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All Local, All The Time
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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...
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...
Vocalist Rianna Rickford loves to perform, whether it's in Niwot's prestigious Evenstar choir, or in a theater department musical, such as Cinderella or Little Shop of Horrors. For choir director Laura Roberts, Rickford's dedication to her craft is nothing short of inspiring. "She is probably one of the most improved singers in the choir program," Walters wrote of the senior, who is currently a member of the school's Evenstar choir, and is deeply involved in the fall musical. "She has the...
This month's Left Hand Laurel goes to Thom Lynch. Lynch moved to Niwot in September 2018 and decided the best way to meet folks and to make a difference was to jump in with both feet. So, the new guy in town joined the Rotary Club of Niwot and not long after became the president-elect of the organization. Lynch had been an active Rotarian for a year before he moved to Niwot, after being recruited to the organization by his then girlfriend who was the president of a chapter in Syracuse, NY "I...
Sometimes you just have the music in you, and other times you just wanna get the music in you. Either way, the annual RISE Benefit Concert in Niwot will help satiate music lovers of all ages. The very danceable event returns Saturday, Sept. 11, for the fourth year following an obligatory COVID skip in 2020. This year the event will be held at Whistle Stop Park in Niwot at the corner of 1st Avenue and Murray Street, after the 2019 event was held at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. RISE stands for...
Playing NCAA Division I college volleyball has long been a dream for Niwot senior Zoe Gibbs and, after three impressive seasons as a varsity middle for the Cougars, one clearly within her reach. Unfortunately for the versatile Gibbs, her optimum recruiting period coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, making an already fraught process even more of a headache. But Gibbs didn't let the hassle derail her plans, and after months of patiently making highlight videos and sending out emails to coaches,...
It's been a week since students, teachers, and staff started the new school year. After the pandemic created an unconventional, some would say difficult, year of learning, returning to full-time, in-person classes throughout the district is something that many parents are grateful for. At the same time, the community is not having the same kind of back-to-school experience as in years past. Students are required to re-acclimate to a more conventional social and learning environment after the...
The school community was hopeful that when they returned to school this fall masks would not be required in SVVSD schools. As it turns out, that won't be the case. Following guidance from Boulder County Public Health through Public Health Order 2021-07, the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) is requiring masking for all students, faculty and staff in grades PK-12 while indoors. The school district did not provide a direct response to the Courier's questions about the decision. Instead,...
Niwot Community Association board members had a bit of a "green-storming" session at their August meeting. Niwot resident Terry Purcell approached the group with the suggestion that Niwot needs a community garden. "I've been talking to people as I work at the Niwot Market and everyone has been enthusiastic about the idea," he told NCA board members. "This could be a really wonderful social gathering place for the community." Purcell said he was bringing the idea to the NCA because of the...
Fire protection in Niwot goes back at least 100 years, as evidenced by the Firehouse Museum next to the Left Hand Grange in Niwot. An early cart used to put out fires with a chemical mixture rests outside the museum, a relic from early days of firefighting efforts. Today, fire protection and rescue services are provided by Mountain View Fire and Rescue, a sprawling special district that was originally established in 1961 as the Longmont Rural Fire District to provide professional fire...
He was 120 pounds of black and brown love at the end of the school day for kids at Niwot Elementary School. For the past two years Sully the German Shepherd would wait outside the school to pick up his three "sisters," Maggie, Abigail and Emma, and walk them home. The girls and their classmates would blast out of the school doors, eager to find Sully and engulf him with their affection. "I don't really think the kids were ever scared of him, because he just had this demeanor to him that you...
In his final stretch at Niwot High, the dreaded senioritis has eluded pitcher/outfielder Micah Sheats on the baseball diamond. His two-way talent shined on May 22 when he pitched a six-inning shutout and hit a home run during a 12-0 mercy-rule victory at Thompson Valley. The performance was nothing new as Sheats owns an over .300 batting average in 52 career games through May 30. As a freshman in 2018, Sheats hit .311 and played in all 23 of Niwot's games. He followed that season up with a...
The following is text of Niwot High Student Council President Benjamin Goff's commencement address: In the years of 2002 or 2003, what would eventually be the Class of 2021 came into the world. We came into radically different circumstances from one another. It led us all here. The last 18 or so years have led to the end of the beginning of the journey which we will spend the rest of our lives on. I'm sure many questions will be asked, some without answers, but perhaps the most crucial will be,...
Nancy Pitz, (left) Niwot Elementary School, happily accepts coffees for the teachers that Pat Murphy of Niwot Real Estate brought to the school May 6. Old Oak Coffeehouse and wiNot Coffee made the treats that Murphy brought to the school to show the teachers appreciation for all their hard work, which has been exceptionally challenging during Covid....
Niwot Elementary's Jessica Easley says she has an amazing job. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students earned her Teacher of the Year for her school, an award she's won multiple times in her career. "It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen for this award," Easley wrote in an email after being honored at the Tribute to Teachers celebration on Friday night. "I am very grateful. I have taught for 26 years, most of them in Niwot. I love my job and my students. I am excited to...
It's not every teen who can find an emergency bandmate in their house, let alone one who can play Zimbabwean music. When Niwot High senior Noah Randall couldn't play in-person with his band during the pandemic, he would say, "Hey Mom, can you play with me?" It makes sense since she is the one who introduced him to music from Zimbabwe. She saw a band in Boulder and decided to take lessons on the marimba, an instrument similar to a xylophone. Randall was in elementary school at the time and had...
It's always a great honor to be named a finalist for Teacher of the Year, but this year's group earned recognition in a pandemic year that brought unforeseen challenges to them, students and schools. Their principals praised them for finding new and creative ways to engage and support students, while adapting to teaching virtually or in socially distanced and masked classrooms. Each St. Vrain Valley School District has three finalists and will eventually have a winner chosen from their school...
On April 6, Niwot Elementary School and the Mwebaza Foundation are hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle on Ken Pratt Boulevard in Longmont. From 4 - 8 p.m. Swing by and grab a burrito, bowl, or tacos and Chipotle will donate 33% of its sales to Mwebaza. Make sure to tell the staff you're there to support Mwebaza Foundation and show the attached flyer. Mwebaza Foundation is a local Niwot non-profit that connects schools in Colorado with schools in Uganda for cross-cultural exchanges and service...
You're in the midst of Thomas Studholme's artwork when you shop and stroll in Niwot. Studholme's paintings are found throughout the Niwot Market and likely, Studholme himself is at the market, so mask aside, he's got a very recognizable face. For the last four years, he's painted holiday scenes on the windows of local businesses and won several awards as a result. We asked this Familiar Face some questions to get to know the man behind the art. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - How did life...
The Niwot boys didn't end up on the winning end of the score in their 2021 season finale, but even that wasn't enough to dampen Michael "Misha" Barrett's spirits before, during, and after the game. A longtime Cougar basketball fan, the three-point specialist has dreamed about suiting up for the Niwot varsity since middle school, and on March 5, he finally got the chance to do just that in front of a supportive home crowd. "I will remember this moment for the rest of my life," the senior said...
School volunteer Lydia Moy looks at every opportunity and raises it up a notch. "Your job is not to do 10,000 cutout Valentines for second grade, your job is to spread the love," Moy said. Moy has been spreading the love for 14 years in elementary, middle and now high school. She's a realtor who used to work with emerging markets in finance, which she said helped her think about the big picture, "I'm a long term person." That mentality influences the way she approaches volunteering. When she...
Like all seniors in the class of 2021, Niwot girls basketball point guard Grace Wardle has been dealt a rough hand. The Cougars' season had already been cut down to 14 games and that number is even lower for Wardle. She has played in just three games this season and has missed another three and counting due to COVID-19 exposure protocols. Wardle said it has been hard to watch her team play from the virtual sideline in what has been a "disappointing" thorn in her senior season. Despite the...
In a year full of challenges, educators have gone above and beyond to support their students. Teachers have been placed in situations they didn't ask for and had to quickly build new skills to reach learners who were often on the other side of a screen. Now, the St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation and the St. Vrain Valley School District are asking those who know of someone who has gone to lengths to help their student, to nominate them for 2021's Teacher of the Year award....
Looking over the long list of Elizabeth Duncan's high school achievements, a few words leap to mind: varied, wide-ranging, unconventional, and, finally, impressive. From stints on the cheer and track teams, to honor choir and color guard, there's no question that the senior has trod a unique path through Niwot High, and shows every sign of continuing on it after graduation. Duncan's story originates about 25 miles east of Niwot, in Brighton, where the senior lives with her parents and younger si...
The COVID-19 pandemic turned life upside down for most of us over the past 12 months, but it was especially hard on the local non-profit community, which saw its donations dry up as traditional fundraising events and activities were postponed or canceled. Fortunately, there's still time to help balance the scales as we count down the final hours of 2020. Among the many provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) passed back in March, was a change to an IRS rule...
On Wednesday, Dec. 16 the St. Vrain Valley School District Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss the return to school in 2021 and on Friday, Dec. 18, sent out an email to all parents, including a roadmap to in-person learning. Don Haddad, the superintendent of SVVSD, along with the counsel of many others, has created a plan to get students back in-person and ready to learn. In short, the plan is to have elementary students to be fully in-person starting Wednesday, Jan. 6, but...
It almost seems that since COVID shook the nation in March, it has been an easy scapegoat for many shortcomings. Even if it's not the complete reason for some sort of decline, it does appear to be a contributing factor in many cases, and 2020 school enrollment is no different. Last Wednesday, the St. Vrain Valley School District board of education started the meeting with the enrollment report. Scott Toillion, the district's planning director, emphasized that all districts across the state have...
