All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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While Rock & Rails may be coming to a close soon, the free music will continue for one more week with the annual Remember in September (RISE) Benefit Concert for the Jared Music Foundation. The concert will take place on Thursday, Sept. 5, at Whistle Stop Park from 5 to 9 p.m. This concert is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) or the Niwot Business Association (NBA), but has sometimes been referred to as the "unofficial Rock & Rails victory lap"...
Ok. Can we all take a deep breath after the first week of school? That first week is a little rough, don’t you think? All the fuss, anxiety, and logistical planning comes to head with the start of school. Whether you are a parent of a student or the student, it’s a tumultuous time. In the blink of an eye, the lazy days of summer end and the regimen of school begins. I am also sure you are familiar with the sleepy, whiny, anxiety that permeates the house around the start of school. Yes, it com...
Rock & Rail's penultimate summer concert welcomes back Niwot native Nalani DeMarco Clisset and her band, The Nalani Effect. Nalani, a bassist and vocalist, is a Niwot High School graduate and has deep roots in the Niwot community. "Rock & Rails is my home," Nalani said. "I remember when they built the gazebo and feeling that it was an anchor point for a community space. I just stood up on it, with my arms wide open, and wondered what the space would be like with the crowd, vendors, and...
Rock & Rails drew a large crowd on Aug.15 to see the opening act, Charted Territory, followed by the headliner, FACE Vocal Band. "FACE always draws a large crowd, including many fans from out of town," said Biff Warren, co-manager of Rock & Rails. "Many came early to set up chairs near the stage, and were treated to music from Charted Territory, the opening band, which included Mike Pierce and Katie Warren, who performed earlier this summer at Rock & Rails with the Niwot Community Semi-Marching...
Karlien Dang-Lee has had an active musical life since the age of four, when she first started playing the violin. According to her mother, the young girl really wanted to learn violin, but all Dang-Lee remembers is crying because her fingers hurt. When she was seven, she switched to piano, which she played until she was fourteen. Playing piano provided her with a solid foundation for understanding notes and music theory. In fifth grade, she picked up the flute. "Because," she said, "my elementar...
While baseball remains his ultimate priority, senior Jagger Kilpatrick is currently working toward other important goals with the Niwot High School boys golf team. The two-sport athlete would like to qualify for the state golf tournament later this fall, something he has yet to accomplish in his three-year career. Reaching that goal will require consistent practice and continued improvement on the mental side of golf, he believes. "It definitely would mean a lot because I didn't start playing...
As the 2024-2025 school year begins, Niwot High School welcomes a new registrar, a student engagement specialist, and eleven new teachers in math, English, social studies, science, and Spanish. The new teachers and staff are Chevron Bayley (social studies), Michael DeCamillis (science), Sarah Florek (social studies), Gunilla Godebu (registrar), Priscilla Gonzalez (student engagement specialist), Kristen Keronen (Spanish), Stephanie Polutchko (science), Kyle Rees (art), Taylor Richardson (math), Taylor Renquist (math), Laura Schoenfeld...
Last year Drum Major Mark Rokhlenko and Drum Major Lily Sykes identified a major opportunity for the Niwot High School Marching Band. As section leaders in the band before becoming drum majors, they realized that drum majors are offered extensive training on how to lead. Niwot drum majors always attend Drum Major Academy at CU Boulder. But the section leaders of the marching band did not receive similar training. In response, Sykes and Rokhlenko spent more than eight hours planning a detailed schedule, making slideshows, and practicing...
The Niwot High School cross country team enters the 2024-2025 season with high expectations, as both the boys and girls teams make the leap from the 4A classification to Class 5A, where they will face some of the toughest competition in the nation. After dominating the 4A State Championships last season and achieving impressive results at the Nike Cross National Meet-where the boys' team placed fifth and the girls' team secured second-the Cougars are ready to take on bigger schools and more...
Head coach Bobby Matthews witnessed a mix of good and bad throughout Niwot High School softball’s season-opening loss at Golden High School on Saturday, Aug. 17. Looking at the positives, Niwot’s offense limited the strikeouts and freshman second baseman Payton Stokes shined during her varsity debut. However, the Cougars’ seven defensive errors were too much to overcome in the 12-8 defeat. “It definitely showed our lack of experience together,” Matthews said. “We only really have three girls playing the exact same position as they did the yea...
12 Niwot High School graduate Hanna Sandoff has made it full-circle, and is now a first grade teacher at Niwot Elementary School. Not only was Sandoff a NHS graduate, she also spent her fifth grade year at NES. "I naturally care very deeply for the people around me and teaching is a profession where you get to build long lasting relationships and make a small amount of positive change in the world," Sandoff said. "I like teaching because it is my little drop of goodness." Sandoff has known...
Niwot High School’s athletic programs are gearing up for significant changes this year as the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) implements its biennial reclassification. With an enrollment of 1,359 students, Niwot’s growth has led to shifts in classification for multiple sports and placed the school in newly formed leagues that aim to better balance competition across the state. Every two years, CHSAA evaluates school enrollments and reclassifies athletic programs accordingly. This reclassification is crucial in det...
The Cougars boys golf team has been busy on the greens, participating in three tournaments last week. On Aug. 12, Niwot's top players competed in the Roosevelt Invite at the Fox Hill Club in Longmont, where the team secured a third-place finish out of twenty-seven teams. Timnath High School took first with a score of 236, and Erie High School followed in second with 238. Niwot ended just behind with a team score of 242. Senior Drew Stapp delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth overall...
Phyllis Terrones Jan. 8, 1936 - July 12, 2024 Phyllis Terrones passed away in her home on July 12, 2024, from complications with interstitial lung disease. She was born January 8, 1936, in Pueblo, Colorado to Bellisario and Juliana (Lujan) Bustillos. She married Arthur Terrones on February 6, 1954. After graduating from Central High School in Pueblo, Colorado, she and Art moved to San Jose, California where they started their family. They returned to Longmont, Colorado in 1965 and began...
Summer barbeques require side dishes, and coleslaw and macaroni salad are two favorites. Coleslaw is all about crunch and color, whether it be creamy or vinegary. So throw in the carrots, purple cabbage, radishes, throw on a yummy sauce and you have a side dish. Macaroni salad can be any pasta of course but it is also a cool creamy or vinegary, contrast to those hot ribs you are serving up. Add some corn, carrots and tomatoes and it becomes a fresh colorful side. TRADITIONAL COLESLAW...
With only three concerts left after Aug. 8, Rock & Rails fans were determined to attend Thursday's concert despite the weather. A chilly and rainy day set the stage for the evening, with mist and cool temperatures persisting throughout the entire concert, limiting the crowd size. The evening kicked off with Gunbarrel resident and country music artist Dean Himes. A 2022 inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Himes brought a mix of heartfelt originals as well as well-loved covers to the...
Niwot High School's Cougar Marching Band (#PrideOfNiwot) completed its 2024 summer band camp on Aug. 6, accomplishing a tremendous amount of work. Thanks to the dedication of students and flexibility with some unexpected heat and smoke, there is no doubt that the marching band at NHS will have another successful season. This year's halftime field show is "Night at the Movies" where the band will be performing three pieces - "Pixar Favorites" (a medley of famous songs from Disney-Pixar movies...
Arts Student of the Week Mark Rokhlenko, Niwot High School Band's drum major, played the tenor trombone since the fourth grade, thanks to Sean Kemp, the music teacher at Flagstaff Academy but was uncertain if he wanted to continue in high school. He took a band class in his freshman year at NHS to earn his Fine Arts credit and intended to quit band after finishing that class. Freshman band camp completely changed his mind. "The people were incredibly welcoming, supportive, fun to be around, and...
Ryder Keeton's passion for running goes far deeper than his pursuit of state championships. While he remains focused on bringing big-time hardware back to Niwot High School, the junior cross country standout procures motivation through his love for the sport. Even something as simple as discovering a new running trail can gratify Keeton. "In training, I mostly enjoy exploring the environments where I can run and the trails I can run," Keeton said. "It's a really fun thing for me to explore." Con...
Niwot High School 2024 graduate and valedictorian Mia Prok was a highly accomplished high school student and athlete, resulting in her acceptance to Wake Forest University specifically to run track and cross country. Not only is it difficult to get into WFU for athletics, it is also a school that values academic strength and enthusiasm. Prok has it all. Prok has not decided on a career path after college but is intrigued by pursuing pre-med since both of her parents are physicians. For now, Prok...
The Niwot High School boys varsity soccer team is gearing up for a new season marked by significant changes. With a slew of key players graduating and a more challenging schedule, the Cougars face a formidable test under the leadership of ninth-year Head Coach Stephen Dimit. "Last season was a ton of fun," Dimit said. "Really the last two seasons have kind of felt like one season together, because there were a lot of the same guys playing together for those last two years." While the team...
As the golf season swings back into action, the Niwot High School boys golf team has already made a strong impression. The Cougars kicked off their season on Aug. 8 with a resounding victory at their first tournament, the Holy Family League Event, held at the Eagle Trace Golf Club in Broomfield. The tournament, which featured both varsity and junior varsity divisions, drew teams from across the league and beyond. In a field of 14 schools, Niwot emerged victorious, showcasing the team's talent...
In many respects, this upcoming season will mark a new era for the Niwot High School softball program. Longtime head coach Bobby Matthews is still at the helm, but the Cougars' schedule will look slightly different this fall as Niwot joined the newly-formed Granite Peaks League. Other high schools in the conference include Broomfield, Erie, Fairview, Frederick, Holy Family, Horizon, Legacy, Longmont, Mead, Monarch, Skyline, and Silver Creek. The Cougars had been in the Longs Peak League, which...
Niwot High School graduate Elise Cranny finished 11th in the women's 5,000 meters in Paris, France at the 2024 Olympics on Aug. 5. Cranny, 28, ran with the leading pack for most of the race, generally in sixth or seventh place behind the lead runners. With a lap to go, Kenya's Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet broke away from the pack, with Cheget taking the lead in the final strides to win the gold medal with a time of 14:28.56. Kipyegon appeared to finish second, but was initially...
Rock & Rails summer concerts continue on Thursday, Aug. 8, with the opening act starting at 5 p.m. and the headliner lighting up the stage at 6:30 p.m. Starting the night off right, Gunbarrel resident and country music artist Dean Himes will play a set of original songs with relatable and beautiful lyrics written by Himes. As a 2022 inductee into The Colorado County Music Hall of Fame, Himes regularly wows his crowds, whether they be fans or first-time listeners. Headlining this week will be My...
Former Niwot resident Matthew Thomas Pullam, age 58, died July 29, 2024, in Westminster, Colorado. Matt attended Niwot Elementary School, Longmont Junior High School (now Sunset Middle School) and Niwot High School. A memorial mass for Matthew will be held Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 6739 S. Boulder Road, Boulder, Colorado 80303....
On Thursday, Aug. 1, Rock & Rails continued its summer concert series with two standout performances that delighted the crowd. The evening began with Strangebyrds, a folk/rock and Americana duo of Cari Minor and Ray Smith. With six award-winning releases under their belt, they kicked off the hot evening with a captivating mix of music. Their set consisted of covers and originals from all seven of their albums, including their self-proclaimed theme song "Strangebyrds," which sounds vaguely...
Anna Prok won't lack for summer tales to share with her classmates next week when Niwot High School opens its doors for the new academic year. Along with training for her upcoming cross country season, Prok competed at the Nike Outdoors Nationals in June before joining Niwot teammate and close friend Addison Ritzenhein at the 2024 ESPY Awards on July 11. Prok, a rising junior, said it was a special experience to attend the ESPYs with Ritzenhein, who was being honored for winning the 2023-24 Gato...
A series of wildfires tore through the foothills of the Front Range last week, threatening homes, forcing evacuations, and necessitating a rapid, coordinated response by the state's emergency response network. Starting on Monday, residents of Niwot could see columns of smoke and ash billowing from the mountains. Those columns increased in number day by day until the western horizon was a panorama of infernos, choking the sky with smoke. A long stretch of hot, dry conditions turned the...
Tyler Eggers, 31, who led law enforcement officers on a car chase through Longmont which ended in a collision at Niwot High School on Feb. 14, 2024, entered a plea of guilty to vehicular eluding and violation of a protection order - criminal on Aug. 1. All other charges were dismissed including third-degree assault. The car chase began on Kimbark Street in Longmont and ended in a two-car collision on Niwot Road near Niwot High School, with Eggers' vehicle rolling into the fence surrounding the...
As the new school year approaches, the Niwot High School boys golf team is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting season. Head Coach Ed Weaver, now entering his 19th golf season with the boys and girls teams combined, is enthusiastic about the team's potential this year. "We're going to have a good team and we're going to be competitive," Weaver said. "I'm very excited about this season." Weaver is looking at senior Drew Stapp and junior Jackson Sessa to be his standout players for the...
Niwot High School graduate and IB Valedictorian Reema Baishya was a highly accomplished high school student. This fall, Baishya will be attending CU Boulder on a Boettcher Scholarship to study Honors Electrical and Computer Engineering. Boettcher Scholarships are awarded to only fifty Colorado students annually. Baishya's academic efforts proved to be worth the strenuous coursework. Not only is she passionate about reaching her academic goals, but she is also passionate about her chosen goals....
Niwot High School graduate and distance runner Elise Cranny will compete this week in Paris, France, at her second Olympic Games. She will run in the women's 5,000-meter event as she did in Japan in 2021. This time she will be cheered on by family and friends who missed out on the last Olympics due to COVID restrictions. Round 1 of the event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2, at 10:10 a.m. MT. The final, where runners compete for medals, is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 5, at 1:10 p.m. MT. Both...
Rock & Rails summer concerts continue on Thursday, Aug. 1, with the opening act starting at 5 p.m. and the headliner lighting up the stage at 6:30 p.m. This week Strangebyrds will be starting off the night right with folk/rock and Americana style music. With six award-winning releases, they're sure to wow the crowd. Band members Cari Minor and Ray Smith have worked together since 2011 with their first release, the self-titled "Strangebyrds." They have since produced and released six more excelle...
Saturday mornings are the best time to visit the Niwot Market, whether it be to stock up on ingredients for dinner or to grab breakfast with loved ones. You will not be alone, because Valentina Godat runs a pop-up stand for her limeade business, Yum Yum Limeade, at the Niwot Market every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or until she sells out. Godat and her mother, Larissa Godat, can be seen around town with a bright green sign and a pop-up table on Saturdays at the Niwot Market and at...
On a hazy Thursday evening, Ain't No Mountain High Enough with Dzirae Gold took the stage at Whistle Stop Park for an unforgettable Rock & Rails performance. The July 25 night kicked off with Wendy Woo, an inductee into Westword Magazine's Hall of Fame and a five-time "Singer/Songwriter of the Year" Westword Magazine award winner. Highlights from her set included heartfelt renditions of "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls, "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics, and "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty...
After transferring out of Boulder High School's softball program following her freshman season, Madison Dodge remains grateful to have found a welcoming home at Niwot High School. Dodge, an outfielder, attends the Dawson School but because the private Lafayette prep institution doesn't have a softball program, she initially opted to play at Boulder. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with the Panthers, so she decided to join Niwot's program ahead of her sophomore year. Looking back, the...
As the start of the 2024-2025 school year approaches, Niwot High School band students get a head start preparing for an exciting new season through their annual band camp. Band camp is where new members are welcomed and the fundamentals of marching are honed, marking a big step towards the upcoming season's performances. The week-long camp, starting Monday, July 29, runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day at Niwot High School. Students practice their halftime show music and pep music for...
Kaige Kennedy, a standout pitcher on Niwot High School's varsity baseball team, is set to represent the USA in the upcoming Latin America Baseball Classic (LABC) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The tournament, which features top baseball talent from across the Americas, will be a significant milestone in Kennedy's flourishing career. Kennedy, who has played for the RoughRiders Baseball Club and the Rockies Scout Team, which is in partnership with the Colorado Rockies, was recommended to...
We are sad to share that Dallas Plese passed away at home on May 14, 2024. A rare Colorado native, Dallas was born July 17, 1941, in Pueblo, Colorado, to Theodore and Christine Plese. Christine died shortly after childbirth and Theodore died two years later during training for WWII. Dallas was then adopted by an aunt and uncle in Pueblo where he grew up with two sisters, numerous cousins, and lifelong friends. Dallas attended Pueblo Catholic High School (PCH) where he was the definitive Big Man...
Strong headwinds are blowing against the success of small businesses in unincorporated Boulder County, including Niwot. In the last year, small businesses have incurred losses due to a power shutdown and significant increases in sanitation fees, property taxes, food costs, and insurance. Small businesses now face the impact of the recent Boulder County minimum wage increase, with Niwot, Hygiene, and other businesses in unincorporated Boulder County required to pay a minimum wage of $15.69 per ho...
Kaiya Brown has been a member of the Niwot community for several years, during which she has become a familiar face and volunteer at events around Niwot. For her volunteer efforts throughout Niwot, Brown is the July 2024 recipient of the Left Hand Valley Courier's Left Hand Laurel. Brown has been volunteering as a Gargoyle at the local summer concert series Rock & Rails for three years, helping keep the event "zero-waste." As a middle schooler, Brown joined her school's "ECO Club." She would...
Nick Bierbrodt's journey through professional baseball is nothing short of extraordinary. As the first-ever draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1996, he quickly established himself as a promising young talent. Yet his story is not just about his accomplishments on the mound, but also about his resilience, adaptability, and eventual transition to a life as a firefighter and a mentor to young athletes. Bierbrodt, now a Niwot resident, recalled being drafted right out of high school fondly....
There are so many familiar faces around Niwot, especially for weekly regulars who attend Rock & Rails. Some faces are most familiar when they belong to those who have spent a majority of their life in Niwot and are continuously involved in the community. Colleen Beebe is one such familiar face. Beebe moved to Colorado in 1975 after her father, who annually visited this beautiful state to ski, fulfilled a dream of living here. Unfortunately, he passed away only 16 months after the family moved...
Rising senior Gabe Bandera has dedicated his final high school summer to improving all aspects of his tennis game, both mental and physical. During his first varsity season last year, the Niwot standout reached the state tournament at No. 4 doubles but was admittedly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed. Instead of shying away, he turned that experience into motivation and has been impressing head coach Aimee Hites throughout summer workouts. "I've been getting better," Bandera said. "I've...
Through the years, the Courier has documented a range of unexpected animal encounters in our area. Roaming wild turkeys, pet goats being walked, and the ongoing presence of lynx, coyotes, snakes, prairie dogs and foxes have intrigued and delighted residents. In recent weeks, however, bears appear to be getting more habituated to our community. Visits (and suspected visits) by bears is a popular topic of conversation in the area. Front door cameras record bear activity regularly in the Niwot area...
Joie Kennedy, a sophomore at Niwot High School, has made a name for herself in the world of pageantry. Recently, she was a semi-finalist in the 2024 Miss Colorado Teen USA competition and was named Most Photogenic. Kennedy's journey in pageantry began relatively recently. "I've only done two pageants so far," she shared. Her inspiration came from watching Madison Marsh win Miss Colorado. "It was really fun to see her win and then go on to win Miss America," she said. Competing in Miss Colorado...
Niwot High School graduate and traditional salutatorian Violet Oliver made NHS history in her four years as a Niwot student. Not only did she earn her high school diploma with flying colors, she also received an Associate's Degree in Engineering at the same time. During her senior year, Oliver took all of her classes at Front Range Community College, which will result in a reduction of over a year of school towards getting her bachelor's degree. Apart from Oliver's impressive achievement of...
National Night Out is a nationwide community-building event held on the first Tuesday of August in communities across the country to promote awareness and cooperation between police and first responders, on one hand, with local residents. “[The event] enhances the relationship between (the community) and law enforcement…,” according to their website. The social setting of National Night Out is meant to create camaraderie in an informal setting to make communities safer. This year the event will be held on Aug. 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Murra...
Mountain View Fire Rescue reported on Instagram that just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, Boulder County Dispatch received a call reporting a potential grass fire near Niwot High School. When Battalion 2260 arrived on the scene, they found a grass fire on the east side of Cougar Trail, next to the Boulder and Left Hand Ditch, between the football field and tennis courts. The flames were in an area approximately 100 feet by 8 feet and about 5 feet high. The Cougar Trail is frequented by...
