All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Niwot’s Independence Day festivities continue to draw in an increasing number of people. Dick Piland, Niwot Community Association President, estimated about 2,500 people attended the parade and events throughout the day. “It was a bit more crowded this year,” Piland said. “Every year it gets bigger and bigger. It was very successful this year. We have a cadre of volunteers that do a great job with this event.” Piland mentioned specifically Kathy Koehler, Julie Breyer and Kim Hawkswort...
Peruvian shamanic healer Don Mariano will be paying a visit to Boulder County next month with a week’s worth of visits and other events. Christine Pateros of Whispering Stones in Boulder will be helping to facilitate the trip along with the ceremonies. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on July 14, there will be a despacho ceremony at Left Hand Grange Hall in Niwot. “In essence the despacho ceremony is honoring Mother Earth,” Pateros said. “It’s about nature, which is what we’re made of. It’s creating a man...
Since 2011, a school in Gunbarrel has been helping students with a variety of neurological disorders ranging from autism to Asperger’s. Co-founded by Jennifer Wilger and David Hazen, the school began when a void was created for an increasing need in the community. “There was another private school in town that was closing that served a similar purpose but not as comprehensively,” Wilger said. “So we were able to get a jumpstart on (school) infrastructure by turning that school over and develop...
Lucky Pie Pizza & Tap House in Niwot greeted guests for a “soft opening” on Saturday, June 24 marking their third location. Brendan McManus founded the first Lucky Pie in Louisville eight years ago, followed by the Denver location five years later, and along with co-owner James Samara, is now serving pies in Niwot. “It went well, it was a beautiful night,” Samara said. “We had the patio pretty much filled up all night. There was quite a bit of interest from people walking in. All-in-al...
A soft opening was held last week for Gunbarrel Brewing Company. Located at 7088 Winchester Circle, the new tap room is owned by Jamie and Marie Fox. Jamie has many years experience as a brewmaster, while Marie runs the business side. The first day was a hit, several hundred people stopped by for a brew or to grab a bite to eat at the food truck stationed outside. “It was terrific,” Marie Fox said. “We killed it, which was amazing because we just announced it the day before.” For now, they ar...
A trial involving the shooting of one Gunbarrel man in May 2016 by another Gunbarrel resident has resulted in an attempted murder conviction for Jon Barbour. The case was heard in Boulder District Court with Karen Peters and Lisa Saccomano of the District Attorney’s office handling the prosecution. Judge Maria Berkenkotter presided over the case. “We’re very pleased with the verdict,” Peters said. “Our jury was very attentive, asked a lot of questions throughout the trial and returned a just verdict for the victim. “Of course it’s import...
Niwotians are gearing up for the annual Independence Day celebration, an event that has been growing every year. Kim Hawksworth, Julie Breyer and Kathy Koehler and many more volunteers have been working hard to make this year even bigger. “We have a lot of new volunteers this year,” Hawksworth said. “It’s getting harder and harder to find them, but we have a great group that helps out.” Hawksworth said this is the first year she is taking over as event coordinator, but that Koehler and Breye...
A public hearing between the Boulder County Commissioners and the Boulder County Planning Commission is scheduled for June 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to discuss matters related to the final approval of updates to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan as part of the 5-year review process. What is of concern to residents in unincorporated Boulder County is that one particular point of discussion during the hearing will also review renewal of the current Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between Boulder County and the City...
Boulder County Plein Air made a stop in Niwot last week to paint their versions of Cottonwood Square and the surrounding area. Carolyn Bradley, a member and the person in charge of finding “the place to paint,” said that group enjoys coming to town. Plein Air basically means painting outdoors, something the Boulder group does every Thursday — weather permitting. “It just means painting outside,” Bradley said. “Technically you’re supposed to finish the painting outside on-site and not do work i...
For those with a loved one suffering from Alzheimers or dementia, there is a long and difficult road ahead. But thanks to the Niwot United Methodist Church and the Alzheimers Association, help can be found. Ralph Patrick, regional director for the Alzheimers Association in the Greater Boulder area, said that recent educational programs came with an interest in support groups. “The purpose was to pick up and boost what had already been happening,” Patrick said. “We did have some support groups, but as a result of some educational programs that...
Last week’s Rock & Rails had the Women’s International Niwot Club (WINC) as the beneficiary of the tip jars. WINC started a few years ago as a offshoot from Daughters of the British Empire in the area. Club President Deborah Read Fowler said that since its inception, most of the club’s donations have gone to the Niwot Children’s Park, but they also give to Children First of the Rockies and other charities. “At the end of the year we email members and ask them to nominate charities,” Fowler said...
This year’s Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show as part of the First Friday Art Walk in Niwot produced more winners than ever before as the event continues to grow. Michelle Henzel, an organizer for the show and a member of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association board of directors, said there were a total of 21 entries scattered throughout local businesses. The only requirement for the artwork was to feature Niwot in some fashion. Pieces were displayed at local merchants, including ShopGirl, Pebble A...
Collin Blatchley (a second-grader next year) and Reid Porter (going into third-grade) will be representing Team USA and Niwot in this year’s world BMX competition next month. The boys earned their tickets earlier this year in Austin, Texas and Rock Hill, S.C., respectively, and will be making the trip to see how they fare with bikers from around the world against the best of the best. “They’ll be competing against kids their age from all around the world,” Collin’s father Rob Blatchley...
Rock & Rails will kick off its 12th summer concert series on June 1 with Mojomama w/ Bass Legends as the headliner at Whistle Stop Park in Niwot. Nick G and Nalani will open the event with music starting at 5 p.m. The headliner usually begins around 6:30 p.m. The weekly event is sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association in conjunction with the Niwot Business Association, and is free to the public each Thursday from June 1 to August 31. One of the three event managers, Vicki Maurer, said...
Boulder County residents recently received a mailer concerning property values in the county. For some, there may be some sticker shock, but the point of the mailer is to let people know what is going on. The fact that valuations increased substantially does not mean your taxes will increase by the same percentage. Colorado law limits the tax burden which can be applied to residential properties, and governments are constrained to limit tax increases, accounting only for population growth and...
Last month, Boy Scout Troop 161 held a Court of Honor, a regular event to recognize scouts for their achievements. This one marked something special - Niwot High School senior Isaac Robare officially earned the rank of Eagle Scout. What makes this special, former scout leader Johnny Barrett said, is that Robare joins four of his peers as Eagle Scouts who all started together in Cub Scouts as first graders. “Only about five percent of scouts make the rank of Eagle,” Barrett said. “So to have...
The goal to help low-income students have access to drum lessons continues this weekend for Boulder Drum Studio and the Drumming for Jared program. Larry Bennett, who owns and operates the studio, established Drumming for Jared earlier this year following the tragic October 2016 death of 19-year-old Niwot resident Jared Lizakowski in a motorcycle accident on Niwot Road. Lizakowski had been a long-time student of Bennett’s, and thanks to Drumming for Jared, many more youngsters are able to take lessons, get equipment and continue their m...
A memorial ride was held over the weekend for Charles Crenshaw, a cyclist who was killed on Monday of last week. The ride was coordinated by Longmont Velo, a bicycle shop on Francis St. where the ride started. It ended at the site of the crash, N. 65th St. and Nelson Road. Anthony Hardwick, who is the head service mechanic at Velo, said that it was a somber day. “It was about Mr. Crenshaw and his family,” Hardwick said. “I really wish we could have met all of these people under different circu...
Members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Boulder County are holding a drive to help the OUR Center in Longmont. The event is leading up to Armed Forces Day, which celebrates all branches of our military. This year it will be observed on May 20, always the third Saturday in May. The drive is from noon to 4 p.m. on May 20 at Shoes and Brews, 63 S. Pratt Parkway in Longmont. Senior Vice-Commander John Reid of MOPH Chapter 434 and fellow veterans are having a “Battle of the B...
This month’s First Friday Art Walk kicked off a juried art show spread throughout various businesses. Michelle Henzel, with Osmosis and other Niwot Cultural Arts Association board members, launched the Why Not Niwot Juried Art Show in eight different businesses for the May art walk. There are a total of 22 pieces — all have to feature Niwot in some way — displayed in eight different businesses around town. Those businesses are ShopGirl, Pebble Art Jewelry, Painted Primrose, Niwot Inn, Niwot Jewe...
The Niwot High School Education Foundation is currently holding an online auction, and the clock is ticking. With over $17,000 worth of locally-donated good, services and gift certificates, this marks the first time the foundation has tried to raise money through an online auction. Teresa Parrot, who is with the non-profit foundation, said that they are different from other boosters because they focus on raising funds for classroom materials instead of athletics. “We were looking for new and d...
Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides recently moved their headquarters to Gunbarrel with hopes to continue expanding the business.Joshua Baruch, CEO, general manager and jack-of-all-trades for the company said that they’re gearing up for the busy season, May to October. “That’s typical with tourism in Colorado,” Baruch said. “It’s really more due to the weather and the environment being nicer to where you can get more access to the mountains and rivers.” The company re-branded last year and...
This year’s PAC-12 men’s golf conference championship was held at Boulder Country Club over the weekend. Rain and then about four inches of snow held up Saturday’s rounds, and leftover snow on Sunday morning made for even more delays. But the golfers were able to play 54 holes, meeting the criteria of 36 for an NCAA-sanctioned event. Bob Webster — who belongs to the club and serves on the board of directors, along with acting as governor of the Colorado Golf Association — said that hosting t...
4-H Club gives to Eagle Place The Niwot Nifties 4-H Club gave an Easter surprise to residents at Eagle Place. It wasn’t just a one-time gift; this is something that the club does every month for the residents at the county-owned housing unit for people with a fixed-income. New co-leaders Cindy Shepherd and Mary Klingbeil said that they do projects for the residents as part of their community service requirements, as the club uses their facility for monthly meetings. “We really appreciate tho...
The Niwot High School Booster Club got a special donation for this year’s after prom. One lucky student will be winning a used Chrysler Sebring convertible at this year’s event. With the donation, Pollard Jeep out of Boulder joins Stapp Toyota and Sill-Terhar Volvo as the three biggest donors for the event. Other prizes include gift cards. Linda Herring, who is one of many boosters helping to organize the event, said that students have been excited about the raffle. “The kids are really excited about it,” Herring said. “Last year we had 400 s...
*Editor's note: The survey is already live and running at www.niwot.com/survey. Residents do not have to wait for the reminder card that will be sent next month. The planning survey is to get feedback from the public on ways to spend LID funds allocated to Niwot. We apologize for the confusion. Everyone living in Niwot will soon be receiving a survey card in the mail regarding downtown planning. Julie Ankenbrandt, Niwot economic development director and marketing director for the Niwot Business...
Niwot Design Studio Interior Solutions has evolved from the former Niwot Interiors under owner Judy Goldman. Goldman bought the business last summer and began the transformation and expansion. “We went from a decorating business to a full-fledged residential and commercial national remodel and design firm,” Goldman said. “Our grand opening was about all of the new products we have to introduce to the public.” Goldman reiterated that the changes aren’t just in name only. “Our business is evolving,” Goldman said. “We went from being a local decor...
Meg and Casey Grothus are no strangers to the Left Hand Valley Courier, nor the town of Niwot. The brother and sister team have come a long way since they were featured in an article almost a decade ago about their internship with Google involving their idea for SketchUp, a 3D modeling program. The program is geared towards helping those who suffer from autism get internships, and after some typical fast moves from the tech industry, SketchUp is now owned by a company named Trimble, which has...
Niwot Elementary School will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend with an open house and guest speakers. The event starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, with guest speakers starting at 11:30. Included on the roster of speakers are Principal Nancy Pitz, Superintendent Don Haddad and board of education member Debbie Lammers, a Niwot resident. Pitz has been at the helm of NES for the last four years, and said that she’s excited about the anniversary. “It’s really neat to be a small...
Niwot Elementary School will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at 11 a.m. on April 8 with an open house and program at the school. The public, especially alumni, are welcome to attend. Guest speakers begin at 11:30 a.m. and include Principal Nancy Pitz, Superintendent Don Haddad and board of education member Debbie Lammers, a Niwot resident. After the speakers there will be an open house for patrons of the school. Riki Frea, who has been involved at the school for seven years and has children...
Veterinarian Crystal Connor and Technician Ki Goodman of the Left Hand Animal Hospital have been reaching out to first responders of the Mountain View Fire Protection District. They’re conducting classes on how to deal with pets in various situations. “It’s kind of what I would term a triage CPR training for the Mountain View Fire District,” Dr. Connor said. “We’re hitting multiple fire houses, the whole purpose of this one was to get training for the Niwot fire department.” The course includ...
Gabe Hultquist, a 15-year-old sophomore at Niwot High School, is becoming yet another successful Irish dancer out of the Moriarty-Moffitt School of Irish Dance in Longmont. In competitions, Gabe said he typically goes hard shoe in the first round, soft shoe in the second, and hard shoe in the final round. The different styles are judged mostly on the height of jumps, with form keeping the knees as straight as possible and the arms down to the sides. “I like my third round the best because I g...
John Wallington, part owner of Boulder-based Llanllyr SOURCE, a water distribution and bottling company, has been busy growing the brand, now offered in at least three Niwot locations.. He has lived in the area for the last ten years, and said that it has been a perfect fit. “One of the attractions for moving to this area was the plethora of natural food companies that are environmentally responsible,” Wallington said. “It fits really well with trying to make people aware of resource manag...
Niwot Market has chalked up 15 years of serving the town, and owner Bert Steele said that it has become more than just a business. “It’s been really rewarding to be in a small community,” Steele said. “It becomes more than business, it becomes friendships. It’s more than just trying to make money. “You’re doing something, being part of a small community and trying to help where you can.” The official date for the celebration is March 12, and the market has made 250 commemorative mugs to give aw...
Great horned owls could be chalking up a victory from the Boulder County Planning Commission’s vote this month to not recommend an affordable housing project in the Twin Lakes area. Prior to the decision, students from the Boulder Valley School District presented their short film, “Home of the Owls,” before the school board. Anya Smith and Summer Cuppari Gould of Dream Tank showed their video to members of the board, whose district owns about 10 acres in the area where the housing project was p...
Former Colorado Speaker of the House and Boulder County resident Dickey Lee Hullinghorst has officially hung her hat as a state legislator. She finished off her eight year term limit per state statute, and will now retire back to the private sector. “I’ve served all of my four terms,” Hullinghorst said. “I’m kind of glad actually. Eight years, for me at least, was plenty. It was great, I enjoyed it. I had been in the leadership since my second term. I was caucus whip, then the majority...
Last week, the Boulder County Planning Commission voted 5-4 to deny the proposed zoning change for the Twin Lakes area in Gunbarrel. Opposition posited that the change violated the county’s comprehensive plan by allowing the City of Boulder to annex and change usage for roughly 20 acres of land that has long been considered open space by area residents. Dave Rechberger, one of roughly 1,700 members of the Twin Lakes Action Group — who have been fighting this proposal for almost four years — said that they were obviously happy about the decis...
Gunbarrel Brewing Company will soon be opening a 20,000 square foot location at 7088 Winchester Circle. Husband and wife owners Jamie and Marie Fox have had this plan in place for years, and it will will finally be coming to fruition. “We have been planning and working on opening a brewery here in Gunbarrel for the last three years,” Marie said. “We’ve always wanted to open a brewery, and we thought ‘why not do it now?’ Instead of waiting for retirement or something.” Jamie, who has a background in neuroscience, and Marie, who worked previo...
Late last year, Boy Scout Troop 161 held their last Court of Honor for the fall. This year’s event had a room full of heavy hearts. David Louwers, a member of the troop who was tragically killed in a plane crash last June, was posthumously given the rank of Eagle Scout. His parents — Robert and Christina Louwers — were in attendance as David’s name was added to the plaque with the other names of the troop’s Eagle Scouts over the years. He was also given the Spirit of the Eagle Award, which is...
The Niwot Inn has been under the direction of mother and daughter duo Cornelia and Carissa Sawle for just over a month, and they are excited with the new business. Cornelia is a native of the Chicago area, but lived in Colorado through several periods during her life. Carissa attended the University of Colorado for marketing. “My daughter loved being out here and talked me into coming back to Colorado, which wasn’t hard to do,” Cornelia said. Cornelia has owned restaurants in San Franc...
Sancho’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant will be opening a second location at 6545 Gunpark Drive in Gunbarrel next month. Owner Shawn Camden and his staff have had to do extensive work to the building and are waiting on approval to begin operating. “It’s pretty stressful to be honest,” Camden said. “There are a lot of challenges. We had to do a major renovation here.” Some of the work included installing a hood and other equipment in the kitchen, but Camden says it has been worth it. “We’re super excited,” he said. “The community has been very sup...
The Boulder County Planning Commission will be reconsidering a land use decision made last October for the Twin Lakes area on Jan. 18. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. and proceed as usual.The commission estimates that discussion on Twin Lakes will begin around 4:30pm at the Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder. A land use designation change for parcels on the 6500 and 6600 blocks of Twin Lakes Road along with the zero block of Kalua Road are in question. The commission will be hearing written and oral comments on the...
Bogey’s Eatery and Spirits has spent the last few weeks under new owner Dan King, and things are looking good. King purchased the restaurant on Dec. 19, and has been settling in while considering some changes. “We’re giving ourselves a little time to meet our customers and get to know the staff,” King said. “We will ultimately change the name and do some tweaking around with the menu. We’ll put kind of our spin on it.” King, who formerly owned the Boulder Outlook Hotel, said one of the change...
Lika Gipis, owner of Sunflower Kids Art Studio at 6545 Gunpark Drive is continuing a tradition of creativity and imagination in the arts. The studio has been at its current location for over two years, but the idea has been in place for 17, starting in Gipis’ parents’ basement. “Originally it was started by my mom 17 years ago,” Gipis said. “I took over in my first year of art school. It was in the basement and only had my parents’ friend’s kids, it wasn’t public like it is now.” Gipis got her education in graphic design and uses those talents...
On October 26, 2016, 19-year-old Jared Lizakowski died in a motorcycle accident on Niwot Road. Lizakowski, who lived in Niwot and worked at Niwot Rental and Feed, was also a student at Boulder Drum Studio. His teacher of four years was Larry Bennett. With 35 years of experience — the last 14 being in Colorado, Bennett decided to remember Lizakowski with a new program called Drumming for Jared. Bennett remembers Jared fondly, recalling recitals and lessons. “Jared was a great student, we bon...
Lucky Pie Pizza and Tap House is working towards opening another location on the lower level of the Link building at 7916 Niwot Road, the southeast corner of the intersection of 79th Street and Niwot Road in Cottonwood Square. This new restaurant will join their Denver and original Louisville locations some time next year. “It’s pretty early to say,” co-owner James Samara said. “I’d guess mid-2017 would be a fair bet. It could be as early as April or as late as July.” The restaurant is locally-owned and is known for its wide variety of...
Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court denied a request from subdivision residents in Boulder County to review the Court of Appeals’ decision in a suit against the county concerning the paving and upgrades of subdivision roads. This decision marks the third time the courts have stated that BoCoFIRM — the organization representing residents — cannot sue the county commissioners over the condition of rural subdivision roads. In June 2016, the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s dismissal of the lawsuit. Following last week’s...
Boulder County Commissioners approved the final budget for the 2017 fiscal year last week. The county’s budget is set at $422,451,547 with a mill levy of 24.064. It is important to note that 2016 was a year where the county did not update appraisals, as they do bi-annually. The next update to the county’s valuation will occur in May 2017 and will be reflected in the 2018 budget. In the 2015 appraisal, the county’s valuation increased 19 percent, but the county is limited to a 5.5 percent increase in mill levies per state statute. According to C...
The county’s road and bridge department has their official budget for 2017, a total of roughly $39 million. Of those monies, $13 million will be spent on flood recovery in the James Canyon area, the Wagon Wheel Gap, bridges along the South St. Vrain including the primary bridge and roads in the Four Mile Canyon area. “Those are the major projects that will get started,” Boulder County Director of Transportation George Gerstle said. “As we get the bids in and how much they’ll actually cost, we’ll go back to the commissioners for the funding. “B...
Boulder County Parks and Open Space will have about $775,000 allocated for their basic capital 2017 budget. Throw in the addition of grants, partnerships with other entities, and carry over from last year, the department will have $2,641,569 for the scheduled 2017 projects. These monies are used for a wide variety of expenditures. The department breaks it down into six categories; agriculture, ecosystems, forestry, historic preservation, public education and recreation/facilities. The department has many projects scheduled to either be...
