All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Boulder Open Space and Parks Management (OSPM) announced that two local trails will be closed. A news release regarding the Heatherwood Trail connection to Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat states: "A portion of the Heatherwood Trail at Walden Ponds will be closed for about one month beginning Monday, Nov. 4, for a City of Boulder sewer line project. Visitors will not be able to connect between Heatherwood Trail and the trails at Walden Ponds. #boco_trails" Please see the accompanying map of the...
Facing significant enrollment challenges, Heatherwood Elementary School has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform its educational offerings through a new Environmental STEAM program set to launch in the 2025-2026 school year. The school, which was designed to accommodate 500 students, is currently operating at just 40% capacity, a decline that began during the COVID pandemic. Current projections suggest enrollment could drop to approximately 200 students by 2028. When a school's enrollment...
Vesper Trail The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) announced this week that the new Vesper Trail, north of the Heatherwood subdivision, is now open to the public after a mating pair of burrowing owls successfully raised eight new owlets. Congratulations to the new parents who are now facing empty nest syndrome! OSMP thanked members of the public for their cooperation in staying off the brand new trail that was built this past spring, only to be closed to allow the federally...
Former Heatherwood Elementary teacher Diana Joan Grieve died June 5, 2024 at age 81. Her husband, Rickard Allan “Dick” Grieve died July 21, 2024, at age 82. The former Gunbarrel residents lived in southwest Longmont. A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. on October 3, 2024, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Longmont....
According to a recent report issued by the Colorado Department of Education in October of 2023, there were 1,800 fewer students enrolled in Colorado Public Schools than in 2022. School districts across the state have been facing declining enrollment issues, with some, like Denver Public Schools, expecting upwards of an 8% decline in students in the next five years. Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) is projected to lose 1,700 students over the next 5 years based on reports from 2022-2023. In response, it has created a Long Range Advisory...
In 2013-2014, the Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS) identified several highways that were prime for transit expansion or enhancements, one being the CO 119 corridor between Longmont and Boulder, also known as the Diagonal Highway. According to highway safety records, CO 119 is the highest crash corridor for motorists and the second highest for bicyclists in Boulder County. By 2040, the stretch of the Diagonal Highway between Boulder and Longmont is expected to see an increase in vehicle...
ACROSS 2. rain 3. Cranny 6. Dominican 8. Strangebyrds 11. power 12. Woo DOWN 1. limeade 4. Nourish 5. softball 7. Heatherwood 9. salsa 10. Motown...
Since childhood, the calling to be a teacher was ever-present for Heatherwood Elementary School fifth grade teacher Anna Lyttle. Early experiences as a camp counselor, music teacher assistant, and outdoor education instructor solidified this desire. These roles provided valuable skills but also confirmed a passion for working with children. After completing her Bachelor's in American Studies and Sociology from Colby College, Lyttle ventured into the realms of advertising, marketing and sales....
On March 11, 2024, construction was set to begin on the new Vesper Trail, with portions of the East Boulder-Gunbarrel Trail to be closed for use between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through June. The trail is currently closed from the Boulderado Drive and Cambridge Street access point in the Heatherwood subdivision to a point approximately one mile east. In addition, beginning May 13, repair and resurfacing work began on the East Boulder - White Rocks Trail between Boulderado Drive and...
Heatherwood Elementary School hosted its annual mile-long Heather Heatherwood "fun run," Tuesday, May 21 to round out a spirited school year. Students and staff wound through the course on the closed streets of the Heatherwood neighborhood and tackled obstacle courses created for the event. This year the theme was "CandyLand," so obstacles consisted of candy balloon arches, donut tires, and pool noodle lollipops. The PTO set up obstacles throughout the course, complete with photo booths and...
Heatherwood Elementary School celebrated its last school-wide assembly of the year on Friday, May 17, that took the school on a trip "Back to the '90s" with time capsules and photos. Sparky, Heatherwood's blue husky mascot, made the trip with them. Sparky was trained by professional mascot trainers and was there to cheer on the school as kids were recognized for participating in school activities that included student council, Maji Safi, intramural sports, handbells and choir, Battle of the...
Ok. It is graduation time of year again. Niwot High School, CU Boulder, various preschools and elementary schools are all celebrating the launch of a flock of graduates who have completed the requisite tasks to "level up." Let's talk about that for a moment. "Graduate" means to complete. Commencement means to begin or start anew. So, a graduation commencement ceremony marks both an ending and a beginning You "graduate" to the next level while at the same time "commence" something new. While you...
Heatherwood Elementary School held its annual Carnival on May 3, a windy spring day in a field of freshly blooming dandelions at Heatherwood Elementary School. The Carnival is the school's spring fundraising event and was significantly larger than last year's Carnival. Mara Oleson, co-president of the Parent Teacher Organization Board, or PTO Board, said that the carnival sold 350 wristband-tickets for kids and estimated that about 450 people attended. "I became active in Heatherwood's PTO last...
Members of the Heatherwood Educational Advisory Team were feeling hopeful, inspired, and empowered at the close of the second meeting of the group on April 29. The team is beginning a community engagement process to develop recommendations for future programming and other educational experiences to help increase Heatherwood Elementary School's enrollment in future years. The Boulder Valley School District is among numerous school districts across the country that are facing the challenges of...
Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has been experiencing declining enrollment since 2018, a decline exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. One of the schools most notably affected is Heatherwood Elementary School, which has approximately 226 enrolled students as of Oct. 1, 2023. Heatherwood is running at just above 40% of its 500-student capacity. To address declining enrollment throughout the district, BVSD has implemented a long range planning process, an "Enrollment Advisory Phase" and a...
On the evening of March 21, Heatherwood Elementary School, located in Gunbarrel, hosted its second annual Math Night to celebrate the young Husky learners from Pre-K through fifth grade. Each class prepared an interactive activity, or game, for the numerous families and community members who attended the dynamic event. The fifth-graders made an incredible game where estimation meets math, called "esti-mysteries." It was a guessing game to test your estimation skills with helpful clues. Each...
Beginning March 11, 2024, when construction began on the new Vesper Trail, portions of the East Boulder-Gunbarrel Trail will be closed for use between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through June. The trail will be closed from the Boulderado Drive and Cambridge Street Access Point in the Heatherwood subdivision to a point approximately one mile east. According to a City of Boulder news release, the Vesper Trail will be "a new 1.5-mile trail section that will be built on Gunbarrel Hill near t...
Rick Clark and Bob Stadtherr are the latest recipients of Left Hand Valley Courier's Left Hand Laurel for their contributions to local music - most notably, as members of the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band. The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, formed in 2005, is iconic in the Niwot community. The band plays at local events such as Rock & Rails, the July 4th Breakfast and Parade, Enchanted Evening, the Christmas Holiday Parade, and Niwot High School basketball...
In two separate split-decision votes at their Jan. 9 meeting, Boulder County Commissioners approved sweeping changes to the Boulder County Land Use Code and Boulder County Licensing Ordinance 2023-02 regarding regulation of Short-Term and Vacation Rentals in unincorporated Boulder County. The complexity of the issues and passion of public opinion were once again on full display at the Jan. 9 meeting which lasted eight hours, including nearly four hours of public testimony both in favor of and opposed to the proposed changes. On the two votes,...
The Boulder County Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday, Oct. 18, to advance a plan for revising the county’s land use code related to the regulation of Short-Term and Vacation Rentals. The commissioners agreed on recommending several changes to the County Planning and Permitting (CPP) staff’s draft proposal. It will now fall on to the County Commissioners to put the final touches on any revisions to the code. CPP staff will incorporate the planning commission’s recommendations into its draft plan and present the results to the C...
The west side of the Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat will be closed for the City of Boulder Main Sewer Improvements Project from Oct. 2 through March 15, 2024. Trails at Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat west of Heatherwood Link Trail and west of the boardwalk, including Duck Pond will be closed beginning Oct. 2. Sawhill Ponds will also be closed starting Oct. 2 through March 15 for osprey nesting season. For more information about the Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat trails closure,...
Carolyn Ann Roberts, who grew up in Gunbarrel and attended Heatherwood Elementary School, died May 20, 2023, at age 25 of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Carolyn was a CPA and won a state doubles title in tennis at Fairview High School....
David Joseph Waters, age 40, was sentenced to 16 years in the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to charges of attempted second-degree murder and possession of explosives or incendiary parts resulting from a road rage incident in Heatherwood on November 24, 2021. Waters was sentenced as part of a plea bargain with the stipulation that he would receive a sentence of between 10 and 30 years in prison. On May 12, Boulder County District Judge Robert Gunning sentenced Waters to 12 years on the attempted murder charge and four years on...
One of the most popular and effective forms of self-care is getting outdoors for physical activity. Incorporating nature into a self-care routine doesn’t have to cost anything (maybe except for investing in a new pair of sneakers), which makes this form of self-care available to just about everyone. Its impact on health and well-being depends on the amount and quality of exposure to nature. Exercise is essential for a healthy body and mind, and current CDC recommendations are at least 150 minutes per week for adults and one hour per day for c...
Ava Thompson, 16, daughter of Kris and Amy Thompson of Heatherwood died November 28, 2022. Ava was a sophomore at Boulder High School where she was a member of the mountain bike team and played lacrosse. She worked at the Gunbarrel King Soopers. A Celebration of Life will be held Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. at the Boulder Jewish Community Center....
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...
Eugene (Gene) Mason Parker of Gunbarrel died October 29, 2022, at age 92. Gene was often seen at Rock & Rails concerts during the summer, as well as throughout events in Boulder, Niwot and Gunbarrel. The Heatherwood community park was renamed Parker Park in 2021 in honor of Gene and his wife Denise. A Celebration of Gene’s life will be held December 10 at 1:00 pm at the VFW Post 807, 4760 28th St, Boulder. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to TRU Hospice....
The October monthly town hall meeting of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) was held at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Gunbarrel the evening of Thursday, Oct. 13. All three Commissioners were present and around 15 citizens from the Gunbarrel area were in attendance. The Commissioners started the meeting with some brief remarks, then opened the floor for questions. All of the commissioners are currently working on the annual budget process and on the ballot issues in the upcoming election. In addition, each commissioner has an...
On June 26, 2022, at approximately 6:40 p.m., the Boulder County Communications Center reported receiving a report of a structure fire located in the 7000 block of Durham Circle in Heatherwood. Upon arrival at 7745 Durham Circle, first responders found smoke coming from inside the home. According to a press release from the Boulder County Sheriff's office, the residents of the home had been able to safely evacuate, however, two pets were still inside. The report stated, "The residents of the pro...
The pandemic has been a devastating time within our personal lives and within our local and national governmental operations. Now that life is returning to "normal," the Boulder Library Champions, a grassroots group of local volunteers, are interested in making some changes to the way the Boulder public library operates. They're also in need of book donations, in case you're interested in contributing to the group. On March 8, the Boulder Library Champions held a community meeting at the Left...
Heatherwood resident David Joseph Waters, age 39, was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder after Boulder County Sheriff’s officers responded to a report of a road rage shooting at around 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 near the south entrance to the Heatherwood subdivision off 75th Street in Gunbarrel. Dispatchers received a report from a caller that another driver shot at him with a handgun as the caller was passing him. A news release from the sheriff’s department indicated that deputies responding found a bullet hole in...
Many residents in the area are well acquainted with Geof Sparks due to his passions, the genuine way he connects with others in conversations, and also because he works at a very popular retail store in Niwot. Here are a few tidbits about Sparks which give us insight into the man behind the familiar face. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) – How have you become a familiar face in Niwot? Geof Sparks (GS) - Most people know me as the evening face of Niwot Liquor where I've worked for over 16 y...
This month's recipient of the Left Hand Laurel is Shana Oehmke, uber-parent volunteer at Heatherwood Elementary School (HES). Living just three blocks away from the school for the last 15 years, the Oehmke children had an easy commute to HES; Henry is a third-grader this year, Charlotte is in seventh grade at Platt Middle School, and Amelia is a sophomore at Fairview High. HES school office manager Marlys Lietz wrote, "Shana has worked hard to keep our school finances in order and has been...
"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...
The City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is planning to build a new loop trail in the northwest corner of the Gunbarrel Hill open space. The approximately 1,000-acre open space site, which is owned by the City of Boulder and managed by its Open Space and Mountain Parks Department, is located to the south of Lookout Road between North 75th Street and North 95th Street. The proposed loop trail is estimated to add roughly two miles of trail to the system and is part of a larger...
Longmont based HOPE, short for Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement, cares for some of the most vulnerable members of the community. Founded in 2007, HOPE has supported the homeless community with the end goal being self-sufficiency. The organization exists to fill people's most basic needs of shelter and food, in addition to providing forward momentum resources such as one-on-one advocacy. Gunbarrel resident Erin Hofer-Shall is an angel of HOPE. While that sounds very ethereal, she and...
Need is everywhere. To fill that need, and as part of its ministry, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church's pastor Janet Kettering said an important part of the church's history is feeding those in need. Kettering said that there are many people in the Gunbarrel community who, while not part of an organized worship group, still want to help. In 2017, that energy was put to good use with a food drive. Pardes Levavot, the Jewish Renewal Congregation that also worships in the church building on...
Back in the summer of 2005, Biff Warren, his daughter Katie, and a few other like-minded locals decided to dust off their band instruments and revive the time-honored tradition of live concert music in Niwot. In the decade and a half since, the band's popularity, its repertoire, and its name have exploded in size, while its unique musical stylings have become the soundtrack for the town's signature events. Needless to say, 2020 has been quiet for the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange...
The littlest children in the Left Hand Valley will get to have a relatively normal school experience this fall. Childcare was deemed as an essential service in March and some preschool facilities, especially those providing care to children of essential workers, never closed in the coronavirus pandemic. Others have started reopening under smaller classroom restrictions during the "safer-at-home" period. For schools that provide both K-12 education and also preschool, it has taken some time to...
Electric bikes, or e-bikes as they are commonly known, have begun to make significant in-roads in the cycling industry. Eric Bergeson, owner of Niwot Wheel Works, said that in his three years running the local bike shop, he has seen e-bikes grow in popularity. E-bikes, which come equipped with a battery-powered electric motor, come in a variety of makes and models, ranging from road and mountain bikes to hybrid bikes. Per the Boulder-based national cycling advocacy group, PeopleForBikes, there...
Make a float out of your car and come celebrate with a graduation parade. That's what a mom in Heatherwood is telling graduates of any age or school in the area. She's organizing a car parade for May 9 in the Heatherwood neighborhood of Gunbarrel. Kathy Kester's daughter, Sara, is graduating from the University of Colorado. Kester said she wanted to do something to mark the occasion since colleges and schools aren't doing in-person ceremonies. "I felt bad that they aren't going to have any...
Easter was different for everyone this year: there were no community egg hunts or egg rolls, and for those who hold the religious side dear, there weren't (in-person) services either. Instead, families--religious and non-religious alike--spent the holiday together, which really is the main point of the day. Easter is a time to celebrate what we have, it's a time of new beginnings and reflection. Even though this Easter is unlike any other recent years, individuals and organizations alike sought...
In small towns, churches are much more than simply places of worship to gather on Sunday mornings. They provide a space for neighbors to socialize, for newcomers to meet people, and for those without company to have some, if even just for a few hours. With the closing of most public and private businesses and gatherings limited to no more than 10 individuals, churches in Niwot and Gunbarrel are forced to figure out other ways of bringing the community together. Pastor Janet Kettering of...
Meg Heitlinger moved here from Minneapolis in 2006 for the same reason many people come to Colorado--"the idea of living from snow to sunshine." Twelve years later, Heitlinger became the much beloved president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Heatherwood Elementary. "It seems that Meg is here at Heatherwood more days than she's not," said Mary Lietz, Principal's Assistant. "She is constantly pitching in, supporting our school and leading our PTO Crew. She is smart and eloquent and delivers...
Their first names rhyme, so it is easy to see them as a matched set and their last name is emblematic of the brightening effect they have on the community. It's Jill and Bill Whitener - the vivacious, capable, and caring duo who have become very familiar faces in Niwot. We posed a few questions to find out what makes this generous couple tick and here is what we've learned. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC): Tell us a bit about your backgrounds. Jill & Bill (J&B): Jill grew up in Aspen. Her...
To the editor: There is no climate emergency! Those are not my words, but rather the words of 500 of the world's most knowledgeable and experienced scientists and professionals in climate related field. This information was sent to the United Nations Secretary General and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on September 23rd, 2019 urging them to reconsider their stance on climate change. Their letter remarks that "the general-circulation models of climate on which international policy is at...
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....
Full-day kindergarten programs have been available in the local school districts for more than a decade, but often came with a steep monthly tuition fee. Starting this school year, those programs will be free to families in all Colorado public schools, thanks to a bill signed into law last May by governor Jared Polis that funds kindergarten at the same per-pupil rate as the other grades. For principals at Heatherwood and Niwot Elementary Schools, the move to make full-day schooling available to...
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...
This April marks the Left Hand Valley Courier’s 22nd anniversary. Like most things I’ve started, I’ve often wondered, if I had really known what I was getting myself into, would I have done it? This is the type of thing that pops into my head around 2 a.m., when sleep eludes me. We started the Courier to give recognition to those in the community who might otherwise be overlooked. At its core, the paper strives to keep our readers informed and to create a dialogue about events that can and have changed the shape of our area. From the propo...
