was adopted from Lightshine Canine Rescue. The shelter helps pets that have been rescued from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and Bear happened to be at a foster home in Erie. “We got our dog a little over a year ago... Full story
Residents in unincorporated Boulder County — specifically in the Niwot and Gunbarrel area — have been reporting a string of car thefts and break-ins recently. According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department, there have been 10 motor vehicle thefts and eight criminal trespasses in the vicinity of Niwot and Gunbarrel over the last month. Carrie Haverfield, public information specialist for BCSO, said that this is an uptick in the average number of similar cases they would expect to see. “I don’t know that I would say it’s abnormal, w... Full story
The Niwot United Methodist Church will be hosting the 22nd annual Soup, Soup and More community dinner and fundraiser event from 4 to 7 p.m. on April 21. Proceeds this year will not only help the Our Center of Longmont, but will help the church’s choir travel to New York later this year to perform at Carnegie Hall. “We’re going to split the proceeds between the two this year,” Janet Gates, one of the event’s organizers, said. “The choir has been invited to perform in November, so we’ll use s...
Dr. Patrick Kalenzi took over Niwot Veterinary Clinic late last month following the retirement of Dr. Doug Courtley. Courtley had spent the last 32 years running the clinic, finishing off his total of 48 years as a veterinarian. “I’ve enjoyed practice, it’s gone by quickly,” Courtley said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, but it was time to hang up the stethoscope.” Courtley is joining his wife Sandy in retirement, planning to spend time with their children and grandchildren... Full story
Several Gunbarrel-area churches will be teaming up this coming summer to host a series of meetings about The Conversation Project. The Conversation Project started about six years ago on the East Coast and spread quickly, forming in Boulder County just a year later. The idea behind the project is to have open and honest talks with family about end-of-life care. Constance Holden, director of The Conversation Project in Boulder County, said that the goal is to focus on three things; the first is for the individual to examine how they see their...
The Centennial State Ballet will be presenting The Sleeping Beauty at Niwot High School on April 21 and 22. This marks the 20th season for the ballet, so it’s going to be a big one. For the first time in those 20 years, the production of The Sleeping Beauty will be the entire show. “We’ve done pieces of The Sleeping Beauty in the past, but the full production is a prologue plus three acts and two intermissions,” Lawrence said. “So the full piece is extensive, so we hadn’t taken it on previously....
Marshall Lipps, environmental health specialist for Boulder County, wants residents to know that they will soon start seeing mosquito traps and fogger trucks around the county. With nicer weather approaching, the county will be making the annual effort to curb the pesky insects. “Our focus is to try and target the larval (aquatic) stage of the mosquito before there are adult mosquitoes flying around and biting people,” Lipps said. “That’s 90 percent what we’re doing out there. We do set traps and monitor the adult population and do testing for...
The Boulder County Commissioners picked several new members for the Niwot Local Improvement District last week. Current Co-Chair Laura Skaggs was re-appointed as the Niwot Community Association representative for her second five-year term. Anne Postle was nominated by the Niwot Business Association to replace term-limited Tony Santelli, and the commissioners confirmed her as the Niwot Business Association representative for a five-year term. Postle is an architect and owner of Osmosis Art & Architecture in Niwot, and is also a resident of... Full story
Longmont’s Meals on Wheels program is now serving Niwot residents all week long. Karla Hale, executive director at the Longmont Senior Center, said that during her previous 16 years at the center, Niwot has only been served on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule. “Mainly what it is really about is having enough volunteers to add on those extra days,” Hale said. “When we add on an extra route, we’re talking so many more volunteers needed every day and substitute drivers for those routes too.” The... Full story
Those heading south of Niwot on 79th Street have noticed a big banner sign that reads “Bob NEEDS A KIDNEY”, along with a website and a phone number. Calling that number will lead you straight to Niwot resident Bob Keesy, and he is, in fact, in need of a kidney. Keesy’s kidney troubles began in the late 1990’s. A medication he had been taking for 15 years, along with an incident of severe dehydration and pneumonia, did irreversible damage to his kidneys. Despite having no family history of kidn...
Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle announced last week that the county has suspended the subdivision paving incentive fund. The reason, he said, is due to issues with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Specifically the timeliness, frequency and amounts of reimbursements the county will receive as a result of the 2013 flood. “Until we have a better handle on how we’ll be reimbursed we want to make sure we’re not over-committing the county budget,” Gerstle said. “We’re trying to be conservative and make sure we’re not g...
In a case that began last year, Gunbarrel resident Kristin Bjornsen is now taking her lawsuit against Boulder County to the Colorado Court of Appeals. Bjornsen’s suit alleges that the Boulder County Commissioners have violated the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and the Colorado Open Meetings Law (COML). The issue stems from documents concerning the Twin Lakes area and the county’s use of open space. After many petitions and not getting the information she wanted from the county, Bjornsen filed suit when the documents she requested came in... Full story
Upgrades to local trails are a few steps closer to being ready for the upcoming warmer weather. Brent Wheeler, with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, said that the key component of the whole project is the Left Hand Valley Grange trailhead, which has been redesigned and rebuilt. The original parking lot was built to accommodate a small picnic area and playground, as well as the ball field, which is leased by Niwot Youth Sports. “This is to provide more capacity for parking for both Niwot Youth Sports and our trail visitors,” Wheeler said. “S...
A lawsuit filed against the Boulder County Board of Commissioners and the Boulder County Housing Authority by 10 Gunbarrel property owners will now go to the Colorado Court of Appeals. The suit concerns a 1993 ballot measure that created the Gunbarrel Public Improvement District (GPID), and a statement by county officials that they would match “up to” $1.9 million towards the purchase of open space. To date, the county has only matched $1.3 million, leading to the contention by the plaintiffs that the county still has roughly $600,000 to be...
Charges have been filed against two juveniles following a Feb. 16 “Safe 2 Tell” report at Niwot High School. Last month, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report, but the school has been unable to report the incident to district patrons due to the investigation. Now that charges have been filed, the two students were arrested on Friday, March 16. Since they are both 16, names have not been released. “Safe 2 Tell” is an anonymous method for students to report suspicious behavior or knowledge of threats made by other students o... Full story
Boulder Rural Fire Rescue Chief Bruce Mygatt retired earlier this year after 46 years with the department. Mygatt said that he’s most proud of where Boulder Rural is now compared to when he started as a volunteer in 1972. He went on to become the full-time chief when Boulder Rural became an official district. “I think it’s the position and status that the department is in today,” Mygatt said. “I think we all worked as a team in making efforts to improve on what we had each step of the way.” Throughout his career he was active in the Colorad...
Four Niwot neighbors and friends, Tina Eden, Patti Hoge, Liana Street and Dawn Server are hosting a pot luck dinner this weekend at The Left Hand Grange. The dinner is March 18 from 4:30 to 6:30. Bring a dish to share and place settings; beverages will be provided. The purpose of the pot luck is to educate people about pollinators — specifically why populations are declining and ways humans can help. “The reason for the pot luck is to have a pollinator safe neighborhood,” Eden said. “It’s informative to let people know that there have been... Full story
The neighborhood around 304 Franklin Street in Niwot recently received a referral packet regarding the Left Hand Animal Hospital’s proposed move to that location. Hospital co-owners Nancy Bureau and Katie Thomas are in the process of purchasing the property, which is the current home of the Neighborhood Learning Center of Niwot. The packet is part of a special use application process to the Boulder County Land Use department, along with maps and the proposal submitted by Bureau and Thomas. The proposal highlights the criteria required by the c...
Dave Beebe got the news last month that he would officially be named Chief at Mountain View Fire and Rescue after 13 months serving as interim chief. “I essentially had a year-long job interview,” Beebe said. “I think the organization has been successful moving forward in that period. The Board of Directors had a track record to review, as well as the assessment process. I think those probably contributed to where I’m at now.” Beebe said that along with being chief of 84 firefighters, the district is up for re-accreditation this year, som...
The Boulder County Transportation Department announced the next round of closings for the 95th Street intersection improvement project. Beginning at 8 a.m. on March 12, the following closures will be in effect: - 95th Street will be closed from north of Valmont Road to just south of Isabelle Road. - Isabelle Road will be closed west of US 287. - Valmont Road will be closed at 75th Street. - Access to the Teller Farm trailhead will be maintained on Valmont, please approach from 75th Street. The work being done includes completing the drainage,...
Powder Keg Brewing Company, located at 101 Second Ave. in Niwot, will be closing its doors for good this weekend after almost four years of operation. The company announced via social media late last week that effective March 10, they will be done. Their post read as follows: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Powder Keg Brewing Company, effective Saturday, March 10, 2018. Powder Keg fought long battles with rent costs that outpaced sales growth, on-premise sales that d...
Boulder County District Judge Nancy Salomone recently granted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit from the Twin Lakes Action Group against Boulder County regarding the purchase of open space as part of the Gunbarrel Public Improvement District (PID) that was approved by voters in 1994. The taxed amount over 11 years (the PID ended in 2005) came to a total of just over $2.3 million, and the county had pledged to match up to $1.9 million, according to the lawsuit. To date, the county is still $594,366 short of the amount promised, which is what...
For over a year, Bruce Swinehart has been the Priest in Charge at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Gunbarrel. In that time, the church has been working to grow the congregation, and it’s paying off. “The first order of business was to bring stability,” Swinehart said. “It was important to build relationships with lots of people to get a feel for the history and character of the place, what we want to bring back. “Another thing is to elevate the presence of families with children. We took a...
The Mountain View Fire Protection District is entering the final stages of selecting the next fire chief. The board has narrowed the field of 17 candidates down to three, Dave Beebe, Shelby Willis and David Mann. Beebe has been serving as interim chief since 2016 since former chief Mark Lawley a year before his contract was to expire. Bill Peterson of Florida-based Strategic Government Resources, a municipal government consulting firm, said that the board has a good field to choose from. “The t...
Gene Hayworth, owner of Inkberry Books, will be holding a grand opening on Feb. 3 at the new location at 7960 Niwot Road, Suite B-3, in Cottonwood Square, the former location of HMK Jewelers. Inkberry books will have a catalog of over 4,000 new, gently used, and out-of-print books along with book-related merchandise. Hayworth had a lease at another location for the business, but ultimately decided to move it downtown. “Originally the other space was a lot bigger so we had planned to have a wine...
Colterra restaurant at 121 Franklin Street in Niwot suffered severe interior damage in an October 2017 fire. News that Colterra was unable to provide assurances that it would be able to reopen in time for a scheduled September 2018 wedding led to speculation as to when the restaurant might return. Colterra Food & Wine owner Bradford Heap provided a statement during the Niwot Business Association meeting Jan.9 regarding the restaurant and future plans. “My team at Colterra food and wine and I are still trying to make sense of what happened on O...
The Aria Singers of Gunbarrel are gearing up for their spring session and ready for people to join up. The group of women has been around for 10 years, and currently has 28 members. Julia Luerman is a relatively new member, but said that she is excited to start the spring with new director Mary Chapin Durling. The choir holds its spring concert in May, with another concert in December. The singers take the summers off. “We sing a pretty broad spectrum of music,” Luerman said. “It covers a variety of genres, musical periods — classical and con... Full story
Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance at 5:14 a.m. on Dec. 31 at the Copper Canyon apartments in Highlands Ranch, south of Denver, in what turned out to be a deadly encounter that received national news attention and a message of support to law enforcement officers from President Trump. Among those deputies was former Niwot resident Jeff Pelle, son of Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and former Niwot Post Office employee Stephanie Pelle. The younger Pelle was one of five d...
