All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Since 2008, the Mwebaza Foundation has been building collaborative partnerships between schools in Uganda and Colorado. As an educational organization, the foundation works with students to inspire global citizens through cross-cultural learning opportunities and global studies curricula that foster global understandings and deepen worldviews. What started as a pen-pal exchange between Dale Peterson's first-grade class at Niwot Elementary School and Namatovu Catherine's elementary school...
"Ever since I was in elementary school," Najla Onofre Valles admits, "I've been wanting to use a guitar and learn how to play it. I just thought it would be something really fun to do." Valles, who was selected by NHS' Orchestra Director Keynes Chen as Arts Student of the Week, developed an interest in mariachi while she was still a student at Sunset Middle School. When the school started a mariachi class, Valles immediately signed up. "I thought it would be cool to be in a mariachi class," she...
A third generation Coloradoan, I was born in Longmont and grew up in Southmoor Park where my parents (Courier carriers Otto and Arlene Ahlgrim) reside today. Graduating from Niwot High School in the 1980s, I saw Niwot as a sleepy farming community with a few subdivisions housing mostly IBM employees. In November of 1980, I was hired at the only law firm in town, the Law Office of Bruce W. Warren, and have been fortunate enough that even though the firm has evolved to Warren, Carlson & Moore,...
In 1956, Robert Hersh lost his two front teeth just before Christmastime. Now, 66 years later, his granddaughter Ella is missing those same teeth. Hersh made his local paper in Westchester, New York, alongside two of his Woodside School peers, and the family has held onto a copy of the clipping. When Ella, an 8-year-old student at Niwot Elementary School, noticed her teeth were loose, the family was excited. "When Ella was missing her two front teeth, both of my parents sent me photos of [the...
Niwot Elementary School third-grader Oskar Leopold and his brother, kindergartener Teddy Leopold, won first prize in the Water Education Colorado's "Water '22 Student Showcase" competition awarded earlier this fall. They competed in the kindergarten through fifth grade category. Their task was to show how water interacts with and affects us all as Coloradoans. Their efforts earned them a $1,000 prize in this 18 and under student contest. They were also recently featured on a social media and...
The Christmas shopping season is in full swing so what better way to shop than with food and beverages? On Thursday, Dec. 15, The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop (TWJ) hosted "Goodies for Grownups" at Cimmini's Italian restaurant in Niwot, featuring both food and books. TWJ assistant manager Alison Cave said the event was a great success and they hope to offer another book fair in the spring. "We were hoping to reignite the feeling of a book fair from elementary school," Cave said. "But for...
During the first week of December, the Niwot High School Jazz Band played in an unusual venue. Instead of performing in the school auditorium, where such performances have been held in the past, the band played on the Learning Stairs, the central staircase at NHS sweeping up from the ground level. "It was really cool," said alto saxophonist Sebastian Aguirre, this week's Arts Student of the Week. "because there were a lot of people. In the auditorium you can't see people because of all the...
Monte Comer was a kid with a lot of friends. He was a fixture on his baseball team in the Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Recreation Association, or GLVRA as it was known (now Niwot Youth Sports). He had buddies on his basketball team, his Boy Scout troop, his class at Niwot Elementary School and everywhere else. “Back then I don’t think they had the Pee Wee Football they have now,” said Monte’s sister, Jamie Comer Smith. “I believe he would have played football.” That was the mid-1970’s,...
The 13th annual Niwot Elementary School Spelling Bee was held Wednesday. Dec. 7. The first place winner was fifth-grader Eden Himmerick, who won third place in last year's competition. Fifth-grader Joey Marcoux won second place. Third place was a three-way tie between fifth-graders Sophie Shaw and Genevieve Ciminski, and fourth-grader Nika Magginetti. The winning word was "blasphemous." Himmerick's first-place finish won her a copy of the "New Oxford American Dictionary" and she will advance to...
For someone who has always been interested in theater, Paige Ioerger knew at an early age that acting was not her calling. "I did a little of it when I was young," Ioerger said, "but I've stepped away from that. I have a little bit of stage fright, so I can't really do the onstage thing. But I did a little bit when I was younger." In elementary school she had small roles, singing in the chorus of shows. "I did that for 'The Little Mermaid' when I was in first grade, and then I did the same...
As Niwot continues to honor veterans in the month of November, you'll find stories behind some of the banners displayed in Cottonwood Square and on 2nd Avenue. James Albert Zander, U.S. Navy, WWII - Born in Saginaw Michigan in 1915, Zander was a civilian flight instructor for the Army Air Corps before joining the Navy as a pilot. Stationed in Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and Hawaii, Zander spent most of his time in C-47s, F6F Hellcats, and Corsairs, transporting troops and supplies...
Niwot Youth Sports hosted three simultaneous flag football championships on Sunday, Oct. 23, at Niwot High School. At the end of the day, three new Super Bowl Champions were crowned. In the JV Division, the Bills and the Colts battled it out in the wild card game early in the morning. The Colts started the year rather cold, with only one victory in their first six games, but made a roaring comeback late in the season and kept that streak going with a win over the Bills. Next up were the Broncos...
A fun, treat-filled Great Pumpkin Party was had by all on Saturday.. With one of the most beautiful and temperate fall seasons in many years, people turned out in huge numbers this year. Folks worried about Covid and crowds seemed a distant memory. The sun was blasting and families with their candy scavengers in tow, and others being dragged to and fro by their costume-decorated dogs, were all wearing huge smiles as they walked through town to attend the various activities. Along with all of...
This Saturday, Oct. 29, ghosts, ghouls, monsters and witches of all ages will be descending on 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square for the community's annual Great Pumpkin Party. The colorful harvest event features trick or treating with kids, adults and pets in costume, a haunted house, live music, games, hayrides and an appearance by Stinky the Donkey. Pat Murphy of Niwot Group at Compass also advises anyone planning to attend – "Watch out for witches, they're going to be around." In addition to...
This month's Left Hand Laurel is Derek Curd, a mentor for students at Up-A-Creek Robotics. Curd, a hardware engineer, relocated from the Bay area 18 years ago with his family. Curd is adored by his students on the St. Vrain Valley School District robotics team which, this past April, became the first Colorado team to win the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition World Championship. Violet Oliver, a Niwot High School junior and member of the...
Discipline is a trait Kaitlyn Duncan developed at an early age. Duncan, the Niwot High School Arts Student of the Week, is a section leader in the Niwot Band flute section. Growing up, she tried to take advantage of as many opportunities as she could to better herself, not only playing the flute, but also becoming a leader in general. As a result she practiced hard, taking flute lessons and working on her management skills. She has developed those skills as part of another of her interests,...
Niwot Business Association President Eric Bergeson of The Wheel House led a discussion among NBA members regarding what projects should be a priority for the NBA in the coming year. Bergeson noted that the NBA was working with the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and Cottonwood Park West Homeowners Association to expand and enhance the sculpture park along Niwot Road. He noted that the Niwot Future League had met with Jim Fudge, president of the HOA, about a possible opportunity to return the...
The Niwot High School Student Council, led by students Jamie Williamson and Sadie Warren, with the assistance of faculty advisor Leah Messinger, is hosting the Niwot Community Fall Fest. It will take place on Friday, Oct. 21, from 4-6 p.m. at the Niwot High School front parking lot. This event will be open to the public and there will be plenty of fun activities for elementary school-aged kids. Many NHS clubs and sports teams will be setting up tables with their own activities such as pumpkin painting, face painting, spikeball, cornhole, and...
After a three year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, downtown Niwot hosted a packed and fast crowd of runners, joggers and walkers for the 15th annual Niwot Trot 5K on Sunday, Oct. 2. The starting horn blared at 9 a.m. sharp and a sea of elementary school children sprinted down Murray Street from the starting line just in front of the Niwot Post office. The course is a flat and fast 3.1 miles, which winds runners down Murray, then curving around east on Neva Road before sending them north on to...
The Niwot Trot 5k run/walk is back for its 15th year following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This family-friendly race annually draws over 500 participants, both from Niwot Elementary School families and the community-at-large. The race is a unique celebration of Niwot's community investment in being healthy and active across all generations. The 5km (3.1mile) race starts and finishes at Whistle Stop Park in downtown Niwot and will be held this year at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, Oct....
If you're raising some young baseball players, or just have a love of the game, you probably know Canar Field at the Niwot Youth Sports complex known as Hangge Fields at Monarch Park. It's the largest of the six fields, often used for "senior" players between 13 and 15 years old. Jason Canar of Longmont remembers when Canar Field was christened back in 1986, and the field still holds great meaning for him. "I'm incredibly proud, just to have it have that name," he said. Canar Field wasn't named...
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...
If you're raising some young baseball players, or just have a love of the game, you probably know Canar Field at the Niwot Youth Sports complex known as Hangge Fields at Monarch Park. It's the largest of the six fields, often used for "senior" players between 13 and 15 years old. Jason Canar of Longmont remembers when Canar Field was christened back in 1986, and the field still holds great meaning for him. "I'm incredibly proud, just to have it have that name," he said. Canar Field wasn't named...
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, this family and community event is back. All funds go to the Niwot PTAC to help fund paraprofessional support at Niwot Elementary School. Join 500+ of your family, friends, and neighbors for this fun, fast, and professionally timed 5k race. You can run, jog, or walk! Date: Sunday October 2, 2022 at 9 am Location: Whistlestop Park in Niwot Sign up at: https://www.niwotptac.com/niwottrot.html Questions? Contact Race Director Gretchen Johnson at...
The August meeting of the Niwot Business Association was held Aug. 9 at Niwot Market, with 34 members attending. The timely topic of fire prevention, emergency preparations, and insurance coverage gave members useful information in the wake of the Aug. 6 Abo’s Pizza fire in Niwot. Although the topic had been planned early in July, the presentation by representatives of Mountain View Fire Rescue, Leigh Suskin and Lindsay Cumberland of Farmers Insurance in Niwot was especially timely. Mountain View Fire Rescue community outreach officers e...
As we approach NHS's 50-year anniversary celebration on Sept. 9, we take a look back at the Cougar mascot and its history. The first graduating class of 1974 selected the mascot. Sources say that it was nicknamed 'Carrie the Cougar.' While the "Carrie" moniker has been dropped, cougar pride remains fierce. A May 25-26, 1974, Longmont Times-Call newspaper clipping shows a picture of the unveiling event when a stuffed cougar was presented to the school. Marybeth Almquist Williams remembers the...
It's a busy time for alumni behind the planning of the Niwot High School 50-Year anniversary celebration. While still in the planning stages, there is a tentative schedule of events (posted below). A group of alumni created a page on Facebook dedicated to planning events leading up to the Sept. 9 celebration. The Facebook group is keeping the history alive, posting newspaper clippings and articles from the first years of the school. People commenting are making connections after many years and t...
Last week we wrote about Niwot native Royce Johnson and how in 1974 he made land available to the Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Boys Baseball, Inc., a non-profit organization now known as Niwot Youth Sports, as a site for "temporary" ballfields. The "temporary" Johnson Fields were used continuously for over 20 years until homes were built on Christopher Court in the Johnson Valley Subdivision in 1994. Ultimately, land that Johnson had donated to Boulder County for a park known as Left Hand Valley...
It's the children that drew them to teaching and what they'll miss the most in retirement. But two Niwot Elementary School teachers have decided it's time to focus on other things in life. "I came home crying Tuesday night. I'll miss those bright little faces," special education teacher Trish Norten said. She is retiring after teaching for 25 years, 10 in Niwot. First grade teacher Dale Peterson is leaving the school after 26 years of teaching first and second grade. With the exception of...
Inkberry Books continues its program of author readings on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m. each evening. Since opening in 2018, the bookstore has hosted over 100 authors from Colorado and other parts of the country. Niwot resident and longtime bookstore enthusiast Linda Bevard expressed her appreciation for the bookstore and its events during Niwot's Around the World Day May 14. "I almost feel like it's a family...," Bevard said. "Because there are so many of us who come back ev...
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...
Mary Ellen Coates, a Niwot High School Senior, is inspired by music. Asked about how she got her start in choir, Coates said she began in elementary school. While she was a member of the NHS Marching Band and played flute in the Symphonic Band, she was talked into singing in the choir by her former teacher. Coates said, "I hadn't really considered choir because the school rules stipulated that students couldn't do both band and choir." But the choir director lobbied for Coates to participate in...
Lyric Bishop is a Niwot High School junior interested in all aspects of art. Technical Theater teacher Jason Watkins said, "Lyric is an exceptional and profoundly optimistic person. Lyric is always uplifting to be around. No matter the stress or complexities of a show, Lyric can be depended upon to always come through to make a production the best it can be for the audience. Lyric has taken quite a few courses from us: 2D Design, Beginning, Intermediate & Advance Drawing, Digital Photography, Pr...
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...
In celebration of 25 years, the Courier staff thought it would be fun to give a brief summary of articles from Volume 1, Issue Number 1 of the Left Hand Valley Courier, published April 1, 1997: - Niwot celebrated the recording of the town plat 122 years prior on March 30, 1875. - Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church added 5,000 square feet to its building. - Niwot High School was celebrating 25 years of educating local high school students. - Niwot Elementary School sent a team to Odyssey of...
A road improvement project first proposed in 2017 is finally underway in Morton Heights, and, when completed later this year, will mean changes for motorists and pedestrians heading to Niwot Elementary. According to Boulder County public works engineer Dave Webster, Morton Heights Concrete and Safe Routes to School Project has been delayed by both design changes and the pandemic over the past several years, but is now on track to wrap-up this summer. "All improvements impacting access to the...
Months after the Marshall Fire, many of those impacted are still coping with what happened. Area students, fundraising through schools and in conjunction with Niwot businesses, have been doing what they can to offer support. Some of the major efforts happening currently are centered around school community groups. At Niwot High School, senior Mercer Stauch, President of National Honor Society and a full IB program candidate, is working with a team of Honor Society members on a classroom coin dri...
Longtime Niwot pet Dallas the dachshund has passed away at the age of 18. Beloved Dallas was adopted by the Niwot Steiner family at the age of 7 from the local Petsmart. Dallas was a rescue from a negligent breeder and everyone who met him fell in love with him. Dallas was the unofficial mascot of Girl Scout Troop 1970, run by Julie Marx of Niwot. Dallas will forever be remembered as the cute, long-haired dachshund who loved being held by the many little elementary school Girl Scouts. He could...
Motorists traveling on 95th Street (also known as Hover Road) near the intersection with Niwot Road notice a sandstone sign on the west side of the road: "Howard L. Morton Water Reclamation Facility, Niwot Sanitation District." The district offices as well as the actual water treatment facility sit farther back from the sign, accessed by a narrow road which dead ends at the offices. Howard L. Morton farmed the land up the hill and east of the small community of Niwot, which had been platted in...
Carissa Mina and Jerilyn Patterson, co-owners of the Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop, launched two successful fundraisers for the community. They will also be hosting another fundraiser for the Après-Ski celebration on Jan. 29. From Jan. 10 to 16, the shop donated 10% of their revenue to the Boulder County Wildfire Fund. The effort raised $247, which they rounded up to $250. Mina said, "Since we are still a relatively new business and, because January is generally slower than other months in...
Jenna Kate Olschlager Williams (37) passed away peacefully with family by her side on December 11, 2021, in Aurora, CO, from complications of multiple autoimmune diseases. Jenna was born on March 7, 1984, in Harvey, ND, to Terry and Sandra (Wittenberg) Olschlager. She grew up on a farm near Fessenden, ND, and graduated from Fessenden-Bowdon High School in 2002. She earned a degree in Music Education from North Dakota State University and a Master of Music Education degree from Colorado State...
Her winning word may have been 'mystified', but fifth grader Sylvia Madry was anything but as she outlasted 11 other contestants to take first place in the 13th annual Niwot Elementary spelling bee, held Dec. 1. The repeat champion correctly spelled a total of 14 words, including 'technique', 'drudgery', and 'permanence', but it was the first round word she found most memorable afterwards. "My favorite word was 'mink', because the definition was hilarious," she said. For the win, Madry received...
The 2021-22 Niwot girls basketball team is on the path to redemption after posting just two wins during the prior two seasons. Helping lead them there is senior captain Madison Tajchman, a second-year varsity guard and natural leader, according to Cougars' new head coach Jon Hill. "Maddi represents our program and Niwot as a whole in a positive light, and is probably our biggest voice, along with Carly [Toothaker]," Hill said after a recent win. "She's an amazing student, on and off the floor....
In 2020, charitable giving rose to an all-time high in the U.S., even as many Americans struggled with uncertainty and disruptions. While that is good news for the nation's non-profit organizations, the unfortunate reality is that much of the bounty went to high profile causes and groups, leaving small and locally-focused charities scrambling to make up for lost fundraising opportunities. As 2021 comes to a close, many of those groups could still use some help to balance the scales. "There are a...
The weather may not have been very Christmas-like, but there was nonetheless plenty of holiday cheer at Niwot's annual holiday parade on Saturday, Nov. 26. This year's procession featured Elsa from the popular Frozen movie franchise, a menagerie of animals, classic cars, singing elementary school students, a Chinese dragon, and much, much more. Santa arrived riding on the bed of Longmont Rural's Old Engine No. 10, and then held court at Left Hand Grange. Roving carolers and the Niwot Community...
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...
Niwot realtor Pat Murphy presented the 2021 Golden Hammer Award to long-time Niwot volunteer Julie Breyer at the Great Pumpkin Party Oct. 30. In presenting the award, Murphy noted that Breyer was first employed as a waitress at Rev Taylor's Restaurant shortly after moving to Niwot in 1986. She later became a third-grade teacher at Niwot Elementary School, where she currently teaches. Breyer has also been a volunteer for many organizations in Niwot, including the Niwot Community Association,...
Former Lyons head coach Kenneth Rosales is the new leader atop Niwot baseball. Rosales brings his unique coaching journey to Niwot in hopes of restoring the program's previous glory. NHS athletic director Joe Brown announced the hiring in late September after four-year head coach Adam Strah resigned in June. During his eight seasons leading Lyons, Rosales brought the Lions to four state tournament appearances. He was also an assistant coach there for four seasons prior to taking over the...
As a self-proclaimed "serial volunteer and community member," SVVSD Board of Education member Karen Ragland has been involved in the local educational community since 2007. She started in parent groups and other organization committees before being elected to the Board in 2017. Much of her professional background is in mental health counseling, healthcare consulting and project management. Between her professional experience and having a masters in Community Counseling, she brings a diverse set...
