All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Michelle Welsh, an American Family Insurance agent for 31 years, was recently recognized for providing outstanding customer service under the American Star Excellence in Customer Experience Certification Program. This doesn’t mean she is above giving a leg up to younger, less experienced agents, especially when that agent is her own daughter, Brie Welsh. Brie has been an independent American Family Insurance agent for two years and enjoys the proximity to her more experienced mom since they shar...
Fairview High golfer Kelsey Webster won the American Junior Golf Association Girls’ Division title at Meadowbrook Country Club in Mt. Pleasant, WI, Sunday May 6, with scores of 83-82, for a 165 total. In accepting the medal, Webster said, “This is my first AJGA event that I’ve ever played in.About a year ago I started playing golf seriously and my scores started dropping. It’s been really fun, such a fun journey.” Webster, who lives in Gunbarrel, continued, “I’d like to thank my dad and mom f...
Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides recently moved their headquarters to Gunbarrel with hopes to continue expanding the business.Joshua Baruch, CEO, general manager and jack-of-all-trades for the company said that they’re gearing up for the busy season, May to October. “That’s typical with tourism in Colorado,” Baruch said. “It’s really more due to the weather and the environment being nicer to where you can get more access to the mountains and rivers.” The company re-branded last year and...
Wendy Mariscal is the new owner of Chico’s Grooming Spa for pets in Cottonwood Square, taking over the location previously occupied by Puppy Paws Pet Spa. Mariscal hails from Dacono where she is still active in her original shop one day a week. Tuesday through Saturday she is busy building her new business in Niwot. Mariscal chose this location through a lucky break. She has her car serviced at Gunbarrel Imports and noticed the appeal of the area’s business district. She says owning a shop in such a great neighborhood is a “dream come true...
I distinctly recall thinking, “How hard could this be?” when seven of us got together in November 1996 to talk about starting a newspaper for Niwot and Gunbarrel. I assumed that everybody could write well, that people would jump at the chance to send us photos and cool stories of their kids and that businesses would be knocking down our door to advertise. Except that we didn’t have a door. And my expectations were, to put it kindly, wildly optimistic. All of us had other things to do, like...
When we first started the Courier I had the distinct impression that we were like one of those 1940s Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney movies, where the kids put on a show in a barn and then decide to take it to Broadway. We were seven people with diverse backgrounds – a lawyer, an architect, a paralegal, a photographer, a teacher, a banker and a FDA investigator. Not quite the butcher, baker and candlestick maker, but close. Our main goal was to highlight the academic and athletic accomplishments of area students that the two local dailies t...
Having been approached by Bruce “Biff” Warren in 1996 to help publish a local newspaper, I thought, “How hard can this be? We write a few stories, sell a few ads, and deliver the product to the Niwot / Gunbarrel area.” Little did I know that we’d still be doing it 20 years later and all of us would still be great friends. While it hasn’t always been easy, it has been a lot of fun thanks to our friendship, respect for each other and, mostly, our sense of humor. We’ve thanked our advertisers a...
BASEBALL Pate Katechis (Niwot) is second on the team in homeruns with three for Kearney-Nebraska. Katechis, who plays leftfield, is hitting .228 on the season, with 15 RBI. He had two doubles, scoring a run and driving in two runs, in an 11-2 win over Washburn March 31. Greg Reynolds (Silver Creek) is hitting .342 for Colorado Mesa this season. Reynolds, who started at shortstop and moved to third base, had two hits including a double, scoring a run in an 11-10 win over New Mexico Highlands April 1. Ford Ladd (Niwot) is hitting .500 for New Yor...
“We know you’re guilty.” Fourth grader Eden Zenz and her classmates accuse Kim Lancaster, director of St. Vrain’s APEX Homeschool Enrichment Program, the moment she walks into their Literature Detectives class in the sanctuary of Vinelife Church in Gunbarrel. The students are using clues prepared by their teacher to solve a whodunit as part of their unit on the novel Chasing Vermeer. Their list of suspects includes Lancaster and several other APEX staff. This scene is much like a typical...
When Voices for Children CASA moved its office from the Justice Center to Gunpark Drive last August, it was with little fanfare. Few neighbors in this business district of Gunbarrel know about this organization which keeps a low profile and yet does some of the most important work in the county. Poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and other societal pressures cause disruption to families and it is children who are often the most traumatized victims. Voices for Children trains and places court appointed special advocates (CASAs) to...
Gabe Hultquist, a 15-year-old sophomore at Niwot High School, is becoming yet another successful Irish dancer out of the Moriarty-Moffitt School of Irish Dance in Longmont. In competitions, Gabe said he typically goes hard shoe in the first round, soft shoe in the second, and hard shoe in the final round. The different styles are judged mostly on the height of jumps, with form keeping the knees as straight as possible and the arms down to the sides. “I like my third round the best because I g...
The Niwot LID Advisory Committee held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 7, and once again, sales tax drove the discussion. Through two months of 2017, the LID has committed to $19,687 in expenses, including half of the Economic Development Director’s salary ($11,250), according to Treasurer Harris Faberman. His report also included an estimate of the LID’s current capital purchases reserve balance ($265,945), based on his calculation of net revenues over the past nine years. The com...
As the membership drive for the Niwot Community Association kicks into high gear, the town is sporting banners at some town entrances, posters and brochures in Niwot businesses, and Burma Shave-style signs along Niwot Road -- all urging Niwot area residents to join the NCA. The NCA membership committee also has sent out emails to current members reminding them to renew and soon will mail renewal brochures to current and potential new members. The committee also plans to post a membership reminder on NextDoor, an online social network for...
With the pockets of spring-like weather this winter, hikers, runners, and cyclists have been flocking to local trails. Outdoor enthusiasts who frequent Gunbarrel’s White Rocks Trail will notice the bridge that connects the trail between Valmont Road and Phillips Road is still closed. Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) does, however, have plans to reopen the bridge in 2017. “We have it on our project list and hope to complete it by the end of the year,” said Phillip Yates, spoke...
Since a trail priority study in 2003 identified the need for a Longmont-to-Boulder (LOBO) regional trail system, Boulder County has worked to link 12 miles of trails through south Longmont, Niwot, Gunbarrel, and northeast Boulder. In May, the county will open the LOBO’s newest segment, the IBM Connector Trail. “One of the biggest things we wanted to accomplish was to enhance the safety of cyclists and pedestrians trying to reach Tom Watson Park, Coot Lake and Boulder Reservoir from the east sid...
Former Colorado Speaker of the House and Boulder County resident Dickey Lee Hullinghorst has officially hung her hat as a state legislator. She finished off her eight year term limit per state statute, and will now retire back to the private sector. “I’ve served all of my four terms,” Hullinghorst said. “I’m kind of glad actually. Eight years, for me at least, was plenty. It was great, I enjoyed it. I had been in the leadership since my second term. I was caucus whip, then the majority...
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Gunbarrel has a new hand at the tiller. Reverend Janet Kettering was officially appointed as pastor of Shepherd of the Hills on Nov. 1, 2016. Rev. Kettering, who originally hails from Minnesota, followed a long and circuitous route before arriving at her current appointment in Gunbarrel. A “second-career pastor,” Kettering spent nearly 30 years working as a court reporter for a Minnesota District Court judge. She watched people in trouble work their way...
Pitchers and catchers reported to the Rockies’ spring training camp in Scottsdale last week, but local youth did not have to go that far to start warming up for the season. With spring-like weather of late, players, coaches and parents have recently been spotted working out at Niwot’s Lefthand Valley Grange Park as well as the Niwot High School baseball fields. For local youth, Niwot Youth Sports baseball and softball registration is underway for the 2017 season. NYS is wrapping up the basketball season, and another season of baseball and sof...
Last week, the Boulder County Planning Commission voted 5-4 to deny the proposed zoning change for the Twin Lakes area in Gunbarrel. Opposition posited that the change violated the county’s comprehensive plan by allowing the City of Boulder to annex and change usage for roughly 20 acres of land that has long been considered open space by area residents. Dave Rechberger, one of roughly 1,700 members of the Twin Lakes Action Group — who have been fighting this proposal for almost four years — said that they were obviously happy about the decis...
On Feb. 9 Boulder Country Day (BCD) School in Gunbarrel hosted former Oprah Winfrey Chief of Staff, Libby Moore. The free event was open to the public, and covered topics and wisdom gleaned from Moore’s 11-year tenure with the television mogul and other life experiences. Moore was introduced by John Suitor, BCD’s head of school, who said, “Schools and parents need to partner more than ever before so we can raise…confident children.” The talk, he said, would include tips on how to maximize...
Mila Makovec was an outgoing toddler who liked to sing, climb, hike and run. She enjoyed playing in the snow and watching Elmo on TV. But that all changed in late 2016, when her symptoms for a rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Batten disease became acute, and doctors at Children’s Hospital were finally able to make the diagnosis of a disease that affects only about one in every 100,000 people. Batten disease causes a variety of symptoms, from seizures and dementia, to gradual loss of s...
Mila Makovec was an outgoing toddler who liked to sing, climb, hike and run. She enjoyed playing in the snow and watching Elmo on TV. But that all changed in late 2016, when her symptoms for a rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Batten disease became acute, and doctors at Children’s Hospital were finally able to make the diagnosis of a disease that affects only about one in every 100,000 people. Batten disease causes a variety of symptoms, from seizures and dementia, to gradual loss of s...
Gunbarrel resident Debra Crosser will retire at the end of the month after 30 years of public service, most of it as Clerk of the Court for the 20th Judicial District, which encompasses all of Boulder County. For county residents who’ve broken the law, or for those who’ve landed in court simply to pay a fine or file a claim, the process can be intimidating. Crosser has been on the job making the public’s experience through the court system as smooth as possible, whether they’re in court for an a...
Gunbarrel Brewing Company will soon be opening a 20,000 square foot location at 7088 Winchester Circle. Husband and wife owners Jamie and Marie Fox have had this plan in place for years, and it will will finally be coming to fruition. “We have been planning and working on opening a brewery here in Gunbarrel for the last three years,” Marie said. “We’ve always wanted to open a brewery, and we thought ‘why not do it now?’ Instead of waiting for retirement or something.” Jamie, who has a background in neuroscience, and Marie, who worked previo...
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day. The two were forever united in 1861 when British chocolate maker Richard Cadbury began selling chocolate candies in heart shaped boxes. For the Gunbarrel-based Concertos in Chocolate the two are still an intense and inseparable pair. “What’s unique about Valentine’s is all our customers come in within about ten days of Valentine’s Day,” said owner and self-titled chocolate composer Chris Widlar. “It’s funny that it’s very intense. Especially the four days before Va...
The Boulder County Planning Commission has an opportunity to reconsider its earlier approval of the change in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan that would pave the way for the City of Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District to build sorely needed affordable housing, up to 240 units, in the Twin Lakes area of Gunbarrel. For decades the City of Boulder has implemented policies which, while making Boulder a very desirable place to live, drive the cost of housing up, to the point where middle class families, not to mention lower income...
Counting flood recovery and other projects, the Diagonal Highway corridor is going to be busy with construction work this spring. In the spirit of giving drivers advance warning, the Boulder County Department of Transportation has been putting up signs informing of dates and locations of work. The problem is, these signs and projects have been changing frequently for those who travel the area frequently. Per the department, here are the projects drivers can count on in the coming months: 71st Street at Boulder and Lefthand creeks This is betwee...
Though City of Boulder planning staff submitted a revised affordable-housing proposal for the development of the land parcels abutting Twin Lakes Road in unincorporated Gunbarrel, local residents continued to contest the project at the Jan. 18 Boulder County Planning Commission hearing. The land-use change is proposed as the first step before pursuing annexation of the property to the City of Boulder. It was a public hearing only, with no vote taken, as one of the commissioners was absent. The decision regarding the land-use change designation...
Winter finds adults spending more time indoors, keeping warm and making plans for the rest of the year. This season also encourages self-reflection and time to initiate the changes you’ve been considering. Fortunately, this community is bursting with opportunities to exercise the mind, body, and spirit. Here is a sampling of self-improvement projects to consider: Discover your innate musical talent: Christopher Macor will get you started and soon you’ll be accompanying yourself in the bathtub instead of singing acapella in the shower. Mac...
Sancho’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant will be opening a second location at 6545 Gunpark Drive in Gunbarrel next month. Owner Shawn Camden and his staff have had to do extensive work to the building and are waiting on approval to begin operating. “It’s pretty stressful to be honest,” Camden said. “There are a lot of challenges. We had to do a major renovation here.” Some of the work included installing a hood and other equipment in the kitchen, but Camden says it has been worth it. “We’re super excited,” he said. “The community has been very sup...
The Boulder County Planning Commission will be reconsidering a land use decision made last October for the Twin Lakes area on Jan. 18. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. and proceed as usual.The commission estimates that discussion on Twin Lakes will begin around 4:30pm at the Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder. A land use designation change for parcels on the 6500 and 6600 blocks of Twin Lakes Road along with the zero block of Kalua Road are in question. The commission will be hearing written and oral comments on the...
On Dec. 5, 2016 the Boulder County Sheriff’s office filed a report of criminal mischief with respect to graffiti along the Cottontail Trail in Gunbarrel. On Jan. 1, 2017 Gunbarrel Estates neighbors started removing it. The incident was reported by Gunbarrel Estates resident John Fay and investigated by Sheriff’s Deputy Connor Pontiakos. The graffiti was found east of North 71st St. along the Cottontail Trail by the Boulder and Left Hand Ditch, in two separate locations. The first location is...
The Colorado Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by Citizens for Quiet Skies and six individual plaintiffs, led by Kimberly Gibbs of Gunbarrel. The court’s decision, which came just 10 days after the case was argued by attorneys during a Court of Appeals session at Fairview High School, affirmed substantially all of District Judge Judy LaBuda’s ruling. Judge Roman wrote the opinion for the court and was joined by Judges Lichtenstein and Freyre. The plaintiffs sued Mile-Hi Skydiving Center, Inc., which operates out of Vance Brand Airport in Lon...
Snow on the ground got you down, golfers? Well, Becky Clark at Haystack Mountain Golf Course just might have the cure for your wintertime blues. Clark is the golf pro at Haystack Mountain, and she runs a “virtual golf” operation in a small, cozy building just north of the main clubhouse. Inside there’s a tee-box in the center of the room, from which you take your swings; with real clubs, with which you strike a real ball. After that, the “virtual” part takes over. The set-up includes video cameras, motion-capture machinery beneath the tee-box,...
If you love playing games, there’s a place around the corner that’s ready to become your new home away from home. Karliquin’s Game Knight in Gunbarrel is under new ownership. James and Kayla Laird recently purchased the business from former owner Jackson Wood, and the Lairds are busy with the process of enacting their specific vision for the storefront. The focus is less on retail, and more on creating a gathering space for the local community. James and Kayla moved here from Louisiana, where James worked as the senior engineer in a river...
The photos with mall Santa have been taken, the sugar cookies on the counter are a bit stale and the sledding hill is showing some bare spots. Still, several long days stretch ahead before the kids go back to school. How to deal with post holiday cabin fever? Here are some unconventional suggestions near and far to fill those many hours. Always phone or check the website for dates and hours before arriving. Sunflower ArT Studio Drop the kids off for the antidote to electronics at this welcoming studio in the Gunbarrel Shopping Center. Monika...
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of spotlights on area churches. If you would like your church in a future issue, please contact [email protected]. Founded in 1870, Niwot United Methodist Church has helped Boulder County become what it is today. Our congregation consists of families from Niwot itself, as well as Gunbarrel and the greater Longmont and Boulder areas. Our family-friendly community-based church is committed to intergenerational community, believing that when we build relationships across the generations we are more vib...
Colorado Native Christmas Trees (CNCT), located in Gunnison with a tree lot in Boulder, has teamed up with Vinelife Church to offer free Christmas trees to disabled military veterans or to anyone who served in Afghanistan or Iraq. For the past seven years CNCT has also offered a 50 percent discount for native trees up to eight-feet tall to all veterans. The Christmas tree lot, which is open to all, is located in the parking lot of Vinelife Church at 7845 Lookout Road in Gunbarrel. In the next...
Pizza lovers rejoice. Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana opened in the Gunbarrel Center on Wednesday, Nov. 30. According to owner Pam Proto, “It’s been a long time coming. We’re so excited to be in this neighborhood.” The Gunbarrel shop is the sixth Proto’s. Besides appetizers and fresh salads, the restaurant features a wide variety of Napoletana style pizzas as well as a gluten free pie. You can dine in or take out. Proto’s is located at 5378 Gunbarrel Center Court, suite 1, Boulder. Hours are Sun...
When longtime Gunbarrel resident Lyn Mead closed her small business four years ago, she noticed her schedule became less rigid so she wasted no time filling her days. Now a mentor for Montessori teachers, Mead is also active in numerous organizations including EFAA food bank and Harvest of Hope Pantry, both in Boulder. November and December is a high need time for folks who frequent the food banks and Mead is astonished at the quantity of food that passes in and out the door this time of year....
The Boulder County transportation department is starting a series of public meetings regarding Quiet Zones along the Highway 119 corridor between Independence Road in Boulder and 83rd Street just north of Niwot. Niwot Elementary School at 8778 Morton Road will be the site of the Dec. 7 meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Note that the regular Niwot Community Association board meeting is cancelled for that evening. Andrew Barth, communications director for the county transportation department, said this...
The Boulder County transportation department is starting a series of public meetings regarding “quiet zones” along the Highway 119 corridor between Independence Road in Boulder and 83rd Street just north of Niwot. Niwot Elementary School at 8778 Morton Road will be the site of the December 7 meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Note that the regular Niwot Community Association board meeting is cancelled for that evening. Andrew Barth, Communications Director for the county transportation department, sai...
There is no one living today who remembers that December night in 1916 when thieves broke into the Niwot State Bank and stole the contents of its safe deposit boxes. But as its 100th anniversary approaches, the story remains one of Niwot’s more notable events. On December 19, 1916, three burglars broke into Niwot’s bank despite its imposing brick construction and highly visible location at the intersection of Second Avenue and Murray Street. It was its proximity to the Colorado & Southern railroad tracks just a half block away, however, tha...
Niwot's 16th annual Enchanted Evening on Friday, Nov. 25, delighted locals and visitors despite chilly, 30-degree temperatures. Children got some needed face time with Santa, and families gathered to sing holiday songs, enjoy egg nog, hot cocoa and other holiday cheer while they shopped, dined and visited with old-and-new friends and loved ones. “My goal this year was to get attendees to visit both Cottonwood [Square Shopping Center] and Old Town--that has always been a challenge,” said eve...
BASEBALL Sean Ratliff (Niwot) began his professional coaching career as hitting coach for the Kingsport Mets in 2015. In 2016 Ratliff moved up to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the short-season Class A affiliate of the Mets. And this fall he coached in the Instructional League, where his prize pupil, Tim Tebow, homered on the first pitch he saw. Ratliff was drafted by the Mets out of Stanford University, where he starred in the College World Series. He worked his way up to Class AA in the Mets organization, and appeared in several spring training...
Editor’s note: Boulder County Commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones were both reelected on Tuesday. In response to questions, they opted to send one letter representing their stance on issues that face the area. Following is their combined response. They say that running for public office is the toughest job interview you’ll ever have, which makes running for re-election the most rigorous personnel evaluation you’ll ever go through. So we were thrilled and humbled that you, the voters of Boulder County, chose by overwhelming margins to gi...
Editor’s note: Boulder County Commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones were both reelected on Tuesday. In response to questions, they opted to send one letter representing their stance on issues that face the area. Following is their combined response. They say that running for public office is the toughest job interview you’ll ever have, which makes running for re-election the most rigorous personnel evaluation you’ll ever go through. So we were thrilled and humbled that you, the voters of Boulder County, chose by overwhelming margins to gi...
On Wednesday, Nov. 2, over 20 people gathered at the Lefthand Valley Grange Park in Niwot to celebrate the dedication of benches as part of Zhou Ming “Ming Ming” Sun’s Eagle Scout project. Those in attendance were from Boulder County Parks and Open Space, Left Hand Grange No.9, Niwot Boy Scouts of America Pack 161, Niwot Historical Society, Niwot Community Association and other community members. Stan Snyder, a landscape architect with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, was in charge of the p...
Editor’s note: Due to several reader requests, the Left Hand Valley Courier asked a follow-up question to Boulder County Commissioner candidates about the proposed affordable housing project in Gunbarrel. Here are their responses. Q “Do you support the proposed location for affordable housing in the Twin Lakes area? Why or why not? Do you think other options should be considered, and if so, where and why?” Paul Danish A I do not support the Twin Lakes project. It is difficult to imagine a more inappropriate place to build a major public housi...
Editor’s note: Due to several reader requests, the Left Hand Valley Courier asked a follow-up question to Boulder County Commissioner candidates about the proposed affordable housing project in Gunbarrel. Here are their responses. As of press time, Paul Danish and Deb Gardner had not responded. Q “Do you support the proposed location for affordable housing in the Twin Lakes area? Why or Why not? Do you think other options should be considered, and if so, where and why? Elise Jones A Boulder County has an affordable housing crisis. Over 40,...
