All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 401 - 441 of 441
There are some things in life that are sure to bring a smile. In this neck of the foothills, one of those sure things is a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig named Winston. Winston and his family live near Dodd Lake by the three-way stop at 73rd Street and Niwot Road. Anyone who has seen him there once is sure to crane their head and search the yard for another sighting of his 90 pounds of grin-inducing, speckled snout-twitching, creamy-colored elliptical shape. Elizabeth Wright and Rod Mazzone adopted...
There are some things in life that are sure to bring a smile. In this neck of the foothills, one of those sure things is a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig named Winston. Winston and his family live near Dodd Lake by the three-way stop at 73rd Street and Niwot Road. Anyone who has seen him there once is sure to crane their head and search the yard for another sighting of his 90 pounds of grin-inducing, speckled snout-twitching, creamy-colored elliptical shape. Elizabeth Wright and Rod Mazzone adopted...
News late last year of the Niwot Cemetery board seeking additional members, as reported in the Courier, led eight potential new members to attend an informational meeting on Jan. 17, according to JoAnn Bell, who is one the remaining two members on the cemetery board. “There can’t be too many new members” Bell said, “We had a very good response to the newspaper articles. And once they have their feet on the ground, I have a sense that they will sign up.” The two surviving board members, Bell and...
Gonzo chef and television personality Guy Fieri is best known for uncovering cool, honest-to-goodness grub created by down-to-earth chefs served up in no-nonsense, welcoming eateries. Recently two restaurants with ties to Niwot with exactly that M.O. have had the honor of being featured on Fieri’s show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (DDD). SAMPLES Restaurant (370 Main Street) and The Post Brewery Company (1258 S. Hover Rd) were notified six months ago by DDD scouts that they were in the running t...
Niwot High School math teacher Michelle Rickley recently received a heartfelt “thank you” letter that included the line, “On behalf of our card-receiving patients around the country, thank you for helping us spread hope, joy and magic to sick kids!” The letter sent by the Founder and Executive Director of Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CFHK), touched Niwot High School staff and students in a profound way. Rickley, organizer of the holiday card project at Niwot HIgh School, said that as she rea...
A Niwot mainstay will be bidding farewell to the community when the Neighborhood Learning Center of Niwot closes its doors at the end of the school year. The property, located at 304 Franklin Street, is slated to be revamped for the care of four-pawed family members. The transition will mark the end of a Niwot-based preschool and daycare program, which has run for nearly 40 years on the site. The building, first built as a church by what is now the Niwot United Methodist Church on Lookout Road,...
Boulder-born Rush Bowls is opening a new grab-and-go location in Gunbarrel. Along with the new eatery, Rush is planning to outfit a corporate test kitchen and relocate its headquarters. The three elements will share a 4,000 square-foot space at 5400 Spine Road. Expanding administrative and executive space, refining product research and development and, having a functioning restaurant, all under one roof, will be a huge milestone for the company. Given the trajectory of growth for the company,...
Life is beyond sweet these days for Brandon Busch. A graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary School, Busch acquired Concertos Chocolates in Gunbarrel just over six months ago and powered through his first official holiday season in the gourmet chocolate industry. Busch has renamed the business Lift Chocolates. “Lifting” resonates with Busch who served nearly 10 years in the Marines as a heavy lift helicopter pilot. After his time in the service in Hawaii and Maryland, and stints in Iraq and Afgha...
At the heart of each community are places where locals gather -- newcomers are welcomed, food is shared, ideas are discussed, holidays are celebrated, accomplishments are acknowledged, information is disseminated and music is enjoyed. The result is a coming together that brings a sense of being part of vibrant community. Left Hand Grange No. 9 fulfills all of these needs in Niwot. Over 150 years ago, when the United States was primarily an agrarian society, people lived more isolated lives on...
Kirk Stewart wears many hats and, a kilt now and then too. A longtime resident of the Niwot area, Stewart steps up in many capacities for the community. Stewart’s professional life was as an aerospace engineer and a civil engineer. He has worked for governmental agencies and aerospace firms. For the past nine years, after leaving working life behind, he amped up his community service activities. Stewart is a very energetic member of the Rotary Club of Niwot. Through the organization he’s bec...
Retiree Joan Grunzweig is doing a poor job, … a poor job of retiring that is. After closing the chapter on the traditional working life of an elementary school teacher in California, she’s reinvented herself as a fabulous, frenetic, full-time, self-employed baker. These days she can be found in Niwot being a churning ball of energy that’s measuring, mixing, baking and decorating. Her Niwot-based business, Joan’s Petite Sweets, carries the tagline, “a few bites of confection perfectio...
Born in the age of rumble seats, ice boxes, and boys’ knickers, Bill Yoh has seen and experienced an enormous number of changes in the world over the past 100 years. Yoh will officially become a centenarian on Dec. 19, 2017. Born in rural Pennsylvania, and residing in Philadelphia for most of the first two-thirds of his life, Yoh has called Niwot his home since 1984 - over 33 years ago. It was a snowy winter day in Eureka, PA, when Yoh’s mother went into labor. As if the urgency of the situation...
Niwot has the good fortune of being Alyson Bell’s family. And, as it is with the best of kin, Bell’s positive impacts are deep and immeasurable. “I like to keep a full plate and keep it rolling” Bell said. And that truly is the Alyson Bell effect. Her personal touch on Niwot’s signature events such as Let’s Wine about Winter, Rock & Rails, and The Great Pumpkin Party, through her organizing and hands-on effort and by ensuring that graphics, printed materials and online presences are emblematic,...
In a deal that helps both IBM and Xcel Energy reach their ambitious renewable energy objectives, the parties announced that by late 2018 a large array of solar panels will be up and running on 54 acres of IBM’s Gunbarrel facility. Xcel Energy’s stated goal is to provide 55 percent of its annual energy through renewable sources by the year 2026 (including both solar and wind with the rest coming from natural gas). IBM’s statement regarding its environmental goals reads that it aims to “procure el...
Niwot’s Bell, Book, Candle & Coffee store, located at 198 2nd Avenue, has recently expanded its floor space and is adding many new lines of products. Owner, Chris Lucas’s plans are for the store to be Niwot’s department store. The store opened a year and a half ago, but in the last seven months, Lucas has slowly remodeled the retail space to include a kitchen where she brews coffee, and she has filled an adjoining room with some new categories of merchandise. Growing her merchandise lines into...
It was over a quarter of a century ago that JoAnn Bell and Nancy Hindman joined the Niwot Cemetery Association. At that time there were around a dozen people in the group. But now Bell and Hindman, both in their mid-eighties, are the only remaining participants on the association’s board of directors, and they’re asking for more folks to join them in preserving the cemetery located just west of 73 rd St. on Nimbus Rd. Described as a pioneer-style cemetery, Niwot Cemetery dates back to the lat...
Long-time Niwot resident Scott Tibbitts is laser focused on eradicating distracted driving and saving lives. As mobile phone technology has sped forward, so has the temptation to tune in to every flash and ding coming our way. With the growing wave of unnecessary tragedies from those interferences, Tibbits, CEO of Katasi, developed a solution that easily quiets the lure of social media, texting and talking while on the road. Tibbitts’ engineering expertise, creativity, and ability to bring t...
Imagine an enthralling space layered with luscious colors and compelling textures inspired by nature. Then add a dash of Bohemian flair mixed with a tad of the western spirit and a splash of Latin vibe and you have a sense of the ambience of Niwot’s Little Bird Boutique and Gallery. Liz Gould and Bruce Rabeler opened their Old Town Niwot store on a First Friday Artwalk night. Since that day six years ago, they’ve been warmly embraced and supported by Niwot shoppers, so much so that their sho...
Niwot High School’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone takes to the stage running from Thursday, November 9 through Sunday, November 12. All shows are at 7 p.m., except for the final show on Sunday, which is a matinee presented at 2 p.m. The play’s premise is a nod to old-time American jazz productions. It follows a quirky, middle-aged musical theater fan who has a running commentary on a fake production called The Drowsy Chaperone set in 1928. The complicated twists and turns of the actors weave together a rousing web of mistaken identities, d...
Efforts are underway to bring attention to one of Niwot’s most treasured historical gems – the Fire House Museum. It’s a tad too easy to be chatting on a stroll down 2nd Avenue and completely miss the lean wooden structure that sits back from the façades of the adjoining buildings. The Niwot Historical Society (NHS) recently put into motion two efforts – the renovation of the fire house museum building, and the restoration of the building site. NHS has successfully raised the needed funds to...
Quality work is the bedrock of every project taken on by Jim Fletemeyer and, much to the fortune of Niwot’s youngest community members and their parents, Fletemeyer’s propensity for excellence was extended to one of Niwot’s newest community venues. The Niwot Children’s Park became a reality a year ago thanks to the generosity of many people, and Fletemeyer’s gold standard involvement was integral to the creation of the final product. Fletemeyer’s day job is as the Principal Landscape A...
Before book reviewers declared Grannie Pants are UnderRated as “engaging,” “entertaining and suspenseful” and being full of “raw honesty,” Gayle Erickson’s best-received written works were her highly anticipated, hysterical annual Christmas letters to friends and family. The story of the book’s heroine, Elle, percolated in Gayle Erickson for three years and is now a published debut novel. “It’s a story about redemption and facing the truths of the past,” Erickson said. A 1987 Niwot High Schoo...
Before book reviewers declared “Grannie Panties are UnderRated” as “engaging,” “entertaining and suspenseful” and being full of “raw honesty,” Gayle Erickson’s best-received written works were her highly anticipated, hysterical annual Christmas letters to friends and family. The story of the book’s heroine, Elle, percolated in Gayle Erickson for three years and is now a published debut novel. “It’s a story about redemption and facing the truths of the past,” Erickson said. A 1987 Niwot High S...
The final lecture of this year’s Niwot Historical Society (NHS) series will be 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Left Hand Valley Grange Hall, 195 2nd Avenue in Niwot. Every other year NHS features a railroad-themed lecture. The upcoming train-related talk will be given by railroad historian and former curator of the Colorado Railroad Museum, Lauren Giebler. Giebler will present the captivating history of the American hobo experience. The term “riding the rails” was used to describe those who jumped aboard freight trains without permission and...
Deeply rooted as one of Niwot’s most enjoyable seasonal festivals, The Great Pumpkin Party is once again ready to roll into town. This year marks more than 20 years of trick-or-treating excitement for children, parents and even four-footed furry family members. The celebration of Halloween is from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m, Saturday, Oct 28. Businesses in Cottonwood Square and along 2nd Ave. will be handing out candy and other goodies to children and entertainment abounds in both commercial areas. All acti...
Seventeen-year-old Annie Wiorek recently received serious acknowledgement that she’s solidly on the path to her chosen career. Wiorek’s passion for taking photographs netted her two first-prize awards this year at the Boulder County Fair. She won first place in both the mammal and reptile categories, second place in the bird category, third place in the open category and an honorable mention in the people category. Her favorite subjects for photos are animals and nature. Living on a farm, the...
Niwot Historical Society guest speaker Mona Lambrecht presented the fascinating story of Rocky Mountain Joe Sturtevant at the Left Hand Grange Hall on the evening of Sept. 27. At least 100 people attended. Topics covered included Rocky Mountain Joe’s irreplaceable contributions to preserving local history through his prolific photography, and his recounting of development in Boulder and the surrounding areas in the late 1800’s. Lambrecht, curator of History and Collections at the University of Colorado Heritage Center, is currently writing a b...
After approval last year by Boulder County officials, Southpaw Commons is now under construction between Colterra and Nourish & Company at 240 2nd Avenue in Niwot. Construction will consist of three elements – more than a dozen off-street parking spots, a commercial building, and three residential units. The project is owned by Anne and Jim Postle, with design by Anne Postle of Osmosis Architecture and construction by Porchfront Homes. The Postles, Osmosis Architecture and Porchfront Homes a...
There’s a noticeable new vibe at the Niwot Florist. As of last week, Jessica Wilson is the new owner of the flower shop, located inside the Niwot Market. Her excitement about the business and its possibilities is contagious. “I’ve always had a passion for flowers and this is something I really care about” Wilson said. Wilson brings her love and knowledge of flowers, including her master gardener status, to the flower shop. At her Gunbarrel home, Wilson uses all of the hard-to-come-by sunny s...
The weekend’s low pressure system had nothing on the high spirits of the Niwot Trot runners. Sunday morning’s cool air and teasing drizzle made for a beautiful setting to run a 5K, to feel the energy of the community, and to contribute to a wonderful cause. Niwot Elementary School’s PTAC organizes the annual race to raise money for the para-professionals who serve NES. The twelfth year of the Niwot Trot brought out 429 entrants, a record number for the event. Participants and spectators were...
Friday’s celebratory announcements at Niwot High School included the newsflash that students had earned an average ACT test score of 24 in the previous school year, a threshold that has not been hit since the year 2012. NHS principal Eric Rauschkolb said scores have hovered above 23 since that year, but this year saw the score tip up to 24. While students received their individual scores prior to the beginning of school this year, the composite score had not been publicized. Niwot High School’s average score gives it the distinction of bei...
Let them drink water. Beer production was paused by Oskar Blues Brewery so that the brewery’s manufacturing equipment could be used to package much needed clean drinking water for delivery to Texas and Florida hurricane victims. This generous response to two back to back crises is the result of the joint efforts of Oskar Blues, Ball Corporation, and the CAN’d Aid Foundation. CAN’d Aid, a not for profit organization started in 2013 by Dale Katechis, owner of Oskar Blues Brewery, originated when...
On the precise day they needed to have raised $100,000, Labor Day, Mila’s Miracle Foundation (www.StopBattan.org) hit its goal and received the promised matching funds. Thanks to an anonymous donor, the amount was doubled to give them $200K toward their search for a cure. Combined with other private donations, the organization sits just shy of $300,000 for this phase of the foundation’s endeavors. Mila’s mother, Julia Vitarello, said as the deadline to receive the matching donation approached, “Tons and tons and tons of people stepped up.” Ot...
Living kidney donor Scott La Point, and the recipient of his kidney, Niwotian Jim Eastman, are both ecstatic to report they’re doing “really well” 10 weeks post-surgery. Given that he’s already riding his bike for distances up to 60 miles, and this past weekend he took on the Pike’s Peak Challenge Summit Hike last weekend, to say La Point is doing really well is an understatement. Kidney recipient Jim Eastman has completed the Pike’s Peak Challenge five times in the past and said he’d love to do it again. Although it’s a little soon for Eastma...
For a week, metal cages sat atop each prairie dog mound in the open space bordering Highway 52 and 79th Street. The hope was to capture and relocate 100 black-tailed prairie dogs. Ultimately, 84 critters were apprehended in the sprung traps and then moved to a more spacious location. Each trap was baited with sweet feed, consisting of oats, grains and sunflower seeds, a mixture prairie dogs love. While it compels many of the prairie inhabitants to enter the cages, they are aware enough to...
Yes, it’s a super cool thing to have, but Karen McMeans would have been happy to make you your own masterpiece. “The realization that it’s gone has been really hard” artist McMeans said about the missing one-of-a-kind Left Hand chair she painted. It took her two and a half months to complete, working on her hands and knees at times, with an injured back. Whether thieves stole the award-winning work of art, or the folks taking the chair thought it was abandoned, they used Herculean strengt...
The Niwot Business Association (NBA) has announced the hiring of a new Economic Development Director (EDD), Niwot resident Catherine McHale. McHale’s first day on the job was Sept. 1 and she steps into what she described as a “vibrant business community.” The first thing on her to-do list: getting personally acquainted with each Niwot business. According to the formal job posting for McHale’s new position, it is best summed up as “the vanguard of NBA’s vision for the community’s commercial co...
We apologize for an incorrect link which was included in the earlier article regarding Mila’s Miracle Foundation. For information on fundraising events supporting Mila’s foundation, please visit www.StopBatten.org/events. Earlier we had reported Mila’s three-year-old brother, Azlan, might also have the gene combination that results in Batten Disease. We are pleased to report tests concluded Azlan does not have Batten Disease. However, it is true that siblings of children with Batten have a 25 percent chance of also having the disease. Addit...
Editor’s note: This article highlights just one of the new teachers at Niwot High School. We hope to get more spotlights on great teachers over the coming weeks. If you know a teacher or staff/faculty member that deserves credit, email [email protected]. Sarah Demmel feels like she’s back home now that she and her family have returned to Niwot. After three years in Austin, TX where her husband’s job had relocated them, Demmel and her family are once again enjoying what this small town has to of...
For the average cost of a home in Boulder, rare diseases affecting hundreds of children could be curtailed or eradicated. Six-year-old Mila Makovec was diagnosed in late 2016 with one of these diseases and her family is looking to our community to raise $1M to help children in the same unfathomable situation. Diagnosing Mila’s illness was a journey unto itself. What doctors discovered years after worsening symptoms appeared, was that Mila (pronounced Mee’-la) has Batten Disease, a fatal gen...
As if having a traumatic brain injury in common wasn’t enough, Jim Eastman and Scott La Point now share another life-altering event. Six weeks ago, La Point’s left kidney was transplanted into Eastman,bolstering his health and adding years to his life. Eastman’s journey to replace his failing kidneys is a masterful study in how to gracefully navigate a terrifying health issue. La Point’s story speaks to how offering support and charity can be a way of living every day. Eastman, who has lived i...
