All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 201 - 250 of 1035
Like a loving parent who catches his child in a conspicuous lie, Niwot head coach Clayton Wittrock said that he was "disappointed" rather than frustrated after the Cougars' 57-51 home court loss to a very beatable Northridge Grizzlies (2-7) on Feb. 20. Pointing to weak fundamentals and lack of consistency, he then had some paternal advice for his winless team going into the final five games of 2021. "We've got to show that we're actually learning those lessons and not just sitting through...
The wins are still hard to come by for the youthful Niwot wrestling team in 2021, but head coach Bobby Matthews sees promising signs amid the losses that should pay off down the road. "We're getting much better," he said after a four-way meet hosted by Severance High School on Feb. 20, with Erie and Longmont. "Overall, our practices have been much better. And they're listening, I'm seeing it. And they're having better results, they are going deeper in matches, and the deeper you can go and score...
Niwot boys basketball has had its share of drama over the past four seasons, but one moment in an unremarkable C-team game two years ago has always stayed with senior Hayden Morford, starting forward for the 2021 Cougars. "We were playing, I believe it was Centaurus, and I got called for a pushing foul after blocking a kid out on defense towards the end of the game," Morford recalled. "And Sam [Dutkin], after I got called for the foul, said 'I'm sorry, this is not soccer,' and proceeds to get a...
The Niwot girls swim team extended its streak of dominating dual victories to three with a 151-35 win over the brand-new team from Frederick High on Feb. 11. Along the way, Cougar swimmers posted a slew of season-best times and solidified their case as one of the top contenders for the Class 4A title in 2021. "That's one of our strengths at Niwot, the versatility of our swimmers," first-year coach Kyle Bachrodt said following the meet at Carbon Valley Recreation Center. "They can really swim...
Sue Prahl couldn't hold back her emotions while talking about her dear friend Eli Buzas. "I just remember his huge heart," Prahl said. The two met in the 1990s when their daughters both played varsity soccer for Niwot High, and then bonded while working together for the school's education foundation. After their girls graduated, Prahl and Eli's wife Chris were officemates while on staff at the high school, and the two families remained close. By then Eli Buzas, a realtor by profession, was also...
The Niwot Business Association unveiled its 2021 budget at February’s monthly meeting of the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Board, prompting a discussion of the district’s 2021 finances. The board also approved a handful of funding requests, discussed topics for its upcoming meeting with the Board of County Commissioners, and got an update on recruitment for upcoming vacancies from county liaison Mark Ruzzin. Treasurer’s Report Up first was the February treasurer’s report from Bruce R...
Much like head coach Bobby Matthews predicted in the preseason, the youthful Niwot wrestling team is still struggling for wins in the early part of 2021. On Feb. 6, Niwot traveled to Johnstown for a four-way meet with host Roosevelt, Mountain View, and Loveland. Unfortunately, the outnumbered Cougars netted only a single contested victory on the day, by freshman Ben Rauschkolb (195lb) against the Mountain Lions. "He's incredibly coachable," Matthews said of the newcomer after his second win of...
It would have been understandable if Josh Armas had skipped the 2021 Niwot wrestling season. After all, Boulder County COVID-19 rules chased away all but his most intrepid teammates, leaving him as one of eight on the team and the lone representative from the senior class. He was also facing a demanding class schedule, all AP and IB classes, and he could have used the extra time for homework. But Armas has never been one to take the easy way out, and abandoning the team and sport he loves never...
The 2021 season didn't get off to a winning start for the Cougars on Jan. 26, but the hard-fought loss yielded some pleasant surprises for Niwot head coach Clayton Wittrock. "It was a good effort from a young team," he said following his team's 47-35 defeat in the season opener against Roosevelt. "There were times when we just played hard, played smart and played together, and good things happened. And there were sometimes, even though we did everything we needed to, a shot didn't fall, and I...
It's been nearly a year since the Niwot girls swim and dive hit the pool, but you wouldn't have known it from their performance against Mountain View in the 2021 season opener on Jan. 28. With impressive times from longtime veterans and some speedy newcomers, the Cougar swimmers dominated the Lions, winning 11 of the 12 events. "I couldn't be more excited," first year coach Kyle Bachrodt said afterwards. "The energy was as high as it could be and we had great swims across the board... But it...
The Class of 2020 may have lost prom and a conventional graduation to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Class of 2021 is on track to lose an entire academic year and, with it, most activities and milestones. For a deeply engaged student like MacKenzie Demmel, the loss has been hard to take, but she has found refuge on the basketball and volleyball courts for Niwot, and is determined to make the most of her final seasons there. "I think what I've missed the most is, there's not really as many...
Plans to resuscitate the Bader House property in Niwot cleared a major hurdle last week when the Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting department issued a conditional approval of the Franklin Commons project after a two-month Site Plan Review. The proposal is now subject to a 14-day public comment period, and will become final on Feb. 5, barring further action from the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The version of the plans approved by the CPP call for a two-story, mixed-use...
Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there won't be many wrestlers hitting the mat for Niwot in 2021, but bigger isn't always better, according to longtime head coach Bobby Matthews. And what the Cougars lack in numbers, they more than make up for in experience, he said, which could mean a Niwot representative in the Class 4A state championships for the third straight year. "We're eight right now, so we're definitely down. But I think the eight that we have are solid for the most part,...
At 6-feet, 5-inches, Niwot power forward Gage Gruidel may look like a natural-born basketball player, but due to a severe illness during infancy, he has had to work harder than most to achieve his athletic goals. In 2021, those include leading Niwot boys basketball to a second straight winning season and helping a youthful program build a better future. "I just have loved every minute that I've played for Niwot, and my coaches especially have just brought me up to a level I never thought I...
Niwot Rental & Feed co-owner Steve Rollman has seen a lot of change during the store's 40 years at 291 2nd Avenue, but one thing that hasn't changed over four decades is the warmth and generosity of their customers and the people of Niwot. "It's been a really great community to have a business in," he said, reflecting on the store's longevity. "There are a lot of really nice people." Rollman opened the combination equipment rental and animal care retailer along with his wife Kay in 1981, and...
Looking over the long list of Elizabeth Duncan's high school achievements, a few words leap to mind: varied, wide-ranging, unconventional, and, finally, impressive. From stints on the cheer and track teams, to honor choir and color guard, there's no question that the senior has trod a unique path through Niwot High, and shows every sign of continuing on it after graduation. Duncan's story originates about 25 miles east of Niwot, in Brighton, where the senior lives with her parents and younger si...
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic altered the landscape of local high school sports, the 2021 boys basketball season promised to be full of potential pitfalls for second-year coach Clayton Wittrock and the Niwot Cougars, as they adapt to a new league and a new starting lineup. But seeing his youthful team's resilience during the past 11 months of upheaval and social distancing has made Coach Wittrock hopeful that the Cougars will find a way to build on last season's momentum and roll with the...
At its first monthly meeting of the new year, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Board approved funding for a slew of routine maintenance expenses, as well as new events devised by the Niwot Business Association to help keep traffic circulating through local businesses. The members also discussed their upcoming annual meeting with the Board of County Commissioners, scheduled for Feb. 4. Treasurer's Report LID Vice Chair Jim Eastman delivered the January Treasurer's report in lieu of t...
There were plenty of amazing moments for the Niwot Cougars during their historic win at the 2020 state tennis championships, but one not-so-amazing moment for senior Xavier Moy and his No. 2 doubles partner turned out to be a pivotal turning point for the Cougars and put the team title firmly in their grasp. "It was the craziest match I ever played in," Moy said of the state semi-final against Kent Denver, a team he and junior Alan Wilcox had fallen to just a few weeks before. "And it turned...
It turns out there will be a high school wrestling season in Boulder County after all. In a letter to wrestlers and their families dated Jan. 12, St. Vrain Valley Schools' Arts, Athletics, and Activities Director Chase McBride announced that wrestling has been approved by Boulder County Public Health, reversing a Jan. 5 decision that disallowed the sport due to COVID-19 concerns. "After careful consideration and continued discussion with Boulder County Public Health, they have approved...
On Dec. 30, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced that residents aged 70 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine earlier than originally planned, but that doesn't mean it will be available right away, according to Boulder County Public Health officials. In a Jan. 4 press release that called the state's announcement "unexpected", BCPH spokesperson Chana Goussetis wrote that limited supplies of the vaccines, plus logistical hurdles mean it could be...
Wrestlers in St. Vrain and Boulder Public Valley Schools will likely miss out on the chance to compete during the 2020-21 school year, after Boulder County Public Health declined a request from the Colorado High School Activities Association to approve the sport for Season B, scheduled to begin on Jan. 18. In a message to wrestling families dated Jan. 5, Niwot High assistant principal and athletics director Joe Brown wrote: "Over the past several weeks, we have continued to work closely with...
In an age when a forgotten video clip can lead to the withdrawal of a scholarship offer, it's more important than ever for student-athletes to think twice before taking their thoughts to TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram. That's the message of Niwot junior Sydney Rothstein, whose comments during a recent leadership training course are now being highlighted by the Positive Coaching Alliance, a national organization that is dedicated to cultivating a positive youth sports culture. "Sometimes it's...
Last month, Lorne Jenkins, a former Niwot resident and CEO of Mini Money Management, was named to the Board of Trustees for the Longmont Community Foundation, a public charity dedicated to "improving life in the St. Vrain Valley." "It was kind of a no-brainer for me," the former Cougar track star said of his decision to accept LCF's invitation. "I'm joining at a unique time because it pretty much is primarily Covid-based, and the basic things are planning around what's going to happen with...
Ashton Campie is passionate about the non-American version of "football," so when the 2020 high school boys soccer season was postponed until spring 2021, the otherwise idle midfielder decided to try out his kicking skills on the gridiron. In the end, both Campie and the Cougars got more than they bargained for, and now the athletic senior has a new appreciation for teamwork and dedication. "I was doing cross country, and then football started up just when cross country ended, and one of the...
We're in the home stretch of the holiday shopping season, and for those of you with a few names left to check off your gift list, be sure to consider one of the dozens of unique items from the artists, authors and crafters that call Niwot and Gunbarrel home. Niwot in watercolor Niwot's historic downtown is a frequent subject of resident and renowned artist Jane Langdon, whose graceful style evokes warmth and nostalgia. Recently, her wintry depiction of 2nd Avenue was featured on the Niwot...
At the final monthly meeting of 2020, the Niwot Local Improvement District's Advisory Committee met virtually to consider two funding requests related to marketing and economic development in 2021. Treasurer's Report But before the fun could get underway, the board heard from LID Treasurer Bruce Rabeler with an update on the district's finances through the end of November. To date, the board has approved $254,303.08 in funding requests in 2020, including $101,512 for the public parking lot....
Boulder County is seeking applications for three openings on the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, a nine-member independent board that "prioritizes expenditures of the LID sales tax revenue," and makes recommendations to the county commissioners, who serve as the board of directors for the district. The Niwot LID was formed in 1992 and was authorized to collect a half-percent sales tax to pay for street, drainage and other improvements in Old Town, beginning in 1993. In...
For Niwot first-year coach Nikolas Blume, the 2020 football season will be memorable for many things, and not all of them pleasant. But one pleasant memory he will have is of senior Charlie Herring, a newcomer like himself, whose "work ethic and dedication to his teammates," helped the coach nudge the program in a promising direction. "Charlie was a first year starter and a great leader for us this season," Blume wrote in an email interview. "You won't find a young man more dedicated to...
Boulder-based Palmos Development Corporation [PDC] has submitted plans to build a mixed-use development at 210 Franklin St. in Niwot, the site of the historic Bader House and former Colterra Restaurant. On Nov. 19, Boulder County's Community Planning and Permitting Department issued a referral packet to county agencies and adjacent property owners requesting comment on the proposed Franklin Commons development, which includes a new building with five residential units and commercial space, as we...
The Niwot cross country teams dominated their Colorado competition during the 2020 season, so they decided to take their act on the road. On Nov. 21, members of the varsity squad traveled to Huntsville, Alabama to compete in the 2020 RunningLane National Cross Country Championships and prove they can dominate non-Colorado competition just as easily. "We wouldn't have expected them to run as fast as they did," Niwot cross country coach Kelly Christensen said of the boys' historic performance....
Due to the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases, many Thanksgiving traditions are off the table in 2020. But thanks to a Gunbarrel chef, pumpkin pie won't be among them for Boulder County residents in need. For the last three weeks, Mary Capone of Simply Clean Eats has been hard at work crafting and baking 125 holiday desserts for the Boulder and Longmont Food Rescue organizations, which distribute nutritious food to "feed hungry, homeless, and low-income populations directly". "We're all...
Like it or not, the 2020 holiday shopping season is upon us, and like everything else during the past eight months, it promises to be fraught with uncertainty. But one thing that is certain is that supporting Niwot's shops and restaurants-whether online or safely in-person-is especially important this year, according to economic development director Catherine McHale. "I am happy that most of our businesses are surviving for now, and we've had very few casualties or actual closures, but obviously...
The retail incubator launched by the Niwot Business Association last month got a boost from the Niwot Local Improvement District's Advisory Committee when they agreed to recommend funding a portion of its marketing and promotional expenses at their virtual monthly meeting on Nov. 10. By a vote of 8-1, the board granted a modified funding request of $4,554 that will cover advertising and printing costs, as well as costs associated with hiring an "ambassador" to assist shoppers during business...
Luring new businesses to town has been an ongoing challenge for the Niwot Business Association, so they've decided to start growing their own. Last month, the group launched the Little Holiday Shops of Niwot, a new retail project to help fledgling entrepreneurs get off the ground. "We've been working on it for about a year," NBA member and project leader Leigh Suskin said about the initiative, which was set to debut in March 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our intention was...
Citing a years-long increase in admission requests, an independent school for students with learning disabilities is seeking Boulder County's approval to add a classroom building to its one-acre campus in Gunbarrel. In an application filed with the county's Permitting and Planning Department, the Hillside School, located at 7415 Lookout Road in Gunbarrel, is requesting a modification of the site's existing development plan to allow for the construction of a 10,500 square-foot building that will...
Niwot athletic director Joe Brown employed a bit of trickery to lure longtime Niwot athletics assistant Sue Prahl onto the field at halftime of the Oct. 29th Niwot-Lewis Palmer football game, where he surprised her with a presentation of the Colorado Athletic Directors Association's 2020 Award for Distinguished Service. Prahl's win was announced by CADA last April, but the award presentation had to be delayed due to the ongoing pandemic....
Stanford University track and field has claimed another prize recruit from Niwot. Standout Taylor James has announced that she will be taking her prodigious talents to Palo Alto next fall, following the trail blazed by former Cougar standouts Elise Cranny and Mary Gillett. "In the end there were a couple of main things that swayed my decision," the talented senior said of her choice. "Obviously Stanford's athletic and academic prestige is one of the big ones. Also, Coach [J.J.] Clark seems...
Coming into the final 100 meters of the 2020 Class 4A state cross country race, Niwot junior Zane Bergen decided it was time to make his move. He was trailing leader Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos by a few steps, but he knew he had enough kick left to overtake the Green Mountain senior before the finish line. Unfortunately, the Green Mountain senior seemed to have other ideas. "I decided I'm going to go on the outside and get around him, but I guess I picked the wrong outside," Bergen said, describing the...
Niwot head cross country coach Kelly Christensen knew that the lead pack in the 2020 girls Class 4A championship race would be fast, but both he and his runners were caught off-guard by the pace freshman Bethany Michalak of Air Academy set right from the start. That led to some tense moments for Christensen as he watched from the sidelines, adding and re-adding the potential final scores. "Our strategy all season was a lot different in workouts and races because we knew, or we were putting a...
Niwot head football coach Nik Blume doesn't consider his team's 14-7 overtime loss to Riverdale Ridge on Oct. 16 a moral victory, but there's no doubt he was much happier in the aftermath than he was after the Cougars' 50-14 blowout loss to Holy Family the week before. "I'm not going to come out of a loss saying great things, but what I do know is that every kid we have gave us everything they could have given us, 100 percent. I think the lesson we're going to learn is that you can be...
It's shaping up to be a busy, but socially distanced winter around Niwot, as the LID advisory committee members considered funding requests for upcoming holiday themed events at their virtual monthly meeting on Oct. 6. Treasurer's Report First, however, they heard from LID treasurer Bruce Rabeler, who led off with a concerning notice from the Boulder County finance office regarding the district's 2020 earnings. According to county analyst David Thayer, the state of Colorado believes the LID's hi...
There's not much country to be found in the grassy expanses of Denver's historic Washington Park, but, according to Niwot head coach Kelly Christensen, that's what made the 2020 Class 4A Region 3 cross country championships on Oct. 8 a "perfect" tune-up race for the Cougars as they prepare to defend their state titles next weekend. "Grass is slow, which is why I'm glad we were here," he said after his teams swept both the individual and team titles at the Oct. 8th regional. "We wanted them to...
As Veterans Day 2020 approaches, the Niwot Community Association will once again honor the local men and women who have served their country in the U.S. Armed Forces. Starting in early October, more than 50 full-color banners featuring the names, photographs, branch, and service years of Niwot's military members past and present will be installed along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square where they will hang through Veterans Day. "I think it's great that the community would honor our veterans,...
For her 48 years of "service, dedication, and love for Niwot," the Rotary Club of Niwot honored longtime resident Kathy Koehler with its second annual Community Achievement Award. "This year's winner could not be more deserving," RCN member and past president Doug Montgomery said during the presentation, held at Old Oak Coffee's OctoberFeast Celebration on Oct. 3. "To say that her love and care for the Niwot community has been on full display since she moved here in 1972 would be a colossal...
Niwot golfer Christopher Gunlikson is heading back to the Class 4A state championships after a largely drama-free performance at the Region 3 qualifying tournament, held Sept. 22 at Quail Dunes. Aided and abetted by his newly honed short game, the junior carded a tidy 3-over-par 75 on the day, which was good for fifth place in the individual standings and well under the qualifying mark of 81. Now the veteran is looking forward to competing for Niwot on his sport's biggest stage and hopes his...
Longtime Niwot coach Miikka Keronen was nervously watching the finals round at the 2020 Class 4A tennis championships when he got the news that he'd been waiting 18 years to hear-the Cougars were just one win away from clinching their first state team title and their best player in nearly a decade was still on the court. "Whenever it comes down to the last match, you never know what's going to happen," Keronen said of his state-of-mind while watching the finals, adding that he was only a...
Though most traditional fall events had to be shelved in 2020, autumnal-themed fun is still on the agenda in Niwot, courtesy of two brand new offerings from the Niwot Business Association. "In COVID times, more than ever, we need to think of different ways to get Niwot residents and those from neighboring communities to frequent the businesses downtown," longtime realtor and NBA vice-president Deborah Read Fowler said. "We are having regular meetings to brainstorm and launch new events to get us...
We may be living through unprecedented times, but there was nothing new about Niwot's dominating performance at the 2020 Class 4A Region 5 championships on Sept. 18. Led by senior Neil Wilcox at No. 1 singles, the Cougars cruised to wins in six of seven finals matches to clinch their 10th straight regional title and one of the 16 team berths at the upcoming state tournament. Of course, there's a precedent in Pueblo that Miikka Keronen and his players are looking to upend, and the 18th-year head...
The Niwot boys golf team learned some painful lessons about their short games at the final Longs Peak League event of the 2020 season, held at Thornton's Todd Creek Golf Course on Sept. 17. Bedeviled by lightning-fast greens and what were described as "challenging pin placements," the Cougars often gave up strokes where they normally don't, and that was reflected in their higher than average final scores. Luckily, it didn't seem to be a handicap for Niwot alone, and the Cougars ended up...
