All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 51 - 100 of 266
In years past, the Niwot hosted Apres Ski Day, a fun winter event that included winter treats and activities around town. This year, the revamped event has changed its name to "WinterFest" and will be held on Jan. 27 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The name was changed to better celebrate the season and let the community know that no one needs to go skiing before enjoying all the activities. WinterFest is sponsored by the Niwot Business Association (NBA) with most of the funding coming from the Niwot...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee approved funding for three upcoming events to be held in January, February and June, 2024, at its Jan. 9 meeting. Mary Coonce, who serves as treasurer of both the LID and the Niwot Business Association (NBA), spoke in support of the events, saying, “The goal is to have an event every month.” In her treasurer’s report, Coonce reported a $10,716 decrease in sales tax revenues collected by the LID through October 2023, compared with...
Niwot is home to the architectural firm Fletemeyer & Lee Associates (FLA). Dave Lee and Chad Fletemeyer and their team are actively engaged in the local business community and offer a complete selection of professional services that include site analysis and selection, architecture, landscape architecture, facility needs assessment and construction. The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (NLIDAC) retained FLA to update the 2012 Master Plan for Niwot. The Master Plan will assist...
First, just in case you were wondering, most of these groups of letters are not acronyms but initialisms, as they cannot be pronounced as a word. For example, FOMO (fear of missing out), FedEx, and NASA are pronounced as words, consequently they are acronyms, whereas ATM is not pronounced “attem,” thus an initialism. But the initialisms listed above represent organizations in Niwot, including non-profits, a taxing district and its advisory committee, and a business committee, which are all quite important to local Niwot citizens. The ini...
Thanks to the alarmingly successful recruitment efforts of the Courier's Biff Warren, Keith Waters was persuaded to contribute articles to the Courier beginning last summer. Local readers lavish praise on his prose, noting that his articles are "remarkably adequate," with one local going so far as to say that they are "appropriate in length." When asked about Waters's writing, Niwot novelist Jim Ringel was quoted as saying, "...uhh, right, Keith Waters," before abruptly leaving the room. When...
Approximately 75 people turned out for an open house at the Left Hand Grange No. 9 on Dec. 13 to review plans for Highway 119 (Diagonal Highway) improvements between Boulder and Longmont. Representatives from Muller Engineering Company, consultants on the project, were on hand with Boulder County Public Works and RTD staff members to listen to comments and answer questions. The primary topic of discussion was the design of a pedestrian-bikeway underpass leading from 2nd Avenue in downtown Niwot...
The Niwot Community Association (NCA) is a non-profit organization established in 1990 that advocates for the Niwot community with local governmental agencies. The NCA also provides a forum for Niwot citizens to have an opportunity to become informed and involved in proposed changes affecting their lives in the community. The NCA board of directors held its monthly meeting Dec. 13 at the Left Hand Grange No. 9. The focus of the December board meeting was to set goals for the new year. In...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee approved two funding proposals from the Niwot Business Association (NBA) at its Dec. 5 meeting. Chuck Klueber presented a request for funding to clean up the area along Niwot Road where Eddie Running Wolf's iconic tree carvings have been removed for restoration. The application requested $862 toward the total cost of $1,062, based on a bid from Niwot arborist company We Love Trees. The NBA and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association each...
In an uncertain world, Niwot's annual Holiday Magic events provide traditions, nostalgia and hope for the future. Holiday Magic in Niwot is comprised of four main events: Enchanted Evening on Nov. 24, the Friday after Thanksgiving; the Holiday Parade on the following day, Nov. 25; and then two Holiday Market days at the Left Hand Grange on the first two Saturdays in December, Dec. 2 and 9. During this magical time, there are several opportunities for children to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at the...
Catherine McHale is the recipient of the Left Hand Valley Courier’s Left Hand Laurel for her volunteer work in Niwot, most notably establishing the popular event, “Dancing Under the Stars.” McHale owns Power & Purpose Marketing in Niwot, and has been a member of the Niwot community for about 13 years. She was Niwot’s Economic Development Director for a number of years, leading efforts to fill Niwot’s commercial spaces. She started getting involved in the community as a business owner. “After a...
Historically in the United States, a wooden nickel was not typically legal tender, but instead more of a novelty coin often issued by merchants as part of a promotion. Wooden nickels became popular in the 1930s, though they may date back to the 1880s. Niwot has had its own share of wooden nickels through the years, issued by local businesses. Thanks to local Niwotians such as Adam Robinson and Tim and Carrie Wise, the idea of re-introducing a new wooden Niwot Nickel was born. The Niwot Business...
Niwot's Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID), made up of nine community members appointed by the Boulder County Commissioners, unveiled a Master Plan for Niwot, focusing primarily on the business district, at a meeting of Niwot's primary community non-profit organizations Nov. 6. The first meeting of Niwot organizations took place in the fall of 2021, when each organization had an opportunity to describe its mission and planned projects. The Nov. 6 meeting was a followup to the...
All nine members of the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee were present Oct. 17 in the downstairs conference room of the Niwot Inn & Spa for a preview of a master plan commissioned by the LID. David Lee and Chad Fletemeyer of the Niwot architectural firm Fletemeyer, Lee & Associates were on hand to give a preview of a master plan for Niwot being developed to assist the LID and the Niwot community in planning for the future. The LID’s first effort at creating a master plan was completed in 2012 when several community members a...
After a two-year hiatus, Oktoberfest returned to Cottonwood Square on Saturday, Sept. 30. The festivities kicked off at 11 a.m. with a Nerf Animal Shooting Gallery for kids and adults alike. The inflatable animals included bears, deer and wild boar that could be "shot at" with a Nerf bow and arrow. The shooting gallery was run by the Niwot Rotary Club. Music started at 12:30 p.m. with the aptly named Wurst Case Scenario playing some fun German themed "Weird Al Yankovic" style music. The...
Whether you love them or fear them, insects make up approximately 80% of animals found on earth, and make up the majority of pollinators. This weekend, Niwot celebrated one of the most well-known and well-loved species of pollinators – bees. The over 900 species of bees found in Colorado play an integral part to the farming culture Niwot was built upon. From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept.16, 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square were taken over by various small businesses, artisans, and b...
Karen Ragland, Niwot's St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) school board representative, joined the Niwot Community Association's (NCA) September board meeting to hold a conversation with members and the public about the banners on the football field fence, an upcoming bond measure, and property valuation and taxes. NCA board members have previously spoken with Niwot High School (NHS) principal Eric Rauschkolb about the advertising banners on the football field fence facing Niwot Road, which...
As we transition into autumn, one of the most popular events in Niwot is coming to a close – the weekly "Dancing Under the Stars" event. A free dance lesson of varying genres followed by a public dance takes place every Friday during the warm summer evenings from June to the end of September. Originally scheduled to end Sept. 22, a "rain date" has extended the season through Sept. 29 with contra dance. Dancing Under the Stars started out in Boulder at the University of Colorado, but when C...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) met Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the Niwot Inn, and approved six out of seven funding requests, all submitted by the Niwot Business Association. Kate Head of Pebble Art Jewelry presented a funding request for Out and About, a one-day event, now in its second year, designed to allow "all businesses to showcase their services and products in a fun way all around town," according to the application. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept....
Just off of Highway 119 on the north side of Niwot Road is a new carved rock sign, welcoming visitors who get off the Diagonal Highway to enter Niwot. Montana Heather, a Niwot High School senior, created the sign, located on the north side of Niwot Road just across from Peppertree Drive, as his Eagle Scout project. The planning and coordinating behind the construction of the sign took almost two years due to the spacing requirements of the sign itself, which required approval by Boulder County b...
The Niwot Business Association (NBA) and Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee have been hard at work to convince Boulder County and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to add an underpass into Niwot as part of the Colorado Highway 119 Safety and Mobility Improvements Project and Bikeway Project. County funding for the underpass design has now been approved. Scott Firle, chairperson of the LID, said, "[The LID effort] started about two years ago when we had our...
The July meeting of the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID), delayed a week due to the July 4th holiday, took place on Tuesday, July 11. The LID approved two funding requests - $2,037 for the Niwot Cultural Arts Association's Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show, which kicked off July 1, and $5,300 for NHS student Montana Heather's Eagle Scout project to install a "Welcome to Niwot" stone sign on Niwot Road near the intersection with the Diagonal Highway. Anne Postle of Osmosis...
Spear Lodge Man, the iconic tree carving by the late artist Eddie Running Wolf, has been almost completely restored to its former glory by his son, Dustin Wolf, and the community is invited to the workshop of Niwot's Jeff Wolcott to see the result. Wolcott, who has assisted Dustin Wolf in the restoration process and provided a workspace for the project since 2021, is hosting an open house as part of Niwot's First Friday Art Walk on July 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at his workshop at 9700 Niwot Road....
The requests for funding presented to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee June 6 included old and new events –- a new event designed to capitalize on the Bike MS: Colorado event coming through Niwot on Saturday, June 24, a FlowerFest event scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 5, music for First Friday Art Walks, a resurrection of Oktoberfest on Sept. 30, and a Where’s Waldo Local scavenger hunt throughout the month of July. Bike MS: Colorado Bike MS: Colorado is a bicycle ride, as opposed to a race, with a route from Fort Collins to...
Gene Hayworth and Keith Waters are awarded the Left Hand Valley Courier's Left Hand Laurel for bringing the Niwot Jazz Festival back to life and for putting in the time and energy to organize Niwot's Oktoberfest. "We're really lucky to have the support of the Local Improvement District (LID) and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA)," Waters said regarding Oktoberfest. The event will be held this year on Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Cottonwood Square. "There will be beer and food...
Niwot Business Association President Eric Bergeson introduced Angela Hudgins as the new Niwot Administrative Coordinator at the May 9 NBA meeting. "Angela is an architect, and has a lot of experience in marketing, and has her own business," Bergeson said. Hudgins, who lives on Oxford Road east of 95th Street, has many ties to the Niwot community, with three children in the Niwot High School feeder system. She formed her own business, Boulder Mama, a craft, clothing and "sweet treats" business...
Ribbon Cutting for the Grange's new flooring Saturday, May 20, 5:45 p.m. - 8 p.m. With great pride and excitement, the Left Hand Grange No. 9 will celebrate its new main level flooring with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony. Join in the fun and be treated to complimentary food and wine. The celebration will continue throughout the evening with the first edition of the 2nd Avenue Concert Series featuring the House Blend Band. The Grange venue is rented by the community for meetings, dance...
● In coordination with NBA event champions and other Niwot organizations, develop and maintain the master calendar for Niwot events, meetings and activities. ● With guidance from the NBA treasurer, maintain NBA related financial records and assist in developing annual budgets. ● Conduct bookkeeping operations for the NBA and coordinate with CPA to ensure accurate and up to date financial records ● Coordinate communication between NBA board and members at large ● Assist all NBA subcommittees as necessary including the NBA Executive Committee...
Niwot's Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) approved funding requests for six events in Niwot from May to September, including several beloved Niwot events as well as a new music event. The May 2 meeting included annual requests from the Niwot Business Association (NBA), Niwot Community Association (NCA) and Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), and a request from a local restaurant. Cottonwood Concert Among the funding requests approved was a new event, a Cottonwood Concert,...
Niwot’s Local Improvement Advisory Committee (LID) approved two funding requests from the Niwot Business Association that represent major shifts in the NBA’s administrative and marketing plans. Niwot Administrative Coordinator The NBA presented a request for funding for a new Niwot Administrative Coordinator position, asking for $14,400 through the end of the year. “This part-time contract position is responsible for coordinating and executing various activities and tasks required to properly develop, maintain and promote the Niwot busin...
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved the Colorado Highway 119 Safety and Mobility Improvements Project and Bikeway Project at a "1041" review in a hearing on April 20. The "1041" designation is shorthand for an "Areas and Activities of State Interest" law which outlines how the county must manage projects that involve State of Colorado lands. The BOCC hearing was the final step and highest level of government review in the county. A significant outcome from this hearing was that the...
The Niwot Community Association (NCA) held its annual meeting at 7 p.m. on April 19 at the Left Hand Grange No. 9. A presentation was made by the Niwot Community Connection (NCC), followed by a slide show and presentation by the principal organizations involved in creating the CO 119 Safety and Mobility Projects (Bus Rapid Transit and the Bikeway). The results of the annual election for one-half of the board to 2-year terms were: Vice President Julie Nelsen-Breyer Treasurer Terry Larsen...
Pun intended: love between Belle Terre Floral and the Niwot community has blossomed since the business opened in 2021. What many don't know, however, is the story of owner Sarah Cioni, who is one of the best floral designers in the region and has maintained a deep love for the area and the town. Her background as an area florist began a little more than two decades ago, coinciding with one of the most striking moments in our nation's history. "In 2001, I decided it was time to open my first...
With few vacancies in Niwot's commercial district, and an increasing need for administrative help for the many events sponsored by the Niwot Business Association, the NBA is seeking to hire someone from the community to provide assistance to the organization. At the April meeting, president Eric Bergeson said that the NBA would seek funding from the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) for the position. Bergeson reported that since Catherine McHale's term as Economic Development Director has...
Last month, Catherine McHale completed her contract with the town of Niwot as the Niwot Business Association's Economic Development Director (EDD). She has held that role since 2018, and this milestone marks a change in her professional life. "It's been a great five years," McHale said. "At the same time, essentially, I feel that it's time to focus on my core business. I've achieved a lot of things that I wanted to with Niwot but it's time to make a shift." McHale talked about things she feels...
The Niwot Business Association presented four funding requests to the LID, including funding for five concerts on 2nd Avenue by the House Blend Band. All of the requests were approved unanimously. The House Blend Band concert series is now in its third year, and features co-owners of The Old Oak Coffeehouse, Michael Tomich and Patty Machen with what they describe as "about the most eclectic group of people ever to assemble in the name of music." Both appeared to present the application to the...
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a hearing on Monday, April 31 at 1 p.m. to hear a proposal from Niwot for a multi-modal transportation underpass to improve safety at the intersection of Niwot Road and Highway 119 (the Diagonal). The underpass would send both lanes of the Diagonal under Niwot Road and preserve the pristine view of the mountains for travelers heading west on Niwot Road. The commissioners are expected to make a positive decision. The Niwot Local Impediment...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LIDAC or LID) held its annual meeting with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Monday, March 27 in the Left Hand Grange. The members of the LID are a mix of people from businesses and community plus representatives of the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and Niwot Community Association (NCA). The commissioners serve as directors of the LID while the LIDAC advises the commissioners on ways to benefit the district through...
The Boulder County Planning Commission recommended to the Board of County Commissioners that they approve the CO 119 Safety and Mobility and Bikeway Projects (Docket SI-22-0002) at their March 15 meeting. These projects will provide Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and a bikeway on CO 119 (the Diagonal) between Boulder and Longmont. This hearing was part of the Colorado “1041” process, which allows Boulder County to evaluate how county land use regulations apply to governmental projects. The commissioners present for the meeting were Mark Blo...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) welcomed its newest member, Sarah Cioni of Belle Terre, to the March 7 meeting. Cioni was appointed to fill the business position vacated by Bruce Raberler, who did not seek reappointment. Cioni said, "Speaking as a business member, the LID is such a gift to us." Mary Coonce was selected to serve as treasurer of the LID, a position Rabeler previously held. A reception to honor Rabeler and recognize his contributions is planned for a f...
Halfway between Boulder and Longmont lies the charming, unincorporated little "whistlestop" town of Niwot. The "small town with a big heart" was platted in 1875, but never incorporated. Today, Niwot is home to a unique commercial downtown district that is primarily located along two blocks of 2nd Avenue, with the "first block" located between Murray and Franklin streets, and the "second block" between Franklin Street and its intersection with Niwot Road. For many years this modest "downtown"...
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,...
