All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The tragic death of Niwot resident and Lefty's Pizza owner, Craig "Lefty" Harris, was a rare fatality at the intersection of Niwot Road and Highway 119. Accident data from the Colorado Department of Transportation shows one other fatality since 2005. "Our safety performance metrics using 2018 - 2020 crash data show that the total frequency of crashes is consistent with similar intersection types at similar traffic volumes," Communications Manager Jared Fiel said. "However, the frequency of...
If there is an “active harmer” at Niwot High School, Boulder County Sheriff’s Department wants to have long guns (rifles) stored on the school grounds for a quicker response. “Most of the time when you talk about an active harmer incident of magnitude it’s over quickly,” said Boulder County Sgt. Bill Crist, himself a Niwot High graduate, during a study session with SVVSD board members on Aug. 17. “Situations like Columbine, Sandy Hook, the Texas incident, these things are over within a matter of minutes.” The guns would be locked up in a...
It was elite company for Niwot High golfer Jackson Sessa. He was one of only seven freshmen in the field of 84 at the 4A state golf tournament. The lone competitor for the Cougars never expected to qualify as a freshman. "I had fun," Sessa said. "It was very cool and I just really enjoyed being there and it was a very good learning experience." Sessa finished 74th in the two-day tournament at Pelican Lakes Golf Course in Windsor. "There's no substitute for playing in the state tournament,...
It was a cool, dreary day on the golf course at Riverdale Knolls in Brighton last week. But a ray of light shone through the gray skies. Niwot High freshman Jackson Sessa qualified for State. “I’m pretty happy. I was not originally thinking that I would qualify because I knew that our region was very tough, and because of the weather. I wasn’t sure I would be able to play my best,” Sessa said. He shot a 79, putting him in a tie for 16th place at the regional 4A tournament. “It was cold and I didn’t start off great but I was able to turn it aro...
The team scores for Niwot High School gymnastics are trending down over the first few weeks of the season, but team chemistry is trending up, according to head coach Marisa Purcell who believes that is an important piece of her team's long-term success. Purcell was encouraged to see her gymnasts holding hands while they supported one of their teammates on the balance beam during last week's home meet against Rocky Mountain High School, a district team from Poudre Valley. "They were really in...
Freshmen and sophomores led the Niwot Cougars to the first victory of the girls gymnastics season last week. Coach Marisa Purcell said the meet was a "great start" for her young team that beat a smaller, injury-depleted Ft. Morgan team 170.95 to 104.45. Sophomore Maeve Flentie won all-around with a score of 35.00, sophomore Claire Vardas was second at 34.00 and freshman Kylee Schlepp finished third with 32.90 in the Class 4A meet against Ft. Morgan. Another freshman, Lilly O'Neill, took top hono...
Niwot High School girls volleyball has a new coach with old expectations for another strong run at the Class 4A state title. The Cougars made it to the semi-finals last season before bowing out. "I'd love to repeat the success we had last year and continue what the program has started in Niwot the last five or six years." first-year head coach Tony Engel said. "People expect us to be at State and I want that to continue," Engel was an assistant coach at Niwot before winning the top job after...
A sweet Saturday is on tap as the Honey Bee Harvest Festival brings swarms of family-friendly activities, goodies and know-how to Niwot. The second-annual event expands on last year's festivities with a full schedule from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown and in Cottonwood Square. "Seems like there are so many topics to share," co-organizer Victoria Keen said. "The more I learned, the more I was amazed." The fascinating story of bees will be shared through a speaker series at the Left Hand Grange....
Niwot residents Todd Dutkin and Charles Bell would sit on top of the bleachers watching their kids play basketball and talk business, life and challenges. They became friends and informal business associates. "He's one of my favorite all-time people," said Bell, owner of Tool Studios. "He's one of those humans that you're like, I wish I could be more like him. I don't know anybody who has met him who says any different." It's hard not to admire someone who built a business from fewer than 15...
Gleaming brass and purple T-shirts dazzled baseball fans as the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band played the national anthem at Coors Field Friday, July 29. "It was really exciting," saxophonist Brenda Luksch said after the performance in left field. "I thought we did a good job." Luksch fills in as director from time to time, but was in the saxophone section for this performance as regular conductor Debbie Benson directed the band. Luksch isn't the only versatile member of the band...
Before a whistle pig can fly, apparently she must learn to hitchhike. Marmots, also known as whistle pigs, aren't native to highways and they don't have thumbs but they are good at disappearing into a cozy engine to hitch a ride. One yellow-bellied marmot recently completed an epic journey from Colorado to Canada. It started when Canadian tourists made camp at the foot of the Maroon Bells near Aspen while the whistle pig curled up in the warm engine of their car for a midday snooze. The couple...
A dog on hind legs peeks longingly into the window of Niwot Rental and Feed, a red guitar bursts from the stage at Whistlestop Park as children dance, a golfer tees off with Haystack Mountain in the distance. These are just a few of the iconic images of Niwot and the surrounding area that are on display around town for this year's annual art exhibition, "Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show. Thirty-five pieces have been entered by 16 artists who submitted up to three works each. A panel of judges...
A stretch of the LoBo Trail in Niwot is once again level and springy beneath feet and tires after Boulder County resurfaced the well-used path. Newly laid crusher fines gravel was added to the section of trail just north of Centrebridge Drive between 79th Street and the Niwot Road underpass. "I think it's good. It's soft, it's cushy, it's nice," runner Collette Wilfong said. "I've always really liked this trail, the mix of dogs, people, bikes. I'm glad it's getting taken care of." The trail has...
It's the children that drew them to teaching and what they'll miss the most in retirement. But two Niwot Elementary School teachers have decided it's time to focus on other things in life. "I came home crying Tuesday night. I'll miss those bright little faces," special education teacher Trish Norten said. She is retiring after teaching for 25 years, 10 in Niwot. First grade teacher Dale Peterson is leaving the school after 26 years of teaching first and second grade. With the exception of...
Poo per mile. It's probably not a measure you've ever heard of. But on May 1st the calculation came in at 268 piles of poo per mile on the trails at Coot Lake and west of the Boulder Reservoir. The "Let's DOO it" campaign brought out volunteers and staff from City of Boulder Parks and Recreation who marked each poo pile with an orange flag that said "Bag it. Pack it. Can it." There were a total of 671 piles found along 2.5 miles of trails, amounting to 36.5 pounds of waste. BPR staff also engage...
They started by stirring things up in their physical education class at Niwot High School last fall. Freshmen Samantha Zacky and Anne Haley became partners in pickleball and every other sport they played in PE. They felt like they had a good connection and were successful as a team. But it was one particular badminton game that convinced them they had something special. "We defeated the teacher in badminton," Zacky said. "That's when we knew we were good together," Haley added. Neither girl had...
I didn't have my glasses on, and thought maybe the brown bump on the edge of my dog Stering's eye was a growth that sprouted quickly. I'd seen bumps like that on other dogs. I went about my day, but puzzled over it. How could I miss something like that when I look into Sterling's sweet brown eyes all the time? Better get out the glasses. Eww! It was alive! A tick had latched on to the corner of his eye. I was horrified that I let it go for even a couple hours. But it truly never occurred to me t...
Only a few prairie dogs remain at the Monarch Park Open Space on the corner of 79th Street and Highway 52, clearing the way for a reseeding operation by Boulder County that began in early April. The animals had eaten much of the vegetation down to dirt, causing erosion near the trails and draws, and encouraging weeds to move in, according to Boulder County invasive plants supervisor Joe Swanson. The county used lethal control, placing carbon monoxide cartridges in the dens before the reseeding...
Weather has been winning the battle for the tennis courts this spring, but Niwot girls tennis is settling into the season with a 2-1 record and getting close to nailing down the lineup. The team returns three experienced players for the top three singles spots: Junior Alys Pop is #1, Senior Anna Sallee is #2 and Senior Georgia Lang is #3. All played on the team that took third in last year's Class 4A state championships. Four freshmen have landed a spot on the team. The top three doubles spots...
Niwot's Casey Grothus is heading to California next month to give a presentation at the corporate headquarters of a major tech company in Silicon Valley. It's something he never imagined as a child with autism. "I worried all the time that it would be hard to get a job. Absolutely," Grothus said. "Members of the autism community have such a high unemployment rate and underemployment rate that it was a real concern of mine." He had reason to worry. About two-thirds of people with autism don't...
First Hole A hawk whistles as it lands on the giant cottonwood just behind the first tee. It's an appropriate send-off as I begin my final round at Haystack Mountain Golf Course. As always, there is something that takes my attention away from the little white ball when I'm here, whether it is the wildlife, peach and purple sunsets, stately trees or the tawny slopes of the odd bump on the horizon, Haystack Mountain itself. This late summer day is the last time I'll play the nine-hole course off...
A new restaurant is dipping its toes into the dining waters at Boulder Reservoir. Driftwind opened with concessions on June 5 and is slowly ramping up over the next weeks and months to include special events, facility rental and, eventually, regular dining overlooking the reservoir. "There is something special about being by a large body of water," said Driftwind Manager Avara Yaron. "It's comforting, soothing. We're providing meals for people in this beautiful atmosphere." The waters have been...
He was 120 pounds of black and brown love at the end of the school day for kids at Niwot Elementary School. For the past two years Sully the German Shepherd would wait outside the school to pick up his three "sisters," Maggie, Abigail and Emma, and walk them home. The girls and their classmates would blast out of the school doors, eager to find Sully and engulf him with their affection. "I don't really think the kids were ever scared of him, because he just had this demeanor to him that you...
I scooped up some scrap hay at a barn where I kept my horse and noticed a dark spot in the midst of the pale green. Between my hands and the hay was a frail body no bigger than my thumb, a mix of black fuzz and feather. I looked up to the 40-foot rafters where I knew there was a barn swallow nest. This little one might have made a too-early attempt to fly or took a tumble after sibling scuffle. At least the baby bird made a soft landing on the loose hay. But it made a hard landing on my heart....
Cottonwood Square in Niwot is about to have one less cottonwood tree. Boulder County Public Works is planning to cut down a tree on the south side of Niwot Road, just east of 79th Street. It's estimated to be 50 to 100 years old. The tree is decaying and risks falling over, according to Boulder County arborist Cathy Thiltgen. "It was a tough decision, but ultimately we had to make it safe for the community. We just don't want anything terrible to happen," Thiltgen said. She and arborist Mary...
Bobcats have become a regular feature on the Nextdoor social media platform. Several people have recently posted photos and stories about seeing them in Niwot and Gunbarrel. Avara Yaron was walking in the afternoon along a ditch on a path north of Lookout Road, just east of King Soopers. "On the other side of that waterway, that canal, I saw a large cat and the first thing that crossed my mind was, 'Is it a mountain lion? No it's smaller, it's a bobcat,'" she said. "We just looked at each other...
Pink tulips and crisp lettuce are signs of spring at the new Treehouse Farm Collective a few miles northwest of Niwot. The season offers a fresh beginning for plants and people, including two agricultural businesses that saw a way to expand their offerings of flowers and fresh vegetables by leasing land together. Farmette Flowers and Speedwell Farm and Gardens leased a 17-acre property on 63rd Street in January, something that would have been out of reach if they hadn't done it together. "I...
The "Little Shop of Horrors" has been a big place of opportunity for performers at Niwot High this spring. Students are movie stars instead of theater stars for their grand finale, something they wouldn't have experienced if not for the pandemic. Because of restrictions on crowds and singing together, the production was filmed and will be streamed online May 7 and 8. "They'd say lights, camera, action. It was so much fun. It was a super cool experience," said senior Fiona Benson who plays one...
The south end of the West Twin Lakes Trail in Gunbarrel will close for up to three weeks for emergency stabilization of a bank along the Boulder and Left Hand Ditch that flows through the area. Boulder County Parks and Open Space plans to start work this week. Erosion on the bank is threatening the abutment to a footbridge, adding urgency to the project, according to BCPOS Project Manager Mary Olson. She said the problem stems from the impact of people and dogs, "It's like any other park during...
Niwot Elementary's Jessica Easley says she has an amazing job. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students earned her Teacher of the Year for her school, an award she's won multiple times in her career. "It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen for this award," Easley wrote in an email after being honored at the Tribute to Teachers celebration on Friday night. "I am very grateful. I have taught for 26 years, most of them in Niwot. I love my job and my students. I am excited to...
It's not every teen who can find an emergency bandmate in their house, let alone one who can play Zimbabwean music. When Niwot High senior Noah Randall couldn't play in-person with his band during the pandemic, he would say, "Hey Mom, can you play with me?" It makes sense since she is the one who introduced him to music from Zimbabwe. She saw a band in Boulder and decided to take lessons on the marimba, an instrument similar to a xylophone. Randall was in elementary school at the time and had...
It's always a great honor to be named a finalist for Teacher of the Year, but this year's group earned recognition in a pandemic year that brought unforeseen challenges to them, students and schools. Their principals praised them for finding new and creative ways to engage and support students, while adapting to teaching virtually or in socially distanced and masked classrooms. Each St. Vrain Valley School District has three finalists and will eventually have a winner chosen from their school...
Air pollutants east of Longmont were recently measured at the highest ever seen by a scientist with 40 years experience in the field. On January 6 and February 1, readings from air monitoring equipment at Union Reservoir, east of Longmont, spiked so high for the chemical ethane, it was far above what the equipment could measure. Methane, propane and other petroleum hydrocarbons were also extremely high, according to Atmospheric Chemist, Dr. Detlev Helmig. "I've never seen values this high...
Life may have started out a little sad for orphaned baby squirrels at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, but they have a cozy place to curl up and grow up thanks to homemade nesting baskets from some Niwot women. "I'm hopelessly in love with all critters," said Jane Langdon who saw the idea on a wildlife rescue website. Langdon, Kathy Koehler and various knitting and crocheting friends meet on Thursday afternoons at Old Oak Coffeehouse. "This was a fun project and one of those 'feel...
Boulder County Commissioners have removed Rainbow Open Space as a potential site for a large-scale compost facility. The move comes nearly four weeks after commissioners accepted a withdrawal of the application for a special use permit being sought by Boulder County Public Works. The decision was based on several reasons, according to a news release from commissioners, which state, "After careful analysis of concerns identified during design development, including additional cost information, si...
It's all about the dirt. Improving the soil improves the plants, improves the yield, improves the quality and amount of locally grown food, and benefits the environment, which is why Boulder County is investing more than $300,000 in grants to local agricultural projects and farms through the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Funds. Michael Moss of Kilt Farms has two properties he leases from the county. One of them, on the Diagonal Highway west of Niwot is a productive organic vegetable farm. But...
Repairs on the Cottontail Trail in Gunbarrel could begin this week, causing a temporary closure to two sections of the trail. The trail is part of the LOBO Trail. Impacted sections are between Lookout Road and Highway 52. Starting as early as Wednesday, a half-mile section of the trail south of Highway 52 to the Boulder White Rock Ditch will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. while work is being done. Resurfacing is expected to take four weeks. The section of the trail that is directly south of...
It wasn't the final run that Niwot High School senior Emily Creek dreamed of, but she's grateful she got to be part of a team and go to the state championships all four years of her high school career. Creek raced for Nederland High School and was in second place in slalom after her first run at Loveland Ski Area on Friday. But on her second run she went over a gate and had to stop and hike back up to get back on course. She still finished in 19th place. "My nerves get to me at state, and I...
Nancy Davis thought a conservation easement meant the land was protected from development. So when she and her husband bought their property on Lookout Road in 2015 they were confident that the conservation easement on the adjacent Rainbow Nursery tree farm would preserve its rural character, giving them confidence to move forward with their dream of a business doing horse boarding, training and growing hay. In fact, their property is subject to a conservation easement on the lower 16 acres of...
School volunteer Lydia Moy looks at every opportunity and raises it up a notch. "Your job is not to do 10,000 cutout Valentines for second grade, your job is to spread the love," Moy said. Moy has been spreading the love for 14 years in elementary, middle and now high school. She's a realtor who used to work with emerging markets in finance, which she said helped her think about the big picture, "I'm a long term person." That mentality influences the way she approaches volunteering. When she...
No one wants to go through another fire season like 2020 with months of dangerous air quality, eerie smoke, raining ash and tragic losses of homes, forest land and wildlife. That's why Rep. Joe Neguse of Boulder County convened a listening session to hear from Colorado residents about their wildfire experiences and what would help prevent and mitigate wildfires. More than 800 people joined last week's video call with several sharing heartbreaking stories of losing their homes to the flames....
There aren't many places where you can pick up a bag of birdseed, a bale of alfalfa, rent a Bobcat, buy a plush dog toy and goat's milk soap, check the community bulletin board to see who has chickens for sale, and be recognized by a familiar face at the counter who rings you up. "Most of the people call you by your first name when they come in. They know us," said Tim Rollman whose parents, Steve and Kay Rollman, started Niwot Rental and Feed Jan. 1, 1981. The store's 40th anniversary is...
It's been more than two weeks since my neighbors' dog got out, and made a beeline toward me and my dog as we walked down our driveway for our daily walk. I froze, not knowing what the dog wanted. I'd never seen her loose before. I knew from walking on the path behind the dog's yard that it was a snarly, yappy little thing. It trotted toward us, not showing any clear signs of aggression. No growling or barking or teeth baring. No obvious hackles up. It didn't occur to me that she was coming to...
A Gunbarrel trail that washes out nearly every year will get a permanent fix this spring. Boulder County Commissioners approved the realignment and resurfacing of the Cottontail Trail that runs north of Lookout Road at 75th Street and connects with the regional LoBo Trail to Highway 52. The plan to fix the trail wasn't a hard sell. Commissioner Claire Levy said she wasn't sure it was even a real trail because of the damage she noticed when riding her bike on it. Boulder Open Space and Mountain...
It started with putting barrettes in her cat's fur when she was three years old. Liz Edge always knew she wanted to work as a hairstylist. In high school she nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit and took business classes. After seven years in the industry she put it all together and opened her own salon in Niwot called Ivy and Thistle. "I was driving through Niwot and stumbled across a salon that used to be 2nd Avenue [Hair Studio] and I just knew that's the space," Edge said. "Just loving Niwot...
The time window is open, but details have been scarce on how people 70 and over can register and get the COVID-19 vaccine. Boulder County Public Health tried to address growing public frustration with the vaccine rollout during its weekly community update webinarlast week, when several people asked when they can expect their vaccination, where to get it, and how they'll be notified. "I hate to say this, but if you really want to make sure that you are notified whenever there is...
For more than a century Charlie Stromquist and his ancestors farmed 175 acres northeast of Niwot. Extended family had 405 acres adjacent to the north, which Boulder County bought years ago as agricultural open space. Now the two chunks of land are connected again under one owner after Boulder County Commissioners agreed to the purchase of the Stromquist-Laber property. "It's got great water rights and soil productivity," said Commissioner Matt Jones. Commissioners Marta Lochamin and Claire Levy...
A local teen who stutters and his speech therapist have an extra reason to watch Joe Biden give his inauguration speech next week. For the more than three million people in this country who stutter, the silver-haired, president-elect is a symbol of what's possible. "It is amazing. He is really an incredible role model for everybody like him," said Longmont High senior Adam Benes, who has stuttered for as long as he can remember. "I think that's the most impressive thing about him - being...
Technically, there wasn't a special occasion, but it felt like one. Just going to dinner at a restaurant felt like celebration enough after not doing it for 10 months. We've been take-out and stay-home people during the pandemic, but we made an exception to try out Aperitivo Restaurant's new snow globes where we could dine in our own airspace. Three plastic globes arrived at the Gunbarrel restaurant just before Christmas. Owner Edward Vanegas ordered them in early November. "We were worried...
