All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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2/23/23 Dear Left Hand Valley Courier, I am writing in comment on Wandering Jellyfish's Drag Queen Story time, as published in the article "Drag Queen Story Time Comes to Niwot" by Biff Warren. Niwot has long been politically dormant. Due to its lack of mayor and place within the greater Boulder County area, this small country town of just over 4,000 people has managed to keep itself civil and strong in face of growing political division, and besides the odd Trump flag or Biden bumper sticker, this is how it was. Niwot is also the site of...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) February meeting opened with a presentation from 18-year veteran Sgt. Michael Hill of the Colorado State Patrol. LID members also welcomed another guest, who offered her perspective on planned traffic improvements on Highway 119. Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann, who was elected to replace Matt Jones last fall, attended the February LID meeting at the Niwot Inn Feb. 7, and gave her perspective on the traffic issues...
Jordyn Ballard has come a long way since interning with the Left Hand Valley Courier during her senior year at Silver Creek High School eight years ago. Following a memorable three-plus year run working in the athletics communications department at West Texas A&M University, Ballard accepted the position of Associate Director of Athletic Communications at Kansas State University in December. She moved to Manhattan, Kansas, in January and is currently preparing for the Wildcats' upcoming spring...
Curtis Johnson, who was elected Boulder County Sheriff in the November 2022 election, was sworn in as the top law enforcement officer in Boulder County on Jan. 10. Johnson succeeds Joe Pelle, who served an unprecedented five 4-year terms as Boulder County Sheriff. Pelle is a former Niwot resident whose wife Stephanie worked at the Niwot Post Office for many years, and as a result, was very familiar with the community. Johnson, a Boulder native whose father, Clayton "Swede" Johnson, was a...
I moved to Niwot in 1975 from Nebraska (did you know that Niwot used to be in Nebraska Territory?), and I knew it was the right place when I went to a Niwot High School football game....A lady in the stands recognized me... because she used to babysit me....in Nebraska. Since then I've been an attorney, a volunteer firefighter, a coach, a swimming instructor, a Sunday School teacher, a band member, a sportswriter, and now an editor. My wife Susan and I have three children and one bonus son, alon...
I was born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, grew up in Homer, Illinois, lived in Ohio for a couple of years and moved to Colorado in 1994. I have called Niwot home for 22 years and have raised three children here. My youngest son is in his final year of middle school, my middle son is in his second year of college at CSU, and my eldest son graduated from college, moved to Boston, and recently got married. I have helped build our company Tool Studios in downtown Niwot over the past 21 years as the...
It's morning – the second Thursday in December – and about 50 Niwotians who are over 55 are drinking coffee, eating snacks, listening to two local musicians play their tunes, socializing and – later, playing trivia, at the Left Hand Grange. We're at the monthly meeting of the Niwot Community Connection. It really seems like a great way to connect as well as to build local community. Besides the monthly meet-ups – often with a guest speaker – at the Grange Hall, the group has organized smaller s...
Approximately 30 people gathered in the auditorium at the Longmont Museum for the second installment of the Media Matters series on Oct. 30. This segment, titled "Media Matters Part II: The Local Scene," was a followup to a panel on Oct. 9. That program featured panelists with experience working for larger newspapers who looked at how journalism has changed in recent years, and included Maria Karagianis, former reporter for the Boston Globe who now writes for the Courier. Part two focused on...
Tim Waters, a Longmont city councilman, hosts a podcast called "The Backstory." On Oct. 9, Waters took his show on the road to the auditorium at the Longmont Museum, where a crowd of 50, including Niwot historian and former Courier columnist Anne Dyni, attended in person, in addition to an online audience. The topic was the future of journalism in the age of social media, and Waters assembled an impressive panel of journalists, including Dana Coffield, co-founder of the Colorado Sun, Melissa...
Upcoming Events at the Grange Niwot Community Connection Beginning Oct. 13, the Niwot Community Connection (NCC) will meet at the Grange on the second Thursday of each month. Meetings will be held from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. The organization's mission is "to provide a forum for individuals over 50 years of age in the Niwot area to help build a sense of community and promote opportunities for connection and learning." In addition to updates about the variety of activity groups the NCC offers, the Oct...
Niwot attorney, co-founder of the Left Hand Valley Courier, longtime Niwot resident and (extremely) active community member, Bruce "Biff" Warren, received yet another honor this week. Partner and founding attorney at Warren, Carson & Moore LLP, Warren was inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame. "A couple of people showed up in my office one morning, without an appointment," Warren said. "It was Dennis Paul, who is president of the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame, and Jeff...
If you're raising some young baseball players, or just have a love of the game, you probably know Canar Field at the Niwot Youth Sports complex known as Hangge Fields at Monarch Park. It's the largest of the six fields, often used for "senior" players between 13 and 15 years old. Jason Canar of Longmont remembers when Canar Field was christened back in 1986, and the field still holds great meaning for him. "I'm incredibly proud, just to have it have that name," he said. Canar Field wasn't named...
If you're raising some young baseball players, or just have a love of the game, you probably know Canar Field at the Niwot Youth Sports complex known as Hangge Fields at Monarch Park. It's the largest of the six fields, often used for "senior" players between 13 and 15 years old. Jason Canar of Longmont remembers when Canar Field was christened back in 1986, and the field still holds great meaning for him. "I'm incredibly proud, just to have it have that name," he said. Canar Field wasn't named...
There was plenty of sunshine and throngs of bold colored, crisp NFL flag jerseys running around the outfields of the Biff Warren Baseball Complex on Sunday, Aug. 28, for opening weekend of the fall 2022 Niwot Youth Sports Flag Football season. Two outfields at the complex are transformed each Sunday into regulation size NFL flag fields for the 13 teams competing this fall. Each team chooses an NFL team to represent, complete with reversible jerseys in team colors and with team logos. Back to run...
The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band opened Rock & Rails Thursday night, Aug. 18, at the Whistle Stop Park with a set list ranging from “Stairway to Heaven” to “In Heaven There Is No Beer.” The band, under the direction of Debbie Benson, featured 24 of the approximately 30 local musicians who perform with the band. The band was formed on July 4, 2005, to perform at the dedication of the Whistle Stop Park bandstand, and returned to its roots to open for Quemando at Rock & Rails. The band performs at local events, with approxi...
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...
This Friday, July 29, the Colorado Rockies face the LA Dodgers at Coors Field in Denver, and the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band is scheduled to perform the National Anthem to open the game. Since its founding on July 4, 2005, at the dedication of the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park, the band has always had its collective eye on interesting local venues. The band is a regular at Niwot events, including the 4th of July celebration, the "Why Not Niwot?" Juried Art Show, Enchanted...
Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) is hosting a series of events to raise money for the Monarch Improvement Project. NYS, which was originally formed in 1972 as Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Boys Baseball, Inc, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing exceptional recreational and competitive sports experiences for kids ages 4 to 18 in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. These programs, which include baseball, softball, basketball, flag football & soccer, provide children with the opportunity to participate i...
Last week we wrote about Niwot native Royce Johnson and how in 1974 he made land available to the Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Boys Baseball, Inc., a non-profit organization now known as Niwot Youth Sports, as a site for "temporary" ballfields. The "temporary" Johnson Fields were used continuously for over 20 years until homes were built on Christopher Court in the Johnson Valley Subdivision in 1994. Ultimately, land that Johnson had donated to Boulder County for a park known as Left Hand Valley...
Niwot's annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast was back to pre-pandemic size this year, with long lines waiting to be served by volunteers and staff from the Niwot Market. The Pancake Breakfast is more than just pancakes - servings included pancakes, sausage, eggs, and Bert Steele's famous chile, with coffee and orange juice on the side. The net proceeds of the breakfast after costs are covered were donated to the Niwot Youth Sports Monarch Improvement Project. Tip jars were also available with...
Niwot Youth Sports had an outstanding spring 2022 season with 31 teams competing in the recreational baseball program. The season officially kicked off on May 1 with Opening Day festivities, including a visit from Colorado Rockies' mascot Dinger, a bouncy house, refreshments and preseason scrimmages for each team. Many NYS baseball alumni, including former players, coaches and administrators, were on hand for the ceremony, which included a special presentation about the Monarch Improvement...
Three Niwot Youth Sports players practiced their swings early Saturday morning at Left Hand Valley Grange Park to beat the afternoon heat. Julianna, Wesley, and Burke Deens were there taking some batting practice with their dad and coach just in time for Father's Day. Julianna is a pitcher and first baseman on the Wildcats 10U softball team, and when asked about how the team's season was going she said, "Our team is doing really well, and our hitting has really improved so far." Her dad, Jeremy...
A Niwot Youth Sports week-long baseball camp was a casualty of Covid-19 for the past two years, but with restrictions lifted, the popular camp returned, as did former camp director Bob Bote. For years, dating back to the early 1980s, Bote conducted a baseball camp for players 5 to 13, using high school players as camp coaches. Bote, who served as the Niwot High School head coach from 1979 through 2006, won five state Class 4A state titles during his tenure, and his summer camps, often sponsored...
Rock & Rails is a well-loved, much-attended community event in Niwot's very own Whistle Stop Park. As the recipient of the 2006 Governor's Award for Downtown Excellence for Best Promotional Event, Rock & Rails benefits many who volunteer to make all the magic happen. The free summer concert series takes the stage at Niwot's Whistle Stop Park at 1st Avenue and Murray Street in historic downtown Niwot, Colorado, and is produced by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association in conjunction with the Niwot...
When The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop moved into its downtown Niwot home last year, it breathed new life into one of Niwot's most iconic spaces. Owners Carissa Mina and Jerilyn Patterson brought their colorful, curated selection of books, toys and gifts to the northwest corner of 2nd Avenue and Franklin Street, and now laugh together about ways their building's history keeps making itself known. "So many people come in here and are like, 'I used to have a business in this building,' said...
"Late November back in '96...' (to paraphrase an old Four Seasons song - December, 1963), seven of us got together to talk about creating a newspaper in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. In alphabetical order - Karen Copperberg, Ron Goodman, Selene {Luna) Hall, Lori Lindemann, Mary Wolbach Lopert, Vicki Maurer and Bruce (Biff) Warren. None of us had any real newspaper experience beyond our high school years. We reached out to several people to see if they were interested in joining us, but in the end,...
Robert “Bob” Spencer, formerly of the Niwot Area, died Tuesday, March 1st at age 68 after a long illness. Bob was a Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) baseball coach for his son, Kyle, and when he learned that NYS needed a storage building at the Biff Warren Complex on Nimbus Road, Bob donated the materials and labor to build it, which is named in his honor A memorial service will be held March 26th....
With seven seniors, new head coach Ken Rosales has a strong core to build upon in his first season in charge of the storied NHS baseball program, which has five 4A state championships to its credit, though none more recent than 2005. Rosales, a school resource officer at Niwot High, has worked with the Boulder County Sheriff's Department for 21 years, and was head baseball coach at Lyons High School for eight years, where his teams made the state tournament four times. He first got into...
When I was small there was a catchy little ditty about an echo. Little sir echo, How do you do? Hello (hello) Hello (hello) ...which has now given me an earworm. But never mind. Several weeks ago, I was on a stroll with my good friend Glinda. As we often do, we walked through the underpass for Niwot Road. We always enjoy all the glorious mural paintings down there, and Glinda let out a lovely expletive, which showed her appreciation for the magnificent artwork. As she spoke, there it was, a...
Niwot realtor Pat Murphy presented the 2021 Golden Hammer Award to long-time Niwot volunteer Julie Breyer at the Great Pumpkin Party Oct. 30. In presenting the award, Murphy noted that Breyer was first employed as a waitress at Rev Taylor's Restaurant shortly after moving to Niwot in 1986. She later became a third-grade teacher at Niwot Elementary School, where she currently teaches. Breyer has also been a volunteer for many organizations in Niwot, including the Niwot Community Association,...
Work on a proposal to create a community garden space in Niwot is starting, Niwot Community Association board member Diane Zimmermann told NCA members at the Oct. 6 meeting. "The first step is to survey our NCA members to gauge interest and gather ideas, and then put together a community group made up of Niwot residents and NCA members interested in getting this project started," Zimmermann said. "We see so many Niwot residents with beautiful gardens and we could use their expert advice and...
After a five-hour meeting to review its five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee decided that the best course of action would be to host the leadership of all of the non-profit organizations serving the Niwot community at a roundtable discussion. The purpose of the meeting will be to give each organization, including the LID, a better understanding of each organization’s purpose and short-term goals, as well as start a conversation about how best to share resources. Eight of the nine LID committee member...
Anne Postle of Osmosis Art and Architecture couldn't have been happier with the outcome of this year's Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show. "We are so excited because this is our 10th year (and) we had 60 people turn in ballots," Postle said. The juried art show runs in conjunction with Niwot's First Friday Art Walk, and is sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association. That number translated into 60 people visiting every business where the artwork was exhibited. "Three times that do half (of the...
"Service above self" is the motto of the Rotary Club International, and for Niwot Rotarian Thom Lynch, no one has embodied that more over the past 18 months than Tara Shaheen and Stacy Szydlek, co-owners of Niwot Tavern. On Aug. 5 at Rock & Rails, he presented the two with the club's third annual Community Achievement Award, given to members of the community "who have displayed a heart of service, dedication, and love for Niwot." "When they bought the Tavern in January 2020, they had big plans...
Whether it's pumpkins and costumes or lederhosen and beer that come to mind when the words "October celebration" are mentioned, the Niwot Business Association has it covered. At its virtual monthly meeting on Aug. 3, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee approved two funding requests from the group for events that will bring back autumn-themed fun to 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square. The LID board also discussed the projected 2022 budget, and bid goodbye to longtime member...
A trip to the site of the Sand Creek Massacre site in southeastern Colorado is back on track – 17 months after the pandemic caused the original trip to be postponed. The trip, which was originally set for April 25, 2020, has now been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25, with the bus leaving from Niwot Market at 8 a.m. The all-day excursion, organized by the Niwot United Methodist Church as part of its 150-year anniversary celebration, will take participants on a four-hour bus ride to the N...
Like a lot of other well-loved community activities, last year Rock & Rails faced cancellation in the wake of pandemic health concerns. But 2021 is a new year, and things are beginning to reopen. That includes the beloved concert series. The series began on time on June 3, but organizers were concerned about what to expect. Would there need to be protocols put in place? Would audience members return? Would the concert feel the same way it always had? As of the July 8 reggae concert by Selasse an...
To paraphrase an old adage, "Man plans, the universe laughs." In Jim Eastman's life, at least two major events sent him off the expected path. Thankfully, the world is a better place, and Eastman would likely concur, that he's better as a result. A rollover car accident in 1990 caused Eastman to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which led to profound changes cognitively and, over time, physically as a result of stress. A decade later, he experienced another turning point - the discovery tha...
Fire protection in Niwot goes back at least 100 years, as evidenced by the Firehouse Museum next to the Left Hand Grange in Niwot. An early cart used to put out fires with a chemical mixture rests outside the museum, a relic from early days of firefighting efforts. Today, fire protection and rescue services are provided by Mountain View Fire and Rescue, a sprawling special district that was originally established in 1961 as the Longmont Rural Fire District to provide professional fire...
The seniors' division Hawks, majors' Giants and AAA's Cannon Ballers all took home the gold in the 2021 Niwot Youth Sports recreation baseball playoffs. Led by coaches Ben Bernstein, Mike Curtin and Scott Francis, the 4-8 Hawks upset the 10-2 Falcons in the championship game on June 26. The contest stretched to extra innings and the Hawks won on a walk-off bunt. "It was a wonderful seesaw game," said NYS baseball director Galen Scheidenhelm. "Both teams battled hard and the Hawks were able to...
It's not easy being a high school coach, and baseball and softball coaches have extra duty to keep their programs running. While many sports run off-season programs, only baseball and softball coaches also must maintain their fields of play, as well as installing and maintaining improvements such as windscreens, bullpens, batting cages and warning tracks. School districts mow the grass, supply some watering and provide baseballs. But baseball coaches often can be found before and after games and...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee held its latest monthly meeting virtually on June 1. The meeting was chaired by newly elected vice-chair Eric Bergeson in the absence of new chair Scott Firle. Treasurer's Report LID treasurer Bruce Rabeler was also not present, but submitted a written report of the district's current finances to board members in advance. In March, the Niwot LID earned $19,348, down from February ($20,935), but up 22% from March 2020 (12,639), and 18% from...
"I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy.....Born on the 4th of July" The line from "Yankee Doodle Dandy" fits the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, which first performed on July 4, 2005, as part of the bandstand dedication ceremony in Whistle Stop Park. "The Niwot Business Association built a bandstand in the park reminiscent of the bandstand that stood for many years on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Murray Street," Biff Warren, one of the founding band members said. "We had everything ready...
Niwot's summer calendar will look more like its pre-pandemic norm, after the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee voted to provide funding for three familiar events at its monthly meeting on May 4. The board also elected new officers, and discussed its financial priorities for the rest of 2021. Officer Elections In the first order of business, the NLIDAC unanimously elected member Scott Firle as chair, replacing Laura Skaggs, who is leaving her seat on the committee in January...
Eli Buzas brought the idea of forming an education foundation to Niwot High School from Florida when he moved to Colorado in 1991. Buzas, who died earlier this year of COVID-19 complications, envisioned a foundation that did more than provide scholarships to students. Other school foundations in the school district raised money for scholarships, but Buzas had in mind a foundation that could fund current projects as well as develop a long-range funding program. Through his leadership while workin...
For months, Niwot has been the site of a string of events to give residents a reason to safely gather during the pandemic and keep them in front of local businesses. These events have offered something to appeal to a wide range of interests. There have been fun runs, events for every holiday including St. Patrick's Day, scavenger hunts, window decorating contests, a whole-lifestyle approach to fitness in January, concerts, and sidewalk sales. But an event coming up May 15 might be the most...
Some call him Bruce, others The Boss, but whatever you call him, you may be seeing him at the Rock & Rails concert series this summer. While he's known for playing to huge crowds, "The Boss" is from a small town and has an affinity for communities like Niwot, which leaves the door open for a date at the renowned Thursday night concert series. If COVID is under control by July, concert goers could hear new renditions of songs that are tweaked for The Boss' Small Town America Tour: "2nd Avenue...
The Niwot Cultural Arts Association, often referred to as the NCAA, has nothing to do with March Madness, or intercollegiate sports. In Niwot, the NCAA has everything to do with charitable activities involving arts and culture. The NCAA was formed in January 2009 by Tim Wise, Mike Anfinson and Biff Warren at the urging of the Niwot Business Association. The NBA, through Wise's efforts as head of the Historic Projects Committee, had worked with Bank of the West to establish Whistle Stop Park on...
The Niwot Future League, or NFL as it is commonly referred to, is another one of Niwot’s accidentally sports-themed acronym groups. With the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) widely known in Niwot, the NFL is probably the least-known group in Niwot. That’s because it is actually just a committee of the NBA, formed at the request of the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) several years ago when the LID agreed to fund the NBA’s request for a part-time contractor to serve as Niwot’s Economi...
