All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 301 - 350 of 730
The Monarch Improvement Project at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park is starting to take shape. The Niwot Youth Sports construction project, which includes building a permanent building for concessions, storage, meetings, and permanent bathrooms, is moving forward in spite of the snow and cold weather. Niwot contractor Porchfront Homes is handling construction of the building, with Ben Beveridge serving as project manager. Larry Longseth, who served as Equipment Manager for Niwot Youth Sports for...
Niwot High School's varsity girls basketball team picked up its fourth win of the season at Fort Morgan High School (52-35) before dropping the final game of the season at home to Greeley's Northridge High School (60-20). Coach Jon Hill called the Fort Morgan victory "a good win for us. We started really slow and could tell Ft. Morgan was giving us everything they had." "Rose (Pacheco) got in foul trouble early making it really difficult to get an offense going," Hill said. Fortunately the...
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...
Tracey Bernett, who was re-elected by voters in the November 2022 election to serve as state representative for House District 12, pled guilty to two criminal charges on Feb. 10 in connection with false statements made regarding her residence. Bernett, whose district included most of the Niwot area as well as Louisville, Lafayette and Superior, resigned from the legislature the day before the 2023 session opened, and according to a press release from the office of Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty, her resignation was a key part of...
Niwot High School wrestlers came up short of qualifying for the state tournament, but three wrestlers placed at the regional tournament. "We had two sixth-place finishes and one fifth-place," head coach Bobby Matthews said after the Feb. 11 tournament. "It didn't live up to my expectations," Matthews said, "but I saw growth throughout the season, and it finished pretty well." Youth and inexperience as well as injuries haunted the Cougars this season, with only one senior on the squad. The lone...
The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office announced that Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Daniel Pratt, age 45, has been charged with two counts of vehicular assault, a Class 5 Felony, based on the outcome of a crash investigation conducted by the Colorado State Patrol. A press release said, “The state patrol investigated a vehicular collision that occurred at approximately 9:40 p.m. on August 12, 2022, involving the deputy’s patrol vehicle and a civilian passenger vehicle. At the time of the collision, Deputy Pratt, who has been wi...
Let's Wine About Winter, sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), returns Feb. 11 after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The walk-about event begins at 1 p.m. and runs until 5 p.m., with businesses offering beverage samples, refreshments, and live music for participants in Cottonwood Square and the downtown business district. Several businesses are pairing up for the event, with a total of 31 shops, restaurants and offices participating. To purchase a ticket and become a me...
Soup, Soup & More, a community event sponsored by the Niwot United Methodist Church, returns for its 25th anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. The free event began in 1997 as an opportunity to connect with the community, enjoy homemade soup and other refreshments during a time of fellowship, and raise money for outreach programs. This year Soup, Soup & More returns after a Covid-induced hiatus, marking the 25th year the church has offered the event. Janet Gates, who grew up in the...
Boulder Country Day School will present the thought-provoking film, "This Is [NOT] Who We Are," on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school. The screening will be followed by a Q & A session with the film's director, Katrina Miller. This event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in attending can register at www.bouldercountryday.org. A synopsis of the film, provided by the school, states, "Boulder, Colorado, prides itself on being beautiful, welcoming, and inclusive....
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...
Showing great poise and determination, Niwot High School's young varsity girls basketball squad picked up its third win of the season on Feb. 2 with a hard-fought 41-31 victory over cross-town rival Skyline High School. The Cougars suffered two lop-sided losses in their other two games last week, losing to Severance High School, 75-13, and to Thompson Valley High School, 60-14. With similar records coming into Thursday's Skyline game, both teams were well-matched. The Niwot Community...
Niwot dentist Dr. Ashley Niles has submitted plans to Boulder County for redevelopment of the property located at 364 Second Avenue in Niwot, which is currently occupied by Niwot Pizza, formerly Lefty's Pizzeria. The application is scheduled for a hearing before the Niwot Design Review Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. The hearing will be conducted via zoom and the link is available on the Niwot Design Review Committee page on the Boulder County website. Niles, who owns the property...
The Niwot Cultural Arts Association, which manages Niwot's Rock & Rails summer concert series with the Niwot Business Association, announced that applications for receipt of Tip Jar proceeds are now open. Non-profit organizations serving the Niwot area, or which have a substantial connection to Niwot as part of a mission to serve a broader community, are eligible to apply. For the 2023 summer concert series, there will be 14 concert nights, beginning June 1 and ending Aug. 31. The Tip Jar...
The Boulder County Sheriff’s office arrested 27-year-old Michael Chunn who reportedly lives in Gunbarrel following a string of incidents that occurred in Boulder County spanning from the late evening hours of Jan. 24 into the morning hours of Jan. 25. According to a press release, Chunn was arrested in Denver and transported back to Boulder and booked into the Boulder County Jail on the following charges: attempted murder in the 1st degree, a class 2 felony; assault in the 1st degree, a class 3 felony; motor vehicle theft in the 1st degree, a...
The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) Legislative Council approved a plan to increase the pay structure for high school game officials in Colorado on Jan. 24 by a strong majority vote. In addition to addressing Colorado's need to improve officials' pay, the effort is also being promoted as a way to help address the shortage of game officials across all sports. A CHSAA press release stated, "The proposal, which is a 3-year gradual increase structure beginning next school year...
Four candidates have applied for appointment to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee, with four openings to be filled. The Boulder County Commissioners will make appointments to the LID in February. Current LID Treasurer Bruce Rabeler, who serves as one of four rate-paying business members of the LID Advisory Committee, did not seek another term. Rabeler is a co-owner of Little Bird in downtown Niwot. Sarah Cioni, owner of Belle Terre Floral, a floral design shop in...
First-year coach Ella Thramann was pleased with the performance of her swimmers and diver Jan. 21 at the District Swimming and Diving Meet at Mountain View High School, but disappointed with a second-place finish. The Cougars took second to cross-town rival Silver Creek, which took top honors among the six schools competing, outsourcing the Cougars 645 to 580. Thramann said the Cougars didn't realize how deep the Silver Creek team was. "I think they have 47 girls to our 35," she said. Thramann...
Hundreds of Boulder County residents, and some from beyond, gathered at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Jan. 10 to honor retiring Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. The assembly featured so many speakers that the 2-hour event ran out of time. Newly elected Sheriff Curtis Johnson, known as "C.J." to many of the law enforcement officers in attendance, spoke about the culture of integrity created by his predecessor. New undersheriff Carey Weinheimer also appeared on stage, and both officers spoke of...
Gene Parker was in his late thirties when he and his wife Denise bought a spanking new home in Gunbarrel's Heatherwood subdivision. The year was 1967, and most of Heatherwood was still a twinkle in its developers' eyes. A short walk from the Parkers' new home were a couple of acres of open space with a clear view of the mountains. The site was designated as a future park, but as time passed, the future never seemed to arrive. "The actual space was designated for a park, but it was never...
The Niwot Business Association (NBA) got down to its own business at the last meeting, held Jan. 10 at Rocky Mountain Christian Church. NBA president Eric Bergeson announced that NBA membership dues for 2023 would be $200, which is the first increase in over a decade. For the past several years, the NBA has had two membership tiers: Basic membership at $100 annual dues, and Gold membership at $200 for additional perks, including more exposure on the NBA website, www.niwot.com. "We based this...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) advisory committee approved a $10,000 expenditure for connectivity planning, accepting a proposal from Niwot architectural firm Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, Inc., to create a plan for better access to Niwot from the planned bikeway-pedestrian path in the median of the Diagonal Highway from Longmont to Boulder. The proposal was presented by Mary Coonce on behalf of the Niwot Business Association (NBA). Coonce is a LID member, and also serves as...
Deb Fowler, vice-president of the NBA, was pleased with the results of the Pumpkin Walk, an NBA event held throughout October which was funded by the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID). Fowler reported to members of the LID on Jan. 10, that the Pumpkin Walk marketing program was a success. Pumpkin Walk passes and a list of 15 participating businesses were distributed to the first 100 shoppers who stopped in to Fowler's real estate office. Each business stamped the passes and provided a...
The Niwot Business Association's Holiday Magic events on the day after Thanksgiving and the first two Saturdays of December produced increased attendance and raised almost $2,000 for charity. Deb Fowler, NBA vice-president and champion of the events, reported to the Niwot Local Improvement District, which provided funding for the event. The festivities began with Enchanted Evening, on what is known elsewhere as Black Friday, with Linda Klueber organizing the annual Christmas tree lighting, a...
Niwot High School Athletic Director Joe Brown announced that girls soccer coach Jenna Machado has resigned due to the time demands of a growing family. With informal workouts beginning, Brown did not have to look far to find an interim coach to take over the program. Niwot High boys soccer coach Stephen Dimit agreed to step in and serve as head coach for the 2023 season. Dimit is no stranger to NHS girls soccer, having served as head coach for the girls program in 2017, 2018 and 2019. When...
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...
After a brief hiatus, Let's Wine About Winter, one of Niwot's most popular events, is scheduled to return to Niwot on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Suspended for two years, one of the many consequences of Covid, the Niwot Cultural Arts Association event is now in its sixth year. For those who have not heard about the event, Kristin Alger, who is coordinating the event this year, has an apt description. "I will describe it the way my dad's wife described it," Alger said. "It's...
The 2022 Rock & Rails summer concert season has long been over, but offseason work continues. Co-managers Vicki Maurer and Dan Hawk organized a crew of 11 to meet up at Whistle Stop Park Jan. 7 to clean and reorganize the Depot building for the offseason. Chris Teta, who handles set-up and break-down on concert nights, Tom Smathers, who coordinates the food vendors, and Satir DeMarco, who books all of the bands, were joined by regular beer tent volunteers Tony Maurer, Maureen Miller, Doug...
The Marshall Fire left a scar on Boulder County last year, and since then, we have all experienced anxiety about whether or not the next grassfire will burn down our homes. A Niwot parent of a Marshall fire victim said, "The trauma is still so real. [Our daughter] often feels defeated, angry, sad, scared....lots of emotions. We do what we can to help, but there's a long road ahead. Even though the fire families are so appreciative of all the love and support from the community and perfect...
VOLLEYBALL Morgan Daugherty (Niwot) played in 21 of 27 matches for South Dakota School of Mines as a freshman this season. Daugherty, an opposite hitter, recorded 110 kills for Mines, to go along with 20 blocks, including four solo blocks. She added 26 digs on the season. One of her best efforts came at Black Hills State during a 5-set victory Sept. 6. Daugherty recorded 12 kills in 29 attempts for a .310 hitting percentage. CROSS COUNTRY Samree Dishon (Niwot) helped New Mexico to a...
Niwot High School's wrestling coach, Bobby Matthews, opened the Gary Daum Classic wrestling tournament with a brief tribute to the late NHS wrestling coach, then asked the crowd to join him in a moment of silence in honor of the memory of Daum's daughter Lindsay and his granddaughter Meadow who died tragically last summer. Following the national anthem, the tournament began with 15 schools competing at Niwot High School, including schools as small as Lyons High School and as large as Boulder...
Although only a sophomore, Ryder Evans has proven early on that he can compete against Colorado's top wrestlers. The 126-pound Niwot High underclassman owns an 18-5 record so far this season and his focus remains locked on qualifying for the state tournament. With several of the area's best wrestlers coming to Evans' home gym at Niwot High School for the Gary Daum Classic on Jan. 7, he was given an opportunity to test his skills against other state hopefuls. Evans made quick work of his first...
Over the course of a season, not many other events mean more to the Niwot High School wrestling program than the Gary Daum Classic. The annual wrestling tournament, previously known as the Boulder Valley Invitational, returns to Niwot High on Saturday, Jan. 7 for the 10th time running under its current title, a name given in honor of longtime Cougar head coach Gary Daum, who passed away in 2012 following a battle with cancer. Daum arrived at Niwot High in 1977 as a special education teacher. He...
I am a father of one girl and three boys, all of whom played high school sports. Julia and Andrew are Niwot and CU graduates, while Matt is a senior at CU and Callan is taking a snowboarding-focused gap year. I have lived in or around Niwot since moving here from Boulder to save $100/month on rent while a CU undergrad in 1988. I used to brag about rent at the one-bedroom Countryside condo being under $400/month back then. I belonged to the local gym, known as Cottonwood Health & Racquet Club,...
Jason Champion was awarded the prestigious Eagle Scout rank at a ceremony at the Left Hand Grange Dec. 12. Champion, a member of Troop 161 B of the Boy Scouts of America, has been involved in scouting for the past six years. His Eagle Scout project was to make improvements to Whistle Stop Park in Niwot, where Champion has volunteered for several years as a member of the Gargoyles, who man the recycle and compost stations at the Rock & Rails summer concert series and retrieve traffic control devi...
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...
A third generation Coloradoan, I was born in Longmont and grew up in Southmoor Park where my parents (Courier carriers Otto and Arlene Ahlgrim) reside today. Graduating from Niwot High School in the 1980s, I saw Niwot as a sleepy farming community with a few subdivisions housing mostly IBM employees. In November of 1980, I was hired at the only law firm in town, the Law Office of Bruce W. Warren, and have been fortunate enough that even though the firm has evolved to Warren, Carlson & Moore,...
With three minutes to go in the first half against Longmont High School, the Niwot High School girls basketball team was matching the more experienced Trojans point for point. Niwot junior Molly Slupik made a layup to even the score. But with the teams tied at 18-18, the wheels fell off for the Cougars. Longmont went on a 12-0 run to take a commanding lead, and the outcome was no longer in doubt. Turnovers by Niwot and hot shooting by the Trojans from 3-point range put Longmont up 30-18 before S...
The oldest bank in the Gunbarrel-Niwot area is closing in March. FirstBank announced that the Gunbarrel branch, which opened in June, 1975, will be closing March 7, 2023, due to lack of foot traffic at the location. Kevin Classen, a Niwot resident who is president of Firstbank Holding Company, cited the changing nature of banking brought on by online banking, and Covid concerns. Customers are now able to deposit checks with their phones, and almost all merchants now accept credit cards with the...
The City of Boulder's Open Space Mountain Parks (OSMP) Board of Trustees held a virtual hearing Dec. 14 to hear from members of the public about the city OSMP staff recommendation to change the rules about where e-bikes are allowed on city-owned open space. Karen Hollweg chaired the meeting, which included Trustees Jon Carroll, Dave Kuntz and Caroline Miller. The Trustees will meet Jan. 11, 2023, to consider making a recommendation to the Boulder City Council concerning e-bikes on open space...
The Boulder County Commissioners met with most of the state legislators who represent parts of Boulder County over breakfast Dec. 14, and the discussion provided a hint of what we might see in the 2023 legislative session. Those attending talked about their legislative priorities for the upcoming 2023 legislative session, as well as the difficulties of legislators being limited to introducing no more than five bills. Marta Loachamin, Chair of the Boulder County Commissioners, welcomed the guests...
The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band traveled to Denver for the holiday season, performing at Denver's Christkindl Market at Civic Center Park Dec. 11. Twenty-five members of the band made the trip to the event, sponsored by the German American Chamber of Commerce and the German Cultural Foundation, for the first time since the pandemic. The band performed to children dancing while parents patronized street vendors with an Old World flair. Selections included "A Can-Can...
The Niwot High girls basketball team came out cold against unbeaten Riverdale Ridge Dec. 13, and failed to score in the first quarter, falling behind 26-0. The Cougars got on the board in the second quarter, scoring seven points, but trailed at the half, 45-7. After suffering through a 2-point third quarter while allowing another 23 points, Niwot came back to score eight points in the final quarter, but lost 78-17. The only consolation might be that Riverdale Ridge's next opponent suffered and...
Last September, the community of Niwot mourned the sudden death of Craig "Lefty" Harris, owner of Lefty's Gourmet Pizza on 2nd Avenue. A little over two months later, the iconic restaurant that means so much to the community has launched a new chapter. Lorenzo Villalobos, who worked as a chef for Harris for 24 years and considered him family, along with Villalobos' wife, Marciela Vazquez, have purchased the restaurant from the Harris family and have reopened it to the delight of the pizzeria's...
Grange funding approved The Left Hand Grange is on a mission to make the iconic building in the center of Niwot's downtown business district even more of a community center. Jim Dorvee, president of Left Hand Grange, Inc., which owns the building on the southwest corner of the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Franklin Street, presented a funding request to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) at the LID's regular meeting Dec. 6. Dorvee asked for a contribution of $15,000...
One of the functions of our local community journalism is to report on governmental actions which may impact the Niwot and Gunbarrel communities. The Left Hand Valley Courier regularly monitors Boulder County government meeting schedules and agendas, and as a result, learned of a meeting among Boulder County Commissioners and legislators that was described as “not open to members of the public.” Since such closed meetings are prohibited by Colorado law, the Left Hand Courier contacted the county commissioners’ office and the notice was changed....
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle is retiring - finally. Pelle has been elected sheriff five times, with the last three 4-year terms coming after voters specifically extended the 2-term limit for the office. Pelle will officially retire on Jan. 10, 2023, after serving as sheriff for 20 years. Curtis Johnson has been elected to succeed Pelle. Sheriff Pelle was first elected in the fall of 2002, taking office in January 2003. He is well-respected throughout the law enforcement community, having...
With 16 Niwot businesses participating, the Niwot Business Association's inaugural Tannenbaum Charity Trail silent auction raised almost $2,000 for various charities. Each participating business decorated a miniature Christmas tree, and many included gift certificates to their business. The trees were displayed at Niwot Market from Dec. 3 to Dec. 10. A tree decorated and donated by Niwot Eye Care & Vision was the top fundraiser, with a winning bid of $300 to benefit the Humane Society. Belle...
The Niwot High School girls cross country team traveled to Portland, Oregon, to run in the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 3 and brought home the second-place trophy. A total of 22 teams from across the nation and 45 individual runners competed in the invitation-only event, where the Cougars were runner-up to the Kinetic Club from Saratoga Springs High School in Schenectady, NY. Team scores were counted based on the places of the top five runners from each school, compared to the other team...
