All Local, All The Time
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According to statistics from the Boulder Municipal Airport (BMA), in 2017 there were 33 total complaints regarding aircraft noise. These statistics go back as far as 2009 and even though the number of complaints fluctuate over the years, frustration with the noise is consistent, if not growing. “There’ve been a lot of strong feelings about this for quite a long time,” said Gunbarrel resident Kate Chandler. “I want to move, I can’t sit on my porch, forget it. I can’t have a conversation, that’s how loud it is.” These strong feelings that C...
VOLLEYBALL Mackenzie Fidelak (Niwot) was part of Stanford's NCAA national championship team, which defeated Wisconsin Dec. 24 in the NCAA finals. Fidelak, a sophomore opposite hitter, played in six contests during the season, but did not see action in the NCAA tournament. Her most extensive action came against Arizona State in a 3-0 victory Oct. 13, where she played all three sets, recording 11 kills and only three errors. She had an attack percentage of .348 against Arizona State, and also...
Proponents of a regional library district got a boost last month when the Boulder City Council agreed to prioritize the issue during an upcoming "deep dive" into the city's long-term budget and budgeting processes. At a study session on Dec. 10, eight members of the council approved a proposal by city manager Jane Brautigam to conduct "a holistic review" of the city's funding needs, starting in early spring with a "robust conversation" about a potential Boulder Library District. "We are very...
Retiree Kamilla Macar is anything but re-"tired." She's incredibly active, positive, outgoing, and caring. Each week, among the long list of other happenings keeping her busy, the 83 year-old will be found giving her time and energy to Cultivate, a nonprofit organization serving a variety of needs of local seniors. Macar is a person who loves to keep moving, and she's also an avid steward of the environment. For the past two years, twice a week, she's walked the mile each way between her house...
For Gunbarrel's Mary Capone, food has always played a central role and much of her life has revolved around the heart of the home - the kitchen. The renditions of Capone have included starting a creperie in downtown Boulder, being a cookbook author, writing gastronomic columns for magazines, owning a food manufacturing business and offering hands-on cooking classes. "My grandfather was a pretty famous restaurateur and had several Italian restaurants in our hometown," Capone said. "The rest was...
Looking for a winter outing that is fun for parents and children? Look no further than Gunbarrel Brewing Company. This treasured neighborhood brewery consistently hosts a bevy of year-round, community events, delicious food trucks, and musical performances. Beat the winter blues and get the kids out of the house by attending Gunbarrel Brewing's winter concert series, featuring award-winning children's entertainers, Jeff & Paige. This husband-wife duo met when each were studying environmental...
Our community knows a thing or two about how to throw a party. We may be small, but we are lively, as seen by the turn out at each Rock & Rails, First Friday or Dancing Under the Stars event. This New Year's Eve, close out the decade in style with friends, family, and neighbors by attending any of these awesome events around Boulder County. This Dec. 31, The Niwot Tavern will host a celebration unlike any other. Join beloved bartenders Tara and Stacy as they pour sparkling glasses of champagne...
If you drove south on 71st to Lookout Road the week of Dec. 8, you probably experienced some delays. Xcel is repositioning power lines in advance of the long-awaited upgrades to 71st Street. Although the project was originally slated to begin in spring 2019, the Courier reported in April that the schedule had been pushed back to early winter 2020. As previously reported, the project is divided into two phases. However, the first phase, which runs from Lookout Road to Winchester Circle/...
Russell and Gabrielle Chagolla, owners of Gym No. 5, added the tagline "Level the F*** up" to declare they're fiercely serious about being the best lifting gym in the area. They should know...they've tried them all and when they didn't find one that worked well for them, they decided to invent it. It took two years of planning, months of hands-on work, and a $150,000 investment to bring the facility up to their standards. They quietly swung the doors open in mid-October. The 5,000 square-foot...
Following hundreds of hours of continuing education and hands-on courses, and successfully passing rigorous exams, Gunbarrel's Dr. Gerald Savory, DDS, was awarded his Mastership Award and the new owner of the dental practice, Dr. Rachel Barone, DDS, was awarded her Fellowship Award by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Dr. Savory is the founder of Gunbarrel Dental Center. Less than 2% of general dentists in the United States and Canada have the distinction of earning a Mastership Award and...
Meet Missy, a "well-behaved" two-year old cat who lives in Gunbarrel with companion Mabel Stewart. Writes Mable: "She is curious, and always needs to be apprised of what I'm reading or writing. She is easily distracted though; here, a sound outdoors draws her attention before I can capture a snapshot of her facing the camera. We're just enjoying a lazy afternoon in Gunbarrel. She's an indoor cat but has lots of open-aired windows to keep abreast of what the squirrels, birds, and butterflies are...
Epic Nutrition, serving Herbalife Nutrition smoothies and energy teas, opened its doors in October at the Gunbarrel Shopping Center. This is a sister enterprise to Fit Family Nutrition owned and operated by the same husband-wife team, Brad Larsen and Brook Kirwin. Fit Family Nutrition opened one year ago on South Main Street in Longmont. "We make healthy eating fast, simple, and delicious," Larsen said. "We have over 20 flavors of smoothies and 10 flavors of energy teas, and the smoothies are a...
Bear and Mini are two sophisticated, urbane canines. They live in Denver, but vacation in Gunbarrel. Both have found the Gunbarrel staff to be attentive and considerate. Walks are plentiful, especially with trips down the Cottontail Trail and summer swim time at Twin Lakes. A cold nose in the face of staff members at sunrise always produces a breakfast fit for royalty. Their only complaint is not enough scraps on the floor....
Beyond The Mountain Brewing Co. in Gunbarrel is one of Boulder County's many awesome breweries just steps from our backyards. Some years ago, two home brew fanatics and lifelong friends, Morgan Way and Chuck Hixon, set their sites on starting a brewery focused on tasty, inventive craft beer and live music. Fans of both, Way and Hix honed their skills at a variety of breweries around Boulder and Denver, until they each felt ready to take the plunge. After a successful start in 2017, Beyond The...
Local Gunbarrel brewery, Finkel & Garf, is a beloved staple in the community. Sunday afternoons can be whiled away on the patio with a delicious, uncomplicated beer in hand. The father-son team that set out to create a community gathering space did so with a few things in mind. They wanted their establishment to be no-frills where beer was more of a facilitator for fantastic memories, instead of the main event. The logo features toys, because the dynamic duo behind each brew believes that we are all still kids at heart. While Finkel & Garf is b...
In late 2017, Gunbarrel resident Kristin Bjornsen was at an impasse. Following a "spectacular loss" in her lawsuit against Boulder County over violations of Colorado's sunshine laws, the full-time mother-of-two was torn on whether to proceed with a costly and time-consuming appeal or whether to leave the legal battle for government transparency to more seasoned professionals. "On the one hand I felt like the issues were clear, and I felt like I had clarity if I could just clear away the muddle...
Fringe Pizza (5400 Spine Rd., Boulder) is celebrating National Pizza Month throughout the month of October with its newest creation - Sweet Heat pizza - and a chance for one lucky customer to win a pizza a month for a whole year. Owner Nate Rajotte created a curiously crafted pie that includes garlic oil, basil, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, pickled red onion, sopressata and Calabrian honey. This sweet and spicy creation is aptly named and sure to have Fringe's dedicated following clamoring...
Within Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer, and Weld Counties, veterans over age 65 number more than 27,000 according to the Colorado Veterans Affairs Department. Boulder County alone is home to more than 9,000 military veterans over age 60 who rely on the health care services provided at regional Veterans Affairs medical facilities. Those neighborhood vets are looking to their medical professionals to help them stay healthy and to diagnose and treat their conditions. But challenges with driving,...
With the first snowfall predicted for Oct. 10, Boulder County restaurants are closing up patios for the turn season. That doesn't mean that our local watering holes and coffee shops are hibernating this fall or winter but instead, embracing the change. Beloved dishes, cocktail menus and draught lists are shifting to feature autumn's tasty bounty of fresh vegetables. Restaurants around south Longmont, Gunbarrel, and Niwot have just begun to feature favorite fall flavors. Here are some more of...
Late last month, a judge in Boulder County District Court dismissed 20 of the 34 claims brought in a lawsuit filed by the Board of County Commissioners in 2018 to halt a large oil and gas drilling project proposed by Crestone Peak Resources. The court further determined that the county is responsible for Crestone’s attorney’s and court fees, the total amount of which will be determined at a hearing on Jan.16, 2020. The remaining 14 claims were either settled in Crestone’s favor, or withdrawn by the county. In a statement released on Sept....
An email from Sarah Brown to the Courier read, "In May I started working at Lucky Pie in Niwot and have had the pleasure of working with Dylan, the general manager. We have a constant joke going at work about how he's the mayor of Niwot since he seems to know everyone that lives in the area. He's one of the kindest people I've ever known, let alone worked with. So, if you take suggestions for Familiar Faces, I'd love to see him in there! He really deserves all the recognition as he is a...
There’s just nothing like the anticipation of opening a package, so everyone loves it when the big brown truck stops in front of their house. UPS driver Gabe Amaya is Niwot’s main guy in the brown uniform driving that brown truck. The Courier wanted more than just a friendly wave “hello” from the reliable person who makes hundreds of stops around town. So we asked Amaya some questions and learned that his ties to the town run deeper than his daily route. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) Gabe Amay...
Pastor Walter “Skip” Strickland has known what his calling was since he was a high school junior in Tacoma, Wash. Strickland, the new pastor at Niwot United Methodist Church (NUMC), was very active in youth ministry and served as the conference youth president for the Conference Council of Youth Ministry for Washington and northern Idaho. It was this drive that brought him to Colorado in 1977 after he obtained a degree in urban planning from the University of Puget Sound. Strickland enr...
Gunbarrel’s Emily Sewell, this month’s Left Hand Laurel, is a round-the-clock mother, with a full-time career. For the last eight years, she’s also given her time to Voices for Children as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), transforming the lives of abused and neglected children in Boulder County. Program Director Dana Walters said, “Emily has quietly worked to help victims of child abuse and neglect recover from trauma. She never seeks recognition and she doesn't require much directi...
Opting to avoid "a big fight with city council," the grassroots organization pushing for the creation of a regional library district has decided to withdraw its petition to add the measure to the 2019 Boulder County election ballot. Speaking at a gathering of supporters on July 28, Joni Teter of the Boulder Library Champions said that group's leadership started getting concerned after it became clear that the nine-member Boulder City Council still had reservations about the proposed district, wh...
The Lookout Alliance gathered on Wednesday, July 24 at The Left Hand Grange (195 2nd Avenue, Niwot) to discuss newly released reports on the air quality surrounding Boulder Reservoir. The group hosted Dr. Detlev Helmig, associate research professor at the University of Colorado’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, who presented the findings from the INSTAAR air quality testing lab at Boulder Reservoir. The lab pulls air samples to test oil and gas emissions coming into Boulder County. It i...
This column is designed to highlight good and bad government in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. Readers are encouraged to email the Courier with descriptions of local events showing exemplary performance by our government officials in serving the people, as well as those actions that fall well short of that standard. This week’s column features assistance provided to the Niwot Community by the youngest members of the Boulder County Sheriff’s staff. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle’s staff is often...
In an effort to help area families save some money, Niwot High is teaming up with Gunbarrel Family Medicine to provide free sports physicals to students participating in athletics in the upcoming 2019-20 school year. “Sports are expensive, from buying equipment, to fees, and everything else that goes with it,” new Cougars athletic director Joe Brown said. “So any opportunity we have to reach out to our community and find scholarship ways to help lower barriers for kids to participate, we want...
We’re fortunate to live in a state whose geography and geology is diverse and varied, yielding dramatic landscapes that have long inspired exploration and adventure.But Colorado’s beautiful landscape also contains great amounts of natural resources, including crude oil and natural gas. Because of these energy-rich resources, the state’s land rights and use have been hotly contested since its earliest days as a territory. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, almost 9 out o...
It’s not a mid-life crisis, but Niwot Youth Sports is hoping to have a little work done after turning the big 5-0 earlier this year. In the coming weeks, the non-profit organization, formerly known as Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Recreation Association (GLVRA), plans to launch a capital campaign to fund some much-needed improvements to its largest field complex, Hangge Fields at Monarch Park, according to Executive Director Patrick Longseth. “We’re going to raise funds this year to put a build...
According to the 2019 Colorado Business Economic Outlook, published annually by the CU Leeds School of Business, Boulder County’s economy is robust and growing, outpacing state and national statistics. This fact reaffirms the tenor of upbeat local leasing experts. The Niwot and Gunbarrel commercial leasing environment continues to be very strong. Being on the fringe of high-end Boulder proper, available office spaces don’t sit unoccupied for long, while the restaurant scene is experiencing spa...
Banners will be flying along 2nd Avenue in Niwot this year for the first time in honor of those with a local connection who have served in the U.S. military. The Niwot Community Association in conjunction with the Niwot Business Association was inspired by Gunbarrel resident Sheila Ray’s suggestion to do what her hometown of Emporia, Kan. does for their Freedom Fest when the faces and names of veterans grace their main street. As a result, the NCA and NBA formed a committee to bring a similar pr...
The following is part of an ongoing series dealing with road conditions in Gunbarrel and Niwot. The Courier previously has covered what types of road problems are currently being fixed. The following article covers how the Burgundy Park subdivision created a PID to fix and maintain its roads. While everybody talks about the poor conditions of subdivision roads, there is one small community that has done something about it. In 2017, the Burgundy Park subdivision in Niwot formed a Public Improveme...
At a public hearing on June 19, the Boulder County Planning Commission gave its go-ahead to proposed renovations at the Boulder Country Club that will add approximately 2,000 square feet to its main clubhouse. However, because the 55-year old structure is a “relatively intact and significant example” of local architect Hobart Wagner’s work, the country club must agree to seek formal landmark status before building permits will be issued, according to the conditions attached to the plann...
Dec. 21, 1927 - June 6, 2019 Susie Jane Wilcox Banks passed away on June 6, 2019 in Longmont at age 91. She was born December 21, 1927 in Rockport, Arkansas.She was the first child of Doyle L. Wilcox, and Julia Jane (Hoskins) Wilcox. Susie was a graduate of Malvern High School (Malvern, AR) and earned a BA degree from Hendrix College (Conway, AR) in 1947. In August 1947, Susie married C. Wayne Banks, a United Methodist minister and educator. The young Banks couple were the proud parents of a...
BASEBALL David Bote, son of long-time Niwot baseball coach Bob Bote, has solidified his position with the Chicago Cubs this season. As a rookie with the Cubs in 2018, Bote was called up from AAA Iowa and sent back five time during the season. In the midst of the call-ups and demotions, Bote had his share of dramatic moments, culminating in a nationally-televised Sunday night ninth-inning, two-out, two-strike, pinch-hit grand slam home run to dead centerfield, allowing the Cubs to snatch a 4-3...
Boulder County seems to have a high concentration of talented, creative and accomplished people. Sometimes, we learn about them from the news, but once in awhile, they live in our neighborhood and we learn of their existence through the coincidence of daily routines. Enter Rich Alpers. You’ve likely seen his face many times on his real estate signs in Boulder County. Rich lives in Gunbarrel, and has been in Boulder for 30 years. But before he embarked on his career selling homes, he was an a...
Government officials in Colorado will have to be more transparent about closed-door executive sessions and other internal communications after the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that Boulder County violated the state's sunshine laws during the debate over development of the Twin Lakes Open Space. In a published opinion released in April, the appellate court reversed key portions of two rulings made by Boulder District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill against Gunbarrel resident Kristin Bjornsen,...
The first Rock & Rails concert of 2019, produced by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association, drew quite a crowd. Guests arrived early to grab spots in the shade and close to the stage. The sky set a pretty magical backdrop, its gentle sunset mingling with an approaching evening storm, which held off until after the 9 p.m. end of the event. There was a major difference between this year’s Rock & Rails and prior seasons, felt by volunteers and attendees a...
On May 15, the Boulder County Planning Commission unanimously recommended 8-0 that plans to build Jack’s Solar Garden at 8102 95th Street move ahead and be presented to the Boulder County Commissioners on Thursday, June 13. The first of its kind in Boulder County, the five-acre co-habitation of solar energy generation and agriculture is being proposed by Byron Kominek, a third generation owner of the farmland. Kominek successfully passed muster with Boulder County land use staff demonstrating t...
Enact a Boulder County drilling moratorium now We are members of The Lookout Alliance, a grassroots community group dedicated to protecting Gunbarrel, Heatherwood, and Niwot, Colorado from fracking. We call on the Boulder County Board of Commissioners to enact an immediate moratorium on all oil and gas drilling permits, pending the outcome of rulemaking stemming from the new Colorado law, SB19-181. The fracking threat to unincorporated areas of Boulder County is immediate. The proposed massive Crestone Comprehensive Development Project would in...
Longtime local resident Franklin David Frankfort, 54, died on Feb. 26, 2019 after a battle with congestive heart failure. He is survived by his mother Toby of Del Rey, Fla., and brother Jeff of Boca Raton, Fla., and two nephews. He also leaves behind many, many close friends and associates in the Niwot and Gunbarrel areas, where he was a resident for more than 25 years. Dave was born and raised in Chicago, then lived with his parents and brother in the Phoenix, Ariz. area during the 1980s....
For more than 30 years, the Left Hand Grange has been a weekly hotspot for area bridge players. April marked the end of an era for Niwot’s Bridge Club when Jim Steele, the director of the Tuesday night games, died from injuries he received as a pedestrian in a hit and run accident. Steele, 82, was known as a man of many talents. He was an accomplished metallurgic engineer, a jubilant dancer, a performing poet, and an excellent bridge teacher. He was often spotted dancing at Rock and Rails events...
Spring has sprung--finally. Warmer weather means more opportunities to stroll around the neighborhood, and more neighborhood strolls bring all sorts of small wonders and little joys. A favorite little joy? Little Free Libraries abound in Gunbarrel, providing plenty of opportunities to check out a book or leave a book. Enjoy an evening neighborhood walk after dinner and pick up an interesting volume to read at bedtime....
As if the recent measles outbreaks among unvaccinated youth in the United States wasn’t worrisome enough, there are recent reports that older, previously vaccinated adults could possibly contract the disease. In 2019 alone, from Jan. 1 to May 3, 764 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Colorado, one of the states with reported cases, h...
In the late 1960s, a handful of Gunbarrel and Niwot parents formed a sandlot baseball league as an alternative to leagues in Longmont and Boulder. Over the next five decades, that ragtag group blossomed into Niwot Youth Sports, which serves hundreds of the area’s budding athletes each year. On Sunday, May 5, NYS kicked-off its 50th anniversary season, and executive director Pat Longseth said it’s on track to be one of their biggest yet. “This is the largest turnout we’ve had for basebal...
If it isn’t clear by the random water bowls outside of boutiques and every other person walking a dog or two, Boulder County was made for dog lovers. More often than not, dogs are seated side by side with their human guardians at outdoor cafes, and we have our fair share of natural pet supply stores and dog-friendly trails. And let’s not forget that your well-behaved mutt is as welcome in the aisles of McGuckin’s Hardware as you are. Maybe even more, if your pooch is a real cutie. But even...
The first thing Ted Plank, division manager for Boulder County Transportation Department, wants people to know is, it’s a big misconception that the county doesn’t maintain roads. “The county does a ton of maintenance, starting with potholes,” Plank said. “We do crack sealing operations in all our subdivisions. We sweep them, we snow plow them. We clean culverts and drainages.” Whatever the issue might be, maintenance is done. What the county has to do though is prioritize projects, with safety...
Double-digit population growth and competing budget priorities have combined to put financial pressure on the Boulder Public Library, and now the Library Commission wants area voters to consider whether to fund a separate district that could potentially bring new services to Gunbarrel or Niwot. On April 12, Joni Teter, former chair of the Library Commission, and City of Boulder’s Library and Arts Director David Farnan held an informational meeting with representatives from the Niwot Community As...
When the tragic loss of a child happens, immediate sympathy focuses on the parents who experienced that loss. But the siblings of that child suffer more than the profound loss of their brother or sister--they might also lose their parents’ attention and focus to their parents’ grieving process. It is why Gunbarrel residents Kjerstin and Shaun Davies created Charlie’s Guys, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works diligently to remind bereaved siblings that they are loved and not forgotten. In August 2017...