All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 301 - 350 of 373
Longtime local resident Franklin David Frankfort, 54, died on Feb. 26, 2019 after a battle with congestive heart failure. He is survived by his mother Toby of Del Rey, Fla., and brother Jeff of Boca Raton, Fla. He also leaves behind many, many close friends and associates in the Niwot and Gunbarrel areas, where he was a resident for more than 25 years. Frankfort was born and raised in Chicago, then lived with his parents and brother in the Phoenix, Ariz. area during the 1980s. Frankfort relocate...
Boulder County is now accepting applications for two openings on the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, a nine-member independent board that “prioritizes expenditures of the LID sales tax revenue,” and makes recommendations to the county commissioners. The Niwot LID was formed in 1992 and authorized to collect a half-percent sales tax to pay for street, drainage and other improvements in Old Town. In 2007 following a successful Niwot effort to change state law, vot...
Since Michael Tomich and Patty Machen opened the door of Old Oak Coffeehouse a little over a year ago, it has lived up the symbolism of its namesake – it’s become a thriving and solid part of the community. So, when a smash and grab burglar made the cafe one of the victims of a string of small businesses robbed in the last two weeks, Tomich said the tree was a bit shaken. “To see someone in my shop, with a mask and gloves destroying and stealing,” Tomich said of the video footage he reviewe...
All Niwot property owners deserve the same rights. Through a moratorium, Land Use staff is trying to restrict the use of a public right-of-way to benefit a select few Niwot property owners over others. But the County Attorney and the County’s Comprehensive Plan state that ALL adjacent property owners have equal rights to use the alley. Alley use regulations already exist and are successfully enforced just 50 feet up 2nd Avenue. Ignoring the existing guidelines of the Comprehensive Plan to r...
On Tuesday, Oct. 23, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee welcomed county commissioners Cindy Domenico, Deb Gardner, and Elise Jones to the Left Hand Grange for a “very timely” discussion of the state of local affairs during the past 12 (or so) months. Ordinarily used as an opportunity to showcase the town’s recent successes, this year’s presentation to the commissioners was fraught with anxiety about the county’s development moratorium, which was scheduled for a public hearing on Oct. 30. Ackno...
Two long-time Niwot health professionals are turning the page to new chapters in their lives. Dr. Leigh Charley relocated her chiropractic practice, Triad Wellness Center, to Niwot 11 years ago. She closed her office at the end of July. Dr. Felicia Santelli will be closing her natural health practice at the end of September. Her business, Santelli Healing Center, opened in Niwot 20 years ago. Leigh Charley Jamaica was home for Dr. Charley for 20 years and it’s where she raised her two c...
Where in the World has hit the jackpot this week and it’s keeping the World staff very busy. Three very savvy families have found our mystery chair. First to thanks to Megan Nowak. Nowak writes, “The chair mentioned in the Aug. 29 edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier is in Whistlestop Park. Below is a photo of my daughter Savannah Nowak and friend Xander Ware at a Rock & Rails concert a couple of weeks ago.” Next there’s the intrepid Sascha. No hiding place in Niwot is safe with her eagle e...
The 2018 season of Rock & Rails closed out with two terrific groups. The concert opened with Summerland Sun to start the evening off, while the incomparable Hazel Miller had the audience up and dancing for the last two hours. Comments from attendees ranged from “Wonderful,” and “Fantastic,” to “I can’t believe my ears.” Thanks to everyone who contributed to the tip jar. Proceeds, which went to Whistle Stop Park for planned improvements, including a small building to house the beverage bar,...
As expected, the a cappella group Face drew an enthusiastic crowd at the Aug. 16 Rock & Rails concert. The group, which has its origins in Boulder, can always be counted on to bring out music lovers. The concert also brought out the hungry and thirsty, with food trucks doing a bang up business. The beer tent had its second biggest night in sales. Best of all was the record-breaking tip jar, with over $1,700 going to the Niwot Historical Society to support its lecture series. Only two concerts...
Niwot-based performer Nalani may be spending a lot of time with her music pals in Nashville these days, but she will always have a soft spot for her hometown concert series. “I was practically raised at Rock & Rails,” the bassist and vocalist said. “That environment is where I learned to love music.” Nalani returns with her bass to Rock & Rails on Aug. 16 as the opening act for the vocal band Face, another local act garnering nationwide following. Nalani’s mother is Satir Demarco, a longtime...
Joey Dapolito started volunteering at the Rock & Rails summer concert series four years ago for a very simple reason. “I like helping out my community,” the 10th grader said. “It’s important to keep these parks clean.” But, like many of his longtime gargoyle cohorts, it’s the music that brings him back year after year. His favorite show so far this year has been The Long Run, even though the large crowd the band attracted added both to his workload and stress level. “The hardest part is tryin...
The Niwot Touchdown club welcomed former University of Colorado head football coach Gary Barnett to its fifth annual Cougar Classic golf tournament, held Aug. 3 at Twin Peaks Golf Course in Longmont. More than 75 players turned out for this year’s 18-hole scramble, making it the Club’s largest event in its five-year history. “We had a lot of support from a lot of different places and a lot of different people,” Niwot head football coach Jeremy Lanter said. “It was incredible to see that many...
Thanks to his regular gig as a Rock & Rails gargoyle, Griffin Harris was able to check two major items off his summer to-do list: earn 10 community service hours, and have some fun. “I’m trying to get a rank, so I started doing this to get Boy Scout hours,” Harris said. He is hoping to earn his first and second-class ranks in Niwot Troop 161. “But, I’ve already surpassed 10 hours, so I’m just doing it because I love volunteering here. It’s so fun.” Harris especially enjoys hearing from ap...
It has been a dramatic year for the Niwot cheer squad. After nearly disbanding last August, former Niwot High and University of Colorado cheerleader Alexis Bellinger assumed the helm, and led the team to an inspiring top-15 finish at the Class 4A state competition in December. A successful spring recruiting drive added a new crop of ardent freshman, and then two weeks ago, the cheerleaders dominated the competition at CSA Cheer Camp at CU-Boulder and brought home two first-place trophies for...
The Courier would like to welcome Jocelyn Rowley as our new editor. Rowley, a Colorado native and current Mead resident, began writing local sports for the Courier, quickly moved into general reporting, and is now the editor. Rowley was instrumental in adding the Student-Athlete of the Week and Volunteer of the Week features to the Courier. She has a son who will be a freshman at Colorado State University, and her daughter attends Niwot High School. Rowley is a frequent volunteer at the Rock &...
When asked about his favorite part of being a Rock & Rails gargoyle, Niwot sophomore Jesse Horn was quick to answer. “I get to boss other gargoyles around,” he said, chuckling. As a third-year volunteer at the weekly concert series, the 10th-grader has certainly earned that privilege. Often working alongside twin brother Thomas, Horn serves as one of the gargoyle team leaders, and is instrumental in keeping the grounds tidy during his shifts, whether from his own efforts hauling bins and collect...
Photo Gallery: Rock & Rails - July 19...
Jackson Erb first showed up at Rock & Rails for the same reason that most people do—to see a great concert. Little did he know that his love of music would lead to a regular community service stint. “Jill [Whitener] came to me at the right time,” Erb said. “I was just getting into volunteering at the Humane Society, and I liked coming here, so I just started doing it.” Now in his fifth season, Erb is one of the most veteran Rock & Rails Gargoyles. Over the years, he’s helped the clean-up sq...
Jared Lizakowski’s family is taking the sorrow of their loss to bring happiness to others, making his memory all the sweeter. Lizakowski died at age 19 on Oct. 26, 2016 in a motorcycle accident on Niwot Road. His family has put their energy into making sure others have the opportunity to experience what made Jared happiest – music – through the J.A.R.E.D. Foundation. Surinder Dahiya, Lizakowski’s step-father, said, “We created The J.A.R.E.D. (Join a Revolution Educate Drummers and Other Musician...
Sunset Middle School seventh-grader Merrick Blondeau is the Rock & Rails Volunteer of the Week. Like his fellow gargoyles, Blondeau’s reasons for volunteering at Niwot’s weekly concert series are both altruistic and self-interested. “Jill [Whitener], the person who runs the gargoyles, usually has a hard time getting Gargoyles, so I do it for that,” he said, before adding. “There’s also free food.” Now in his third year, the Sunset seventh-grader is among the most veteran gargoyles. He...
Singer- songwriter Kevin Dooley has been in the music business for decades, traveling across the US and Europe. Music is his passion and Colorado is his home. You can find him playing guitar and performing his original folk music on main stages, festivals, and pubs across the Front Range. But sometimes you’re fortunate enough to be part of a more intimate audience of fans right here in Niwot at First Friday Artwalk on 2nd Avenue or at the Niwot Market Friday night dinners. This summer, y...
Gargoyle Marco Ramirez has both high-minded and pragmatic reasons for volunteering at Rock & Rails. For the Niwot High 10th-grader, helping collect waste at Whistle Stop Park is not only a great way to help the environment, it also helps to foster the town’s “community spirit.” Then there are the more tangible benefits. “If you’re a gargoyle, you get two free slices of pizza from Abo’s and a free drink,” he said. “It takes away a few hours of the day and you don’t have to worry about what...
Longtime Rock & Rails volunteer Maddie Frary doesn’t mind being one of the only girls on Gargoyle crew. In fact, working with the boys is often pretty “fun” according to her. “I have many friends who are boys,” the spectacled seventh grader-to-be said. “It’s really not that hard.” After all, it was a boy who convinced her to join up in the first place. “My brother did it first,” Frary said, referring to older brother Alex, another longtime volunteer. “When I was young, it looked like a lot of fu...
For Olivia “Livy” Herring, playing for thousands of fans at Red Rocks as a member of the Boulder School of Rock’s House Band was easy compared to stepping onto the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park with her eponymous band to play for friends and family. But that’s just what the recent Niwot High graduate will be doing next Thursday night, when Livy & the Boys opens for Rebecca Folsom at Rock & Rails on July 5. “When I was performing as a student of the School of Rock, if I messed up no one knew...
Singer-songwriter Rebecca Folsom performs in exotic venues all over the world, but there is no place the long-time Rock & Rails favorite enjoys more than the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park in the summertime. “It’s my favorite of the whole year,” the Boulder native said about her upcoming show on July 5. “Coming home and playing for my Colorado people is where I’m very happy. It’s the sweet spot for me, to play for the hometown crowds. I’m in the heart of where I want to be.” Though Folsom i...
Local teenager Jason Champion loves two things: the environment and Rock & Rails. So, if you go looking for him on a Thursday night during the summer, a good place to start is on top of an eco-cycle bin at Whistle Stop Park. “When I came here the first time, I absolutely loved it,” the Boulder Country Day seventh-grader said. He credits a school project for bringing him to the weekly concert series initially. “So, I kept on volunteering. It’s an amazing place.” Champion is a regular on the Ro...
Plans to turn the former site of the Neighborhood Learning Center of Niwot into a 6,405 square-foot veterinary clinic cleared an important hurdle when the Boulder County Planning Commission gave its conditional approval to Left Hand Animal Hospital’s site development proposal at a public hearing on June 20. After hearing testimony from county planning staff and more than a two dozen supporters, the seven commissioners in attendance agreed that the proposed renovation at 304 Franklin Street is b...
At its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 5, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee considered funding requests for the eighth annual Jazz on 2nd Avenue festival, as well for mowing of the future parking lot west of Old Town. Before hearing the evening’s applications, members reviewed Treasurer Harris Faberman’s report through the end of May. So far, the LID has committed to $109,314 in expenses in 2018, leaving $23,686 from the budget to spend for the remainder of the year. However, the report...
Jeremy Lanter is looking forward to his second season as Niwot’s head football coach, and not just because he feels the Cougars will be more competitive on the field. With 20 first-time players, in addition to a healthy crop of freshman, Lanter said newcomers have breathed energy and optimism into his program, which has seen its share of struggles in recent years. “Now although the numbers have been similar, the excitement has been one of the biggest changes in the program,” he wrote in an em...
Last week the Colorado Lottery announced winners of the 2018 Starburst Awards, which recognize public projects that use lottery funds, and the Niwot Children’s Park was one of 11 winners chosen statewide. The lottery funds — in the amount of $140,000 — came out to be about 70 percent of the purchase price of the property the park sits on at 101 First Avenue in Niwot, with Jeff and Cynthia Lambert and funds from the Niwot community providing the balance. Another $20,700 of services were donat...
The 13th-annual Rock & Rails summer concert series kicks off on June 7 and organizers are gearing up for another great summer of live music and family fun on Thursday nights at Whistlestop Park. Opening acts take the stage at 5 p.m., for an hour, followed by a headliner, with music resuming around 6:30. There is no charge for admission, and seating is “bring-your-own” on a first-come, first-serve basis. Leading things off this season is longtime local guitarist Dean Himes in the early show, foll...
At the regular monthly meeting on May 1, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee got a sneak peek at the Niwot Business Association’s new branding campaign, and heard about some important changes in store for this year’s Rock & Rails Summer concert series. Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin kicked off the meeting with a brief discussion about officer elections, a subject curiously left out of the Committee’s bylaws. Leadership of the nine-member Committee consists of a Chair, who conducts the meeti...
Kim and Alan Schwarz have racked up thirty some years of odd jobs for their resume. A little of this and a little of that adds up to a whole lot of doing good. When you have kind hearts, some really cool tools, and simply notice that something needs to be done, your hometown is fortunate to have you waiting in the wings. One of Niwot’s stealth power couples, the Schwarzes have made it their second nature to jump in and plow parking lots, cart around 300-pound Left Hand cement chairs, buy h...
The neighborhood around 304 Franklin Street in Niwot recently received a referral packet regarding the Left Hand Animal Hospital’s proposed move to that location. Hospital co-owners Nancy Bureau and Katie Thomas are in the process of purchasing the property, which is the current home of the Neighborhood Learning Center of Niwot. The packet is part of a special use application process to the Boulder County Land Use department, along with maps and the proposal submitted by Bureau and Thomas. The proposal highlights the criteria required by the c...
This month’s progress issue features several area groups, clubs and organizations that are all about volunteerism. Though they may range in variety — such as the Niwot Historical Society, the Niwot Community Association or the Longmont Foundation — they have one common goal, and that is to make the community a better place to live, work and play. The next six pages of this issue feature several of the organizations, what they’re about and ways to get involved. We hope you enjoy learning about the many groups that make this community tick. N...
Current officers of the Niwot Business Association were re-elected at the February 13 NBA meeting, hosted by the Niwot Inn and Treppeda’s Italian Restaurant. In the only contested rate, incumbent vice-president Deborah Fowler was re-elected as vice-president over Jim Ditzel. Tony Santelli will continue as president, Linda Klueber will return as secretary, and Dayna Roane was re-elected as treasurer. The NBA officers also serve as the board of directors. Santelli thanked Ditzel for his interest in serving the NBA and welcomed his continued i...
On Feb. 6, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee considered five funding requests, got a sneak preview of the NBA’s 2018 budget and heard after-action reports for two popular events from last year. They also said goodbye to AC members Tony Santelli and Howard Treppeda, who will be stepping down at the end of the month when their latest five-year terms expire. Treasurer Harris Faberman led off with an update on the District’s 2017 finances. The LID collected $13,253.70 in sales tax revenue for Nov...
Boulder County is now accepting applications for open positions on the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee. The nine-member LID Advisory Committee “is an independent board that provides the Boulder County Commissioners with recommendations for improvements to the LID,” according to Boulder County. The committee is primarily responsible for overseeing expenditures of the town’s sales tax revenue, which is generated by business retail sales within Niwot’s business district, i...
Niwot has the good fortune of being Alyson Bell’s family. And, as it is with the best of kin, Bell’s positive impacts are deep and immeasurable. “I like to keep a full plate and keep it rolling” Bell said. And that truly is the Alyson Bell effect. Her personal touch on Niwot’s signature events such as Let’s Wine about Winter, Rock & Rails, and The Great Pumpkin Party, through her organizing and hands-on effort and by ensuring that graphics, printed materials and online presences are emblematic,...
The 2017 Golden Hammer Award for volunteer service to the Niwot Community was presented to Kathy Koehler at the Great Pumpkin Party Oct. 28. Pat Murphy of Niwot Real Estate, who originated the award in 2009 in honor of late community volunteer Curtis Lizakowski, made the presentation to Koehler, noting that she has worked tirelessly for the community since moving to Niwot in the early 1970s. Koehler, a native of Boulder County, has been involved with the Niwot Community Association and the...
A group of youth took notice of a trash problem in the Niwot Children’s Park and decided to take action. Nine-year-old Cormac Easter and his friend Emmett Verhoogen organized a group that they’re calling the Children’s Park Owls. For the last month or so, they’ve met at the park after Rock & Rails concerts to clean up the trash left behind. “What we’ve been doing is me and my friends have trash grabbers and other supplies,” Cormac said. “We distribute them so people can use them to clean. If we...
On Monday, Aug. 7, the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee held its annual joint meeting with the Boulder County Commissioners to provide them with a first-hand account of the state of affairs in Niwot. Commissioners Cindy Domenico and Deb Garder (Elise Jones was out of town) along with County staff Peter Salas, Michelle Krezek and Mark Ruzzin were joined by LID Co-Chairs Laura Skaggs, and Carrie Wise, Vice-Chair Jim Eastman, Treasurer Harris Faberman, and members Tony Sant...
A 501c(3) non-profit in honor of Jared Lizakowski, a 19-year-old Niwot resident who died in an Oct. 2016 motorcycle accident, has been established by his parents. Lizakowski’s mother and stepfather, Renae and Surinder Dahiya, along with Jared’s father, Jerry Lizakowski, founded the “Join A Revolution Educate Drummers and other musicians” — or the J.A.R.E.D. Foundation, to accomplish several objectives in Jared’s memory. “Our goals are to provide music education and lessons through scholarships f...
Friends and fans of Niwot football are invited to kick off the Jeremy Lanter Era at the 4th Annual Cougar Classic Golf Tournament on Friday, Aug. 4 at Saddleback Golf Club in Firestone. Hosted by the non-profit Niwot Touchdown Club, the 18-hole scramble tournament is in need of players, sponsors and volunteers. Tournament entries are $475 per foursome or $125 per individual, and all players receive an 18-hole round, riding cart, two complimentary (non-alcoholic) beverages, a buffet lunch, and a...
Niwot Business Association members were treated to exquisite cuisine and wine at the July 11 meeting at Colterra restaurant.. Chef Bradford Heap, owner of Colterra, welcomed NBA members and guests, and introduced the Buckners, local lamb and beef suppliers, emphasizing the environmental and health benefits gained by avoiding factory-farmed animal products. He also welcomed Michael Moss of Plowshares – a nearby organic produce grower who invited everyone to an Open House at the Farm on August 3...
If the music at Rock & Rails seems a bit louder than usual this week, blame it on the Mikes (and their friend Lawrence). Niwot alums Mike Anderson, Mike Holubec, Mike Warren, and Lawrence Jenkins will be taking the stage with their bands this week, drawing scores of local fans eager for a night with old friends and hard rocking music. Denver-based band Legitimate by Friday will kick things off on Thursday night, July 20, at 5 p.m. Formed in 2009, the blues-infused rock combo got its start in...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 11, with several large expenditures on the agenda. Before hearing funding requests, members reviewed the July budget reports prepared by county liaison Pete Salas and LID treasurer Harris Faberman. According to their figures, the LID has disbursed just over $25,500 so far this year and has committed to spend another $39,806, not counting the pending applications, leaving just under $68,000 in the...
Niwot Business Association President Tony Santelli welcomed the crowd and introduced Bert Steele of Niwot Market, which hosted the June 13 meeting. Steele expressed appreciation for the longevity of the market and thanked his management team, including his daughter Alison, whom he introduced. He is excited about the abundance of organic produce available to him from local wholesalers and invited everyone to shop in the produce department. Niwot Cultural Arts Association president Biff Warren...
Last week’s Rock & Rails had the Women’s International Niwot Club (WINC) as the beneficiary of the tip jars. WINC started a few years ago as a offshoot from Daughters of the British Empire in the area. Club President Deborah Read Fowler said that since its inception, most of the club’s donations have gone to the Niwot Children’s Park, but they also give to Children First of the Rockies and other charities. “At the end of the year we email members and ask them to nominate charities,” Fowler said...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 6 at the Niwot Fire Station. After the meeting was called to order, members reviewed the June budget reports prepared by county liaison Pete Salas and LID treasurer Harris Faberman. According to their figures, the LID has committed to just over $66,000 in expenses so far this year, including about $11,000 in pending requests, and has nearly the same amount remaining in the 2017 budget. The...
