All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 101 - 150 of 276
The monthly meeting of the Niwot Business Association (NBA) was postponed until Feb. 21 due to a conflict with Valentine's Day, but the delay did not hurt attendance as 37 members gathered at Porchfront Homes to hear about the launch of the newly designed NBA website, www.niwot.com. The website is currently in transition as businesses are updating their listings, which was made easier by a new platform. NBA president Eric Bergeson announced that the current NBA officers, who ran unopposed, had...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The dedication of the Niwot Parking Lot, located west of the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Murray Street in Niwot, has been set for Friday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. Niwot Business Association President Eric Bergeson will be on hand to recognize the contributions of Chuck Klueber, NBA Streetscapes Coordinator, Chad Fletemeyer, of Fletemeyer & Lee Associates, a local architectural firm, and others in the acquisition of the property and construction of the parking lot. The lot provides 14 parking spaces...
All nine members of the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee (LID) were present for the Nov. 1 meeting at the Niwot Inn. Treasurer Bruce Rabeler reported that revenues continue to climb as collections through August are up over $26,000 from a year ago. He noted that with an approval of the loan funding request on the agenda, the LID would have approved over $222,000 in expenditures for 2022. The 2022 LID budget is only $170,000, but Rabeler reminded the committee that the budget is set at 80% of collections from two years ago....
Hair is flying these days, but lately it’s because of static electricity instead of wind. In Boulder County last Wednesday, the humidity was as low as 9% in North Boulder and 11% in other areas. Posts on social media were calling on the community to be watchful because the lack of moisture and relative low humidity denote very dry air. Dry air creates the static electricity that can be seen around the community. Even pet’s fur and horse’s tails were creating halos of static last week. Then, a grass fire broke out near the Calwood burn scar...
Revenues for Niwot's Local Improvement District (LID), which collects a 1% sales tax within the Niwot business district, continue to grow, with the July 2022 report showing a 48% increase in revenue over the same period in 2021. Collections for July totaled $26,346.68, compared to $17,780.17 for the same period a year ago, when the pandemic was still raging. Year-to-date revenues for 2022 are up by 21.48% over 2021, when a total of $269,286.08 was collected by the end of the year. At that rate,...
The Niwot Business Association is sponsoring the Pumpkin Walk for the second year in a row. Niwot realtor and NBA Vice-President Deb Fowler, who is spearheading the event said, “As we approach the colder months, it is even more critical to ensure we support the local restaurants and stores so they continue to stay in business.” The concept is simple - you check in and pick up your pumpkin pass and empty swag bag, one per household, at DRF Real Estate - Slifer Smith and Frampton. located in Suite E behind (not next to) The Old Oak Cof...
Transportation Eric Bergeson, vice-chair of the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, said what was on everyone's mind during a presentation by Kathleen Bracke of the Boulder County Planning and Permitting Department: "Nothing makes it easier to access Niwot." The LID heard from Bracke at the invitation of Mark Ruzzin, liaison to the LID from the office of the Boulder County Commissioners. She presented plans showing a preliminary design of a multi-use path planned for the...
The Niwot Community Association (NCA) held its monthly board meeting Sept. 7 in the Mountain View Fire Rescue Niwot Station conference room where several issues were discussed. The Veterans Banner Project celebration will take place on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., in Cottonwood Square shopping center. Banners honoring veterans with local connections will be displayed downtown and in Cottonwood Square this fall. Fall festivities in Niwot will keep the NCA Road Crew busy with several roa...
On Aug. 2, Gene Hayworth, Executive Director of the Niwot Jazz Festival, gave a wrap-up report to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), which provided funding for over half the cost of the free festival. The event, sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, marked its second year of bringing live jazz to Niwot. To measure the success of the festival, volunteers conducted an hourly attendance count and handed out surveys to gather information about those attending. Everyone who compl...
Revenues of the Niwot Local Improvement District keep climbing, with the latest report showing $24,878.21 collected in May from the LID’s 1% sales tax, which was more than 25% higher than May 2021 collections. Overall, the year-to-date collections are up by 18.29% over the same period a year ago. Treasurer Bruce Rabeler reported that the LID’s reserve fund at the end of 2021 was estimated to be $307,356. By previous resolution, the LID has a policy of keeping a reserve amount of at least $60,000 to guard against a downturn in the economy. The f...
With seven members present, the NIwot Local Improvement District advisory committee recommended approval of three funding requests at its regular meeting July 5 at the Niwot Inn. The LID collects a 1% sales tax in Niwot’s business district and makes recommendations to the Boulder County Commissioners for expenditures which benefit the business district. Chair Scott Firle was joined by Vice-Chair Eric Bergeson, Treasurer Bruce Rabeler, Mary Coonce, Lisa Rivard, Keith Waters and Cornelia Sawle. Mark Ruzzin was the liaison from Boulder County. T...
Proving the event has staying power, the Second Annual Niwot Jazz Festival wrapped up Saturday night, June 25, 2022. Approximately 650 people were in attendance throughout the afternoon and evening and enjoyed almost perfect weather and an even better jazz lineup. Keith Waters, the Jazz Festival's Musical Director, as well as CU Music Professor and Inkberry Books co-owner said, "We were really delighted with the way it turned out." Musicians from as far away as New York and Washington, DC,...
Nothing conjures up a deeper sense of patriotism and belonging to a community like a 4th of July parade, and Niwot's celebration has a way of elevating that hometown, apple pie feeling to the max. There are kids riding their streamer-adorned bikes, horse-mounted riders carrying flags, well-represented community organizations walking with their banners, all encased in a backdrop of majestic music. And of course there's the Grand Marshal riding in a spiffy convertible smiling and waving to the...
This is the first in a series of stories on the four artists painting walls in the Cottonwood Shopping Center-Jerry Sinor Building mural project. Artist, activist and author Danielle SeeWalker's mural is striking, colorful, compelling, and nearly the size of a standard billboard. It took SeeWalker four full days in 90+ degree heat, and additional hours here and there to complete the 495 square-foot mural she's named "What Once Was." It beautifies the southern exterior wall of Abo's Pizza, next...
The monthly Niwot Business Association meeting, hosted by Pat Murphy and the Niwot Group-Compass June 14 at their offices at 7916 Niwot Road, included a lively discussion of food trucks and other mobile vendors in Niwot. NBA president Eric Bergeson of Niwot Wheel Works noted that the topic had come up at the NBA Executive Committee meeting and at the Niwot Future League (NFL) meeting recently. The main issues discussed were whether food trucks and other mobile vendors should pay a fee to the...
Niwot's historic connection to Native Americans will take on a new look with the installation of four murals in Cottonwood Square shopping center. The Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee recommended approval of a funding request from the owners of Cottonwood Square and the Jerry Sinor Building that provides for the LID to cover 75% of the $12,900 cost of the murals. The request was approved June 7 by LID members Eric Bergeson, Mary Coonce, Jeff Knight and Scott Firle. The...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) approved five funding requests at its regular meeting May 3, including funding for three popular community events. Scott Firle chaired the meeting, with advisory board members Lisa Rivard, Cornelia Sawle, Bruce Rabeler, Jeff Knight, Heidi Storz and Keith Waters also in attendance, along with Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin. The Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association (NBA), co-managers of the Rock & Rails summer...
Back by popular demand, the House Blend Band will start its 2022 concert series after Around the World Day in Niwot on Saturday, May 14. The eight-piece band, consisting of Old Oak Coffee House owners Michael Tomich (lead singer, keyboard, guitar) and Patty Machen (viola, mandolin and percussion), Michael's daughter, Paris Tomich (Lead vocals and percussion), and local Niwot/Boulder/Longmont residents Andrew Bunin (bass guitar, backing vocalist), John Lawrence (Drummer), Eric Ottem (trumpet, har...
The Niwot Community Association’s (NCA) monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 4, covered a multitude of timely issues and events ranging from the latest on the Boulder Library District to the organization’s array of upcoming events. Boulder Library District update The NCA has been keeping close tabs on the possibility that a Boulder Public Library District could potentially include Niwot in its scope. In late April, the Boulder City Council declared it saw “no path forward to reconcile with the Boulder County Commissioners on a library resol...
Born in the Bronx and having traveled the world, Kathy Trauner, now a long-time Colorado resident, turned a great idea into reality last year for Niwot residents feeling trapped by Covid. The owner of Fly Away Home gift and art shop in Cottonwood Square, Trauner inaugurated "Around the World Day," a creative event which will return here May 14. Inspired by the wish to bring international experiences to Niwot residents when travel was restricted, the event invites all businesses on 2nd Avenue...
Following the huge success of last year's inaugural Around the World Day, the event will return for a second year on May 14th. The day was created based on an idea from Fly Away Home store owner Kathy Trauner during COVID when everyone was missing traveling abroad. She was inspired by the idea of brining international experiences to Niwot when travel away from other countries to Niwot was restricted. All businesses in downtown Niwot on 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square are invited to "dress up...
Cimmini's was packed last Tuesday for the monthly Niwot Business Association meeting. It might have had something to do with the refreshments provided by the popular Italian restaurant, and it might have had something to do with the speaker for the evening. NBA president Eric Bergeson began by welcoming new NBA members, including Lisa Nesper with Cross Country Mortgage in Niwot Square and Kristin Dura with Una Vida in Cottonwood Square. Bergeson then shifted to announcements and a number of...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) met April 6 at the Niwot Inn to consider two funding requests, both of which were approved. LID Chair Scott Firle welcomed Jeff Knight to his first meeting as a member of the committee. Knight was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners as the Niwot Community Association representative on the nine-member advisory board. He replaced longtime LID member and former chair Laura Skaggs. Mark Ruzzin, liaison to the LID from the...
Jeff Knight, a Niwot resident since 2005, was appointed to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) by the Boulder County Commissioners. Knight was designated by the Niwot Community Association (NCA) as its nominee for the NCA representative position on the nine-member committee, which considers funding requests for sales tax dollars for projects and events which benefit the business district in Niwot. Knight, who resides in the Burgundy Park subdivision, also serves on the...
A second summer concert series and signs for Niwot's new public parking lot were just two of the pending issues before the advisory committee to the Niwot Local Improvement District at its monthly meeting on March 1. The group also met its likely future representative from the Niwot Community Association, heard a year-end revenue report from treasurer Bruce Rabeler, and put the finishing touches on its update to the Niwot five-year strategic plan. Treasurer's Report Boosted by robust earnings...
Two years after the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns sent a shock through the local economy, Niwot isn't just back in business, it's booming. Over the past 12 months, shoppers, diners, and retailers have been flocking to Cottonwood Square and 2nd Avenue, driving sales tax revenues to all-time highs while driving the commercial vacancy rate to an all-time low. Part of this growth is due to an economy that is on the rebound from a slowdown in 2020, plus the easing of many pandemic restrictions....
The Niwot Local Improvement District’s advisory committee may be without a Niwot Community Association representative for at least the next few months, after the Boulder Board of County Commissioners office was unable to appoint a candidate for the open position during the latest recruitment period. According to county liaison Mark Ruzzin, both a small number of applications and other priorities in the BOCC office contributed to the inability to seat a new member. “The commissioners, as you can...
At its first monthly meeting of 2022 on Jan. 12, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee approved two funding requests from the Niwot Business Association, heard an update about the parking lot, and discussed the final version of the 2021 strategic plan. Treasurer's Report After September's record-high revenues of $29,164, the LID's collections "settled" to a more normal $22,790 in October 2021, treasurer Bruce Rabeler told the board in his January report. Still, that was more th...
After a series of false-starts and long delays, the 14-space public parking lot on the west side of downtown Niwot could be open to cars in the coming weeks, according to representatives of the Niwot Business Association, who said the final permitting issues have been settled, and just one piece of the puzzle-solar bollard lights-remains. "Mark Ruzzin with Boulder County is working on the final contract for light installation," NBA Vice President Mary Coonce said. "Once that is complete, we can...
Boulder County is seeking applications for one opening on the Niwot Business Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, a nine-member independent board that "prioritizes expenditures of the LID sales tax revenue," and makes recommendations to the county commissioners, who serve as the board of directors for the district. The Niwot LID was formed in 1992 and was authorized to collect a half-percent sales tax to pay for street, drainage and other improvements in Old Town, beginning in...
The Niwot and Gunbarrel areas have their share of exceptionally talented chefs, some of whom have just opened or expanded restaurants in the past year. Each has expressed appreciation for working out of this community and serving those who live here. As a thank you, they've provided some of their favorite recipes as a gift for readers who might want to try something new for their Thanksgiving meal. Potato Jurasien Pie from Christine Carr of TipTop Pies This recipe is not only decadent and...
As part of the effort to update the town's five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee invited leaders from more than a dozen local community organizations to a round table discussion at the Left Hand Grange on Nov. 2 to discuss how to prioritize tax revenues over the coming years and encourage cooperation among the groups on community projects. Among the groups represented were the Niwot Business Association, Niwot Community Association, the Rotary Club of...
Work on a proposal to create a community garden space in Niwot is starting, Niwot Community Association board member Diane Zimmermann told NCA members at the Oct. 6 meeting. "The first step is to survey our NCA members to gauge interest and gather ideas, and then put together a community group made up of Niwot residents and NCA members interested in getting this project started," Zimmermann said. "We see so many Niwot residents with beautiful gardens and we could use their expert advice and...
In its first face-to-face meeting since March 2020, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee heard a request to fund Niwot Holiday Magic, discussed the recent strategic planning meeting, and got an update on the public parking lot. It was also the first meeting for new business representative Keith Waters, who was appointed to a five-year term by the Boulder County Board of Commissioners last month. Waters is a professor at the CU College of Music and co-owner of Inkberry Books...
After a five-hour meeting to review its five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee decided that the best course of action would be to host the leadership of all of the non-profit organizations serving the Niwot community at a roundtable discussion. The purpose of the meeting will be to give each organization, including the LID, a better understanding of each organization’s purpose and short-term goals, as well as start a conversation about how best to share resources. Eight of the nine LID committee member...
Niwot Oktoberfest, a local tribute to the 211-year-old Bavarian volksfest, is coming to Cottonwood Square and 2nd Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 9. With activities ranging from inflatable horse races, to food tasting, to German dancing, there will be something there for everyone in the mood to celebrate the changing of the seasons, according to organizer Deborah Read Fowler of the Niwot Business Association. "It should be a really fun day," she said. "It's more interactive, and it's outside. A lot of...
Many Niwotians know Keith Waters as the co-owner of Inkberry Books, along with longtime partner Gene Hayworth. But underneath that mild mannered exterior lies the syncopated heart of a jazz connoisseur, who brings more than his fandom to the form. Now Waters is bringing the versatile genre back to town with the Niwot Jazz Festival, an all-day showcase of local, regional, and national talent, slated for Sept. 4. "Gene and I have now been part of the community for about three years, and it just...
To a lay person, the new downtown Niwot parking lot on Murray Street may seem like one of the simplest of construction projects. But don't be fooled....it took a lot of planning, red tape, managing, and time to get it to this stage. Integral in that process was this month's Left Hand Laurel recipient, Chad Fletemeyer. In July, the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) was tapped for additional financial assistance owing to unforeseen expenses needed to comply with Boulder County mandates....
Some of the most dramatic pieces of public art in Niwot are three works created by the gifted artist Eddie Running Wolf, who passed away last summer. Unfortunately the tree carvings aren't holding up well to the weather and other ongoing natural elements. Now, an effort is underway to preserve them and potentially reinstall them indoors. Work will start this week on the piece known as Spear Lodge Man. "I think Spear Lodge Man was the first carving that was done and it's been an iconic display...
Whether it's pumpkins and costumes or lederhosen and beer that come to mind when the words "October celebration" are mentioned, the Niwot Business Association has it covered. At its virtual monthly meeting on Aug. 3, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee approved two funding requests from the group for events that will bring back autumn-themed fun to 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square. The LID board also discussed the projected 2022 budget, and bid goodbye to longtime member...
Changes mandated by Boulder County and rising material costs led to approximately $30,000 in unanticipated expenses during construction of the downtown parking lot, according to Chuck Klueber of the Niwot Business Association. Appearing on behalf of the group at the July 6 virtual meeting of the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee, he requested the additional funding for the project and explained how the original estimate missed the mark by so much. "We did as best we could to...
Summer in Niwot hasn't been quite the same since Lobster Bash left 2nd Avenue, but the late, lamented community feast is making a comeback. On July 31, the Niwot Business Association is hosting the inaugural Lobster Fest, which "takes it up a notch," according to NBA treasurer Mary Coonce, one of the event's organizers. "Lobster Bash was my first exposure to Niwot," she said. "I was living in Boulder, and used to ride my bike out here, and I would go every year. It's what made me want to live...
To paraphrase an old adage, "Man plans, the universe laughs." In Jim Eastman's life, at least two major events sent him off the expected path. Thankfully, the world is a better place, and Eastman would likely concur, that he's better as a result. A rollover car accident in 1990 caused Eastman to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which led to profound changes cognitively and, over time, physically as a result of stress. A decade later, he experienced another turning point - the discovery tha...
After being delayed during much of March, April, and May due to permitting issues at Boulder County, construction of a public parking lot west of downtown Niwot is moving forward, and could be completed by the end of June, according to representatives from the Niwot Business Association. "By the end of the month, it all should be pretty well wrapped up," Chuck Klueber, head of NBA's streetscapes committee said. "We just have a few more things to get done, and it shouldn't take very long."...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee held its latest monthly meeting virtually on June 1. The meeting was chaired by newly elected vice-chair Eric Bergeson in the absence of new chair Scott Firle. Treasurer's Report LID treasurer Bruce Rabeler was also not present, but submitted a written report of the district's current finances to board members in advance. In March, the Niwot LID earned $19,348, down from February ($20,935), but up 22% from March 2020 (12,639), and 18% from...
