All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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From reading the marketing blurb on the back cover of Justin Courter's latest book "Cadenza, A Novel" (available at Inkberry Books), one might be forgiven for anticipating this tale to be a simple heart-warming story of a prodigy overcoming great physical and emotional odds to become a singular success on the world stage. The blurb casts the protagonist thusly: Despite the barriers of her scarred face (from a house fire at an early age that killed her sister) and her tragic childhood, she...
All trails at Heil Valley Ranch are currently closed due to muddy conditions that may continue for the remainder of the season. The Bitterbrush Trail and the Antelope Trail at Hall Ranch are now open but the remaining trails at Hall Ranch are closed. For the most current updates, check out the Boulder County Parks & Trails website. At the Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain, only the Indian Mesa Trail remains open. Eagle Wind and Little Thompson Overlook trails are closed due to muddy...
Effective immediately, 71st Street, on the west side of CO 119 (the "Diagonal") from Monarch Road to CO 119, is closed to all modes of transportation through May 2025. See the accompanying map for detour information or visit the CDOT website). This closure is required for the safety of crews working to tie in new southbound CO 119 to existing CO 119 infrastructure as part of the CO 119 Safety, Mobility & Bikeway Improvements Project. Travel delays due to the new configuration at Jay Road and CO...
Boulder Open Space and Parks Management (OSPM) announced that two local trails will be closed. A news release regarding the Heatherwood Trail connection to Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat states: "A portion of the Heatherwood Trail at Walden Ponds will be closed for about one month beginning Monday, Nov. 4, for a City of Boulder sewer line project. Visitors will not be able to connect between Heatherwood Trail and the trails at Walden Ponds. #boco_trails" Please see the accompanying map of the...
On any given Wednesday, if you have wandered into the Inkberry Books in Niwot you most likely have seen the familiar face of Jim Mitchell. Upon entering, you would be greeted with a cheery "Hello," and the opportunity for a hearty chat whether on the question of the most recently delivered book you should read, or what Groucho Marx might have to say on a multitude of subjects. Mitchell's New York City origins are not immediately evident. Indeed the rather circuitous route he has taken to be a...
At the monthly Commuting Solutions members' meeting on Oct. 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and the Governor's Office of Colorado gave presentations. EPA Report KC Becker, the Regional Administrator for the EPA's Region 8, provided graphics showing air quality trends comparing Denver to Salt Lake City (see Air Quality Trends graphic). For what is referred to as "Criteria Pollutants" which are focused on ozone and particulates that are PM...
Despite the threat of darkening clouds, there was a great turnout at the Niwot United Methodist Church's Trunk-or-Treat on Oct. 27. The food from Boulder County's Nacho Mama's Tacos was fabulous. It was a sweet time for both children and adults....
In addition to road closures associated with the ongoing CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project that is set to continue for at least the next three years, a road closure on 95th Street between Lookout Road and Valmont Road will continue until December. That means more traffic is diverted to 75th Street and 63rd Street, which also has lane closures due to a waterline replacement. Soon to be closed as well is 71st Street, which also provides access to CO 119. The 71st Street closure will...
Vesper Trail The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) announced this week that the new Vesper Trail, north of the Heatherwood subdivision, is now open to the public after a mating pair of burrowing owls successfully raised eight new owlets. Congratulations to the new parents who are now facing empty nest syndrome! OSMP thanked members of the public for their cooperation in staying off the brand new trail that was built this past spring, only to be closed to allow the federally...
"One-Beer Daisy" was written during the pandemic when, thirteen years after the fact, Maikel L. Wise finally had time to process the journey of grief he undertook during the last two weeks of his mother's life in 2007. Being a self-described "mama's boy," the loss of his mother, at her relatively young age of sixty, was particularly acute for him. The book's subtitle, "Facing Death, Life, and Growing Up Along the Way," describes Wise's journey. That it took Wise thirteen years to finally deal wi...
The Niwot United Methodist Church will be holding its annual Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 1 - 3 p.m., filled with free Halloween festivities including candy, treats and games at 7405 Lookout Road. This is a public gathering where all families can come celebrate Halloween in their costumes in a welcoming, fun and safe environment for children's trick-or-treating. Janet Gates, event organizer for Niwot UMC said, "I always have fun seeing the creative costumes people come up with....
If you ride a bike in Boulder County, you need to know about Community Cycles. Located at the northeast corner of Spruce and 26th streets, (2601 Spruce Street, Boulder), Community Cycles is more than a biker’s thrift store with refurbished bikes and new and used biking togs and accessories. It is more than a charity that collects bikes for the economically disadvantaged and also gives away 350 bikes to kids during the Christmas season by attending and supporting bike drives. (Have a bike to d...
The public hearing before the Boulder County Commissioners regarding the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) Plan has been rescheduled from Oct. 10 to Oct. 24 at 9 a.m. The BERT Plan evaluates multiple conceptual alignments and identifies a preferred alignment for further consideration for an 8.5-mile east-west multi-use trail connection between the City of Boulder and the Town of Erie. The BERT Plan includes the project process, public and stakeholder input and engagement, technical evaluation, conceptual level alignment, opinion of cost,...
Commuting Solutions held its membership meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the Hampton Inn in Gunbarrel, where members were presented with an update on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Safety and Mobility Improvements Project as well as the results of the Northwest Rail Peak Service Feasibility Study that was prepared by RTD. Commuting Solutions serves as the transportation management organization for the northwest region. The major elements of the CO 119 Project include: •New CO 52 Intersection - R...
Commuting Solutions held its membership meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the Hampton Inn in Gunbarrel, where members were presented with an update on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Safety and Mobility Improvements Project as well as the results of the Northwest Rail Peak Service Feasibility Study that was prepared by RTD. Commuting Solutions serves as the transportation management organization for the northwest region. The report on the BRT Rapid Transit Safety and Mobility Improvements Project is addressed in a separate article in this edition...
On Sept. 18, 2024, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) announced the temporary closure of the Niwot Park-n-Ride until May 2027 and the permanent closure of the north and south bound CO 119 bus stops at CO 52. The permanent closures at CO 52 are to allow the reconstruction of the intersection of CO 52 and CO 119 that will include new Bus Rapid Transit bus platforms and access to the new bikeway that is to be constructed through the median of CO 119. Inquiries to RTD as to why these areas n...
The overarching premise of "Sonata in Wax" by Edward Hamlin is that early twentieth century wax cylinders are unearthed by an antique purveyor who sends them to a sound engineer to mend the corrupted recording and uncover the genius behind the newly found musical work much ahead of its time. This background provides a solid foundation upon which many supporting interlaced stories with twists and turns draw the reader in. First, we meet Ben the sound engineer, solitary and divorced, still trying...
The 8th Sustainable Transportation Summit met on Aug. 27 to address the question of how to make a rail system from Pueblo to Fort Collins a reality. The Summit was hosted and delivered by Commuting Solutions. Part 1 of this 2-part series addressed the vision of Colorado's leaders for a functional rail system. Part 2 addresses the Summit's discussion of a similar system that is in place in Washington state. As part of the Summit, Katie Drewel, Government and Community Relations Acting Director...
The draft plan for the new Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT) is now available for public review and comment until Sept. 26. According to the BERT website, its aim is to establish a multi-use trail connecting Boulder and Erie. To meet this goal, the Boulder County's Community Planning & Permitting Department is working with major stakeholders that include Boulder County Public Works (BOCO PW), Boulder County Parks & Open Space (BOCO POS), City of Boulder Transportation & Mobility, City of...
Niwot United Methodist Church celebrated the 30th anniversary of the installation of a stained glass window in its sanctuary on Sept. 8. The stained glass was designed and created by current church member Gayle Weiss and former member Patti Dahlem, now living in Colorado Springs, who volunteered for the project after out-sourced bids to other artists came in too high for the congregation to afford. They met once a week to painstakingly create the window art. After completion, the stained glass...
The 8th Sustainable Transportation Summit met on Aug. 27 to address the question of how to finally make a rail system from Pueblo to Fort Fort Collin a reality. The Summit was hosted and delivered by Commuting Solutions. During the course of speaker presentations and round table discussion, in addition to a statewide rail system, it was suggested that a real regional transportation solution must include travel from Raton, New Mexico through Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming. A rail system...
As part of the 28th Annual Shelby American Collection Museum Car Show and Party on Saturday, Aug. 31, a brand new 2022 Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition with 760 HP, hand painted with "Over-the-Top" white stripes plus blue pinstripes, customized by Ford Performance and equipped with the Carbon Fiber Track Package, GT4 track wing and Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires, plus a $25,000 cash bonus, was awarded to the winning ticket holder, James Lenihan, of Illinois. Two hundred people were in attendance...
On Sept. 8, Niwot United Methodist Church, located at 7405 Lookout Road in Gunbarrel, will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the installation of a stained glass window with the two artists who created it for the sanctuary where they were members at the time. The service of celebration will begin at 10:20 a.m. and is open to the public. Gayle Weiss and Patti Dahlem really didn't understand what they were getting into when they volunteered to undertake the project in 1994. It required 600 hours...
While the reader may view this book as a spiritually driven physical journey that moves from the isolation of a small remote Tibetan village to the soaring views of the top of the world at Everest, Judith Glyde's first assertion is that she seeks to speak to a wide audience including "the adventurer, the musician, the travel enthusiast, the lover of mountains and all those in search of a challenge." Upon arriving in Kathmandu, the author has a "What the hell was I thinking?" moment. She...
There seems to be some confusion about the type of e-bikes that are permitted on public open spaces and trails in Boulder County. Not all trails allow all e-bikes. According to Boulder County Open Space Management: E-bikes are prohibited in the foothills and mountains, which includes the following parks and trails: Anne U. White Bald Mountain Scenic Area Betasso Preserve Caribou Ranch Hall Ranch Heil Valley Ranch Mud Lake Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain Walker Ranch Trails that do...
Niwot United Methodist Church is hosting a free fun back-to-school event Sunday, Aug. 18 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 7405 Lookout Road. Families will be treated to free hot dogs, chips, cookies and activities to celebrate the start of school. “This 4th annual Back-to-School Extravaganza is a free community event that is open to all as the church throws open its doors in hospitality to its neighbors,” said the event host, Janet Gates. Activities will include a “bounce house’ and a dunk tank, s...
On Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., a public webinar will be held to discuss the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project and its Construction Phase. Registration information can be found here. Part of the Project includes the underpass to be built connecting Niwot’s business district with the bikeway and the Niwot Park-N-Ride. Boulder County planners have approved underpass Option 3A instead of Option 2A as endorsed by the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID). (See the July 17, 2024 Courier article and Option d...
There is a museum of cars right here in Gunbarrel, that according to its website, "has some of the rarest, most valuable and authentic cars on display anywhere in the world." The Shelby American Collection Car Museum has been right here in our neighborhood at 5020 Chaparral Court for over 28 years. The museum was founded almost thirty years ago by five gentlemen, including those who raced Shelby vehicles. It was opened in this location, "just because we all live here," said Steve Volk, co-founde...
Boulder Country Club, located in the Gunbarrel Greens subdivision, is moving forward with plans to complete its master plan for renovation of the golf course, with attention to water usage and conservation. The Club reports that water traps along the 18-hole golf course have been remediated to prevent leakage. The club owns water rights from the Boulder Farmers Ditch and Colorado-Big Thompson Water Project, but can draw upon those rights only from April through October each year. Water storage is a high priority for the club, and water...
If you are interested in introspective enduring tales that are life affirming and that offer insights tailor-made for women who are frequently ignored or disrespected, you might want to consider A Midlife Voyage to Transformation. Donna Daniell shares her healing journey through her mid-life voyage in five stages entitled "Lost at Sea," "Finding a Mooring," "Deep Diving," "Rebirthing," and "The New You." The basis for her story is that she faces her fears by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in...
Boulder County Open Space and Parks is offering some hosted hiking and trail-related activities during the month of August. Use the embedded links to register and find additional information for each event. Cancelled due to Stone Canyon Fire Trail Closure: August 2, 8:15-10:30 p.m. Milky Way and Night Sky Viewing at Ron Stewart Preserve, Rabbit Mountain. Naturalists and astronomers from the Longmont Astronomical Society will be leading an informational night sky viewing session at Rabbit Mountai...
Last week, the Courier reported that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) underpass along the Diagonal Highway at Four-mile Creek Trail represents a significant improvement for bikers and pedestrians using the trail between Niwot and Boulder. According to the Boulder County press release, the "Four-mile Creek Bikeway Project will create a continuous, safe bikeway along SH119 between Boulder, Gunbarrel, Niwot and Longmont." However, despite their excitement for this development, local area...
A request for $997,785 in funding for the Boulder County Public Works Four-Mile BNSF Underpass Construction Project was approved at the Boulder County Commissioners meeting last week. The underpass is part of the Four-Mile Creek Bikeway Project and will connect the Cottonwood Trail to the Four-Mile Creek Trail. With this approval, the project has been assigned to Coal Creek Excavation which is slated to break ground in late August to early September. Construction is estimated to be on-going...
According to the city of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), the northernmost portion of the East Boulder Trail –- White Rocks Trail — is again open after a temporary closure for the past two weeks. According to the OSMP, the closure was due to petroleum field operations in the area. An abandoned well was capped. The State of Colorado is working to be sure abandoned wells are capped as they are known to potentially leak hydrocarbons into the air and ground. The Orphaned Wells Ent...
As the United States approaches its most exalted patriotic holiday on July 4th where we celebrate our hardwon union and form of government that provides civil freedoms seen nowhere else in the world, we accept that we are living during a time of heightened political divisiveness, perhaps not seen since the time of our Civil War. In The Presence of Mine Enemies, written in 2006 by Edward L. Ayers, provides a panoply of personal stories, recollections and material collected in The Valley of The...
A class entitled "Awakening Democracy: What is it, Who's part of it, How we shape it" was offered on June 17 by School of Statesmanship, Service and Stewardship, a Longmont non-profit created by community members Michael Butler, Carol Beth Engel-Enright, Charlene Santala Gearing, Stephanie G. Rossi, William H. Shirley, Chris D. Treharne, and Wein-Pin Yeh in June, 2022. According to its Articles of Incorporation, the specific purpose of the organization is "creating a learning environment which a...
The work that began on March 15 on the Gunbarrel and East Boulder/White Rocks Trail was completed June 15. Boulder County reported that the trails are open all the way to 95th Street. The new Vesper Trail that makes a loop to the north toward Lookout Road off the Gunbarrel Trail will remain under a Wildlife Closure order until Oct. 31 according to Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks. Trail closures can be found here....
Construction has restarted at the property at 6325 Lookout Road on the corner of Lookout Road and 63rd Street. The bare-framed structure has stood uncompleted for years in front of the Hampton Inn and Suites property on Lookout Road. Adjacent to both is a restaurant site which has recently opened again as Whistling Boar Provisions. Currently open only for breakfast and lunch while waiting for their liquor license, this latest eatery presents itself as a well-managed, community and farm focused...
"The Last Ranger," published originally in 2023, was written by Denver resident Peter Heller, an adventure-seeking outdoorsman who has established his bonafides in traveling the world as an expedition kayaker. Heller's adventures have become fodder for his tales of the challenging descents in the Pamirs, the Tien Shan mountains, the Caucasus, Central America and Peru. He was on the ground team of purportedly the most ambitious whitewater expedition that wound through the treacherous Tsangpo...
On March 11, 2024, construction was set to begin on the new Vesper Trail, with portions of the East Boulder-Gunbarrel Trail to be closed for use between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through June. The trail is currently closed from the Boulderado Drive and Cambridge Street access point in the Heatherwood subdivision to a point approximately one mile east. In addition, beginning May 13, repair and resurfacing work began on the East Boulder - White Rocks Trail between Boulderado Drive and...
A new genre book was launched on Friday night, April 12, at the Winot Cafe in Niwot as Dr. William A. Liggett's new climate fiction thriller, "Panic Peak," was presented to an enthusiastic audience. At start time there were only a few open chairs, which soon were filled with many standing in the back of the room for the event. Over thirty people attended the presentation. Liggett first spoke about his story as an 18-year old who spent a summer at the Hoh River area in Washington state and Mount...
Bill Liggett, a native Coloradan and recent newcomer to the Niwot community, is presenting his new book, "Panic Peak," on Friday, April 12 in conjunction with Inkberry Books. "Panic Peak" investigates interesting potential geoengineering solutions in the format of a fictional thriller. The book launch and signing will be held at Winot Cafe at 7 p.m. The venue for the presentation was changed from Una Vida to Winot Coffee. Reservations can be made online. Dr. Liggett is something of a...
Beginning March 11, 2024, when construction began on the new Vesper Trail, portions of the East Boulder-Gunbarrel Trail will be closed for use between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through June. The trail will be closed from the Boulderado Drive and Cambridge Street Access Point in the Heatherwood subdivision to a point approximately one mile east. According to a City of Boulder news release, the Vesper Trail will be "a new 1.5-mile trail section that will be built on Gunbarrel Hill near t...
The Niwot United Methodist Church has thrown open its doors for 26 years to invite the community for bowls of soup, salad, bread and fellowship. "Soup, Soup & More," held on Saturday, March 9, was open to the public free of charge. Most people attending contributed to a free-will offering, and donations are funneled to different local charities each year. According to Janet Gates, the event coordinator, 75% of the proceeds from the event this year will go to The Reentry Initiative, whose...
