All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 601 - 650 of 2325
This year's Holiday Market at the Left Hand Grange had a record 1,003 people attending, marking a huge jump from the previous record of 635 people in one day, according to Deborah Fowler, one of the event organizers. This year, the Niwot Nickel, a specially made wooden coin worth $5 off one item in December at participating merchants, highlighted the event. Those visiting the Grange also received a tote bag with the Niwot Business Association logo on it. The Festive Food Hall at the Grange...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 different student-run clubs, one of which is the impressive Model United Nations Club. According to the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), "Model UN is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies where students perform an ambassador role while debating topics such as gender equality, climate action, global health, and more." The Niwot High Model United Nation members, under the supervision of...
When jazz musicians have played together for over 50 years, good things happen. Niwot's Keith Waters, a professor of music at the University of Colorado, got together with childhood friend Scott Sawyer to create a new jazz compact disc, titled "Night Songs." The 10-track CD is scheduled to be officially released on Dec. 16 at Sharp Nine Gallery in Durham, NC, but the disc is already available at Inkberry Books in NIwot, which Waters co-owns with Gene Hawworth, as well as online at Amazon and...
Although jazz guitarist Alex Fick has a busy schedule, with classes and performances in Marching Band, Advanced Jazz Band, Tenor/Bass Choir, and Drama, he still finds time to pursue a wide variety of other interests that engage his attention to detail and his passion to create. At the moment, he is inventing a card game. In addition, he is a volunteer gargoyle for Niwot's Rock & Rails summer concert series, and he recently made his own guitar. Over the summer. Fick built the guitar from...
The 2023-24 winter sports seasons are officially underway, and the Niwot girls basketball team came out of the gate with a winning record. In their opening matchup, the Niwot girls demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill, securing a victory over Regis Groff High School, 37-35, that set a positive tone for the opening weekend round-robin tournament, hosted by Niwot Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. A strong junior class showcased their talents, but it was the cohesive unit of the Niwot squad that shined throughout the showing. Junior Rose Pacheco led...
With a largely inexperienced roster, Niwot girls swim head coach Ella Thramann is taking things slowly early this season. Originally set to compete in an invite on Dec. 2, Thramann instead scheduled a dual meet against Skyline for Dec. 2, hoping to give her Cougars a lower-stress learning opportunity. "A lot of our girls don't understand a meet, and we have a lot of girls this year who don't know really anything about swimming," Thramann said. "We decided to do a low-key dual where the girls cou...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team under first-year head coach Walker Bounds is off to a fast start, posting wins in the season-opening round robin tournament hosted by the Cougars Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Niwot lost seven varsity players to graduation last year, when the team finished with a 5-17 record under Coach Clay Wittrock, who stepped down after four years as head coach. Niwot is also without Jack Jarvis and Drew Stapp, both among the statistical leaders for the Cougars last season as...
After losing several of last year's standouts to graduation, the Niwot High School girls swim team is leaning on a new, younger core early this season. At the heart of Niwot's youth movement is Emmy Hostelley, a sophomore who quickly caught the attention of head coach Ella Thramann last winter. Thramann shared that the versatile Hostelley swims year-round and continues to make strides. "She definitely came back this season and has impressed me the most so far," Niwot's second-year head coach...
The Niwot High School wrestling lineup enjoyed early-season success on Nov. 29 during matches with Wheat Ridge High School. The Cougars ended up walking away with a 60-18 victory. With seven forfeits on the board in Niwot’s favor, the six remaining matches left room for the Cougars to show strategy and control. The team collected pins at the 132, 165, and 190 weight classes, contributing 18 points to the overall sum. Wheat Ridge found their own success with pins in the 120, 126, and 138-pound weight classes. Over the weekend, the Cougars p...
The Nov. 15 issue of the Courier stated that any excess donations above the cost of Bert’s Bench in front of Niwot Market “will be donated to Bert's Memorial Wrestling Scholarship at Niwot High School.” The GoFundMe page for the Robert M. Steele Memorial Scholarship Fund does not limit the scholarships to Niwot High School, stating, “All donations collected will go to a college or trade school-bound High School wrestler who demonstrates humility, acts of kindness and commitment to hard work, as Bert did, in the Fort Collins and/or Niwot,...
Temperatures in the low 20s and light snow did not keep the crowds away from Niwot's Enchanted Evening Nov. 24, nor the Holiday Parade the next morning on Nov. 25. ENCHANTED EVENING The annual tree-lighting ceremony in Niwot began with an abbreviated concert by what one band member referred to as the Niwot Community "Semi-Freezing" Free Grange Band. Niwot Inn & Spa proprietor Cornelia Sawle opened up her conference room to allow band members to "warm-up," a term that took on a dual meaning on...
Winter is a time for cheer, time with loved ones, good food, and of course, festive music. The Niwot High School orchestras, choirs, and bands will be hosting their annual winter concerts from Dec. 4 through Dec. 7. Kicking off the performance schedule on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m. is the “Winter Jazz in the Rockies” concert featuring the two jazz band ensembles at Niwot High School. The ensembles will perform several pieces including Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” Lena Horne’s famous “Stormy Weather,” and more....
At the November team banquet for the Niwot High School girls softball team, head coach Bobby Matthews reiterated what he had said earlier in the year: softball can be a rough sport, and the best players don't always come out on top. He was clearly proud of this year's team that went as far as any Niwot team has gone since 2014, posting an overall record of 18 wins, 8 losses and one tie. The softball team placed third in the Longs Peak League and was ranked 32nd in the state. However, their play...
With the help of her teammates, Sami Sessa quickly developed confidence in her first season as a starting libero for the Niwot High School girls volleyball team. "I definitely was nervous coming into the season because I was like, 'Now I'm a starter for the first time. I don't want to let the team down and let the program down since we've had such an amazing program the last couple of years,'" the senior said. "But I started to believe in myself. I really think that pushed me forward and I...
The top two high school cross country teams from each of the nine Nike regional qualifying meets in November secured automatic berths into this weekend's Nike Cross Nationals (NXN). That left just four at-large invitations available for high school boys teams from across the United States to compete in the national championships on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Portland, Oregon. When the Niwot boys cross country team finished fourth in its Southwest Regional meet on Nov. 18 in Arizona, it looked like a...
The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop, primarily a children's bookstore, will be closing its doors on Dec. 9, two-and-a-half years after it opened in the former "Niwot Tribune" building on Second Avenue in Niwot. The bookshop, affectionately dubbed TWJ, has been a warm, welcoming place for community members and authors alike. It showcased local authors and diverse perspectives, and catered to young readers and those young at heart. The owners cited a failure to meet financial goals as leading to the...
NIWOT GIRLS WIN REGIONALS, GOING TO NATIONALS When the top teams in the country gather in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 2, for the Nike Cross Country National Championships, all eyes will be on the two girls teams representing the Southwest Region – Niwot High School and Air Academy High School. Colorado's 4A State Champion Cougars and 5A champion Kadets squared off Saturday, Nov. 18, for the first time this season at the four-state Nike regional qualifying meet at the Coyote Run Golf C...
Every day was "leg day" this fall for Niwot High School senior Paris Lee. After balancing both soccer and kicking/punting duties on the varsity football team over the past few months, Lee said he could barely walk when it was all over. "I was very sore," Lee said. "After my first three days of not having both (sports), I wasn't able to walk up the stairs." Although NHS certainly doesn't lack multi-sport athletes, very few manage to play two sports during the same season. Lee's weekday afternoons...
As the whistle blows and the 2023 season comes to a close, the Niwot High School volleyball team reflected on a successful and memorable season. The Cougars finished their season with an impressive 8-1 record in the Longs Peak League, and an overall record of 17-10, with 11 of those victories coming as sweeps. With a remarkable record, hardships the team faced were well hidden and attested to the quick adjustment the team was able to make to ensure a successful performance from the beginning of...
Elise Marylander, who has served as Assistant Editor of the Left Hand Valley Courier since July 2022, has dropped "Assistant" from her title, and is now the Editor of the Courier. Bruce Warren, who had served in dual roles of Managing Editor and Editor of the Courier since April 2022 when former editor Jocelyn Rowley left to take a full-time position with a Loveland newspaper, will continue to serve as Managing Editor of the Courier. Marylander's duties as Editor include determining content for...
The Niwot community was shocked and saddened by the death of Niwot Market owner Bert Steele following a short illness last summer. A wrestling scholarship at Niwot High School was established in his memory at the request of his family, but many in the community looked for an opportunity to create a permanent visual memorial to beloved businessman and philanthropist, who for over 20 years, quietly got to know his customers and supported every event and project in Niwot, with little to no...
Niwot High School student Rae Sweeney has been an outstanding leader of the Niwot High School Color Guard for the last two seasons. The Color Guard performs with the marching band at football halftime shows, in parades, and at competitions, using a combination of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movements. Its main purpose is to interpret the music that is being played by the band through dance and synchronized movements. Sweeney remembers...
Niwot High School's art show, hosted by the NHS Booster Music Performance and Art under the umbrella of the parent-run Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., is returning for its sophomore year Dec. 4-6 from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. each evening. The art show is sponsored, in part, by the Boulder School of Fine Art. "Niwot High School is not only academically and athletically driven, but artistically driven," said Lydia Moy, Chairman for NIwot High School Booster Music Performance and Art, who helped to organ...
The Niwot High School cheerleading squad is headed to the state competition, tentatively set to begin Friday, Dec. 8, at the Denver Coliseum. Coach Christina Ayers's squad just finished the high school football season, and has already begun appearing in local and regional competitions. Squad members include Ashley Lavato, Audrey Perez, Ayushi Bhandari, Azariah Lucero, Cassidy Skole, Clara Rhea, Elizabeth Sullivan, Fernanda Laguna-Perez, Isaac Lopez, Juliette Cook, Juliette Sales, Kyla Helme, Lib...
All around the country, we honor and thank United States Veterans for their military service on November 11. This originated after World War I to commemorate the armistice reached during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Every year in honor of Veterans Day, the Niwot High School "Pride of Niwot" Marching Band marches in full uniform down Main Street in downtown Longmont playing, and singing the lyrics, to "The Army Song" (also known as "The Caissons Go Rolling...
Mia Prok has enjoyed quite an impressive past few weeks. First, the senior helped Niwot High School win its sixth straight Class 4A girls cross country state title on Oct. 28. Then, only 11 days later, she signed her national letter of intent to continue her running career at Wake Forest University. After committing to the Division I Demon Deacons in March of last year, Prok was thrilled to finally make things official. "It was cool to actually sign the papers and see it in writing," she said. R...
The Niwot High School volleyball team season finally came to an end, but not until the Cougars were eliminated at the state Class 4A tournament Nov. 10. The Cougars got to state by knocking off cross-town rival Longmont High School, a higher seed, on the Trojans’ home floor Nov. 4. At state, Niwot was seeded 11th out of the 12 teams that qualified, and found themselves paired up with No. 6 seed Palisade High School in the first round on Thursday, Nov. 9. Niwot started strong, winning a hard-fought first set 25-23. Palisade regrouped to win t...
Wednesday, Nov. 8, was a busy day at Niwot High School as ten student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers at the next level. The athletes represent a cross-section of fall sports at Niwot, including soccer (2), volleyball (2), cross country & track (2), softball (1) and golf (1). In addition, two athletes signed to play lacrosse in college, a sport not offered at Niwot High. Ashton Karch, who played football at Niwot, will play lacrosse at Westminster...
BASEBALL Niwot was represented at the World Series by Patrick Perry, a 2001 NHS grad, who is an area scout for the Texas Rangers. Perry was able to meet up with Matt Mercurio, a former teammate from Perry's days in the Boston Red Sox organization at the World Series. Mercurio, who played first and third base for the Lowell Spinners in 2005, is now a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Perry, was a catcher for Lowell in 2005 after being drafted out of the University of Northern Colorado. Skyler...
Lulu LaFortune, a Niwot High School graduate, is conquering the world of design by making a name for herself as a furniture, textile, and interior designer in Los Angeles with her company "Lulu LaFortune Limited" brand. LaFortune graduated from Niwot High School in 2014, and went to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Furniture Design and Manufacturing, as well as minors in Textile Design and Interior Design. Though she initially...
When Niwot High School music students traveled to Europe for two weeks last summer, visiting Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, one of the highlights of the trip for violinist Ian Springsteen was the visit to the Sibelius Academy and the Jean Sibelius house in Finland. Sibelius, who is widely known for his symphonies and tone poems, especially "Finlandia," now ranks among Springsteen's favorite composers. It was an inspirational trip. Springsteen remembers that their group performed in...
"Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic" is Niwot High School's fall theater production. This show is entertaining, comedic, and witty. It is also rated PG-13 because it includes adult language and situations at times. Amanda Foust, Niwot High's theater director and teacher, has put an immense amount of thought and effort into this show. The production has two full casts, both of which are full of talent. The characters in this show each have very...
Thursday Nov. 2 was the final football game for the Niwot Cougars' 2023 season. However, it wasn't just the final game for seniors on the football team; senior members of the cheerleading squad and marching band also had their last experience as students performing on Everly-Montgomery Field that night. Throughout the season, and for many, the past four years, students have dedicated hours of practice outside of school and performing at various sporting events and exhibitions. "I calculated the...
In the gymnastics world, just a fraction of a point can make the difference between ultimate success and shattered dreams. After the 4A state championships last weekend, the Niwot Cougars felt the disappointment of their sport's reality. As Niwot Coach Marisa Purcell predicted prior to Friday night's team competition at Thornton High School, the girls from Palmer Ridge High School would spring to their first state championship while just tenths of a point would separate the runners-up. After...
With its season on the line, the Niwot High School girls volleyball team won twice in a rival's gym to earn a spot in the upcoming Class 4A state tournament. The Cougars first cruised past Denver North High School (25-17, 25-13, 25-17) before beating host Longmont High School in four sets (25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18) at the 4A Region 11 championships on Saturday, Nov. 4. Obviously, the stakes were higher than a typical match, but because Longmont was seeded three spots higher than 14th-ranked...
Head coach Tony Engel was overcome with emotion when asked about the importance of Anne Haley to his Niwot High School girls volleyball team. "Anne's a flat-out winner and she's been a winner since her freshman year when she walked into the gym," Engel said. "There's not many kids that do that, so she's special. I really appreciate everything that she brings." After missing about one month of the season with an ankle injury, Haley recently returned to Niwot's lineup, and the junior setter's...
The Niwot High School football season is officially over. Niwot played its final game Thursday, Nov. 2, against Denver North High School, which was also Niwot's Senior Night. The Cougars lost the game, 24-14, dropping to 3-7 on the year. Niwot struggled early against the Vikings as they went scoreless in the first three quarters before mounting a near comeback. The Cougar defense played a strong game throughout, giving Niwot a chance to wi Niwot started the game with the ball, but an errant...
The Niwot High School boys soccer team started their week with a Wednesday matchup against the Skyline High School Falcons to advance to the quarter finals. Niwot went into the game as the 11th seed against the sixth-seeded Falcons. Niwot was able to pull off a 4-2 upset victory over Skyline to advance to the Class 4A quarterfinals against third-ranked Battle Mountain High School, but the Cougars came up short in the Saturday, Nov. 4 game, which ended the Cougar's year in a 3-1 loss. The...
Outstanding depth and tremendous individual performances were the key all season for the Colorado Class 4A State Cross Country Champions from Niwot High School. Those efforts were recognized by this year's 4A Girls and Boys All-State Team selections. The Cougars' two sophomore standouts, Addison Ritzenhein and Rocco Culpepper, led the celebration with first team All-State honors. Ritzenhein, who also earned Runner of the Year honors, was joined by senior teammates, Olivia Alessandrini, Sarah...
Jan Bova was a go-getter - and a "go-giver." Innately adventurous, she loved to inspire others to join in the fun and turned her many passions into a lifetime of volunteer service. Jan didn't just take up skiing - she got her whole family involved, started a ski club at her daughter's school in Poland, Ohio, and moved to Colorado. She didn't merely help at a local children's theater - she designed and sewed countless costumes and pitched in on set building and painting. And she didn't just save...
For the sixth time in six years, the Niwot High School girls cross country team reigns supreme in Colorado. And, not to be outdone, after a disappointing two-year hiatus, the Cougar boys team reclaimed its state title at this past weekend's 4A Colorado State Cross Country Championships. Taking advantage of their outstanding individual leaders and incredible team depth, the Cougars wrapped up their near perfect season with two runaway victories on the Norris Penrose Event Center course in...
Snow came early on Saturday, Oct. 28, but it did not deter the hundreds of costumed children (and adults) who gathered in Niwot for the annual Great Pumpkin Party. Pat Murphy, who has been the champion and chief sponsor of the event for over 25 years, was on hand to welcome the children and their parents. "Such a great turnout," she said, in spite of the weather. Murphy's The Niwot Group at Compass Realtors offered treats and hosted a petting zoo for the children. The Niwot Business Association...
For the first time since 2018, the "Pride of Niwot" Cougar Marching Band attended the Greeley Invitational Marching Festival on Saturday Oct. 21. High schools from Greeley, Loveland, Longmont, and the towns in between were invited to come perform their halftime shows. Marching bands who attend the Greeley Invitational receive a score between one and one hundred. Scores are based on musical ability, marching performance, and a general effect category. However, bands do not compete against each...
When Allison Gundmundson was in elementary school, she learned that Candlelight Dinner Playhouse hosted acting classes that included children. Whenever she could find the time, Gundmundson would join in. Her theater repertoire expanded quickly, with roles in the junior production of "Mary Poppins," and roles in "The Aristocats," and "Beauty and the Beast." She also worked in two junior shows at Longmont's Jesters Dinner Theatre, including "Alice in Wonderland" and "Snow White and the Seven...
The Sunset Middle School seventh and eighth-graders in Advanced Band joined the Niwot High School Marching Band in the Longmont Halloween Parade on Oct. 28. The event provides middle school students an almost immediate connection and sense of community with their high school colleagues. It also provides a unique opportunity for Sunset students to get a taste of what marching band will be like when they join the high school marching band - a very different experience than concert band. "My...
Mission accomplished. In a complete team effort, the Niwot High School girls gymnastics squad met this past week’s goal of winning their regional meet, which propels the Cougars into the 4A state championship meet Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3 and 4, at Thornton High School. The Cougars scored 176.15 points to edge out Roosevelt’s 173.30 points behind all-around champion Maeve Flentie and individual apparatus winners Heidi Herbert (bars), Kylee Schlepp (vault) and Lilly O’Neill (beam). Juniors Flentie and Claire Vardas combined with O’Nei...
The Niwot High School Cougars split four games at the Cheyenne Mountain tournament in Colorado Springs over the weekend. The tournament invites only go to the top 10 teams in Class 3A, the top 12 teams in 4A and the top six teams in 5A, based on criteria that extend over the last three seasons. After the tournament, Niwot accepted an invitation to return for the next two seasons. Each match was best-of-five-games, with team standings based on cumulative scores. The Cougars began Friday with a...
The Niwot High School football team has fallen for the fifth straight time in a competitive game, this time against the 8-1 Riverdale Ridge High School Ravens. Niwot lost 35-17 but played close until the fourth quarter. The Cougars are now 3-6 on the year with their final game of the season this Thursday, Nov. 2. Niwot started the game with the ball, pounding Riverdale Ridge with a run game that brought the Cougars to the 30-yard line where their drive eventually fizzled out after a failed...
The Niwot High School's soccer team is moving on in this year's 2023 playoffs, making it out of the first round with a win against the Pueblo Centennial High School Bulldogs. Niwot won the game 2-1, with a back-and-forth second half falling in Niwot's favor. Niwot is now in the top 16 teams for Class 4A, where they will take on a strong Skyline High School team. Niwot's game against Pueblo Centennial started slowly as neither team could find a way to put the ball into the goal. The Cougars held...
